This Issue: Admin right to keep refugee intake low while handling asylum surge . . . Mixed new rulings in federal courts on enforcement efforts

State Dept. Made the Right Call on FY2020 Refugee Admissions

Eric Ruark

Fri, Oct 4^th

The State Department last week released its ceiling for refugee admissions for FY2020. Set at 18,000, the ceiling is just above half of the 30,000 admissions in FY2019 and well below the ten-year admissions average of 58,900.

Britain Will Introduce Points-Based Immigration System post Brexit

Wed, Oct 2^nd

British Interior Minister Priti Patel will say on Tuesday the government will end free movement and introduce an Australian-style points-based immigration system once the country leaves the European Union. Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister who recently replaced Theresa May as Conservative Party leader, has been talking about this plan for immigration for some time now.

Poll: 68% of Mississippians Want Owners of ICE Raided Plants Prosecuted

Tue, Oct 1^st

Results of a new survey say two-thirds of Mississippians think the owners of chicken plants raided by federal immigration officers should face prosecution.

Judge Upholds Florida 'Sanctuary City Ban' says Police Must Comply with ICE

Mon, Sep 30^th

A federal judge has blocked part of a Florida law that required local police to cross state lines to help federal immigration authorities but left in place a provision where the officers would have to detain illegal immigrants until the feds come to collect them.

Courts Take on Trump Admin's Immigration Agenda

Mon, Sep 30^th

President Trump's immigration agenda was dealt more legal setbacks this weekend, with three federal judges blocking three separate immigration reforms. Two U.S. District Court Judges from Los Angeles and one from D.C. blocked two Trump Admin. immigration reforms and the remnants of the Secure Communities, a Bush/Obama policy.

Unemployment rate drops, but still no improvement for most vulnerable workers

Fri, Oct 4^th

The government announced this morning that the unemployment rate dropped to a 50-year low in September, now sitting at 3.5%.

That's good news, especially for highly educated workers who enjoyed most of the gains.

The bad news, however, is that American workers without a college education saw virtually no improvement, and the participation rate for workers with less than a HS diploma worsened by more than one percentage point.

With both chambers of Congress out of town, DC was fairly quiet this week on the immigration front.

Last week, Eric reported that the State Department was keeping refugee admissions at 18,000 for the new fiscal year. He has a new blog arguing why it was the correct decision.

He also mentions a report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that praises Mexico for its treatment of refugees. Opponents of Pres. Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy have argued that Mexico is not a safe place for Central Americans seeking asylum, however the UN report says otherwise.

Read Eric's blog here: https://www.numbersusa.com/blog/state-dept-made-right-call-fy2020-refugee-admissions

Last weekend was rough for the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies. Three separate federal courts ruled against the administration. You can read more about those court rulings here.

Despite those tough setbacks, a federal judge in Miami upheld most of Florida's recently passed law that requires local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. This is a key decision in the fight against sanctuary jurisdictions and their refusal to cooperate with federal law enforcement. You can read more about the decision here.

Congress continues its fall recess next week, so we expect another quiet week on the legislative front. However, the Supreme Court starts its fall term on Monday. We could see the high court rule on several of the lower court rulings that went against the Trump administration's immigration policies. And we expect a decision on the administration's decision to end the DACA amnesty program.

Chris Chmielenski
NumbersUSA Deputy Director

Washington Times -- Chris had an op-ed published in the Washington Times praising the administration's announcement to end catch-and-release at the border.

"Ending catch-and-release is intended to complement the Migrant Protection Protocols that require asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their claim is adjudicated. DHS says that approximately 10 percent of all illegal border crossers claim asylum at the border. All others would be put into expedited removal proceedings and returned to their home countries."