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How North Carolina’s Anti-Immigrant Bill Would Impact All State Residents
At a time when many states are adopting policies that harness immigrant’s social and economic contributions, elected officials in North Carolina are advancing anti-immigrant legislation that could have sweeping implications for all state residents. The state legislature recently passed H.B. 318, misleadingly titled as the “Protect North Carolina Workers Act.” The bill contains the following […]
Read MoreMany States Recognize Benefit of Tuition Equity for Undocumented Students
This week, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) released new information about how the top 15 states of residence for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)-eligible youth are either supporting or impeding access to college-level education. Given that federal immigration policies affecting undocumented immigrants remain stagnant, it is not surprising that many states are enacting laws […]
Read MoreWill the Guidance on Extreme Hardship Waivers Allow More Individuals to Become Permanent Residents?
This week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued draft guidance on what constitutes “extreme hardship” for purposes of an immigration waiver. The much anticipated guidance is a component of the Administration’s executive actions on immigration announced in November 2014. Many had hoped that the guidance, and its potential to make waivers available to more […]
Read MoreCBP Releases Long Awaited Standards, Still a Long Way to Go
This week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released its long-awaited, new National Standards on Transport, Escort, Detention and Search (TEDS), which govern the transfer of individuals in CBP custody, procedures for handling such individuals’ belongings, conditions in CBP detention facilities, and personal searches. These standards create minimum requirements which the United States Border Patrol or […]
Read MoreNew Deportation Numbers May Signal More Targeted Enforcement
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may finally be devoting more of its immigration enforcement resources to deporting people who represent a real threat to public safety. According to a recent media report, DHS deported 231,000 people over the past 12 months, which is the lowest number since 2006. Moreover, the share of individuals deported […]
Read MoreRefugee Security Process is Already Robust, Senate Hearing Shows
The United States plays an important role in protecting thousands of the world’s most vulnerable people fleeing persecution in their home countries. At no point in U.S. history has this role been more crucial—the violence and devastation in Syria has led to the largest number of refugees since World War II. But at a hearing […]
Read MoreVisa Bulletin “Do-Over” Undercuts Visa Modernization
Earlier this month, the immigration agencies took a positive step forward in implementing the executive action promise to reform the visa system when they issued the October Visa Bulletin, informing the public about who would be eligible to apply for lawful permanent resident status in October. But now the agencies have stepped back from that […]
Read MoreNew Report Depicts Ongoing Abuses by Border Patrol
Deported migrants suffer a range of abuses at the hands of Custom and Border Patrol agents, according to a new Kino Border Initiative (KBI) report. The report relies on original surveys of Mexican migrants that were deported to Nogales, Mexico during the second half of 2014 and the first three months of 2015 – roughly […]
Read MorePope Francis Calls Upon Congress to Welcome Refugees and Honor America’s Immigrant History
In the past, Pope Francis has not shied away from urging word leaders to show more humanity towards migrants around the globe. This week, during his first visit to the United States, Pope Francis took this message to both the White House and a joint session of Congress. Within moments of his first public remarks […]
Read MorePrivate Prison Company Expands Immigration Reach with $11 Million Contract
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently announced a pilot case management program as an alternative to holding mothers and children in detention. The annual $11 million contract was awarded to Geo Care LLC, a subsidiary of the Geo Group—the second largest private prison company in the U.S. that operates the family detention center in Karnes, […]
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