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Your weekly summary from the Council
LATEST ANALYSIS
- Department Of Justice Urges Immigration Courts to Help Make Pro Bono Representation Easier
Research has long shown that access to a lawyer is one of the most important factors that determines whether an immigrant in removal proceedings will be able to remain in the United States. A new policy from the Biden administration is aimed to increase access to counsel by making it easier for pro bono lawyers to take cases in immigration court. Read More »
- Failure to Reauthorize Employment Harms Asylum Seekers and the U.S. Economy
U.S. workers are losing their jobs due to bureaucratic delays at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), despite an economy desperate for workers. Asylum seekers wanting to renew their employment authorization documents are often waiting for upwards of a year for renewal, resulting in job loss and associated benefits. Read More »
- Groups Call for Transparency Regarding Abuse and Mistreatment of Black Immigrants in Detention
The public watched in horror this September as U.S. Border Patrol agents chased down Haitians and other Black migrants who were coming to the United States to seek protection. Despite widespread outcry, the Biden administration continued to violently expel thousands of Black migrants. What remains hidden from the public eye is the ongoing abusive and humiliating treatment of Black immigrants within the U.S. immigration detention system. Read More »
- ICE Begins Mass Mailing Court Notices to Asylum Seekers Released at the Border
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will mail out Notices to Appear in immigration court to everyone who hasn’t yet checked in with the agency since they were released at the border. The agency is calling this effort "Operation Horizon." But even if Operation Horizon accomplishes the agency’s goals of broader outreach, it raises serious concerns that it may cause some individuals to miss court through no fault of their own. Read More »
FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have released over 250,000 people seeking protection at the border since January 2021. In almost half of these cases, people were not released with a formal “Notice to Appear” in immigration court. Instead, officers gave them a “Notice to Report,” a less detailed document that merely instructs people to go to the nearest ICE office to begin the court process within 60 days. In the coming weeks, the agency will launch "Operation Horizon” to mail out NTAs to everyone who hasn’t yet checked in with the agency since released at the border.
This letter written by the American Immigration Council and five other organizations explains why the plan could lead to a significant number of individuals wrongfully ordered removed “in absentia” if they do not receive the NTA and subsequently miss a court hearing, especially if they are not represented by an attorney.
Read more: The Council and Partners Call on ICE to Ensure Due Process in Operation Horizon
ACROSS THE NATION
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Abusive and humiliating treatment of Black immigrants within our vast immigration detention system happens with very little oversight.
The American Immigration Council and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit for records about the conditions, treatment, and outcomes in eight facilities throughout the U.S. South. The information requested will help the public understand what happens inside detention facilities and how Black immigrants are treated by ICE in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
Read more: Council Sues to Press for Records About the Treatment of Black Immigrants in Detention
COMMUNITIES OF BELONGING
We are partnering with MINI, the immigrant-founded car company, to showcase the art of immigrants and first-generation Americans on roads across America. Here’s what the MINI Big Love Campaign is about.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
On Wednesday, five workers in the United States filed a nationwide class action lawsuit challenging unlawful delays at USCIS that have resulted in the government’s failure to process work authorization renewals for asylum seekers.
“This is bureaucracy at its worst. Despite timely filing their paperwork to renew their employment authorization, USCIS is sitting on those applications while the U.S. economy desperately needs workers. Loss of employment authorization not only limits asylum seekers’ ability to work, but it is a prerequisite to health insurance and certain professional licensure, and to obtain a driver’s license in most states. Work authorization provides support and stability that is key for asylum seekers who are often suffering from trauma and are less likely to have access to other means of financial support.”
– Emma Winger, staff attorney at the American Immigration Council
FURTHER READING
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