Immigration
Courts take the lead role as U.S. immigration policy remains in limbo
WASHINGTON — Eighteen months into the Biden administration, immigration reform has stalled despite campaign promises to reform the system, with the most recent movement on immigration policy doled out by the U.S. Supreme Court and in lower federal courts. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration in a 5-4 decision on June 30 that […]
Biden administration to halt pandemic policy blocking migrants who claim asylum
WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday the government will terminate a Trump-era policy that prevented migrants from claiming asylum during a health crisis, including the coronavirus pandemic. The policy will end on May 23, the CDC wrote in its notice. “There is no longer a serious danger that the entry […]
New process for asylum cases at the border unveiled by Biden administration
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Thursday steps to expedite asylum cases at the U.S.-Mexico border in an attempt to resolve a years-long backlog, but policy advocates worry the streamlined process could prevent asylum seekers from obtaining legal representation if their cases are denied. “If somebody is not approved in the first instance, they’re going […]
Pressure ramps up to halt Trump-era policy that expels migrants at the border
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats and immigration advocates are pushing the White House to end a controversial Trump-era immigration policy enacted during the pandemic that allowed U.S. officials to expel migrants and asylum seekers at the border. “I continue to be disappointed, deeply disappointed, in the administration’s response,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, […]
White House allows Ukrainian nationals to stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is granting temporary protected status to shield Ukrainian nationals living in the United States from deportation, following pressure from members of Congress. “Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked attack on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing war, senseless violence, and Ukrainians forced to seek refuge in other countries,” DHS […]
U.S. House panel hears from DHS about problems with ‘remain in Mexico’ immigration policy
WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials told House members on Wednesday that there are major problems with a Trump-era immigration policy that federal courts are forcing the agency to follow. One of the Department of Homeland Security officials, Blas Nuñez-Neto, said that the court-ordered Migrant Protection Protocols is a flawed policy program and […]
We can’t ‘Build Back Better’ without immigrant workers
By Jaime Contreras As our nation faces the unprecedented crisis of a worker shortage, a perfect solution is staring members of Congress right in the face. By investing in the men and women who build and maintain our nation’s infrastructure, Congress can actually ‘Build Back Better’ through a work permit legalization proposal to protect millions […]
Biden administration rolls out new rule to bolster DACA as lawsuit continues
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Monday unveiled a proposed new rule that would strengthen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to protect undocumented people in the program from legal challenges. The proposed rule, announced by the Department of Homeland Security, would “preserve and fortify” the DACA program, an Obama administration-era initiative that protects […]
Immigration reform blocked from reconciliation bill in Congress, but Democrats vow to try again
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate parliamentarian has turned down a plan to include a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented people in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, a blow for Democrats and immigration advocacy groups when the decision was disclosed late Sunday. “We are deeply disappointed in this decision but the fight to provide […]
Advocates pressure Warner and Kaine to pass immigration reform with or without bipartisan support
Virginia immigration advocacy groups are urging Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats, to use the budget reconciliation process to pass immigration reform bill H.R.6 rather than continue to push for bipartisan support. “We can’t have a patchwork immigration system in the United States,” said Del. Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington at a press conference last […]
Q&A: Dreamer discusses life under DACA on its ninth anniversary
Angel Romero arrived in Virginia when he was two years old, completely unaware of his parents’ status as undocumented migrants from Mexico. Under DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy enacted by former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2012, he’s been allowed to live and work legally in the U.S. But the protections are […]
Biden immigration overhaul would reunite families split up by deportation
By Robert McKee Irwin, University of California, Davis Hundreds of thousands of immigrant families have been separated by deportation from the United States, in many cases with a parent on one side of the border and children on the other, according to estimates by the Urban Policy Institute and Migration Policy Institute. Reunification is a […]