Immigration and Customs Enforcement
New Census Data Highlights Important Role of Immigration in Countering US Population Decline
More than two-thirds of U.S. counties saw natural decreases in population between 2020 and 2021, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. This means that almost 2,300 counties across the country had more deaths than births, providing further evidence that the United States is growing… Read More
DHS Watchdog Recommends Immediate Action to Address Horrific Conditions in ICE Detention
In an unprecedented move, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’) watchdog agency—the Office of the Inspector General (OIG)—just recommended that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) relocate all noncitizens currently held in its Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia, New Mexico. According to OIG, its unannounced inspection in early… Read More
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Issues Annual Report—What Does It Really Mean?
Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released its fiscal year 2021 annual report. In it, the agency reported a significant decrease in both overall deportations and internal apprehensions from fiscal year 2020 and prior years. While related media coverage has largely attributed these changing trends to policy decisions… Read More
Florida’s Anti-Immigrant Bills Follow a Decade-Long Trend
The path toward commonsense federal immigration solutions seems to be continuing the cyclical and frustrating pattern of two steps forward, one step back. As soon as a measure is introduced—be it visa recapture, reducing the H-1B backlog, or a long overdue solution for Dreamers and TPS holders—it gets clawed back. Read More
Settlement Thwarts ICE’s Ability to Conduct Warrantless Sweeps
A federal court in Illinois recently approved a settlement agreement governing unlawful, warrantless arrests and vehicle stops. The settlement requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to adopt new policies related to warrantless arrests, re-train its officers, and release people from detention if ICE violates the settlement. The case,… Read More
The Dignity Act Could Signal Increasing Support for Immigration Reform on Capitol Hill
Miami Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a freshman Republican from Florida’s 27th congressional district, last week introduced an immigration reform bill that she calls the “Dignity Act.” Rep. Salazar claims the bill will both halt undocumented immigration to the United States and provide a “dignified solution” to the legal… Read More
The House Passes the America COMPETES Act, Including Immigration Reforms to Help the U.S. Economy
The House of Representatives passed an economic competitiveness bill on February 4 that includes several immigration provisions. The bill is called the ‘‘America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength Act of 2022’’—or the America COMPETES Act of 2022. This bill (which is more than… Read More
U.S. Citizenship Applicants Are in Limbo Because Their Immigration Files Are Locked in Caves Underground
Thousands of applicants for U.S. citizenship have been waiting for well over a year for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process their applications. But the problem isn’t the usual bureaucratic red tape. In this case, thousands of paper-based immigration records (known as “A-Files”) are locked in man-made… Read More
Leaked Photos Reveal Inhumane Conditions in Border Processing Centers
New leaked photos of Border Patrol stations in Yuma, Arizona show Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) inhumane treatment of people apprehended at the border— revealing that years of overcrowded, unsanitary, and cruel conditions continue despite multiple deaths, legal challenges, and the Biden administration’s promise to create a humane immigration system. Read More
New Documents Reveal Details About Border Patrol’s Deadly High-Speed Pursuits
As the border has become harder to cross over the last few years, smugglers have increasingly turned to the use of vehicles to smuggle migrants. But along with this rise has come an increase in Border Patrol chases when smugglers attempt to flee—and a significant jump in deadly crashes. Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
