This Week in Immigration - American Immigration Council

Written by Raul Pinto & Laila Khan Approximately one year ago, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched Cash Electronic Bonds (CeBONDS), a web portal with the stated intent improving how people pay bonds to ICE to secure the release of a loved one from detention. One year in, it’s clear that while CeBONDS makes it […]

The post CeBONDS One Year After its Implementation appeared first on Immigration Impact.

In Department of State v. Munoz, the Supreme Court has chosen procedural concerns over the reality that errors by consular officers may bar U.S. citizens from residing in the United States with their noncitizen spouses. Consular nonreviewability is a judge-made doctrine. Courts have barred review of visa denials due to separation of powers concerns—that decisions […]

The post Supreme Court’s Munoz Decision Disregards Fundamental Interests of U.S. Citizens Married to Noncitizens appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The Supreme Court made an about-face on June 14, holding that immigration judges may order noncitizens deported if they do not appear for their immigration hearings even if the government never provided them with a Notice to Appear (NTA) with the date and time of their immigration hearing. Under Campos-Chaves v. Garland, so long as […]

The post Supreme Court Allows Deportations Without Adequate Notice, Backtracking on Previous Rulings appeared first on Immigration Impact.

In 2022, more than one in five Florida residents were immigrants. In that same year, immigrants in Florida were over 14% more likely than their U.S.-born neighbors to be of working age, positioning them to actively participate in the labor force and economy. And they did just that—immigrants contributed $12.0 billion in state and local […]

The post Immigrant Workers Help Florida Thrive. Anti-Immigrant Policies Threaten That. appeared first on Immigration Impact.

On June 18, the Biden administration announced two major new policies which may help provide streamlined paths to legal status for certain long-time undocumented immigrants. The first policy will allow undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens who have been in the country to apply for “parole in place,” a protection against deportation which will also allow […]

The post Biden Announces Immigration Protections for Up to 550,000 Spouses and Children of US Citizens appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Stories of Us I sit By the windowsill Gazing outside. Down, on the street, so many heads, Each is unique. Amidst the traffic and frantic honking, I sense the presence of Millions of others, Just like me. I contemplate The journeys. Each of us— All of us have a story. When mothers and fathers Ventured […]

The post The 2024 ‘Celebrate America’ Creative Writing Contest Winner: Stories of Us appeared first on Immigration Impact.

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 and to pursue a vision […]

The post Border Patrol’s 100th Anniversary Offers Chance to Look Back at Its Disturbing Origins appeared first on Immigration Impact.

According to a new report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, about 11.0 million undocumented immigrants were living in the United States in 2022—a 4.6% increase from 2020. This is still a 5.2% drop from the recent high of 11.6 million in 2010. The report from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics further found […]

The post Are More Undocumented Immigrants Living in the US Now? Here’s What the Numbers Say appeared first on Immigration Impact.

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 2018. Like the Trump action in 2018, Biden’s […]

The post Biden’s New Changes to the Asylum Process: What You Need to Know appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Borderland: The Line Within, a documentary directed by Pamela Yates and produced by Skylight Pictures, made its theatrical debut on May 3. Borderland takes viewers through a gripping narrative of how immigration enforcement agencies—from the U.S.-Mexico border to places well within our nation’s interior—have created what the film calls the “border industrial complex,” a system […]

The post Borderland: The Line Within Takes Viewers Through CBP’s Raid on a Humanitarian Aid Camp appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The Department of Justice asked a court to partially terminate the decades-old agreement that protects the rights of immigrant children earlier this month. The government argues that the Flores Settlement Agreement is no longer needed because a new Department of Health and Human Services regulation finalized on April 30 will provide sufficient protections to immigrant […]

The post Government’s Move to Terminate Flores Agreement Could Leave Immigrant Children Unprotected appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Iowa is following in the footsteps of Texas with a new law that would allow state officials to arrest, detain, and remove noncitizens who have reentered the United States after being deported—even if the person returned with permission from the federal government or later gained lawful immigration status. Just like Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4), […]

The post Iowa’s Texas Copycat Immigration Law Challenged in Court appeared first on Immigration Impact.

On May 9, the Biden administration proposed a rule that would allow asylum officers to consider and impose certain restrictions or “bars” to the initial asylum screening process at the border. Currently, these bars are considered later in the asylum process at a full hearing before an immigration judge. Comments are being accepted until June […]

The post Biden Proposes Rule to Quickly Remove Certain Migrants During Initial Screening Process at the Border appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Six years ago, the Dallas City Council passed a resolution to make the city more welcoming for immigrants and long-time residents alike. The city council proposed policy recommendations to address the unprecedented challenges immigrants and refugees in the Texas city face. Alongside the resolution, the city, in collaboration with multisector stakeholders, launched the Welcoming Dallas […]

The post Taking Welcoming Work to New Heights in the Lone Star State: Welcoming Interactive 2024 appeared first on Immigration Impact.

On April 29, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a new rule aimed at protecting workers on temporary H-2A visas and strengthening the agency’s oversight of their employers. The rule is set to go into effect on June 28, with a two-month subsequent grace period. The H-2A program allows migrant laborers to work in temporary […]

The post Biden’s New H-2A Rule Expands Protections and Increases Oversight for Migrant Workers appeared first on Immigration Impact.

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 protection. Because it determines access […]

The post Volunteers Needed for Credible Fear Interview Preparation in CBP Hotline appeared first on Immigration Impact.

On April 19, forty minutes after the ostensible deadline to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Congress passed H.R. 7888, the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA). President Biden quickly signed it into law hours later. RISAA reauthorizes Section 702 for two years, provides modest reforms, and includes several controversial […]

The post Congress Expands Warrantless Surveillance of Immigrants Traveling to the US appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently announced its revision of the race and ethnicity question on federal surveys, including the U.S. census, adding “Middle Eastern or North African (MENA)” as a new category. This welcoming news came ahead of the Arab American Heritage Month in April. “These revisions will enhance our […]

The post Data Snapshot: Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Without fail, each Tax Day a prevalent myth resurfaces that conceals the truth about immigrants’ contributions to federal, state, and local taxes. Bolstered by social media and other outlets, it misleadingly asserts that immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented, evade taxes. The facts don’t back up these claims. Immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, pay taxes. Our […]

The post Immigrants Contribute Billions to Federal and State Taxes Each Year appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Thousands of immigrant workers with pending work permit renewals, and their employers, breathed a sigh of relief last week. On April 8, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a temporary rule that automatically extends the validity period of their work permits for up to 540 days, or about a year and a half. This […]

The post USCIS Re-Issues Temporary Rule to Extend Work Permits for 800,000 Immigrant Workers appeared first on Immigration Impact.