Immigration at the Border
DHS Launches Controversial Immigration Victims Office
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a new office for Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) on April 26, declaring that its “singular mission is to support victims of crime through access to information and resources.” Originally proposed in the Trump administration’s interior enforcement executive order, the office… Read More
Judge Blocks Trump’s Plan to Withhold Funding From Sanctuary Cities
In the latest judiciary blow to the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, a U.S. District Court Judge blocked the president’s plans to deny funding to jurisdictions deemed uncooperative on federal immigration enforcement. The administration had hoped to end so-called “sanctuary cities” by forcing them into compliance with federal law. However,… 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
Why Caution is Needed Before Hiring Additional Border Patrol Agents and ICE Officers
The last time the Border Patrol received a large infusion of money to hire thousands of new agents, cases of corruption and misconduct spiked in the agency. New hires were not sufficiently vetted, novice agents were not adequately supervised, and agents who abused their authority acted with impunity. Now the… Read More
Undocumented Immigrants Without Criminal Records Are Being Targeted, Despite Claims
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kelly stated this week that DHS is not targeting undocumented immigrants simply for being undocumented. Kelly asserted that the department is focusing on people that are undocumented “plus,” categorizing this as an immigrant that has another factor—such as criminal activity—that makes them… Read More
Immigrants With No Criminal Record Are Now Being Arrested At Twice the Rate
Under the Trump administration, immigration enforcement has become increasingly unfocused. Rather than prioritizing the apprehension and removal of immigrants who have committed serious crimes, enforcement personnel are now scooping up anyone who is deportable for any reason. This lack of prioritization has translated into a surge in immigration-related arrests… Read More
Children of Undocumented Parents Tell the Trump Administration: You Won’t Break Up Our Families
Standing in the shadow of the White House Thursday afternoon, children from around the country gathered to deliver one unified message to President Trump: don’t break our families apart. This heartbreaking plea came from the dozens of American children that spoke at the We Belong Together Kid’s Caravan… Read More
ICE’s Public Shaming Detainer Reports Were So Inaccurate They Had to Stop Publishing Them
After issuing only three weekly declined detainer reports, Immigration and Customs Enforcement will temporarily cease publishing them. Initiated by President Trump’s January executive order on interior enforcement, ICE had begun to release weekly lists of jurisdictions that declined immigration detainers. These lists—proposed as a means to track which… Read More
Immigration Arrests Increase While Weapon and Drug Arrests Decline, Federal Data Shows
Attorney General Jeff Sessions decried drug dealers and armed cartels at the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday, but rather than announcing a crackdown on those elements, he instead declared war on undocumented immigrants and those who defend them. Sessions announced that he was instructing U.S. attorneys to prioritize criminal immigration… Read More
Sessions Reveals Plan to Ramp up Prosecutions of Low Level Immigration Offenses
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a shift in policy for the Department of Justice on Tuesday, directing U.S. attorneys to prioritize criminal immigration enforcement and drastically expand federal court prosecutions of immigration violators across the nation. Operation Streamline and other border enforcement programs—where some border crossers are referred by… Read More
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