Immigration Impact

Oct. 18, 2017 – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has a long track record of operating in the dark, with little transparency and accountability.  The most recent examples come from the agency’s failure to reveal information about its practice of sending agents to serve as translators in routine law enforcement and local emergency services […]

Sept. 19, 2017 – The Trump administration has repeatedly called for increased security along the United States southern border with Mexico, but a new report released earlier this month from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disputes the need for such measures. The agency’s report details how the U.S.-Mexico border is more secure than ever before, […]

Sept. 11, 2017 – In a unanimous decision, the Ninth Circuit upheld a lower court’s decision on Friday in Hawaii v. Trump, allowing extended family members as well as certain refugees to enter the United States. In doing so, the court rejected the Trump administration’s interpretation of the Supreme Court’s June decision and rebuffed the administration’s ongoing effort to […]

July 31, 2017 – The House of Representatives passed a spending bill last week which included $1.6 billion for expansion of a southern border wall. The bill, which passed largely along party lines, will now move to the Senate where Democrats have emphatically said they oppose any border wall funding. In May, the administration submitted a […]

July 6, 2017 – Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials recently confirmed their plans to initiate criminal prosecutions and deportation proceedings against immigrant parents and guardians who help bring their children to the United States through the use of smugglers or traffickers. Reports indicate that these enforcement actions are already underway. The ostensible goal is […]

May 10, 2017 – Democratic and Republican Members of Congress alike introduce private immigration bills designed as a last-minute effort to protect some immigrants facing deportation. These bills are only introduced for the most critical immigration cases. These bills seldom pass. However, while they are pending, immigration enforcement agencies typically do not deport those individuals. […]

May 9, 2017 – The Trump administration continues to stack its deck with key players in the anti-immigrant movement, most recently naming Julie Kirchner as the new Ombudsman for the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) department. Kirchner, the former executive director of one of the nation’s most prominent anti-immigrant groups, will be tasked with improving […]

April 13, 2017 – Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a shift in policy for the Department of Justice on Tuesday, directing U.S. Attorneys to prioritize criminal immigration enforcement and drastically expand federal court prosecutions of immigration violators across the nation. Operation Streamline and other border enforcement programs—where some border crossers are referred by Customs and […]

March 24, 2017 – A culture of fear fostered by the Trump administration’s immigration plan has begun to affect whether immigrants utilize their federal food benefits, leaving many families hungry and with limited alternatives for nutrition. Though the Department of Agriculture’s formal guidance on noncitizens and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has not changed, […]

March 1, 2017 – Effective February 27, 2017, new changes to the asylum screening process could lead to an increased number of deportations of asylum-seekers who fear persecution upon return to their home country. On February 13, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) revised its Asylum Division Officer Training Course (ADOTC) lesson plans on […]

January 30, 2017 – Today executives from eight evangelical Christian organizations sent a letter to the president and vice president urging them to reconsider Friday’s executive order restricting entry of refugees. The letter is signed by leaders from Accord Network, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, Korean Churches for Community Development, the National Association […]

Jan. 12, 2017 – President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to build a wall along the U.S-Mexico border took a step forward last week as Congressional Republicans discussed ways to get funding for the structure through the budget process. Republican leadership believes that current law already allows them to construct additional barriers along the border, if they […]

Dec. 21, 2016 – Each year, tens of thousands of individuals are deported from the United States to Mexico without their personal belongings—including their identifications, money, and cell phones, among other possessions. Both U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have a serious and longstanding problem with handling the personal […]