Enforcement

The enforcement of immigration laws is a complex and hotly-debated topic. Learn more about the costs of immigration enforcement and the ways in which the U.S. can enforce our immigration laws humanely and in a manner that ensures due process.

Fact Check: Migrants Aren’t the Ones Smuggling Fentanyl Into the United States

There is no doubt that fentanyl is a major problem inside the United States. Over the last decade, rising availability of fentanyl has caused a spike in overdose deaths across the nation. In 2021, almost 90% of opioid overdose deaths were linked to fentanyl. The criminal networks that produce and distribute fentanyl are vast and […]

Sikh Asylum Seekers in Arizona Face Religious Discrimination by the Border Patrol

Border Patrol agents in Arizona have been confiscating and not returning the turbans worn by Sikh asylum seekers as part of their religion. Immigrant advocates and members of Congress have pointed out that this practice is discriminatory and violates federal law, as well as the policies of the Border Patrol’s parent agency, U.S. Customs and […]

House GOP’s Immigration Framework Recreates Trump’s Border Wish List

As midterm election season heats up, House Republicans on the “American Security Task Force” have produced a new framework for what they say is a plan to “secure the border.” Despite the claim of new ideas to tackle the situation at the border, the framework is almost identical to prior legislative and administrative efforts under […]

Who Enforces Immigration Policy Anyway?

The lack of a major overhaul in the United States’ immigration system for roughly thirty years has created an ecosystem where states have attempted to insert their authority over immigration, especially when it comes to enforcement. Texas has made headlines with its tougher approach and outsized role in shaping America’s immigration enforcement policy, while some […]

Bond Hearings for Asylum Seekers Are Latest Casualty of the Recent Supreme Court Term

For almost two decades, asylum seekers taken into Border Patrol custody who passed a “credible fear” interview have been eligible to seek release from detention on bond while they go through the asylum process. But now that right is gone. On July 29, a federal district court in Washington erased a key legal victory which […]

Supreme Court Refuses to Restore Biden’s Immigration Enforcement Priorities for Now

In a blow to the Department of Homeland Security’s attempts to set priorities for immigration enforcement, late last week the Supreme Court of the United States decided 5-4 to deny a request from the Department of Justice to restore the priorities while litigation continues. This decision comes after a confusing several months, culminating in opposing […]

Updated ICE Directive Fails to Deliver Meaningful Protections for Immigrant Families

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently announced a new directive aimed at preserving family unity and the parental rights of noncitizens. The directive, “Interests of Noncitizen Parents and Legal Guardians of Minor Children or Incapacitated Adults,” went into effect on July 14. Though media outlets have lauded the policy as a way to end […]

CBP Concludes Investigation Into Del Rio Incident Without Interviewing Any Migrants

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has concluded in a new report that Border Patrol agents on horseback did engage in the “unnecessary use of force” against Haitian migrants entering the United States near Del Rio, Texas, on September 19, 2021. However, CBP denied allegations that some of its agents had whipped migrants with the […]