State and Local
Assumption of Risk: Legal Liabilities for Local Governments that Choose to Enforce Federal Immigration Laws
This policy document describes the legal liabilities local governments face when they honor ICE requests, known as “detainers,” to hold individuals past the completion of their criminal custody until immigration agents take them into administrative custody. Read More
Lawmakers Are Blaming Undocumented Immigrants for the Opioid Epidemic
The scapegoating of immigrants for crime in the United States was on full display at a February 15 hearing of the House Judiciary Committee. The hearing was devoted to exploring the ways in which “sanctuary” jurisdictions allegedly impede law-enforcement efforts to control the opioid epidemic. That argument is a… Read More
The Federal Government Is Using Immigration Raids as Retaliation Against California
When agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided 77 businesses throughout northern California at the end of January and beginning of February, they were doing more than looking for undocumented immigrants and the employers who hire them. They were also mounting an attack against so-called “sanctuary… Read More
ICE Issues Guidance on Enforcement at Courthouses
After a significant increase in arrests outside of courthouses in 2017, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has finally released new guidance that officially gives its agents permission to conduct civil immigration enforcement at courthouses. While this guidance is new, the practice is not. ICE’s presence and arrests at courthouses… Read More
Mapping the Local Response to Aggressive Immigration Enforcement
States, localities, and communities continue to hold their ground against the aggressive and punitive immigration enforcement agenda touted by President Trump and his administration. Compared to a year ago, more U.S. counties have limited their involvement with federal immigration enforcement. Even though the federal government devotes more funding… Read More
The State Immigration Laws You Should Know About
In the course of the first year under the Trump administration, states and localities have increasingly pursued immigration policies that serve the best interests of their own communities. While there were extreme differences in these state-level approaches to immigration, overall more states enacted policies designed to protect, support, and welcome… Read More
Immigration Justice Campaign and Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network Announce New Partnership
The Immigration Justice Campaign (Justice Campaign), a joint initiative between the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council (Council), and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN), located in Westminster, Colorado, announce their partnership to increase pro bono representation for individuals in immigration detention in Colorado. Read More
‘Sanctuary’ Policies Do Not Foster Crime, Research Shows
During its first ten months in office, the Trump administration has made aggressive immigration enforcement a priority. One of the areas in which this approach was crystalized was around so-called sanctuary jurisdictions—communities across the country that have adopted ordinances that explicitly curtail cooperation with the federal government regarding immigration… Read More
Where Doug Jones Stands on Immigration Policy
Doug Jones, a former Democratic prosecutor once considered a longshot in Republican-majority Alabama, narrowly won the state’s Senate race Tuesday evening in what may ultimately prove to be a needed boost for immigrants’ rights on Capitol Hill. Jones’ stance on immigration was largely captured during the contentious Senate race,… Read More
As Immigration Enforcement Ramps up, Neighbors Sign up to Defend Immigrants
In the face of heightened threats around immigration enforcement, communities are taking action to ensure due process for their undocumented community members. These rapid response efforts are being undertaken by a growing network of community members—from students to salesmen to social workers—who are volunteering to witness arrests conducted by… Read More
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