The Forum Daily | Wednesday, April 30, 2025https://immigrationforum.org/

**THE FORUM DAILY**Today, as we mark 100 days of the second Trump administration, we invited Michael DeBruhl, our newest Forum Fellow [link removed] and resident of El Paso, Texas, to take the pen at the top. Although the most dramatic steps the administration has taken in its first 100 days are on interior enforcement, we asked Michael to share his perspective from the border. 

The rest of The Forum Daily team is Jillian Clark, Soledad Gassó Parker, Dan Gordon, Broc Murphy, Clara Villatoro and Becka Wall. Email us mailto:[email protected] if you have a story to share from your own community. 

Upon assuming office 100 days ago, President Donald Trump reiterated one of his key campaign promises: to secure the nation’s borders. On day one The White House declared a state of emergency and an "invasion" [link removed] [of migrants], based on high numbers of asylum seekers arriving at the border. The policies his administration has implemented since then have, among other things, prioritized enforcement on and militarized the border.  

A separate executive order restricts migration, including pausing refugee resettlement and limiting asylum and humanitarian protections. Border encounters, which already had decreased over 80% in the last year of the Biden administration, have fallen further, as a team at The Wall Street Journal [link removed] reported. 

That hasn’t paused the militarization of the border, though. In the past, troops assisted in administrative and support roles, but recently this has changed, as reported by Drew F. Lawrence of Military.com [link removed]. (Lawrence also reported [link removed] on the deployment of military intelligence professionals.)  

According to the New Mexico Political Report [link removed], just last week, service members were granted the authority to detain border trespassers, effectively placing them at the heart of immigration enforcement. This raises a fundamental concern echoed by our forefathers, who warned against the dangers of a military force enforcing civilian law, fearing that such power could eventually be turned inward and used against the very citizens it was meant to protect. 

With almost three decades as a federal immigration agent under my belt, followed by experience volunteering in migrant shelters and most recently directing a large migrant shelter here in El Paso, I say with confidence: A secure border can be achieved through a balanced approach that effectively manages the flow of people and goods, ensuring robust security while also facilitating legitimate trade and travel.  

This approach should be underpinned by immigration policies that not only serve the best interests of our nation but also uphold fairness, order, and compassion for those seeking entry. 

For more on immigration policy changes in the first 100 days, don’t miss the Forum’s summary [link removed]. 

News on the First 100 Days: 

Proposals to facilitate immigration 

* Trump suggests farmers could petition to keep workers without legal status [link removed] (Jeff Mason and Leah Douglas, Reuters) 

* Getting U.S. Citizenship For Investor Immigrants: Gold Card Vs. EB-5 [link removed] (Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes) 

* All That Glitters May Not Be Gold: Trump’s Gold Card vs EB-5 [link removed] (Jake Campbell and Dawn Lurie, Big Immigration Law Blog)  

Border security and expanded enforcement 

* First migrants charged with entering restricted military zone at border [link removed] (Maria Sacchetti, Jeremy Roebuck and Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post) 

* How spin and falsehoods propelled Trump's immigration crackdown in his first 100 days [link removed] (Maria Briceño and Maria Ramirez Uribe, PolitiFact) 

* How Trump cracked down on immigration during first 100 days [link removed] (Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News) 

* Citing 'internal data,' DHS touts surge in deportations [link removed] (Lauren Villagran, USA Today) 

Rollback of humanitarian and legal pathways 

* Op-ed: Being an Unaccompanied Immigrant Minor Is Getting Even Harder [link removed] (Jennie Murray, Real Clear Politics) 

* Legal immigrants at risk under Trump immigration crackdown [link removed] (Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald) 

* Trump to end protected status for Afghans and Cameroonians [link removed] (Thomas Mackintosh and Regan Morris, BBC) 

Due process and the courts 

* Courts Serve as Early xxxxxx Against Trump Immigration Agenda [link removed] (Andrew Kreighbaum and Ellen M. Gilmer, Bloomberg Law) 

* More than 200 lawsuits and many judicial setbacks in Trump's first 100 days [link removed] (Jack Queen, Reuters) 

* Behind Trump’s push to erode immigrant due process rights [link removed] (Myah Ward, Politico) 

* The Bible Warns About Rulers Who Put Themselves Above the Law [link removed] (Christianity Today)  

Thanks for reading,  

Michael

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