Immigration at the Border
Firsthand Experiences Inside ICE Facilities During the Pandemic Underscore Why Immigration Detention Should be Abolished
This blog is the second in a three-part series examining President Biden’s first 100 days in office from the Immigration Justice Campaign. Many of us will always vividly remember the fear and lack of control that took hold as COVID-19 spread through our communities. While many people and communities took… Read More
The First 100 Days: Biden on Immigration Detention
This blog is the first in a three-part series from the Immigration Justice Campaign. Reflecting on his release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, Thomas,* a man who fled near-death in Cameroon, said: “I will always remember that day, it felt like Christmas day. I was overwhelmed… Read More
Border Patrol’s New Coordinators Are Meant to Help Process Children, But Concerns Linger
A record number of migrant children are arriving to the U.S.-Mexico border alone. In March 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered nearly 19,000 unaccompanied minors—the most to ever arrive in a single month. But for the first time, Border Patrol processing coordinators—not law enforcement agents—will be stationed… Read More
How the Biden Administration Is Responding to Unaccompanied Children, Families, and Adults at the Border
Only days after President Biden took office, some people were already declaring that the border was in a state of crisis. But recently released U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics reveal that the truth is more complicated. The Biden administration is dealing with two very different phenomena at the… Read More
Arizona ICE Detention Center Violated COVID-19 Safety Protocols by Refusing to Provide Masks or Enforce Social Distancing
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers—which often suffer from cramped conditions and poor access to medical care—are highly conducive to the spread of COVID-19. But ICE officials at one detention center in Arizona made the situation exponentially worse by failing to implement social distancing measures, provide face masks,… Read More
Immigration Policies Based on Deterrence Don’t Work
Over the last two months, the Biden administration has been pressured to carry out another crackdown at the border as the number of arriving families and children rise. But officials making these calls must grapple with one simple fact: immigration enforcement through deterrence doesn’t work. If we want to keep… Read More
How Many ICE-Related COVID-19 Deaths Have Gone Unreported?
After almost two years in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, Martin Vargas Arellano was released to a hospital on March 5. ICE did not notify his family or attorney. Three days later, he died alone from complications of COVID-19. His death leads to questions about how many… Read More
What’s Not Being Said About the Border
The current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border—including the rise in immigrant children in U.S. government custody—has captured the nation’s attention in recent weeks. Much of the conversation has focused on a supposed “surge” in arrivals under the Biden administration, but the current increase began well before… Read More
The Environmental and Cultural Risks of Resuming Border Wall Construction
A pause on border wall construction is set to expire on March 20, without an indication of what will happen next. President Biden signed a proclamation ordering the 60-day pause on his first day in office. Any future construction would compound the cultural and environmental damage that has already been… Read More
ICE’s New Case Review Process Lets Immigrants Appeal Detention and Deportation
The Biden administration announced new “enforcement priorities” for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on February 18. The priorities were an initial step away from the Trump administration’s enforcement strategy that made every undocumented immigrant a target for deportation. But issuing priorities is one thing; meaningful implementation… Read More
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