Posts From September, 2019

Democrats in the House are demanding the Trump administration consult with Congress before determining the number of refugees to be admitted for the coming fiscal year. Representatives from New York and California referred to a law on the books requiring the executive branch to discuss refugee admissions with Congress. In a letter addressed to Trump administration […]

The Supreme Court recently allowed the toughest asylum restriction yet to go into place. The policy allows the government to deny anyone the ability to apply for asylum if they passed through another country on their way to the U.S. and did not first apply for asylum there. This effectively bans nearly all asylum seekers […]

DHS regulations allow only the DHS secretary to release the personal information of asylee and refugees. Now, Acting DHS Director Ken Cuccinelli wants the power to unilaterally disclose “asylum and refugee-related information, including information related to credible fear and reasonable fear claims.” Citing murders committed by MS-13 members as an example, his goal is to release […]

The law requiring law enforcement to cooperate with ICE requests was pushed by the Florida governor and passed in May. This week, Hialeah Representative Cindy Polo filed a bill that would prohibit law enforcement from cooperating with ICE. The bill also prohibits them from stopping, detaining, or arresting someone based on just immigration status. State Representative Polo […]

The White House fired John Mitnick, the General Counsel for the DHS, on Tuesday. Mr. Mitnick’s responsibilities included overseeing the 2,500 agency lawyers and pushing back on policies that would be legally risky for the DHS. As many of Mitnick’s coworkers were ousted, it was not a surprise to see his departure. One example of this […]

ICE published a letter last Thursday which proclaimed the agency’s preferred language, its power to arrest, and its position on the real consequences of immigration enforcement. The letter first sought to tell the “American Public” that ICE does not conduct “raids” or “roadblocks,” writing that those terms are inflammatory. The agency would prefer people use the […]

The DOJ is considering a proposed rule to significantly increase fees to appeal immigration rulings. Currently, the fee to request an appeal of an immigration judge’s ruling is $110, the same as the fee to request for a case to be reopened or reconsidered by the Board of Immigration Appeals. The hikes would bring the fees […]

Nearly a month and a half after the Trump administration announced a policy expanding expedited removal from the border zones to the whole country, the policy has not been implemented. Expedited removal is currently limited to within 100 miles of the border and allows for immigrants to be deported without seeing a lawyer or a judge, […]

White House officials are considering two options that would significantly decrease the number of refugees accepted into the US. One option would cut the refugee cap by at least half, to 10,000 to 15,000, reserving most of those spots for those who assisted the U.S. military abroad in places like Iraq or Afghanistan. A second option […]

After a quick rollout of the Migrant Protection Protocols, or “Remain in Mexico” program, immigrants and asylum seekers are being harshly affected by the disorganization. The program requires many asylum seekers who apply at the Mexican-U.S. border to await their hearing in Mexico instead of in the U.S. Because of the disorganization with border officials, many […]