This past Saturday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help process the high levels of unaccompanied minors arriving at the border. The 90 day government-wide effort will safely receive, shelter, and transfer children. The Department of Homeland Security also announced that the federal government is working to move children from U.S. Read More
Biden Scraps Trump-Era Changes to Citizen Test
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed their plan to scrap Trump’s citizenship test this past Monday. In early December 2020, Donald Trump made several changes to the U.S. Citizenship Test that complicated the exam. Its length was doubled, the number of possible questions increased, and some answers were altered with a conservative bias. Furthermore, very little notice was given in advance of Read More
ICE Announces New Deportation Priority Groups
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tae Johnson announced new deportation priority groups in a memo released Thursday. The agency will now prioritize those who pose a threat to public safety or national security for deportation. National security threats are defined as noncitizens suspected of terrorism or espionage, while public safety threats refer to noncitizens convicted of aggravated felonies Read More
Department of Homeland Security Scraps Trump ICE Union Policy
On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security scrapped a Trump-era contract that could have allowed a union of deportation officers to stall the implementation of Biden’s immigration policies. A whistleblower complained the contract would grant AFGE National ICE Council 118 “veto authority” over certain policy decisions at ICE. AFGE National ICE Council 118 has thousands of members and has repeatedly Read More
Move to End Privately Owned Immigrant Detention Centers in Congress
On February 11th, 2021, Arizona lawmaker Raul Grijalva reintroduced the “Justice Is Not For Sale Act.” This bill would phase out government contracts with private prisons and end immigrant family detention. It would also prevent companies from overcharging inmates and would “increase oversight of immigrant detention facilities to ensure humane treatment.” This bill addresses some of the shortcomings of President Read More
The Lasting Effects of the Trump Era
Last week, President Biden signed three executive orders. The third order demanded a full review of the Trump administration immigration policies. It directed the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Secretary of Homeland Security to identify any policies that do not align with Biden’s ambition to create a fair and humane immigration system. Finally, it declared that the identified issues would begin Read More
Senator Bob Menendez and the Fight for the US Citizenship Act of 2021
Shortly after his inauguration, President Biden sent his progressive immigration bill to Congress. This bill, titled the US Citizenship Act of 2021, would offer millions of undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship. The following day, Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey held a virtual briefing on the act. The Senator is the highest ranking Latino in the United States Congress. He has a long history with Read More
Biden Signs Executive Orders to Reverse Harmful Trump-Era Immigration Policies
On the evening of Tuesday, February 2nd, President Biden signed three new executive orders regarding immigration. The new executive orders reversed several of Trump’s immigration policies. In his opening remarks, Biden stressed the importance of a fair and humane immigration system for the prosperity and strength of the United States. Biden began the first executive order with a condemnation of family separation. The Read More
President Biden Sends Progressive Immigration Bill to Congress
Shortly after taking office, Biden introduced his immigration bill to Congress as part of a wider effort to modernize the current immigration system. The bill, titled the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, has the power to change millions of lives. This legislative proposal would: Create a Pathway to Citizenship for Undocumented Individuals Change Government Rhetoric Regarding Immigrants: Immigration laws Read More
Hopes for the Biden Administration
"I feel hope that a new administration will narrow the inequity I see, the inequity I have lived. Maybe it’s a new day of compassion for the marginalized. Maybe all children, regardless of where or to whom they are born, will find refuge and opportunity, not disadvantage and suffering." We are moved today by these powerful words from David Velasquez, a fellow at the Center for Public Leadership and a graduate Read More
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