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.

New Anti-Immigrant Bill Creates Over-Broad ‘Gang’ Penalties, Putting Even Churches at Risk

This week House Republicans are set to vote on yet another anti-immigrant bill that attempts to scapegoat immigrants and grant far reaching enforcement powers to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), instead of working to find a permanent solution for Dreamers at risk of deportation since DACA has been rescinded. The bill, H.R. 3697, the […]

Illinois Takes Steps to Protect Local Law Enforcement from Federal Government Infringement

The State of Illinois has taken steps to push back on the Trump Administration’s efforts to force local law enforcement into doing the job of federal immigration enforcement officers. Governor Rauner signed legislation in August that would limit local and state police cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while the City of Chicago filed […]

Parents of Children Fleeing Violence Targeted for Enforcement

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reportedly begun targeting undocumented parents and guardians who allegedly paid human smugglers to bring their children to the United States to escape violence and death in their home countries. A recent two-month sweep conducted by ICE resulted in the arrest of at least 400 individuals. However, despite their stated […]

More Immigrants are Dying in Detention, and the Government Wants More Facilities

The Administration’s efforts to massively expand immigration detention in the United States are already evident in Texas, where a for-profit prison company is building the largest complex in the country to detain immigrants—and taxpayers are footing the bill. The Geo Group, a for-profit, private prison corporation, has begun constructing a $110 million, 1,100-bed facility in […]

Civil Rights Concerns Continue Over 287(g) Immigration Enforcement Program

Racial profiling often runs rampant in communities that have mobilized their law enforcement officers to act as immigration officials, with the Hispanic community frequently faring the worst. A new report from the Center for Migration Studies (CMS) confirms this dynamic. Their analysis of the impact of immigration enforcement on the Hispanic population of Fredrick County, […]

Government Watchdog Questions Need for More ICE and Border Patrol Personnel

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released a report calling into question the need for 10,000 additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and 5,000 Border Patrol Agents as outlined in President Trump’s January executive orders. The report noted that ICE and CBP had no operational plans to justify […]

Government Terminates Protection Program for At-Risk Central American Children

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it was terminating the CAM (Central American Minors) Parole Program, a special program which allows certain at-risk children in Central America to enter the United States and be reunited with their legally residing parents. This is yet another example of the administration’s increasingly cruel disregard for vulnerable immigrant […]

When Deportation Hits Home and the Soccer Field

Diego and Lizandro Claros were deported to El Salvador this week, a country they fled as youngsters and a nation plagued by gang violence and instability. Since arriving in the United States, the Claros brothers both graduated high school and spent their free time working and playing soccer. 19-year-old Lizandro became a beloved and important […]

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Border Patrol Abuses Rarely Result in Any Serious Disciplinary Action

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the nation’s largest federal law-enforcement agency, has a long history of violating constitutional and other rights of both immigrants and U.S. citizens. For example, agents of the Border Patrol (a component agency of CBP) are known for regularly overstepping the boundaries of their authority by using excessive force, detaining […]