Border Patrol
Government Moves to Curb Non-Citizens’ Ability to Get More Time to Prepare for Hearings
In a move to reduce the number of times immigration judges reschedule immigration hearings, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) recently issued guidance suggesting judges should change practices regarding “continuances.” A continuance, which only may be granted for “good cause,” is a critically important option for individuals who… Read More
Immigrants Are Now Five Times More Likely to Die Crossing the Border
The recent deaths of ten migrants who suffocated in the back of a tractor trailer as they were allegedly being smuggled into the United States has brought renewed attention to the grave risks involved in crossing the border. A new report from the National Foundation of American Policy (NFAP)… Read More
Border Patrol Abuses Rarely Result in Any Serious Disciplinary Action
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the nation’s largest federal law-enforcement agency, has a long history of violating constitutional and other rights of both immigrants and U.S. citizens. For example, agents of the Border Patrol (a component agency of CBP) are known for regularly overstepping the boundaries of their… Read More
Life-Saving Humanitarian Aid Camp Raided by Border Patrol in Arizona Desert
Each year, hundreds of individuals perish while crossing into the United States from Mexico and Central America. Death while crossing the desert is often due to dehydration and other medical emergencies. Often migrants get lost and are poorly equipped for the treacherous journey, succumbing to the desert heat and exhaustion. Read More
Refugees Contribute More In Taxes Than They Ever Receive in Benefits
Refugee resettlement has long been a cornerstone of United States foreign policy, but in the first weeks of the Trump administration, the president attempted to suspend the decades-long program in favor of a more isolationist approach. One reason the president gave for wanting to temporarily bar the world’s refugees was… Read More
Congress Lowers Hiring Standards for Corruption and Abuse Plagued Border Patrol
The House of Representatives passed The Anti-Border Corruption Reauthorization Act (H.R.2213) on Wednesday evening. The measure—which passed the House by a vote of 282-137, which includes 51 yes votes from Democrats and no opposition from Republicans—is designed to weaken Customs and Border Protection hiring standards by exempting some applicants from… Read More
What’s Causing the Decline in Border Crossings?
New government data points to a decline in apprehensions of undocumented immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border over the past few months. This can be attributed to a range of factors, only one of which might be the get-tough immigration enforcement policies of the Trump administration. Apprehensions normally rise and fall… Read More
Texas Lawmakers Admit They Have No Sanctuary Policies, But Pass Bill to Stop Them Anyway
Texas Governor Greg Abbot is preparing to sign SB4, a fiercely-debated bill that will make it a crime for local law enforcement to refuse cooperation with federal immigration officials. Supporters of the new law say they intend to put an end to “sanctuary” cities in Texas, although the federal… Read More
Spending Deal Expands Parts of Immigration Enforcement, but Not the Wall or Immigration Agents
Congress reached an agreement this week to fund the government through the rest of the Fiscal Year which ends on September 30, 2017. This agreement does not fund many of President Trump's immigration priorities like the border wall. However, it does provide additional funding for immigration detention and border security measures. Read More
Spike in Corruption Followed Last Hiring Surge at CBP and ICE
When President Trump signed three immigration executive orders in January of this year, much of the attention was focused on the travel ban and border wall. But within those orders is another proposal that is equally troubling: his call for hiring 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents and 10,000 additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. It is unclear if this growth in staffing is prudent given the last time the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) received a large infusion of new hires, cases of corruption and misconduct spiked in the agency. Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
