Family Detention
Newly Introduced Border Bill Would Create More Chaos at the Border, Not Less
With the pandemic-related expulsion policy “Title 42” set to expire May 11, the House GOP introduced its first large-scale border and immigration package on Monday. The bill combines three separate bills into one, including a bill effectively ending asylum which previously passed out of the House Judiciary Committee. Read More
This Is Pretty Simple, Mr. President: Don’t Restart Family Detention
The Biden administration is reportedly planning to detain large numbers of immigrant families again this spring. This is part of the administration’s plan to replace Title 42 with a new policy that will make it very difficult for the majority of migrants crossing the border to qualify for asylum… Read More
Infamous Immigration Detention Center Closes, But More Work Needs to Be Done
After years of advocacy and widespread abuse, Berks County officials announced that the federal government was ending its contract for the Berks County detention center on January 31, 2023. Advocacy led by a group of organizations called the Shut Down Berks Coalition celebrated the news. Formally named the Berks… Read More
Hispanic Americans Are Helping Put the Rio Grande Valley on the Map
Located on the U.S.-Mexico border at the southern tip of Texas lies the Rio Grande Valley, or as Texans call it “the Valley” or “RGV.” While the RGV–made up of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties–most recently made national news during Texas Governor… Read More
First Round of Biden Immigration Judges Fails to Increase Diversity
The Biden administration announced its first round of immigration judge appointments on May 6. Unfortunately, the immigration court appointments do not show the commitment to diversity that President Biden has demonstrated in his federal court appointments. All of the new judges had received conditional offers from the Trump administration. The current administration was under no obligation… Read More
ICE’s Changes to Family Detention Are an Improvement but Don’t Go Far Enough
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced last week that it would make changes to two family detention centers in Texas that would result in families spending less time in detention. The agency states that the facilities will be turned into “reception centers,” where families receive COVID-19 tests, arrange… Read More
Updates to USCIS Policy Manual Give Broad Discretion to Issue More Denials
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has imposed new requirements on its officers for exercising discretion that will substantially increase time and expense for the agency and applicants. Applications for work authorization will be particularly impacted. On July 15, USCIS issued updates to its Policy Manual. This manual contains… Read More
American Communities Benefit From Welcoming Refugees – The White House Wants to Stop That
For many small towns and rural communities, opening their doors to refugees is part of a local strategy to reverse population decline, stimulate their workforce, and build diverse communities. There are countless examples. Clarkston, Georgia—once a Southern town struggling to keep up with rapid population decline—has… Read More
Trump Administration Slashes Protections for Immigrant Children in Government Custody
The Trump administration announced a new regulation on Wednesday allowing for the indefinite detention of immigrant children. The new regulation will end the Flores Settlement Agreement. Flores is a decades-old agreement created to ensure that immigrant children are held in safe and sanitary conditions while in government custody. Flores also… Read More
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