The state of Texas has started a concentrated effort to arrest immigrants who have recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. The immigrants are charged with criminal state offenses of trespassing and criminal mischief. The arrests are the latest in a series of attempts by Texas officials to increase the consequences of entering or being present in […] The post The State of Texas is Arresting and Detaining Border Crossers for Trespassing appeared first on Immigration Impact. […]

Nearly a decade after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to provide protections to undocumented immigrants brought here as children, Judge Andrew Hanen of the Southern District of Texas struck down the program on July 16, ordering U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to stop issuing […] The post Federal Judge Strikes Down DACA: What You Need to Know appeared first on Immigration Impact. […]

Attorney General Merrick Garland vacated Matter of Castro-Tum on July 15, reviving a key tool to help judges prioritize cases in the overburdened immigration court system and allow people facing deportation to pursue all available paths to legal status. In Matter of Cruz-Valdez, the attorney general reversed a decision by prior Attorney General Jeff Sessions. […] The post Attorney General Garland Brings Back Administrative Closure for Immigration Judges appeared first on Immigration Impact. […]

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may soon have its first Senate-confirmed leader in nearly five years. On July 15, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on the nomination for the head of ICE, Ed Gonzalez, who is currently the Sheriff of Harris County, Texas. Gonzalez’s nomination presents a unique […] The post Who Is Ed Gonzalez? Biden’s ICE Nominee Signals Few Changes for the Agency appeared first on Immigration Impact. […]

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to expand a unique venture for the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo: The Refugee Olympic Team. The expansion is part of the IOC’s long-term effort to empower displaced athletes both before and after the Olympics.    The Refugee Olympic Team will feature athletes from 13 countries around the world, including Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela. The success of the original refugee team—which featured just 10 people during the […] The post This Special Program Gives Refugee Athletes a Chance to Compete in the Olympics   appeared first on Immigration Impact. […]