Immigration at the Border
Detention of Pregnant Women FOIA Request
The requests ask for policies, guidelines, or procedures followed or used by immigration enforcement regarding the treatment of pregnant individuals in custody and any system used to track and monitor pregnant detainees. Read More
The Government Is Filing Charges Against More Migrants Than Ever Before
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it filed criminal charges on Tuesday to prosecute some migrants who recently crossed the border and were reportedly once a part of the caravan. The vast majority of the migrants from the caravan are asylum seekers fleeing persecution, grave violence,… Read More
Prosecuting People for Coming to the United States
Over the last two decades, the federal government increasingly has utilized the criminal courts to punish people for immigration violations. This overview provides basic information about entry-related offenses, including the significant costs incurred by the government conducting these prosecutions, the individuals who are subjected to them, and how the government’s rationale for carrying them out is not supported by the data. Read More
Customs and Border Protection Is Breaking the Law by Refusing Entry to the Migrant Caravan Members
Recent reports from the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Tijuana, Mexico indicate that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have refused entry to a caravan of up to 200 migrant men, women, and children. Most, if not all, of the migrants seeking humanitarian relief in the United States continue… Read More
The Trump Administration Is Placing More Long-Residing Immigrants Into Court Proceedings
For years, immigration enforcement officials prioritized recent border-crossers over long-time residents with U.S.-born children, clean criminal records, or other evidence of roots in the United States. This was done by exercising “prosecutorial discretion” in deciding against whom to initiate deportation proceedings. The basic idea was that scarce law-enforcement resources shouldn’t… Read More
Canadian Lawsuit Challenges the United States’ Designation as a Safe Country for Asylum Seekers
The United States has historically been viewed as a nation that welcomes refugees fleeing from violence and persecution in their home countries. Yet, the Trump administration recently reiterated its proposal that Central American refugees seeking asylum in the United States should instead seek refuge in Mexico. As these debates… Read More
Family Unity Is Threatened by This New Immigration Enforcement Policy
In a directive dated Aug. 29, 2017, which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement only posted publicly this week, the government significantly weakened safeguards for the rights of parents during the course of immigration enforcement. The release of the policy change comes amid growing concern that the Trump administration is… Read More
Statement for Senate Hearing “Strengthening and Reforming America’s Immigration Court System”
The American Immigration Council submitted a written statement to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration for an April 18, 2018 hearing on “Strengthening and Reforming America’s Immigration Court System.” The statement covers the new immigration judge quotas and performance metrics, the suspension of the Legal Orientation Program… Read More
High Profile Cases Highlight Border Patrol Abuses and Need for Systemic Change
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—the Border Patrol in particular—has a reputation for repeatedly and systematically violating the rights of immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. Border Patrol agents are known for regularly using excessive force during apprehensions, detaining people under inhumane conditions, and resorting to coercion and misinformation in order to remove people from the United States. Despite the growing number of reports and studies which document these misdeeds and recommend systemic reforms to prevent them, a pattern of abusiveness remains. Read More
Largest Worksite Raid in a Decade Signals a Dark Turn in Immigration Enforcement
The largest employment crackdown in a decade was launched on April 5 at a meat-processing plant in Bean Station, a rural community outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. Nearly 100 immigrants were detained during the raid, most believed to be from Mexico. According to reports: “[Immigration and Customs Enforcement] summarily closed… Read More
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