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One Year Later: Government Officials Request Lawyers for Immigrant Children and More Judges
On Tuesday, the Senate Homeland Security committee held a hearing examining the U.S. government’s response to last year’s arrivals of unaccompanied children fleeing Central American violence. Despite continuing disagreements between Senators as to the cause of the increased numbers of children fleeing their homes, two solutions received uniform support from U.S. government officials: providing lawyers […]
Read MoreImmigrants are Less Likely to be Criminals than the Native-Born
When it comes to understanding the relationship between immigration and crime, anecdotes are no substitute for evidence. And, as a new report from the American Immigration Council explains, the evidence has been clear for more than a century: high rates of immigration are associated with lower crime rates, and immigrants are less likely to commit […]
Read MoreU.S. Settles With 4-Year-Old U.S. Citizen They Wrongfully Deported
Some say the wheels of justice turn slowly; however, when justice is finally delivered it is sweet. After more than two years of litigation, the U.S. government has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Leonel Ruiz on behalf of his minor daughter, alleging that in 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained and […]
Read MoreVisas for Foreign Workers
To the Editor: Re “Workers Betrayed by Visa Loopholes” (editorial, June 15): For years, we, along with a broad coalition of advocates, have pushed for comprehensive immigration reform that would spur economic growth and benefit American workers. What we are seeing today is what happens when Congress defers action on a critical issue and leaves […]
Read MoreWhy Our Humanitarian Obligations to Children Crossing the Border Still Matter
Last summer, the flow of Central Americans seeking refuge in the United States—many of them children—reached its height. One of the government’s first responses to the increased numbers was to reinstitute family detention, with the opening of a makeshift facility in Artesia, New Mexico, one year ago tomorrow. Today, the flow at our southern border […]
Read MoreAre Republicans in Three Key 2016 States Softening on Immigration?
Most Republicans in the key early 2016 states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina support allowing undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S. and earn citizenship or permanent legal status, newly released surveys by a GOP polling firm for a pro-immigration group has found. But the polls also underscored the issue’s potential to sharpen […]
Read MoreBorder Patrol Criminally Prosecuting Asylum Seekers, Government Report Finds
For years, the Border Patrol program “Operation Streamline” has criminally prosecuted asylum seekers in a terribly misguided effort to discourage them from reentering illegally again. A recent U.S. government report from DHS’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) said this practice may “violate U.S. treaty obligations.” Specifically, according to the OIG, the “use of Streamline” to […]
Read MoreImmigrants Kept for Days in Border Patrol’s Bedless Holding Cells
Every day, over a thousand individuals are held in Border Patrol detention facilities near the U.S. southern border. These facilities are notorious for freezing cold temperatures, overcrowded conditions and lack of any bedding or beds. In addition, they routinely lack adequate food, water, and medical care. The reality is that these facilities are not designed […]
Read MoreWay Too Long: Prolonged Detention in Border Patrol Holding Cells, Government Records Show
Each year, the Border Patrol, a division of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), holds hundreds of thousands of people in detention facilities near the southern border that are extremely cold, frequently overcrowded, and routinely lacking in adequate food, water, medical care, and access to legal counsel. Although CBP intends these facilities only for short-term […]
Read MoreImmigrants Held for Days in Freezing, Unsanitary Cells File Class-Action Lawsuit
Washington D.C. — Tucson Sector Border Patrol holds men, women, and children in freezing, overcrowded, and filthy cells for extended periods of time in violation of the U.S. Constitution, a group of legal organizations allege in a class-action lawsuit filed Monday. The class-action suit, which was filed on behalf of two people detained in the Tucson Border Patrol […]
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