Immigration at the Border
Even the Government’s Own Advisory Committee Wants to End Family Detention
Calls to end the detention of immigrant children and their mothers seeking protection in the United States are not new. What is new is that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Advisory Committee on Family Residential Centers, created by DHS itself, has now added its voice to the chorus calling… Read More
Federal Court Strikes Down Immigration Detainers
In a decision late last week, the federal district court in the Northern District of Illinois invalidated the practice of issuing immigration detainers by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The court found that detainers violate federal law because they exceed the government’s warrantless arrest authority and made it… Read More
Groups Settle Lawsuit Challenging Failure of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Timely Respond to FOIA Requests
In accordance with a settlement reached by the parties, a federal district court dismissed a class action lawsuit which challenged U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) nationwide practice of failing to timely respond to requests for case information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Read More
California Bills Begin to Restore Fairness to Immigrants Caught up in Criminal Justice System
California continues to lead the way on integrating its large immigrant community and protecting immigrants from the extreme consequences of federal immigration laws. On September 28, 2016, Governor Jerry Brown of California signed three bills into law that will restore some fairness to a system that is overly punitive… Read More
Legal Challenges to Arizona’s SB 1070 End–For Now
After six years of challenges, including a trip to the Supreme Court, the legal battle over Arizona’s SB 1070 has come to an end—for now. The law faced a wave of opposition soon after going into effect in April 2010. In May 2010 civil and immigrant rights groups including the… Read More
After Urging Nations to Protect Most Vulnerable at U.N., Obama Steps Up Deportation of Haitians
Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it will step up the deportation of Haitian nationals following a recent uptick in their number of arrivals at the San Ysidro Port of Entry by San Diego. Deportations of Haitians had been scaled back significantly following a massive… Read More
What is the Economic Cost of Deporting All Undocumented Immigrants?
This election, there has been much discussion about what to do about unauthorized immigration. While candidate Hillary Clinton proposes a plan to eventually legalize most undocumented immigrants, Donald Trump has stated many times that he favors mass deportation. But what is the economic cost of deporting 11 million… Read More
Customs and Border Protection Inches Forward in Deployment of Body-Worn Cameras
For over two years, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has examined body-worn cameras to see if this technology which is quickly becoming standard police practice, should be used by its agents and officers. In their most recent step forward in implementing body-worn cameras for its agents and officers, CBP… Read More
Cracking the SAFE Act
On June 6, 2013, the House Judiciary Committee considered H.R. 2278, the “Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act,” commonly known as the SAFE Act. This wide-ranging immigration enforcement bill would make unlawful presence in the United States a criminal act punishable with jail time, greatly expand detention… Read More
Hearing Reveals Ongoing Civil Rights Abuses at Border Patrol Checkpoints
Under current law, the Border Patrol is allowed to conduct certain enforcement activities within 100 miles of the U.S-Mexico border that it isn’t permitted to in areas further interior. In fact, some have dubbed this 100 mile radius a “constitution-free zone” because of the broad authority Border Patrol… Read More
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