Immigration and Customs Enforcement
American Communities Benefit From Welcoming Refugees – The White House Wants to Stop That
For many small towns and rural communities, opening their doors to refugees is part of a local strategy to reverse population decline, stimulate their workforce, and build diverse communities. There are countless examples. Clarkston, Georgia—once a Southern town struggling to keep up with rapid population decline—has… Read More
USCIS Implemented New H-1B Wage Level Policy Without Providing Sufficient Guidance to Its Staff
Newly released documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reveal that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) rolled out a major policy change impacting petitions for H-1B workers without sufficient training to officers deciding the petitions. The records reveal troubling insights into what likely… Read More
Federal Judge Blocks the Expansion of Fast-Track Deportation Program, Expedited Removal
A federal judge blocked the expansion of a fast-track deportation program, known as “expedited removal,” minutes before the government said it would begin implementing its expansion on September 28, 2019. Expedited removal allows the government to deport certain people without basic legal protections. Those who are… Read More
Refugee Admissions to Hit 40-Year Low Under Trump
President Trump yesterday proposed a reduction in the annual number of refugee admissions to 18,000 persons for 2020. This is the lowest number ever in the 40-year history of the refugee program, and the fourth time Trump has reduced refugee admissions since January 2017. Read More
Government Watchdog Says US Officials Were Unprepared to Address Children’s Trauma After Family Separation
In summer 2018, the Trump administration attempted to deter asylum-seeking families from coming to the United States by separating children from their parents at the southern border. It was immediately clear that separated children’s trauma would be long-lasting. Now, the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Inspector General… Read More
ICE Plans to Build ‘Hyper-Realistic’ Tactical Training Facility That Can Simulate ‘Urban Warfare’
At a new training facility at Fort Benning in Georgia, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is reportedly planning to build “hyper-realistic” simulations of homes, schools, courtrooms, and commercial buildings to replicate the type of environment its agents encounter on the field. The facility will reportedly… Read More
US Visa Policies Prevent Tech Startups From Hiring Foreign Workers
Tech startups are engines of innovation, economic growth, and job creation. Yet U.S. visa policies may be preventing startups from hiring the highly skilled foreign professionals they need to succeed. A new study looks at foreign and U.S.-born workers who recently graduated from American universities. Researchers… Read More
Trump Administration Considers Lowering the Refugee Cap to Zero
The Trump administration is considering decreasing the maximum number of refugees accepted into the United States to 10,000 and as possibly low as zero, administration officials confirmed last week. Each year, the president determines the refugee cap or ceiling, the maximum number of people who can… Read More
USCIS Wants to Make it Harder for Asylum Seekers to Get Work Permits
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently proposed a rule that will further delay asylum seekers’ ability to receive work authorization. Under current law, USCIS must grant or deny an initial asylum applicant’s employment authorization application within 30 days. Under the proposed rule, USCIS would have… Read More
ICE Continues to Manipulate the Appropriations Process to Increase the Mass Incarceration of Immigrants
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently notified Congress of its intent to pull $271 million dollars from FEMA, the Coast Guard, and TSA for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). DHS will use this money to increase immigration detention capacity and construct tent courthouses along the Texas border. Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
