On January 28, 2013, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) responded to an immigration reform proposal from a "Gang of Eight" that includes Senators Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Bob Menendez, Michael Bennet, Marco Rubio, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Jeff Flake.
Ten officers and agents for United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) including ICE Agents Union President Chris Crane, today filed a lawsuit against Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton challenging the Obama Administration's deferred action Directive and associated Prosecutorial Discretion Memorandum that prevent ICE officers, employees, and agents from fulfilling their sworn oath to uphold the law and defend the US Constitution.
On July 19, 2012, the House Judiciary Committee asked DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano about the administration's DREAM Act executive amnesty. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.), who chairs the Immigration Subcommittee, asked Sec. Napolitano how many illegal aliens would receive work permits while millions of Americans were out of work. He had to ask the questions four times before getting an answer. Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith asked Sec. Napolitano if students who qualify would have to provide a certified school transcript. She said, they're "still working on the details."
Although sanctuary policies are illegal under Federal law, two states (Maine and New Mexico) and a multitude of cities and counties maintain policies that forbid officials from asking about a person's immigration status or informing Federal immigration authorities about the presence of illegal aliens.
The Department of Homeland Security reported in December that they reached their target of 18,000 border patrol agents protecting the land and sea borders of the United States, most of who are stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border. The border patrol uses a variety of tools to deter and apprehend smugglers and potential illegal immigrants, including using dune buggies to combat drug smuggling on the California-Baja California border, mounted patrols to combat human smugglers, and helicopters equipped with thermal imaging devices to find illegal alien convoys at night.
Under federal law, illegal presence in the United States is punishable by removal and a 3-year bar from re-entry for aliens illegally present for longer than 180 days and less than 1 year, or a 10-year bar from re-entry for aliens illegally present for longer than 1 year. Illegal aliens who had been previously removed, but are found illegally present again are permanently inadmissible.
While much of the discussion of illegal immigration has been over border security, visa overstay is just as much part of the problem. Overstayers fall in three different categories: those who were issued visas, those who came from countries that have been granted participation in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), and those who entered from Mexico or Canada with Border Crossing Cards (BCCs).
In recent years, the New York Times has reliably reported the best arguments for immigration expansion and periodic legalizations, but its story this week may be the furthest the Gray Lady has gone toward presenting arguments in favor of perpetual illegal immigration.
The story, if taken seriously, has profound implications.
Both candidates in Georgia's 2018 Gubernatorial primary talked about illegal immigration, but chose to focus on criminal aliens while totally ignoring the economic impact that the hiring of unauthorized workers has on Georgia workers.
The Department of Justice issued guidance this week, instructing U.S. attorneys offices to use the term "illegal alien" instead of "undocumented" when referring to a foreign national illegally residing in the U.S. The guidance states that the DOJ should use the term "illegal alien" because it is used in the U.S. Code to describe foreign nationals who reside in the country unlawfully.
The percentage of Americans who say immigration is the most important issue in the country grew from 14% in June to 22% in July -- the highest percentage for an issue in the history of Gallup's "most important problem" question.
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.) is drafting legislation that would abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). So far, the proposal is backed by Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), and Mike Capuano (D-Mass.).
Former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, who led the Department of Homeland Security during the second half of the Obama Administration, said in a Fox News interview Sunday that the U.S. government must end catch-and-release on the border. Additionally, he said that the Trump Admin. should expand family detention centers like the previous administration did.
The Economist and YouGov recently released a poll conducted June 17 through 19,revealing that there is a plurality of support among American voters -- 46% -- for a 'zero tolerance' policy regarding the arrest and detention of all illegal crossings. Additionally, a Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 American likely voters, conducted June 19 and 20, showed that 54% of likely voters believe parents who illegally enter the country with their children are more to blame for the arrest and separation of families. Only 35% blame the federal government for enforcing immigration law, and 11% are undecided.
DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen urged Congress to close the loopholes in the immigration system during the White House Press Briefing on Monday. Additionally, she presented current statistics pertaining to illegal immigration on the southern border and stated that DHS will continue to prosecute those who attempt to illegally enter the U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 114 illegal aliens during raids today at Corso's Flower & Garden Center, an Ohio-based landscaping company. ICE agents raided two of the landscaping business' locations -- one in the city of Sandusky and the other in the city of Castilia -- where ICE Spokesperson Khaalid Walls said that agents seized "a large volume of business documents" as part of the investigation.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in a statement yesterday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will send 35 assisting attorneys and 18 immigration judges to the Southern border to prosecute the recent influx of foreign nationals attempting to enter the U.S. Sessions said that the department will be sending judges that don't have existing caseloads to work on asylum claims full-time.
The White House and Department of Homeland Security are working together to craft legislation that would attempt to purge “loopholes” from the immigration system that entice foreign nationals to illegally immigrate to the U.S. and incentivise employers to illegally hire them. The legislative package includes reforms that will lessen legal limitations imposed on law enforcement that restrict who they can detain and the duration of time they can detain them.
The National ICE Council launched a new website on Tuesday that highlights some of the issues ICE agents are facing when trying to enforce federal immigration laws. The National ICE Council hopes the website will bring these problems to the public's attention.
Kevin K. McAleenan, The acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said on Tuesday that when the final 2017 numbers are completed they will show that illegal immigration is at a 45-year low. McAleenan credits Pres. Trump’s clear message that U.S. immigration law will be enforced for this historic decline.
A working group of "key Senate Republicans" have all but agreed to Democratic demands to exclude E-Verify from any DACA deal. Illegal immigration and illegal employment continue because Congress is not willing to stop them.
A new Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) report analyzed the latest American Community Survey (ACS) data, conducted by the Census Bureau, and found that the immigrant population (legal and illegal) hit a record high of 43.7 million in July 2016. This is an increase of half a million since 2015, an increase of 3.8 million since 2010, and 12.6 million since 2000.
A new report from the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General shows that after completing surprise visits to three key ICE family detention centers they could find nothing wrong with the facilities or how they were managed. The detention centers have come under fire from groups claiming that illegal aliens are being mistreated while they wait for their deportation hearings.
Analysis from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) of a new Government Accountability Office report found that a massive backlog of pending immigration cases is due more to the amount of time immigration courts are taking to hear cases than the actual number of aliens in proceedings. The GAO report found that immigration courts are facing a massive backlog with 437,000 pending cases.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) recently sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to review the fraudulent payments made to illegal aliens under IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. The payments were made to those who apply the Additional Child Tax Credit which is made possible because the applicants do not have to submit their Social Security number.
Immigration is a regulated process, the parameters and management of which reflect a nation's priorities and values. But to many people, immigration has become a value in and of itself, like love or justice. For them, anything less than "more" is mean.
The latest Border Patrol report shows that border apprehensions continued to decline by 9% in April, hitting a new 17-year low record. Total border apprehensions have declined by 76% since Pres. Trump was elected.
A new study by the Pew Research Center shows that the U.S. has more than 40 million immigrants, more than any other country in the world. It also takes in about one-fifth of the world’s total migrants.
This week ICE established the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office to acknowledge and serve victims of criminal illegal aliens. This office was created in response to Pres. Trump’s Jan. 25 executive order that ordered DHS to offer support services to these victims.
During a MSNBC interview on Tuesday former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticized sanctuary cities for not enforcing federal immigration laws. Bloomberg said that instead of ignoring federal laws these cities should work with legislatures to change immigration laws.
During his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border Attorney General Jeff Sessions made remarks on the new Justice Dept. memo that sets new immigration enforcement priorities that will end the “catch and release” practices that were used under the Obama administration. The memo orders federal prosecutors to prioritize criminal charges against illegal aliens who have a record of prior deportations or other criminal convictions and those who have helped to smuggle other illegal aliens across the border.
A new Pew Research Center report shows that there are no major U.S. industries where immigrant workers outnumber American workers. The report uses Pew’s 2014 workforce estimates and the Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey to look at all workers ages 16 and over in a civilian industry including both legal and illegal immigrants in 2014.
LifeZette -- Brendan Kirby
Rye said many illegal immigrants are fleeing violence and suggested it is immoral to discourage them from trying to cross the U.S. border illegally.
"They're trying to escape situations for many of them that are not safe," she said. "And they're saying, 'I would rather risk where I am than try to come there.'"
Q13 Fox -- Nadia Romero
There is support for the policy shift from at least one group: NumbersUSA.
“The world has been told, if you illegally cross the border or if you come here on a tourist visa and you overstay your visa (and you think) you can stay as long as you don’t commit a crime, it’s not true anymore,” said NumbersUSA Executive Director Roy Beck.
In an effort to deal with the rising number of migrants, Italy has released a plan that will help increase forced and voluntary repartition of migrants who have received deportation orders. Under pressure from their EU neighbors Italy stopped offering waivers to incoming migrants to cross into other countries, creating a bottleneck of migrants who are stuck in their country.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will begin confirmation hearings this week for Pres.-elect Donald Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Gen. John Kelly. In advance of the hearing, NumbersUSA President and Founder Roy Beck sent the following letter of endorsement to Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.)
The Senate Judiciary Committee will begin confirmation hearings next week for Pres.-elect Donald Trump's Attorney General nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama. In advance of the hearing, NumbersUSA President and Founder Roy Beck sent the following letter of endorsement to Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.
DHS has finally released their report that reveals that only 54% of illegal aliens who cross the southern border are apprehended, this contradicts the Obama administration’s claims that 81% of all illegal border crossers are caught. The report also shows that since Pres. Obama has taken office asylum demands have increased 900% from 17,000 in 2009 to 170,000 in 2014.
According to Catholic World News, Bishop Ruperto Santos of the Diocese of Balanga in the Philippines urged Filipinos who are currently in the United States illegally “not to wait to be branded undocumented and be deported” once enforcement efforts are stepped up under a Trump Administration.
A new authoritative study released by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) reveals that the federal government would have to immediately raise taxes by $1.29 trillion in order to cover the fiscal losses created by those illegal aliens and their children who receive amnesty. This would also mean an immediate lump sum of over $15,000 on average per household in order to cover the future costs.
According to the Pew Research Center’s new report, based on U.S. Census data, 8 million illegal aliens are currently working in the U.S. The report shows that number has not significantly changed since increasing in 2009 as the U.S. economy began to recover from the Great Recession.
A new Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) report analyzed the latest American Community Survey (ACS) data, conducted by the Census Bureau, and found that the immigrant population (legal and illegal) hit a record high of 43.3 million with about 1.5 million new immigrants settling in the U.S. each year.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson met with ICE and CBP officials on Tuesday to review their plans to hold the expected surge of people crossing the southern border in the next few weeks and months. Currently ICE is holding a record breaking 40,000 people in their detention centers but is expecting that number to rapidly increase to 45,000 in the next months, leaving ICE to scramble to find enough space to house the expected detainees.
According to the latest DHS report, released on Monday, the number of illegal aliens caught at the southern border increased around 23% from FY15. 408,870 illegal aliens were apprehended trying to cross the border in FY16 compared to the 331,333 illegal aliens apprehended in FY15.
According to internal Homeland Security documents obtained by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Mexico has been granting Haitians 20-day transit documents in order to reach the U.S. border. This policy and lax immigration enforcement in the U.S. has led to a 1,800% increase in Haitians illegally crossing the border in 2016.
The Obama administration has started delaying deportation proceedings for more than 56,000 illegal aliens who crossed in the 2014 border surge. The administration says that a lapse in enforcement allowed many of the illegal aliens to go free instead of being enrolled in an electronic monitoring program, saving the government from paying the daily $4-$8 fee for the GPS devices, so they have pushed back their deportation cases.
A recent Customs and Border Protection (CBP) report shows that illegal border crossings surged 10% in August countering the usual decrease in crossings due to the hot temperatures. This puts the agency on track to break the 2014 record of family unit apprehensions.
A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies uses data from the 1990 and 2000 Censes and 2010-2014 the American Community Survey (ACS) to show how the adult immigrant population (illegal and legal) has grown from 1990 to 2014 at the county level. The analysis shows that in 232 U.S. counties the number of adult immigrants has quadrupled in 14 years.
According to Border Patrol statistics, released last week, the number of illegal aliens caught at the southern border has already exceeded the number caught in FY15, with two months left in the fiscal year. 332,465 illegal aliens have been apprehended at the southern border so far this year compared to the 331,333 apprehended last year.
