Customs and Border Protection

The Border Patrol’s Inhumanity Has Reached New Heights
A family with a baby, waiting outside in the cold overnight. A pregnant woman, enduring the elements for multiple days. An Afghan who worked for the U.S. Army as a translator, hoping for food and water. Asylum seekers who traveled from as far as Africa and Asia, looking for protection. Read More

Biden’s Reviving Phone-Booth Asylum. Here’s Why It Was a Disaster
The Biden administration is yet again turning to the Trump playbook as it tries to slap together a border crackdown to succeed the end of the Title 42 “public health” order next month. The latest revived Trump-era idea: keeping asylum seekers in Border Patrol custody for longer, and conducting asylum… Read More

New USCIS Center Is Good News For Some Of Its Worst Backlog Victims
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is opening a new service center to try to fix some of its most egregious backlogs. The agency reportedly has already reassigned 150 employees – and plans to have over 300 – to staff a virtual service center, which will eventually… Read More

CBP One Is Riddled With Flaws That Make the App Inaccessible to Many Asylum Seekers
In January and February of this year, the Biden administration announced new policies to process individuals seeking asylum at ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border. A key component of these new policies is the increased use of the CBP One app. CBP One allows certain people to submit… Read More

Still Awaiting Court Dates, Migrants Suffer the Effects of ‘Band-Aid’ Fixes to Our Broken Immigration System
When asylum seekers arrive in the United States, so long as they are not rapidly deported or expelled, the government is generally supposed to issue them a “Notice to Appear” (NTA). This charging document formally begins the immigration court process. But a new report from NBC News indicates that,… Read More

Who Is in ICE Detention Right Now? New Data Provides a Snapshot of Sprawling Detention System
Recently published data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provides insight into who ICE is detaining and for how long. The results show that the majority of noncitizens are being held in the rural South, and many are subject to fast-track removal proceedings. But still, many people remain locked… Read More

Resounding Victory in a Data Case Against ICE
On January 26, the Second Circuit ruled against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a case that has broad implications for the public’s access to data held in immigration agency databases. The case stems from an ACLU Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The request asked for data… Read More

USCIS Faces New Class Action Lawsuit for its Extreme Delays in Processing Waivers
Many families in the United States live in a frightening limbo when processing delays prevent one family member from becoming a lawful permanent resident. A lawsuit was recently filed against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on behalf of 248 people, and a class of tens of thousands more,… Read More

DHS Fails to Address Concerns about CBP One as the Agency Expands the App’s Use
On January 5, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced new measures to process people seeking asylum at ports of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border who are asking to be exempt from Title 42 on humanitarian grounds. Following the announcement, details emerged about how the agency plans… Read More

What’s Next for Title 42? The Policy Still Has the Border in Its Grip
Weeks after Title 42 was ordered to end in December 2022, the supposed “public health” policy is still effectively closing the border to many asylum seekers after an eleventh-hour order from the Supreme Court kept it alive. And as the Trump-era policy inches closer to its third anniversary, the… Read More
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