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Operation Streamline: Ten Years of Criminalizing Immigrants
For the last 10 years, in federal courts across the Southwest border, the federal government has systematically prosecuted unlawful border crossers in group hearings with little-to-no due process. These prosecutions, often referred to as Operation Streamline, were intended to deter illegal entry and reentry. Instead, they have clogged up the federal courts and wasted precious […]
Read MoreTrump’s Muslim Immigration Policy, Unconstitutional and Unworthy of America
The latest, outrageous proposal out of the Trump for President campaign came via a “Statement on Preventing Muslim Immigration” where the candidate calls “for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.” According to Vox, “His campaign has clarified that this […]
Read MoreEfforts to Pass Anti-Refugee Legislation Slows
In the days after the Paris attacks, fear took hold of many across the United States, and some politicians proposed shutting our doors to refugees, particularly those from Syria and Iraq. This knee jerk reaction resulted in the House of Representatives hastily passing a misguided bill, which, if signed into law, would effectively halt the […]
Read MoreWill the Immigration Court Backlog Finally Go Down?
Although our nation’s immigration courts currently have record backlogs, there may be some help on the way. That was the message from Juan Osuna, Director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR)—a division within the Department of Justice (DOJ) department which houses the immigration courts—at an oversight hearing in the House of Representatives Judiciary […]
Read MoreMillions of Immigrants Could Become U.S. Citizens—and Voters
Politicians who demonize immigrants do so at their own peril. Immigrants are already a key voting bloc in many states. And they are only going to get stronger as more and more of them become lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and, ultimately, U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote. Needless to say, all of these potential […]
Read MoreAre Immigrants Better Off Now Than They Were One Year Ago?
One year ago, President Obama announced executive actions his Administration would take on immigration. These actions were meant as common-sense reforms to an immigration system that has not been upgraded in more than 20 years. The series of reforms range from temporary protections for an expanded group of unauthorized young people (expanded DACA) and parents […]
Read MoreAn Overview of U.S. Refugee Law and Policy
The United States has long been a global leader in the resettlement of refugees—and the need for such leadership remains enormous.
Read MoreForeign Students Add Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs to the U.S. Economy
Most people don’t think of foreign students as an economic resource, yet that is precisely what they are. Each year, students from other countries spend billions of dollars in the U.S. economy, pumping money not only into the colleges and universities they attend, but the surrounding businesses as well. In addition, many foreign students go […]
Read MoreSupreme Court Considering Whether Misdemeanor Results in Automatic Deportation
Last Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Torres v. Lynch, a case that provides a harsh reminder of the real life consequences of our unforgiving immigration laws. The petitioner in the case, Jorge Luna-Torres, a lawful permanent resident, was convicted of a misdemeanor offense for which he served only one day in prison […]
Read MoreCan State Agencies License The Detention of Immigrant Families?
In the discussion around family detention, little attention has been paid to the fact that states play an important role in licensing any facilities where children are cared for. That role has come under heightened scrutiny since federal judge Dolly M. Gee ruled in August that, under the long-standing Flores v. Reno settlement agreement, children […]
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