Customs and Border Protection

Invisible Gatekeepers: DHS’ Growing Use of AI in Immigration Decisions
On April 30, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the updated 2024 inventory of unclassified and non-sensitive AI use cases within the department. The public data revealed something powerful: artificial intelligence isn’t just a future possibility in immigration enforcement—it’s already here. In fact, the inventory listed 105 active… Read More

Centering Humanity in the Immigration Debate
“La tierra se secó.” That was my dad’s short explanation for why he left Mexico as a teenager in the 1970s. His family relied on their small farm in rural northern Mexico for subsistence. But when the droughts came, the land could no longer sustain them. So, he, like my… Read More

Federal Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Asylum Seekers’ Rights to Present at POEs
Ports of entry along our borders are supposed to be where people in need of protection can come to seek humanitarian relief. But since 2016, every presidential administration has used different tactics to turn people away from ports of entry (POEs) along the U.S.-Mexico border before they even get there. Read More

Council and BAJI Highlight Their Efforts on Government Transparency to Audience in South Africa
This past week, the Council, alongside the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), had the privilege to present the report the organizations co-authored on U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) deployment during protests demanding racial justice after the murder of George Floyd at the Sixth World Conference on Remedies… Read More

Border Patrol’s 100th Anniversary Offers Chance to Look Back at Its Disturbing Origins
The U.S. Border Patrol turned 100 years old on May 28. Its troubled origins and history form the backdrop for contemporary concerns about the agency, including impunity for abuses against migrants and citizens alike. The Border Patrol’s centennial provides an opportunity to shed light on the agency’s lack of accountability… Read More

Biden’s New Changes to the Asylum Process: What You Need to Know
On June 4, President Biden issued a sweeping order under section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act claiming that allows him to “suspend the entry” of most migrants who cross the border between ports of entry, echoing a similar order issued by President Trump in November… Read More

Volunteers Needed for Credible Fear Interview Preparation in CBP Hotline
When someone crosses the border to seek asylum in the United States, they often first go through a credible fear interview (CFI). An asylum officer evaluates a person’s fear of returning to their home country and decides whether they will be allowed to apply for asylum and other forms of… Read More

Senate Deal Would Significantly Transform Border Policy
The “Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024” was released on February 4. For months, a bipartisan group of senators negotiated the compromise bill, which proposes significant changes to asylum and border policy to release billions in foreign military aid. The $118 billion bill would provide the president… Read More

Lawsuits Prompt Immigration Agencies to Publish Critical Documents in Their FOIA Libraries
Last September, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agreed to publish past versions of the Department of Homeland Security’s Privacy Impact Assessments on CBP One, the app that allows asylum seekers to schedule inspection appointments, among other functions. CBP agreed to post these documents in the agency’s Freedom of… Read More

Map the Impact: Immigrants Make Up Over 18% of the Total US Population Growth
Written by Robin Lundh, Research Manager and Anna Shepperson, Research Associate. Immigration—long central to the American experience—has dominated news coverage in recent years. Between 2016 and 2021 alone, record numbers of migrants arrived at the southern border; the Trump administration imposed travel bans on several Middle Eastern countries;… Read More
Make a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
