Enforcement

The enforcement of immigration laws is a complex and hotly-debated topic. Learn more about the costs of immigration enforcement and the ways in which the U.S. can enforce our immigration laws humanely and in a manner that ensures due process.

Homeland Security Agency Dismantles Ineffective, Discriminatory Muslim Registry

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has officially ended a Bush-Era registry created after 9/11 to track men from predominantly Muslim countries. The registry known as the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) was shown to be ineffective and had not been used for years, but the basic structure remained. NSEERS will be dismantled through […]

The Ongoing Mishandling of Migrants’ Possessions by CBP and ICE

Each year, tens of thousands of individuals are deported from the United States to Mexico without their personal belongings—including their identifications, money, and cell phones, among other possessions. Both U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have a serious and longstanding problem with handling the personal belongings of detained migrants […]

DHS Secretary Nominee John Kelly’s Resume is Thin on Immigration

Earlier this month, President-elect Donald Trump selected retired General John Kelly to be his nominee for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). There is not much in the record to indicate Kelly’s views on immigrants and immigration. In February of this year, Kelly retired as commander of the U.S. Southern Command, which is […]

What Was the U.S. Government’s Last Experience With a Muslim Registry?

Along the campaign trail, then-candidate Donald Trump promised a special registry and database tracking system for Muslims in the United States. Although his spokesperson later claimed that he “never advocated for any registry or system that tracks individuals based on their religion,” President-Elect Trump is currently being advised by the original architects and advocates of […]

California District Court Says Immigrants Ability to Pay Should Influence Bond Decisions

Unlike in criminal court, where those charged with a crime often hire bail bondsmen and consequently only have to pay 10 percent of the total bail amount, immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) often have to pay the full amount of a bond because there are very few immigration bond companies. Most of […]

Judge Orders Border Patrol to Immediately Provide Short Term Detainees with Basic Necessities

A federal judge ordered the Border Patrol to immediately cease its practice of refusing to provide basic amenities to people detained in Border Patrol holding cells in Tucson, Arizona. The judge cited evidence that shows that detainees are kept in freezing holding cells—often called “hieleras” or “iceboxes” —for days without any access to showers or […]