Border Patrol agents arrested more than 851,000 people crossing the southwest border over the fiscal year ending in September — a 12-year high and more than double the number arrested last year, report Michelle Hackman and Alicia Caldwell for The Wall Street Journal. Most of those arrested were from Central America, and more than half were traveling as families.

Among those arrested were more than 76,000 unaccompanied children — the largest number of children detained at the border on record, Paulina Villegas reports at The New York Times. Villegas spoke to several minors who are still taking their chances on applying for asylum, despite the Trump administration’s policies: Marvel, a 16-year old Honduran boy who gave only his first name for fear of gang retribution, told Villegas, “Quitting was not an option … You wipe your tears and carry on.”

Welcome to the Game 7 Wednesday edition of Noorani’s Notes.

EXPEDITING DEPORTATIONS – As we shared in the Notes on Friday, the Trump administration has been secretly piloting a new program designed to speed up deportations by giving migrants decisions on their asylum applications in just ten days or fewer. Now, the administration is officially acknowledging the controversial program, Ian Kullgren reports for Politico Pro [paywall]: “Immigrant attorneys and advocates have criticized the so-called PACR program, saying that it makes it harder — in some cases impossible — for migrants to get legal representation before they‘re deported. Several attorneys told reporters Monday that their clients were kept in detention for several days with limited contact to the outside world.”

“LOOPHOLES” TRUMP LIKES – A potential legal loophole could allow President Trump to tap his preferred pick to the lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ken Cuccinelli, despite concerns that Cuccinelli would not be confirmed by the Senate. “The White House is considering a plan allowing the administration to change the line of succession at the department to bypass the vacancies statute and appoint Mr. Cuccinelli,” Michelle Hackman and Andrew Restuccia write at The Wall Street Journal. With his hardline views on immigration policy, Cuccinelli remains Trump’s top pick to lead DHS.

“LOOPHOLES” TRUMP DOESN’T LIKE – The Trump administration is continuing to rail against Congress to close “loopholes” in the immigration system, report Robert Moore and Abigail Hauslohner for The Washington Post. But with record numbers of immigrants — including increasing numbers of families from Mexico seeking asylum — already detained at the border, House Democrats are pushing back. “Congress has no intention of rubber-stamping the administration’s terrible immigration policies that would dramatically expand family detention, indefinitely lock up children and send migrants into dangerous conditions,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

“I NEED TO WORK” – While the Southern California Getty Fire continues to rage, Brittny Mejia at the Los Angeles Times spoke to immigrants who seemed to be heading to work as normal — even in neighborhoods facing mandatory evacuation orders. Mejia met and assisted several housekeepers and gardeners who were either unaware of the blaze due to the language barrier or who had not yet been told by their bosses to leave. A few were simply determined to finish the day’s work: “If they say I have to evacuate, I will,” said Chon Ortiz, a gardener. “But I need to work.”


JUSTICE REFORM – Attorney General William Barr is making it harder for immigrants to fight deportation orders, Adiel Kaplan reports in NBC News. With immigration courts under the authority of the Department of Justice, Barr has quietly — but dramatically — changed the rules, using his power “to overturn sometimes decades-old precedent and limit paths to legal residency.” One of Barr’s decisions “decreases the ability of state courts to influence the federal deportation process through adjusting old low-level criminal sentences.”

QUINCEAÑERA THE VOTE – With the Latinx vote expected to play a critical role in the 2020 election, Texas teens are using their quinceañeras to register new voters, Cat Cardenas writes for Texas Monthly. The political organization Jolt has so far teamed up with 30 celebrations to register first-time voters and answer questions about upcoming elections. Maya Alvarez decided to partner with Jolt for her own recent quinceañera after her aunt and uncle, who were local pastors, were deported to Mexico. “It’s really important to get out there and vote,” Alvarez said. “But even if you can’t, motivate the other people in this room who can to help the Hispanic community and get out there.”

Thanks for reading,

Ali