Hearings
DHS Begins Raids and Deportations of Central American Mothers and Children
This past weekend, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted immigration raids, primarily in Georgia, Texas and North Carolina where, according to DHS, they rounded up 121 individuals, mostly women and children. DHS now is transporting the families to Texas to process them for deportation. The raids were anticipated,… Read More
Will the Immigration Court Backlog Finally Go Down?
Although our nation’s immigration courts currently have record backlogs, there may be some help on the way. That was the message from Juan Osuna, Director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR)—a division within the Department of Justice (DOJ) department which houses the immigration courts—at an oversight hearing… Read More
Immigrants in Wisconsin, Site of Tonight’s GOP Debate
Tonight, the Republican candidates will face off for the fourth GOP presidential debate (#GOPDebate) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ahead of the debate, here are a few facts about Wisconsin’s immigrant population. While the state’s immigrant community is relatively small — just 4.6 percent of the state’s population is foreign-born… Read More
Complexity of Central American Migration Explored at Senate Hearing
This week, the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held yet another hearing to examine the causes and implications of the high rate of migration from Central America, mainly from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) opened the hearing by… Read More
Refugee Security Process is Already Robust, Senate Hearing Shows
The United States plays an important role in protecting thousands of the world’s most vulnerable people fleeing persecution in their home countries. At no point in U.S. history has this role been more crucial—the violence and devastation in Syria has led to the largest number of refugees since World War… Read More
Congressional Hearings Highlight Need for Practical, Comprehensive Solutions That Promote Public Safety
The tragic murder of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco this month prompted Congress to schedule two hearings this week—one held today in the Senate Judiciary Committee and another scheduled for Thursday in the House Judiciary Committee. While several family members of victims shared their heart-wrenching stories of loss… Read More
DHS Secretary Johnson Testifies to House Judiciary Committee About Detainers
On Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson testified to the House Judiciary Committee—his first appearance in Congress since the tragic killing of Kate Steinle in San Francisco. Secretary Johnson faced Congressional representatives who repeatedly supported making immigration detainer requests mandatory. Johnson responded by repeatedly emphasizing “cooperation” with local authorities, rather than mandated detention. Read More
One Year Later: Government Officials Request Lawyers for Immigrant Children and More Judges
On Tuesday, the Senate Homeland Security committee held a hearing examining the U.S. government’s response to last year’s arrivals of unaccompanied children fleeing Central American violence. Despite continuing disagreements between Senators as to the cause of the increased numbers of children fleeing their homes, two solutions received uniform… Read More
Ending Birthright Citizenship: (Still) Unconstitutional, Unwise, Unworkable, and Un-American
The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Birthright Citizenship: Is It The Right Policy For America?” The hearing will question whether those born in America will automatically be citizens, as they have been for over 150 years. Undoubtedly, the hearing will feature the same counterproductive anti-immigrant… Read More
ICE Director Saldaña Faces Critics in Congress
On Tuesday, new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Sarah Saldaña, responsible for immigration enforcement inside the United States, testified for the first time to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee. Saldaña defended ICE’s implementation of its new enforcement priorities, promised to convince local jurisdictions to… Read More
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No one should face the immigration system alone
