Asylum
Asylum grants legal protection to foreign nationals already in the U.S. or arriving at the border who can’t go back to their home country because of persecution. Learn more about the asylum system in the United States, including how asylum is defined, eligibility requirements, and the difficult and complex application process.
Trump Administration Abruptly Stopped Processing Green Card Applications Filed by Asylees, Refugees. A FOIA Request Seeks Answers
On March 25, news reports surfaced that the Trump administration imposed a suspension in the processing of certain green card applications. The news reports stated that a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official confirmed the suspension. The agency said the suspension applied to people who entered the country… Read More
Council and AILA Submit FOIA Request Seeking Information on Trump Administration Suspension of Green Card Applications
On March 25, 2025, media reports surfaced indicating U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—the agency in charge of approving green card applications—stopped processing green card applications filed by asylees and refugees. The suspension would affect refugees, which the U.S. government has already… Read More
Expedited Removal Explainer
Expedited removal is a process by which low-level immigration officers can quickly deport certain noncitizens who are undocumented or have committed fraud or misrepresentation. Read More
Trump’s Day 1 Orders Use Fearmongering to Expand His Immigration Authority
On January 20, 2025, the day President Trump took office for his second term, he issued a series of immigration-related executive orders and proclamations that will quickly re-shape the U.S. immigration system. These executive orders affect nearly every facet of a complex and demanding system. Most of the policy… Read More
Statement of the American Immigration Council Submitted to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Hearing on Remain in Mexico
The American Immigration Council submitted a statement for the record for the January 16, 2025, hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on the Remain in Mexico program. Read More
Federal Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Asylum Seekers’ Rights to Present at POEs
Ports of entry along our borders are supposed to be where people in need of protection can come to seek humanitarian relief. But since 2016, every presidential administration has used different tactics to turn people away from ports of entry (POEs) along the U.S.-Mexico border before they even get there. Read More
What Is the ‘Bipartisan Border Bill’ and How Would It Change the US Immigration System?
The “bipartisan border bill” has been front and center in the presidential election, but it is often presented to the public without clarity on what the bill would actually do. In May, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced S. 4361, the Border Act of 2024. This bill includes nearly identical… Read More
Volunteer to Support Immigrants: Pro Bono Attorneys and Interpreters Needed
Are you an attorney looking for a way to provide pro bono legal support to people working on their immigration cases? Or someone who could volunteer as an interpreter for those attorneys? Consider joining the Immigration Justice Campaign. We give volunteer attorneys all the help they need… Read More
NEW REPORT: Gaps in Detention Data from Torrance Detention Facility Show Racial Disparities
In a New Mexico detention center, ICE categorized People with African, Asian, and South American backgrounds as racially ‘white’ Read More
Torrance County Detention Facility’s Troubling Role in Detaining Haitian Migrants During the 2021 Del Rio Incident
Table of Contents Background Methodology & Organization Analysis of Detained Individuals Race and Ethnicity Analysis Placements into Torrance in 2021 Haitians at Torrance Abuses Continue into 2022 Conclusion Executive Summary The Torrance County Detention Facility (Torrance) is one of approximately… Read More
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