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No Action Taken: Lack of CBP Accountability in Responding to Complaints of Abuse
Of the 809 complaints of alleged abuse lodged against Border Patrol agents between January 2009 and January 2012, 97 percent resulted in “No Action Taken.” On average, CBP took 122 days to arrive at a decision when one was made.
Read MoreFlorida Legislators Approve In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students
The Republican-controlled Florida legislature has passed HB 851, a bill allowing qualified undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. After voting against similar bills in previous years, the Florida Senate approved the legislation on Thursday. The state House had already passed the bill in March but voted again to pass […]
Read MoreNew Report Sheds (Some) Light on the U.S. Deportation Regime
A new report from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) compiles a wide array of data and analysis describing the recent history and current configuration of the U.S. deportation regime. The prevalence of deportations that don’t involve an immigration judge, the criminalization of immigration offenses, the massive expansion of border and interior enforcement—all are well-documented in […]
Read MoreUndocumented Immigrants Contribute Billions in Taxes
Death and taxes, according to Benjamin Franklin, are the only things in life that are certain. And despite the prevailing myth perpetrated by nativist groups, there are plenty of undocumented immigrants facing the certainty of taxes on April 15. They pay billions in state and local taxes every year that help to fund benefits they […]
Read MoreH-1B Visa Cap for Higher Skilled Workers Maxed Out in Record Time
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Monday that the allotment of H-1B visas for the 2015 fiscal year, known as the H-1B visa cap, has been filled—a week after filing began. The principal temporary visa for skilled professionals, the H-1B allows U.S. companies to employ foreign professionals with at least a bachelor’s degree in a […]
Read MoreA Guide to H.R. 15: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act
On October 2, 2013, Democrats in the House of Representatives proposed an immigration reform bill addressing border security, legalization of the undocumented, interior enforcement of immigration laws, and fixes for our dysfunctional legal immigration programs. The bill is based on S.744, the bipartisan bill passed by the Senate by a vote of 68-32 on June 27, 2013. However, the bill removes the Corker-Hoeven border security amendment and replaces it with the bipartisan House border security bill, H.R. 1417, which was passed unanimously by the Homeland Security Committee in May 2013.
Read MoreNew ICE Deportation Statistics Are No Cause for Celebration
There is little to cheer in the new deportation statistics released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). While the numbers document a 10 percent decline in the total number of deportations compared to last year, they also reveal the extent to which immigration enforcement resources are still devoted to apprehending, detaining, and deporting individuals […]
Read MoreHouse Bi-Partisan Budget Deal Gives Hope to Immigration Activists
One day before Congress left town for the holiday recess, the House of Representatives approved a two-year budget deal by a wide margin. Despite some GOP opposition to the plan, House Speaker John Boehner allowed a vote on the plan, which passed with a majority of Democratic and Republican votes. The budget outline now heads […]
Read MoreHouse Hearing Misses the Mark on Asylum Claims
The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing Thursday about whether or not abuse of the asylum system is “overwhelming our borders.” What the committee ended up focusing on, however, was the alleged abuse of the credible fear screening process, a preliminary step in the application process for some asylum seekers. Although credible fear is different […]
Read MoreWith shutdown over, attention turns to immigration reform
With the government spending and debt ceiling debates now tabled for a few months, a number of lobbyists are hoping to steer lawmakers’ attention back to immigration reform and finish the work they started earlier this year. But is it too late? “I was optimistic a few months ago,” Steve Case, chief executive of investment […]
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