This Week in Immigration - American Immigration Council

By Karen Aho and Quinn Bankson Black immigrants not only contribute to America’s rich political and cultural history—think rapper Wyclef Jean, U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, or basketball’s Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, to name but a very few—they also play an important and growing role in our economy, making outsize contributions in industries facing critical worker […]

The post Data Snapshot: The Number of Black Immigrants in the US Continues to Rise appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The “Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024” was released on February 4. For months, a bipartisan group of senators negotiated the compromise bill, which proposes significant changes to asylum and border policy to release billions in foreign military aid. The $118 billion bill would provide the president a new emergency expulsion authority that would […]

The post Senate Deal Would Significantly Transform Border Policy appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (OIG) published a report last month finding that nearly one-third of medical procedures performed on immigrants in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody were not properly authorized. The report found that ICE improperly authorized 32% of major surgeries performed on individuals in […]

The post ICE Subjected Immigrants in Detention to Unnecessary Surgeries, Report Finds appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Immigrants are now far more likely to face the complexities of the immigration court system alone, without an attorney. As of December 2023, only 30% of immigrants with pending cases have secured representation, down from 65% just four years ago.   This new data comes from Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). On January […]

The post A Shortage of Immigration Lawyers Is Another Barrier to Integration for Immigrants appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Amid inaction from the federal government on immigration policy and growing calls for action from localities, some state legislatures are taking a proactive role in welcoming immigrants and refugees. Once again, states are leading the way on immigration policy in the U.S. Despite being less than a month into the 2024 state legislative cycle, state […]

The post 200 Immigration-Related Bills Have Already Been Introduced in State Legislatures in 2024 appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Buoy barriers with chainsaw devices in the Rio Grande river. Coils of concertina wire along the riverbank. Armored Humvees blocking access roads. Piles of dirt rendering gates unusable. Governor Greg Abbott’s cruel attempts to booby trap the Texas border to prevent U.S. Border Patrol agents from reaching migrants might be considered comical, if not for […]

The post Biden Administration Can Remove Texas’ Razor Wire Barrier at the Border, Supreme Court Rules appeared first on Immigration Impact.

By Karen Aho, Consultant and Anna Shepperson, Research Associate When Sri Lankan business analyst Dinesh Prabaharan became a U.S. citizen in December of 2023, he expressed his gratitude at finally being able to call America his home “without restriction.” “As newly minted citizens,” he added, “we not only have a duty, but the unique privilege […]

The post Naturalization Helps Immigrants and the United States Reach Full Potential appeared first on Immigration Impact.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a policy on January 12 calling for ICE personnel to wear body cameras in most situations when carrying out enforcement duties. According to ICE Deputy Director Patrick J. Lechleitner, the move is designed to build public trust by enhancing “accountability, effectiveness, and transparency in [ICE’s] law enforcement tactics.” […]

The post ICE Will Be Required to Wear Body Cameras in a Win for Transparency—But the Implementation Will Be Key appeared first on Immigration Impact.

A new memo issued last month by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) lays out improved guidelines for immigration court cases involving children. The memo is a welcome acknowledgment that children in removal proceedings are navigating a system created for adults and therefore need special protection. The guidelines apply to all immigration court cases […]

The post New EOIR Memo Updates Protections for Children in Immigration Court appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Written by Chelsie Kramer, Texas State Organizer and Emma Winger, Deputy Legal Director  Texas is once again making national headlines after a woman and two children drowned in the Rio Grande while attempting to cross the river on January 12. The horrific event is just the latest in a long stream of intensifying disputes about […]

The post Biden v. Texas – A Legal Showdown on the Southern Border Wages On  appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The State Department announced an update to its discretionary interview waiver policy for nonimmigrant visa applicants on December 21, 2023. It replaces the temporary policies in place for almost three years. Most importantly, the State Department made this a standing policy that will be reviewed annually, which will decrease uncertainty for many stakeholders. Interview waivers […]

The post State Department Extends Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waivers Indefinitely appeared first on Immigration Impact.