Immigration at the Border
Senate Deal Would Significantly Transform Border Policy
The “Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024” was released on February 4. For months, a bipartisan group of senators negotiated the compromise bill, which proposes significant changes to asylum and border policy to release billions in foreign military aid. The $118 billion bill would provide the president… Read More
ICE Subjected Immigrants in Detention to Unnecessary Surgeries, Report Finds
The Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (OIG) published a report last month finding that nearly one-third of medical procedures performed on immigrants in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody were not properly authorized. The report found that ICE improperly authorized 32% of… Read More
Biden Administration Can Remove Texas’ Razor Wire Barrier at the Border, Supreme Court Rules
Buoy barriers with chainsaw devices in the Rio Grande river. Coils of concertina wire along the riverbank. Armored Humvees blocking access roads. Piles of dirt rendering gates unusable. Governor Greg Abbott’s cruel attempts to booby trap the Texas border to prevent U.S. Border Patrol agents from reaching migrants might be… Read More
ICE Will Be Required to Wear Body Cameras in a Win for Transparency—But the Implementation Will Be Key
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a policy on January 12 calling for ICE personnel to wear body cameras in most situations when carrying out enforcement duties. According to ICE Deputy Director Patrick J. Lechleitner, the move is designed to build public trust by enhancing “accountability, effectiveness, and… Read More
Biden v. Texas – A Legal Showdown on the Southern Border Wages On
Written by Chelsie Kramer, Texas State Organizer and Emma Winger, Deputy Legal Director Texas is once again making national headlines after a woman and two children drowned in the Rio Grande while attempting to cross the river on January 12. The horrific event is just the latest in a… Read More
Council and Partners Oppose CBP’s Proposal to Dispose of Medical Records of People in CBP Custody
The Council, along with the ACLU National Prison Project and the Texas Civil Rights Project, led efforts to oppose U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) proposal to destroy records of medical treatment received by migrants in CBP custody. Read More
Understanding the Importance of Humanitarian Parole in the U.S. Immigration System
Parole is an essential component of U.S. immigration law. It can be an important tool to manage the processing of migrants at U.S. borders; a powerful response to humanitarian crisis; and a way to allow people in the United States to work legally and become self-sufficient. As Congress considers… Read More
White House Leans Into Trump-Era Immigration Policy Changes to Get Ukraine Aid
The Biden administration signaled on December 12 that it is willing to make disastrous—and permanent—changes to asylum and immigration policy to obtain temporary military aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Top White House officials reportedly met with some of the key Senate negotiators, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), Sen. Chris… Read More
Common Tools of Statutory Construction for Criminal Removal Grounds
This practice advisory describes some of the common tools of statutory construction to assist practitioners in advocating for narrow definitions of generic criminal removal grounds before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and the U.S. courts of appeals. To determine whether a criminal conviction renders a noncitizen removable under federal… Read More
Council and AILA File FOIA Requests Seeking Information on FERM Program
These Freedom of Information Act requests seek to uncover information about the FERM program, which places families enrolled on a fast track to deportations if they don’t pass credible fear interviews. Read More
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