State of the Union: Immigration Reform in President Biden's First Year

In response to President Biden's first State of the Union address, the National Immigration Forum has written a review of how the Biden administration has progressed on immigration topics in the last year. The NIF scorecard breaks their summary into five major categories, each further divided into multiple points to be addressed. The categories to be discussed are opportunities for legalization; opportunities for legal immigration; compassion for vulnerable migrants; effective border security; and enforcement of immigration law.

On the topic of opportunities for legalization, the points include DACA, Temporary Protected Status, and essential immigrant workers. Biden has issued an executive order concerning the DACA program, and has supported multiple pieces of legislation that would grant a path to citizenship to many undocumented immigrants. He has designated TPS status to several countries, and has ordered a halt on mass workplace raids by ICE. However, there are more countries in dire need of TPS status, and an ongoing court case has left the DACA program's future uncertain. The NIF has rated Biden's progress on legalization as 'fair' -- though progress has been made, much more work is left to be done.

On the topic of legal immigration, the points include restrictions on immigration programs, the green card backlog, and USCIS processing. Biden has removed many Trump-era immigration policies, including bans on Muslim countries, a complicated civics test for immigrants seeking naturalization, and a policy that would return any form sent to USCIS with blank spaces. He has also supported a measure that would reassign unused visas to countries that have hit their quota. However, the green card backlog and general waiting periods through USCIS continue to stay at high levels. The NIF has rated Biden's progress on legal immigration as 'good', with substantial progress made.

On the topic of compassion for vulnerable migrants, the points include ending family separation, asylum and refugees, and immigrant detention conditions. Biden has removed the Zero Tolerance Policy, and has established a task force to reunite families separated by the Trump administration. He has also removed many Trump-era policies that harmed thousands of asylum seekers, worked on reestablishing refugee processes, and has tried to make the asylum process easier overall. Alternatives to detention centers have been implemented, while some detention centers have been closed due to poor conditions. However, the harmful Migrant Protection Protocols (Remain in Mexico) remain in place, as does Title 42, which has sent many asylum seekers from the US without a hearing. The NIF has rated Biden's progress on vulnerable migrants as 'fair' -- though progress has been made, much more work is left to be done, especially in regards to asylum and refugees.

On the topic of border security, the points include reviews of spending on border barriers, and investments in ports of entry. Biden has ceased progress on Trump's border wall, reallocating the funds to other Department of Defense projects, and has ended many eminent domain claims along the border. He has passed legislation to increase funding to ports of entry, much of which will go to modernizing customs technology, improved screening for drugs, and staffing increases. However, many eminent domain lawsuits remain, and due to policies like Title 42, increased numbers of dangerous border crossings and deaths are still apparent. The NIF has rated Biden's progress on border security as 'fair."

On the topic of enforcement of immigration law, the points include improving the court system, enforcement priorities, and ending over-criminalization of immigrants. Biden, along with the head of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, have designated areas that are safe from ICE intervention, such as schools and churches, and have made threats to public safety and national security their priority. Biden has also worked to improve immigration courts. However, the Remain in Mexico policy still poses a major concern to due process for asylum seekers. The NIF has rated Biden's progress on enforcement as 'good', with substantial progress made.

Overall, President Biden has made great strides towards substantial immigration reform. However, there is still considerable work to be done. Rescinding Title 42 and Remain in Mexico, continuing to reunite families separated by Trump's policies, extending the list of countries under TPS status -- these are just a start to what must be a continuing and extensive process of reforming America's flawed immigration system.

Source: https://immigrationforum.org/article/national-immigration-forum-score-card-on-president-bidens-first-year-in-office/

Immigration News Updates: 01/04/2022

President Biden has taken his appeal to remove the Migrant Protection Protocols, better known as the Remain in Mexico policy, to the US Supreme Court. Biden initially removed the Trump-era policy during the beginning of his tenure, but was forced to reinstate it after losing an appeal in late 2021. Although the Biden administration has made changes to the policy to try and make the policy more humanitarian, such as vaccines and increased access to legal advice, the policy has been heavily criticized for exposing refugees to high levels of violence and exploitation in the Mexican camps they are forced to wait in. Biden's stance has also been called into question by immigration advocates; as the appeal is taken to the Supreme Court, the administration plans to extend the policy to more cities along the border. As of the beginning of January, 200 migrants have already been returned to Mexico to await their hearings, and 36 have appeared in immigration court. It is currently unknown whether the Supreme Court will decide to hear the appeal.
Source: The Hill; Roll Call; Axios
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/587684-biden-asks-supreme-court-to-hear-case-on-remain-in?rl=1
https://www.rollcall.com/2021/12/30/high-court-asked-to-review-remain-in-mexico-termination/
https://www.rollcall.com/2022/01/03/court-hearings-begin-for-revived-remain-in-mexico-policy/
https://www.axios.com/immigration-remain-in-mexico-expands-court-hearings-begin-4cf054d8-55de-4828-acea-a28a4d4a8c78.html


Other News:
--The city of Houston, Texas, was found to have the highest rate of denial in asylum cases brought before judges, with 89% of petitions ending in denial.
--Immigrants from all over the world now living in the US have been helping resettlement efforts for Afghan refugees, including a Bosnian community in Iowa and a medical center staffed by immigrants in California.
--The Biden administration has lifted temporary travel restrictions that had been placed on Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe due to the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus.
--The US Department of State has increased the prices for a US passport by $20, resulting in a new fee of $165 for an initial adult passport, $130 for an adult passport renewal, and $135 for a children's passport.
--Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has reopened negotiations concerning his vote on President Biden's Build Back Better bill, after announcing his plans not to support the bill at the end of last year.

Immigration News Updates: 12/21/2021

The Senate parliamentarian has rejected Democrats' third attempt at including immigration reform in President Biden's Build Back Better infrastructure bill. The parliamentarian rejected the first two attempts, which would have granted permanent residence to millions of immigrants, earlier in the year, with the opinion that immigration reform did not fit into the outline of what could be passed in this type of bill. The third attempt greatly lessened its scope, with a plan to give parole status and permission to live and work in the United States for up to ten years. The parliamentarian, however, has stated that this proposal falls in the same disallowed category.

Many Democrats are calling to ignore the parliamentarian's ruling or to bypass it altogether, and to include the immigration proposal in the bill regardless. However, the bill now cannot be voted on until January, and may have to undergo more changes. Furthermore, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has pulled his support for the bill, angering colleagues who cite the bill's overall good for the people of West Virginia; without Manchin's support, the Democrats would most likely not have the votes in the Senate to outweigh Republicans. At this point, there is all likelihood that the bill will not pass, with or without immigration reform.
Source: Associated Press; The Hill; Roll Call
https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-environment-congress-602f28de740c46839864da55b3af100b
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/586381-democrats-mull-hardball-tactics-to-leapfrog-parliamentarian-on-immigration?rl=1
https://www.rollcall.com/2021/12/19/manchin-pulls-plug-on-build-back-better-bill/


The Department of Justice has backed out of all settlement negotiations with lawyers representing families separated at the Mexican border by the Trump administration. The lawsuits brought seek damages from the US government for the trauma and suffering that these families endured during their separation. The Biden administration and Department of Justice had been in negotiations with these parties since the beginning of President Biden's term of office, but have now pulled out completely from discussions. Immigration advocates are criticizing the move heavily, claiming that Biden has forsaken the pursuit of justice for these families in favor of pacifying Republicans, who have been outspoken against the potential settlements and had gone so far as to introduce legislation that would ban the settlements from happening. "This move is a shameful, profound betrayal of the government's responsibility to redress the harms of this heinous policy," Katharina Obser, director of the Migrant Rights and Justice program of the Women's Refugee Commission said. "While the U.S. can never undo what happened, we expected the Biden administration to engage in good faith with efforts for redress and repair the cruelty of intentionally tearing families apart inflicted unspeakable and permanent trauma on children and their parents coming to the U.S. border seeking safety."
Source: NPR; Roll Call
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/16/1065044185/justice-department-breaks-off-talks-on-compensation-for-separated-families
https://www.rollcall.com/2021/12/16/16separatedfams/

Immigration News Updates: 12/14/2021

A panel of judges has upheld the order for the Biden administration to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the Remain in Mexico policy, agreeing with the original lawsuit claiming that the administration had violated both federal immigration law and administrative procedures of the US government. Although President Biden created an order suspending the program on his first day in office, Republicans in the states of Missouri and Texas sued to have it reinstated, with a US District Judge ordering the administration to do so; this new ruling is just the latest in the administration's attempts to remove the policy again. The opinion written by the panel of judges, of which two of the three were appointed by former President Trump, argues that "DHS claims the power to implement a massive policy reversal — affecting billions of dollars and countless people — simply by typing out a new Word document and posting it on the internet," and that the suspension of the policy was "arbitrary and capricious". The policy, reimplemented last week, has already affected over a hundred migrants, and with the Biden administration's plans to spread the area of effect along the border, many more could be affected in the coming weeks. It remains to be seen whether the administration will take their appeal to the Supreme Court.
Source: CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/appeals-court-upholds-order-requiring-revival-of-remain-in-mexico-border-policy/


At least 55 migrants from Central America were killed on Thursday when a tractor-trailer carrying them crashed in the Mexican state of Chiapas; over 100 more were injured. Victims of the crash included men, women, and children, mostly from Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador. The truck flipped and was torn in half when it hit a sharp bend in the road at too high of a speed and hit a pedestrian crossing bridge. The driver of the truck appeared to be injured after the accident, but left the scene before authorities arrived. Smugglers have started using these tractor-trailers to transport migrants across the Mexico-United States border, often charging thousands of dollars for passage, though this horrific crash -- the highest loss of life in a single day in Mexico since 2010 -- highlights the dangers of the transportation. The presidents of both Guatemala and Mexico offered their condolences to the victims and their families and their deepest regrets over the tragedy.
Source: Washington Post; BBC News
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/09/tractor-trailer-full-migrants-crashes-southern-mexico-killing-least-49/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59603801


Several collaborators of an international human-trafficking ring have been indicted for exploiting immigrants from Central America by offering fraudulent temporary Visas. Migrant farmworkers were brought to Georgia under false pretenses and then forced to work for mere cents a day digging up onions with their bare hands, or sold to farms in other states. The workers were often threatened with guns and other physical violence, while at least one worker was repeatedly sexually assaulted and two others died under the conditions of forced labor. Over 100 people were rescued from the trafficking ring when the arrests were made. The charges for those indicted include human trafficking, visa fraud, and money laundering, and can carry up to a life sentence if convicted. The arrests show a shift by the government to focus on exploitative employers instead of undocumented workers, although immigration advocates warn that these conditions are not out of the ordinary for many worksites. Charles Kuck, a Georgia-based immigration attorney, said "we know that the conditions for workers that they described are not unusual. This is just people getting caught.”
Source: NBC News
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna8273

Immigration News Updates: 12/07/2021

The Biden administration officially restarted the Migrant Protection Protocols, more commonly known as the Remain in Mexico policy, this week. Originally implemented under the Trump administration, the policy requires migrants to remain in Mexican border cities until they are allotted a hearing with an immigration judge. The policy was highly criticized both for endangering refugees and asylum-seekers by exposing them to a high risk of violent crime in the border cities, as migrants were frequently the victims of extortion, kidnapping, sexual violence, and assault, and for making it more difficult for migrants to access legal aid in the United States. President Biden removed the policy at the start of his presidential term, but due to a lawsuit by the governments of Texas and Missouri, the administration was forced to put the policy back into place, albeit with changes.

The new version of the policy now affects migrants from anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, with the exceptions of Mexican citizens, unaccompanied children, and those with known health issues; this will impact the large amount of Haitian refugees currently making their way through Mexico. Immigrants will be allowed free phone and video calls with their lawyers, although access to lawyers in the first place will still be difficult, as many legal aid groups have withdrawn their services in protest of the reimplemented policy and the immigration system does not provide free attorneys. Migrants will be asked if they fear violence or persecution in Mexico, and if they can provide reasonable certainty, will be given 24 hours to find a representative to assist them. All those affected by the policy will also be offered the vaccine against the Covid-19 virus at no cost. The governments of both Mexico and the US are working on a way to more easily transport migrants to and from their hearings, and to safer cities farther from the border to wait.

Democrats and immigration advocates alike have decried the reinstatement of the policy. Secretary of Homeland Security, Alexander Mayorkas, stated that the original policy did contribute to a decline in illegal crossings, but that did not excuse the "substantial and unjustifiable human costs" that were a result. “We have a moral obligation to do everything possible to swiftly and permanently discard this policy, along with the many other remaining Trump-era policies that were willfully designed to deter immigrants with cruelty," said Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey. "We cannot externalize our asylum system and abandon our obligations as a beacon of hope and opportunity."

Source: American Immigration Council; The Hill; Associated Press
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/migrant-protection-protocols
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/583986-us-to-restart-remain-in-mexico-program-following-court-order?rl=1
https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-mexico-texas-missouri-1eb0b6dd1d0676e33702aec7f07e75ac

Immigration News Updates: 11/30/2021

A key section of President Biden's Build Back Better plan regarding immigration has passed preliminary review by the Senate Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian, who is the arbitrator of Senate procedure and rules, previously denied two attempts by Democrats to include a measure in the plan that would provide a way to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, on the basis that the measure did not follow Senate guidelines of what could be included in a budgetary plan. The newest version of the Build Back Better plan, which passed the House of Representatives in November, has changed the wording from citizenship to parole; parole status would allow many immigrants to apply for work permits and be safe from deportation for up to ten years. Now that the measure has passed initial review, it will go to a formal debate and review before the Parliamentarian makes their final decision on whether the measure can be included in the bill.
Source: Axios, Bloomberg Government
https://www.axios.com/democrats-sign-parliamentarian-immigration-b3a46118-0bec-4340-b73b-fad0a9933646.html
https://about.bgov.com/news/immigrant-protections-in-democrats-plan-inch-forward-in-senate/


The states of Colorado and California have passed laws which prohibit the use of the terms 'alien' and 'illegal' when discussing undocumented immigrants. Lawmakers in support of the new laws decried the outdated terminology, calling it derogatory, dehumanizing, and offensive. Acceptable terms for use include 'undocumented', 'noncitizen', and 'migrant'. A similar change was made by the Biden administration on the federal level, affecting U.S. Customs and Border Protection. At least five other states, including Texas, considered similar legislation, but did not put the change into law. Opponents of the legislation claim that the change in terminology is a waste of time and energy better spent elsewhere, and that many Americans would not care about the terms used. The lawmakers behind the bill disagree, however: “That language has been offensive for many people,” said Julie Gonzales, a state senator of Colorado. “And some of the rationale behind that is really rooted in this idea that a person can certainly commit an illegal act, but no human being themselves is illegal.”
Source: Sentinel Colorado
https://sentinelcolorado.com/0trending/amid-immigration-debate-colorado-california-update-migrant-term/

Immigration News Updates: 11/23/2021

The House of Representatives has passed President Biden's infrastructure plan, the Build Back Better bill. The bill was planned to be voted on Thursday, but an eight and a half hour continuous, rambling speech by Representative Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader, delayed the vote until Friday morning; once the vote progressed, however, it passed 220 to 213 in favor. Included in the bill, along with education, healthcare, and combatting global warming, is a list of provisions for improving immigration to the United States. Although the provisions are not as extensive as many hoped for, several key points are still attached to the bill. The bill would allow any undocumented immigrants who have been in the US since before 2011 a parole status of up to 10 years, with many then being able to use that parole to apply for legal permanent residence. Another provision in the bill would reclaim expired visas, both employment and family-based, that would have otherwise gone unused. Now that the bill has passed the House, it will be sent to the Senate for further discussion and debate before it is voted on.
Source: The Hill, Politico
https://thehill.com/latino/582254-historic-immigration-reform-included-in-house-passed-spending-bill?rl=1
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/18/democrats-social-spending-cbo-522947


A memo from Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has set new guidelines for the priority of deporting non-citizens to the US. Top priority, according to the memo, goes to those who would threaten US national security through espionage or terrorism. Threats to public safety, particularly those who have committed violent crimes, are also a priority, although Secretary Mayorkas has advised discretion on the part of authorities on whether there are mitigating circumstances in the case of said crimes, or other factors influencing whether the immigrant should be removed or not; such factors can include ties to the community, military service, health conditions, and the like. The third priority category is for those that threaten border security, who have either been in the US illegally since November of 2020 or are actively caught crossing the border unlawfully; Secretary Mayorkas again advises discretion as to whether the individuals qualify as a threat or not. The memo, above all else, urges that agents consider all factors when considering whether an immigrant should be deported, and emphatically states that the enforcement processes must be free from discrimination, exploitation, and cruelty.
Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
https://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/guidelines-civilimmigrationlaw.pdf

Immigration News Updates: 10/26/2021

1.7 million immigrants were reportedly arrested at the border between the United States and Mexico during the fiscal year of 2021, the highest number of arrests on record; the previous record was set in the year 2000 with 1.6 million immigrants. The vast majority of those arrested in the past year were single adults, around 1.1 million of the total, which is a large increase from the number of single adults in the last few years. The number of unaccompanied minors also rose from those in the previous years. Many of those arrested were expelled from the country under the effects of Title 42, a Trump-era policy allowing border agents to automatically deport any migrant who had passed through a country with COVID-19 infections on their way to the US.
Source: The Hill
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/578127-record-17-million-migrants-arrested-at-border-in-past-year?rl=1


The backlog of citizenship applications for eligible immigrants being processed by USCIS rose by 85% between the years of 2015 and 2020. According to reports, over 900,000 immigrants are currently waiting for their naturalization applications to be decided. Other applications, such as work permits and DACA, are also being affected by the delays; over 100,000 immigrants are in line for DACA applications between first-time applicants and renewals. Even with the removal of case quotas for immigration judges, a Trump-era policy that forced judges to process at least 700 cases every year and which judges cited as not allowing them to spend the appropriate amount of time on deciding individual cases, there is little likelihood that the backlog will see any improvement in the near future.
Source: Arizona Mirror; CNN
https://www.azmirror.com/2021/10/19/citizenship-applications-backlog-doubles-from-2015-to-2020/
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/20/politics/immigration-judges-quotas/index.html


A new program is set to be released by the Biden administration that would allow Afghan refugees to settle into the United States with sponsorship by private groups. These sponsorship groups would be comprised of at least five individuals, and would be responsible, for at least 90 days, for helping the refugees with their life in the US; this would include financial support, housing, translation, education for children, job searches, medical assistance, and access to government programs. Potential sponsors would have to undergo training and background checks, as well as show their plans to support the refugees, but officials believe that the program would allow groups such as college clubs and human rights organizations to directly provide aid. Officials are also hopeful that the program could be expanded in the near future to include non-Afghan refugees.
Source: CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-administration-private-groups-sponsor-afghan-evacuees/#app


More than 160 allegations of abuse were levied against the Department of Homeland Security, specifically the agencies of Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, between 2016 and 2020, according to findings by the humanitarian group Human Rights Watch. The alleged abuses include reports of sexual assault, physical beatings -- one man was struck so hard he suffered from swelling of the brain -- verbal taunts and insults, and threats of increased sexual and physical violence. In addition, there were numerous recorded violations of the immigrants' right to due process. Many of these state that agents forced those in detention to sign documents they did not understand, or wrote something completely contradictory to what the immigrants told the agents. There is currently no word on how these allegations are being handled by Homeland Security, although a representative of the agency stated that DHS "does not tolerate any form of abuse or misconduct”.
Source: Aljazeera; The Hill
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/21/internal-docs-detail-alleged-abuses-by-us-immigration-agents-hrw
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/department-of-homeland-security/577803-federal-officers-detail-abuse?rl=1

Immigration News Updates: 10/19/2021

Democrats in the Senate are looking at an alternate option should their sweeping domestic policy bill not make it through Congress. The so-called "Plan C" would utilize parole, a status for illegal immigrants that would temporarily grant them legal protection from deportation and allow them to work safely within the United States. The parole status, which would be available to those living in the country since 2011, would last for five years, after which it would be renewable for another five years. Although the parole status would protect around 11 million immigrants, it does not provide a route to permanent residency and eventually citizenship. Immigration advocates, while open to the Plan C parole option, are still pushing for Democrats to pursue stronger legislation that would enable those 11 million immigrants to file for permanent residence within the US.
Source: Bloomberg Government; US News
https://about.bgov.com/news/immigrant-protections-short-of-path-to-citizenship-gain-traction/
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-10-13/dems-consider-new-immigration-plan-for-domestic-policy-bill


Part of the congressional policy bill that Democratic legislators hope to push through would deal with the problem of unused Visas assigned to countries with smaller populations of immigrants seeking residence in the United States. The provision would take any green cards not used by the population of a particular country, and reassign them to countries that have already reached their annual quota of Visas, like India and China. This would help to alleviate the massive backlog of immigrants waiting for green cards, some of whom have been waiting for decades. Democrats argue that allowing the Visas to be used by those waiting will give a bump to the economy, rather than letting the Visas, which are already approved, go to waste. The reassignment of unused Visas would be retroactive; estimates show that around 5 million immigrants would be affected by the policy change. Another proposal in the bill would allow some prospective immigrants to bypass annual Visa quotas by paying large additional fees.
Source: Roll Call
https://www.rollcall.com/2021/10/13/green-card-recapture-effort-faces-uncertain-senate-future/


Alejandro Mayorkas, Security Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has issued a memorandum that will help to protect undocumented workers within the United States. The letter from Mayorkas instructs the agencies of US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and US Citizenship and Immigration Services to, in the next two months, develop plans to protect witnesses and victims of workplace exploitation, labor trafficking, and other crimes from retaliation by employers or targeting by officials for deportation. The memo also stops raids by ICE on workplaces, shifting the focus of the agencies from individual workers to those companies that would take advantage of them.
Source: Time
https://time.com/6106554/biden-immigration-ice-workplace-raids/


The Biden administration plans to reinstate a Trump-era border policy after losing a legal battle in regards to its removal. The Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the "Remain in Mexico Policy", forces those seeking asylum within the United States to stay in Mexico until their appointed court hearings with US Immigration. The Biden administration had originally removed the policy but was sued by Texas and Missouri over the removal, and has lost subsequent court battles regarding the policy, although the administration plans to continue fighting to have the right to remove it. In the policy's reinstatement, officials claim that migrants affected by the policy will have hearing dates within six months of their application, and plans to use 10 facilities within the Texas cities of Laredo and Brownsville to hold the hearings. Opponents of the policy cite the hundreds of violent crimes committed against migrants waiting in border camps for their hearings, including sexual assaults and kidnappings, in their urging for the courts to side with the Biden administration.
Source: CNN; NBC News
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/15/politics/biden-us-mexico-border/index.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/biden-admin-plans-restart-trump-s-remain-mexico-policy-border-n1281580


A number of men from African countries have filed a complaint against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, claiming that they were tortured with a device known as The WRAP before their deportation back to their home countries. The WRAP, the device in question, was created with the intent of safely restraining someone in a sitting position or a slight lean backwards. One of the men in the complaint states that The WRAP was used in a method not intended in its design, and that he was held for hours with his body bent forwards in a sharp angle, restricting his ability to breathe, despite his telling officials of his asthma. Another man was struck with rubber bullets and put into the device after he was informed that he would be deported back to his home country of Cameroon. The men, before being put into The WRAP, were already restrained by chains connecting their waists and limbs. The complaint not only accuses officials of torture due to their treatment of these men but, because only men from African nations were targeted, the officials are accused of racism as well.
Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/immigration/story/2021-10-13/ice-torture-asylum-seeker-deportation

Immigration News Updates: 10/12/2021

Officials from both the United States and Mexico met last Friday to discuss immigration reform and border security between the two nations. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has stated that he has many goals he wants to achieve with the US Government, most importantly investment in poor countries in Central America to help address the root causes of migration. An anonymous source within the US added that they also wish to slow down human trafficking cases, which target the most vulnerable members of society. Other topics reportedly included border cities, extraditions from the US to Mexico, and the flow of firearms and drugs between the two countries.
Source: Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/mexico-and-us-prepare-for-security-talks/2021/10/07/325b6e8a-2787-11ec-8739-5cb6aba30a30_story.html

Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has signed a law into the state that will prosecute those who attempt to blackmail or extort undocumented immigrants by revealing their legal status. The law is meant to protect vulnerable immigrant populations from threats of deportation used to manipulate or exploit them. Similar laws already exist in the states of California, Colorado, Maryland, and Virginia.
Source: Spectrum News
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/ny-state-of-politics/2021/10/11/new-law-criminalizes-threats-to-undocumented-immigrants

Immigration advocates are pushing the Biden administration to uphold promises made during the 2020 campaign year to increase the amount of Visas given, and are becoming increasingly frustrated that Visa numbers are instead dropping sharply. Over 200,000 Visas will expire by the end of the fiscal year, and advocates state that the lack of action by Congress is extremely irresponsible, especially considering that these Visas were already approved and simply need to be granted to applicants. Republican lawmakers are pushing to keep a Trump-era focus on employment-based Visas over those intended to reunite families. Republicans also seem focused on those currently outside the US seeking entry, while Democrats argue that federal efforts should be on helping those undocumented immigrants already settled into the US.
Source: The Hill
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/576021-advocates-frustrated-by-shrinking-legal-migration-under-biden?rl=1

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas is appealing a decision by the Biden administration to deny FEMA assistance in dealing with the issue of increased numbers of migrants at the border between the US and Mexico. Governor Abbott has been heavily criticized for his state's treatment of refugees, specifically the Haitian refugee camp that formed under a bridge in Texas last month; images have shown huge lines of vehicles forming a 'steel wall' to keep out migrants, and border agents on horseback running down refugees. Abbott claims that the financial assistance from the federal government is necessary to deal with the 'border crisis', and that Texas is "doing Biden's job for him".
Source: The Hill
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/575830-abbott-appeals-denial-of-federal-emergency-declaration-at-the-border?rl=1

Immigration News Updates: 10/05/2021

Haitian refugees in Texas have been deported back to Haiti in huge amounts, despite most of the refugees living in South America for the last several years. Haiti has been in a state of turmoil for nearly a decade, and just this year saw the assassination of its president and a devastating hurricane. The refugees being returned to Haiti are seeking to leave again as soon as possible, even though many have nothing to their names. Humanitarian organizations, including UNICEF and the United Nations, have called for the immediate deportations to stop and that the needs of the refugees be considered, as many may have small children, or may be victims of gender-based violence or human trafficking. Of the migrants not deported to Haiti, many remain in Mexico to seek entry into the United States.
Source: The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/haitians-border-deportations/2021/10/01/bfa38852-222a-11ec-8fd4-57a5d9bf4b47_story.html


President Biden's administration is on track to settle the lowest number of refugees in the history of the program, lower even than the Trump administration. This is due to a number of factors, including the COVID-10 pandemic, a lack of bipartisan unity to support President Biden's infrastructure plans, and missteps by the administration in its handling of promises made during the 2020 campaign year.
Source: The Hill
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/574961-biden-on-track-to-beat-trumps-record-for-fewest-resettled-refugees

A lower court has decreed that the use of Title 42 by border officials may continue, despite calls that the law violates the immigration process. Title 42, put into place by the Trump administration at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, states that migrants can be immediately deported if they traveled through a country with any COVID-19 infections, even if the migrants themselves do not have the virus. The continued use of the law has brought the Biden administration under scrutiny, with many claiming that the law violates promises by President Biden to make immigration into the United States easier during his tenure. Harold Koh, a top official with the State Department, resigned his posting in protest of the law, calling its use "inhumane".
Source: Tuscon Sentinel
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/100121_title_42_appeal/border-officials-can-continue-expel-migrant-families-under-covid-restrictions-court-rules/


A group of immigration activists confronted Democratic Senator from Arizona, Kyrsten Sinema, in a public restroom at Arizona State University, where the Senator lectures. The activists urged Sinema to support President Biden's infrastructure bill, which includes provisions for increased immigration support. Sinema claims that the activists violated her expectation of privacy, while the activists claim that Sinema has ignored efforts by the group to meet with her. "We got you elected", one of the activists says in the video of the encounter, posted to the group's Twitter account. "We can get you out of office if you don't support what you promised us."
Source: The Hill
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/575133-immigration-activists-follow-sinema-into-bathroom-in-phoenix