Immigration at the Border

Deputizing More Local Cops to Target Immigrants Will Erode Public Safety
In a sweeping effort to increase local law enforcement’s role in immigration enforcement, the Trump administration is preparing to increase the number of officers who are authorized to act as federal immigration enforcers through additional 287(g) agreements. These agreements are named for the provision of the Immigration and Nationality… Read More

Asylum Seekers Are Being Systematically Turned Away at the U.S.-Mexico Border
It is an egregious, well-documented reality that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) frequently turns away people seeking asylum along the U.S. southern border. But new evidence presented to a federal district court on Monday shows that CBP’s practice of blocking access to asylum—through the use of misrepresentations about… Read More

Guerra v. Shanahan – Second Circuit
The American Immigration Council, in collaboration with the American Immigration Lawyers Association, filed an amicus brief in Guerra v. Shanahan. The amicus brief argued that the pre-final order detention statute, 8 U.S.C. § 1226, governed the Petitioner’s detention pending his withholding-only proceedings, and therefore he should not be subject to… Read More

Trump’s Nominee for DHS Secretary Commits to Continuing Kelly’s Legacy on Immigration Enforcement
The nominee to be the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Kirstjen Nielsen, had her confirmation hearing before senators on Wednesday, during which she promised to largely carry on the legacy of her predecessor, General John Kelly. This included limiting President Trump’s plans to build a… Read More

How Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Turns Immigrants Into Criminals
It has been well established for decades that the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals by any stretch of the imagination. Yet, immigrants who have committed no violent offense are often subjected to a different kind of violence doled out by the U.S. immigration-enforcement system. Young undocumented immigrants… Read More

Border Wall Prototypes Complete, Next Steps Unclear
Border apprehensions, which is the main indicator used to examine how many people are attempting to enter the United States are at record lows not seen since the 1970s. A September report released by the Department of Homeland Security also indicates the U.S.-Mexico border is now more secure… Read More

Class Action Lawsuit Challenges Practice of Turning Away Asylum Seekers at U.S. Southern Border
Washington D.C. – Today an immigrant rights group and several asylum seekers filed a class action lawsuit against officials at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a federal district court in California, challenging the government’s unlawful practice of depriving asylum seekers of… Read More

How Discretion Failed One 10-Year-Old Girl and What the Future Holds
Much has been said about Rosa María Hernández, the latest target of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has the responsibility and authorization to enforce the immigration laws against those inside the United States without authorization. However, the government’s choice to target a ten-year… Read More

Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Nominee to Head Border Enforcement Agency
The Trump administration’s pick for the next Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Acting Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, appeared before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday for a confirmation hearing. Senators peppered the nominee with questions about how he would lead the largest law enforcement agency in the… Read More

CBP Is Refusing to Be Transparent About Its Role in Domestic Law Enforcement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has a long track record of operating in the dark, with little transparency and accountability. The most recent examples come from the agency’s failure to reveal information about its practice of sending agents to serve as translators in routine law enforcement and local emergency… Read More
Make a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
