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Prosecuting People for Coming to the United States
Over the last two decades, the federal government increasingly has utilized the criminal courts to punish people for immigration violations. This overview provides basic information about entry-related offenses, including the significant costs incurred by the government conducting these prosecutions, the individuals who are subjected to them, and how the government’s rationale for carrying them out is not supported by the data.
Read MoreCustoms and Border Protection Is Breaking the Law by Refusing Entry to the Migrant Caravan Members
Recent reports from the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Tijuana, Mexico indicate that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have refused entry to a caravan of up to 200 migrant men, women, and children. Most, if not all, of the migrants seeking humanitarian relief in the United States continue to wait to be processed […]
Read MoreHomeland Security Ends Temporary Protected Status for Earthquake-Ravaged Nepal
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nepal. Designated in 2015 based on a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake, Nielsen found that conditions in Nepal “have decreased to a degree that they should no longer be regarded as substantial.” Thursday’s announcement delayed the effective date by 12 […]
Read MoreDepartment of Justice Reverses Course on Legal Orientation Program for Now
Citing pushback from congressional leaders, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Executive Office for Immigration Review, part of the Department of Justice, will continue the Legal Orientation Program.
Read MoreThe Trump Administration Is Placing More Long-Residing Immigrants Into Court Proceedings
For years, immigration enforcement officials prioritized recent border-crossers over long-time residents with U.S.-born children, clean criminal records, or other evidence of roots in the United States. This was done by exercising “prosecutorial discretion” in deciding against whom to initiate deportation proceedings. The basic idea was that scarce law-enforcement resources shouldn’t be wasted tracking down people […]
Read MoreDOJ Ignores Set of Recommendations to Strengthen Immigration Court System Efficiency and Effectiveness
In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the American Immigration Council received a partially redacted report written by Booz Allen Hamilton and commissioned by the Executive Office for Immigration Review. The comprehensive report investigated a range of immigration court issues including judicial performance reviews, Legal Orientation Programs, and procedural mechanisms, such as administrative closure, that can be used to streamline caseloads.
Read MoreImmigration Judge Performance Quotas FOIA Request
The American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)—the Department of Justice agency that houses the immigration courts—on December 13, 2017. The FOIA requests seek information about performance measures imposed on immigration judges, including any requirements that immigration […]
Read MoreNew Americans in Michiana
Immigrants in the Michiana region contributed $3.1 billion to the region’s GDP, and paid $212.8 million in federal taxes and $103 million in state and local taxes, according to a new research brief released by New American Economy (NAE) in partnership with United Religious Community, South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership, and the City of South Bend. […]
Read MoreForeign-Born Residents Contributed $3.1 Billion to Michiana Region’s GDP in 2016
SOUTH BEND, IN – Immigrants in the Michiana region contributed $3.1 billion to the region’s GDP, and paid $212.8 million in federal taxes and $103 million in state and local taxes, according to a new research brief released by New American Economy (NAE) in partnership with United Religious Community, South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership, and the City […]
Read MoreFamily Unity Is Threatened by This New Immigration Enforcement Policy
In a directive dated Aug. 29, 2017, which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement only posted publicly this week, the government significantly weakened safeguards for the rights of parents during the course of immigration enforcement. The release of the policy change comes amid growing concern that the Trump administration is increasing the separation of families as […]
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