Immigration at the Border
Coalition Calls on Biden Administration to Rescind Rule that Would Bar Asylum Seekers Under the Pretenses of Public Health
The Council joined 134 other organizations in a letter calling on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Executive Office for Immigration Review to rescind the “Security Bars and Processing” rule. Read More
Settlement Thwarts ICE’s Ability to Conduct Warrantless Sweeps
A federal court in Illinois recently approved a settlement agreement governing unlawful, warrantless arrests and vehicle stops. The settlement requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to adopt new policies related to warrantless arrests, re-train its officers, and release people from detention if ICE violates the settlement. The case,… Read More
COVID-19 Rates in ICE Detention Are at Record Highs. Advocates Are Demanding an Investigation.
The Omicron variant has spread through immigration detention like wildfire, with a record 14% of people in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody testing positive for COVID-19 as of February 1, 2022. That day, over 3,000 people in ICE custody had active cases, a 1,000% increase from one… Read More
Council Files Complaint Against ICE for Medical Neglect of People Sick With COVID-19 in Colorado Facility
The American Immigration Council filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security's oversight bodies urging an investigation into a COVID-19 outbreak—including threats of retaliation against detained people—at the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado Read More
Coalition Asks Inspectors General to Review Implementation of Biden Executive Order Against Private Prisons
The Council joined other organizations in calling for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Offices of the Inspectors General to formally review the implementation of Executive Order 14006. Read More
Corrupt US Employers and Smugglers Are Exploiting Migrant Teens for Profit
A skyrocketing number of migrant teens from Central America are finding their way into the undocumented workforce of the United States. They are doing rigorous, grueling work often meant for adults, like operating heavy machinery in food processing plants. Exploitation by unscrupulous employers and a lack of follow-up by U.S. Read More
CBP Faces FOIA Lawsuit for Failing to Disclose Information About Border Patrol Practices in Ohio
This FOIA lawsuit seeks records about Border Patrol activities at the Sandusky Bay Station located in northern Ohio to improve the public’s understanding of CBP’s enforcement practices at northern U.S. borders, including cooperation with local law enforcement. Read More
One Year In: The Biden Administration’s Promises on Immigration Remain Unfulfilled
President Biden announced a welcoming and inclusive vision for immigration in a legislative proposal and a series of executive actions signed on his first day in office. But one year into Biden’s presidency, his promises on immigration remain unfulfilled. Read More
Leaked Photos Reveal Inhumane Conditions in Border Processing Centers
New leaked photos of Border Patrol stations in Yuma, Arizona show Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) inhumane treatment of people apprehended at the border— revealing that years of overcrowded, unsanitary, and cruel conditions continue despite multiple deaths, legal challenges, and the Biden administration’s promise to create a humane immigration system. Read More
Supreme Court Hears Arguments Addressing the Legality of Detention Without Bond
Written by Caroline Walters and Kate Melloy Goettel This week the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two related immigration cases. Each asks whether certain noncitizens are entitled to bond hearings before a judge after the government has detained them for a prolonged amount of time. The question of prolonged… Read More
