FOIA Request Seeks Information About CBP’s Response to COVID-19
The information will enhance the public’s understanding of steps U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has taken to protect detained individuals from an outbreak of COVID-19.
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.
ICE Tells Parents to Separate From Their Children or Risk Indefinite Detention Together
When the Trump administration implemented mass family separation in 2018, the American public was outraged. Two years later, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is using a different strategy with the risk of a similar result. The agency is now forcing parents at its family detention centers to choose between separation from their children or […]
Council Files Amicus Brief Supporting the Release of Individuals from Immigration Detention During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The American Immigration Council filed this amicus curiae brief in support of individuals who sought release from detention due to their significant risk of infection from COVID-19.
What ICE Must Do Following the First Coronavirus Death in Its Custody
ICE must stop transferring people—some of whom may already have COVID-19—across the country between detention centers.
The US Government Can Now Collect DNA From Thousands of People Who Have Never Committed a Crime
The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) proposed rule mandating the collection of DNA from nearly all immigrants in government custody became final on April 8, 2020. For the first time in U.S. history, the federal government will be able to collect DNA from people–without consent–who have never been accused of a crime. This represents a massive […]
Fearing Coronavirus, People in ICE Custody Ask the Courts to Order Their Release
Medical experts and government officials urge people to social distance to avoid contracting the coronavirus. Yet, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to hold tens of thousands of people in cramped detention facilities. Fearing for their safety, immigrants and their advocates have turned to the courts to seek release from these unsafe conditions. The conditions […]
US Endangers Other Countries by Deporting People With the Coronavirus
Countries around the world that still have few coronavirus cases are bracing themselves for the spread of the pandemic. Many have restricted international arrivals to prevent a surge in cases like the one in the United States, which they would not have the resources to fight. Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to […]
The Disproportionate Impact of Deportations in Rural Communities
Deportation proceedings are having a disproportionately large impact on the residents of rural counties throughout the United States. Compared to urban areas, the proportion of people going through deportation proceedings tends to be higher in rural America. And the potential impact of losing a community member in a small town may be far greater, too. […]
Two Years After Zero Tolerance, More Revelations About the Failures of Family Separation
Nearly two years after the “zero tolerance” policy was announced, evidence condemning the practice and implementation of family separation continues to mount. A recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) further criticizes the way officials handled the separations. The height of family separations occurred in the spring and summer of 2018 but the […]
Stopping Policies Endangering Immigration Attorneys, Clients, and the Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Council filed a lawsuit to close the immigration courts and ensure due process.