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Can 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 […]
Read MoreSanctuary Cities vs. Community Policing: A Resurging Debate
From Washington, D.C. to San Francisco to Raleigh, the debate over whether local law enforcement officers should be involved in enforcing federal immigration law is back at the fore.
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 MoreIndictment of Border Patrol Agent for Murder Provides Some Much-Needed Accountability
Justice was served on September 23, when a federal grand jury indicted Border Patrol agent Lonnie Swartz for the second-degree murder of 16-year-old José Antonio Elena Rodríguez in Nogales, Mexico, in October of 2012. Rodríguez was shot at least eight times. Seven of the bullets hit him in the back. Swartz claimed self-defense, saying that […]
Read MoreCrops rot for want of immigration reform
Some Michigan farm owners are leaving their crops to rot because they can’t find enough workers to harvest them. That’s a shameful problem linked to bad immigration policy, and could be easily fixed if Congress would stop fighting about immigration and start adopting sensible regulations. The simple fix is for Congress to expand the H-2A […]
Read MoreImmigration Courts Have New Rules Governing Legal Representation Processes
Last week, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced changes to the regulations governing legal representation in immigration court and at the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). Every year, thousands of immigrants are forced to represent themselves in immigration court. The changes are intended to increase representation of immigrants who are facing deportation – […]
Read MoreWelcoming Week Honors Immigrant Contributions and Builds Bridges in Local Communities
The heated political rhetoric so far in the 2016 presidential campaign has often been at the expense of immigrants. And the policy solutions put forth by some candidates have centered around punitive, impractical measures that are out of touch with the humane approach most Americans want to see with respect to immigration reform. However, the […]
Read MoreNMPF report: Immigration reform needed to preserve dairy farms, protect consumers
Half of all workers on U.S. dairy farms are immigrants, and the damage from losing those workers would extend far beyond the farms, nearly doubling retail milk prices and costing the total U.S. economy more than $32 billion, according to a new report commissioned by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). The report, which includes the […]
Read MoreICE Issuing Fewer Detainers, but Compliance With Enforcement Priorities in Question
New data obtained by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) shows that while the government’s use of detainers is decreasing, the number of detainers issued for individuals without criminal convictions remains high. TRAC’s report, released last Friday, looks at Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) use of detainers in April 2015, the most recent month for […]
Read MoreOn Immigration: An Open Letter to Candidates from Early State Voters
To help out my fellow early-state voters, I’ve prepared a form letter for you to send to your favorite candidates. No thanks are necessary. * * * Dear [candidate name]: First of all, let me say that I’m a big fan of your [soaring rhetoric/personal narrative/incredible hair], and I think that your record as [governor […]
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