State and Local
Tracking the Biden Agenda on Immigration Enforcement
This report analyzes the Biden administration's 100 days progress in reforming immigration enforcement and recommendations for how to best move forward. Read More
Biden Moves to End Trump’s War on ‘Sanctuary Cities’
The Biden administration has ended a Trump-era policy of denying so-called sanctuary cities from receiving certain forms of federal funding. The policy had been used in retaliation against local and state governments who did not cooperate fully with federal immigration enforcement. Many courts had already ruled against these funding… Read More
3 Reasons Why Cities Should Not Sign 287(g) Agreements With ICE
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is expanding its power in Florida, where more than one out of every five residents in the state is an immigrant. The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) recently announced that it has signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE. The 287(g) program allows… Read More
ICE and CBP Agents Were Deployed at Black Lives Matter Protests
People have taken to the streets across the country to protest the murder of George Floyd, who died at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. This exercise of First Amendment rights has been met with a militarized response—including the deployment of Homeland Security personnel and technology. The presence of… Read More
Cities with ‘Sanctuary’ Policies Save Lives from Domestic Violence
Many communities across the U.S. have adopted so-called “sanctuary policies” that are intended to ensure that we all live in safe neighborhoods. When these policies are in place, local police don’t take part in the enforcement of federal immigration laws. These policies allow immigrants to work with local law… Read More
How Immigration Enforcement Is Eroding Your Privacy
The United States has pursued aggressive increases in immigration enforcement over the past two decades across several presidencies. Congress has allocated increasing resources during this period. Now, our immigration enforcement agencies have more funding than at any point in history. These added resources have allowed the… Read More
Judge Stops DHS From Arresting US Citizens’ Foreign Spouses During Marriage Interviews in Maryland
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been targeting U.S. citizens’ foreign spouses when they apply for legal immigration status. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Maryland put a halt to this practice. For the past few years, couples attending interviews about their marriages sometimes faced a terrible… Read More
Republican and Democratic Officials Continue to Accept Refugees, Rejecting Trump’s Executive Order
Update: On January 15, federal Judge Peter Messitte issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the Trump administration from enforcing its executive order giving state and local governments the power to opt out of refugee resettlement. Judge Messitte ruled the executive order was likely unlawful. In his decision, he called… Read More
New Jersey Caps Off A Tremendous Year for Expanding Access to Driver’s Licenses
Many New Yorkers had a reason to celebrate on December 16, as they were permitted to apply for a driver’s license for the first time, even if they lacked permanent immigration status. Now, thanks to a new law passed on December 19, their neighbors in New Jersey will be… Read More
California Bans Private Prisons, Eliminating Immigration Detention Centers That Incarcerate 4,000 People
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law on Friday that will phase out private prisons—including federal immigration detention centers—throughout the state. The new law, AB 32, prohibits the state government and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from creating, modifying, or renewing prison contracts with private companies beginning… Read More
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