Expedited Removal: What You Need to Know

Picture this, you are walking on the street minding your own business. You’re undocumented. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agent stops you, or a police officer stops you and calls ICE or CBP to check on your status. You have nothing on your person showing you’ve been the…
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Rules Change for Vulnerable Asylum Seekers who Remain in Mexico

On May 10, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a joint DHS/EOIR statement on the rescheduling of MPP hearings. This statement changed prior DHS procedures without adequate notice to affected migrants or their attorneys, adding confusion to the already opaque and unconstitutional Migrant…
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“Enforcement First” Policy Based on Fear, Not Facts

Photo courtesy of Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via Wikimedia Commons A common thread connecting the messages of many anti-immigration reform supporters is the notion that the US-Mexico border is a porous, lawless no man’s land through which criminals and terrorists freely flow. This underlines a policy position commonly held by elected officials,…
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Creating a Culture of Fear: Stop the ICE Raids on Refugee Families

Last week, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson was in Dearborn, Michigan as part of an initiative to discuss the importance of reporting suspected terrorist activity in Muslim-predominant communities across the country. Secretary Johnson was to use his time in the state to promote self-policing mechanisms put forth by the fledgling Countering Violent…
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The Usual Caveats Apply: Amendments to the Visa Waiver Program

On Thursday January 21, 2016, changes to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) went into effect, including an addition to the program titled “Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015.” As usual, the new law and its exceptions are causing major debate among  U.S. government officials and could have a negative effect on U.S.-Europe relations. According…
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12th Annual Immigration Law & Policy Conference Recap

On October 29, 2015, we attended the 12th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference in Washington D.C. The day-long event was hosted by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and Catholic Legal Immigration Network, INC (CLINIC) and took place at Georgetown Law Center. It was great to spend a day with other immigration professionals, policymakers, analysts,…
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WATCH: GPM on DHS’ Priority Program (PEP)

On October 29, 2015, The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) organized the 12th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C. The day-long conference explored many topics, including politics and immigration, the future of executive action, immigration detention and detention alternatives, and unaccompanied…
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Temporary Protected Status for Yemen

Yemen flag. Image courtesy of Flickr user Nicolas Raymond. Effective September 3, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has designated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemeni nationals, who have continuously resided in the United States since September 3, 2015, and have been continuously physically present in the U.S. since that date. Individuals who believe…
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