U.S. will stop expelling people seeking asylum at southern border

We welcome the Biden administration's recently announced plan to restore regular asylum processing at the border and end mass expulsions under the cruel Title 42 policy, which blocked people seeking asylum under the false guise of protecting public health. We mourn the lives lost or irreparably harmed as the U.S. government expelled thousands of people who came seeking refuge. People who seek asylum at U.S. ports must be allowed to enter and live freely as they pursue their rights under asylum law, and many organizations like NIJC are ready to welcome and assist them. Read our statement about ending Title 42.

Have questions about Title 42 and why we should stop expelling people at the border? Get answers in our new FAQ about Title 42.

ICE will stop detaining people in one of worst jails & pause use of several others

ICE made a huge announcement that it would stop detaining people in Etowah County Jail in Alabama, pause usage of Glades County Detention Center in Florida, and modify the contracts for Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana and Alamance County Detention Center in North Carolina. This move is a testament to the fierce community organizing by advocates. This is a positive step and we are going to keep working to dismantle the immigration detention system completely. Read our statement with Detention Watch Network and National Immigration Project.

Kelly wins her appeal in a big court decision for transgender people seeking asylum

Right before Transgender Day of Visibility, Kelly Gonzalez Aguilar, a trans woman, won her case at the federal appeals court which found she should have been granted asylum! The ruling could have a huge impact for other transgender people from Honduras seeking asylum. Kelly was initially denied asylum and then was detained for more than three years, including months in solitary confinement. NIJC joined the #FreeKelly coalition with other groups and Kelly was finally released in July 2020 after advocacy by tens of thousands of people around the world, including many of you. Congrats to Kelly, her incredible legal team at NIJC, and the advocates and organizations who have supported Kelly. Leave a message of congratulations for Kelly and her legal team on our Facebook post.

Proposed budget decreases detention but increases mass surveillance

President Biden's proposed budget for FY2023 makes a substantial investment in expanding immigrants' access to lawyers and reduces funding for detention. However, it also requests more funding for home confinement, mass surveillance, and border patrol. We will continue to urge the administration, and ultimately Congress, to do more to divest from immigration detention and surveillance systems that harm communities and separate families. Read our statement on President Biden's proposed budget.

Court filing exposes racism of 1920s-era law to block migrants at southern border

We joined 20+ other groups in a friend-of-the-court brief in a case challenging the racist law that still criminalizes the act of migration to the United States. The brief contains newly released government documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests and stories of migrants who faced abuse, family separation, and death as a result of criminal prosecutions under Section 1326. Read more about our brief challenging the racist law that criminalizes migration.

Newly released border patrol records show abusive policies used to deter migration

After more than two years and FOIA litigation, we obtained internal border patrol records that reveal the Biden administration is resorting to harmful and widely discredited enforcement programs that are both inhumane and ineffective. The records show that these enforcement programs are designed to maximize punishment of migrants in the most cost-effective manner, without legal or human rights considerations. Read about our findings from these internal border patrol documents.

Tickets now available for NIJC's Human Rights Awards!

Wednesday, June 15, 2022
12:00 - 1:30 p.m. CT
Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605

Virtual event:
Thursday, June 16, 2022
4:30 - 5:15 p.m. CT

The 23rd Annual NIJC Human Rights Awards will honor human rights champions and leaders in our communities! We are excited to once again welcome guests in person and virtually. In-person seating is limited due to COVID safety precautions and tickets will sell out, so get your tickets now!

Congratulations to this year's awardees:

Keynote & Jeanne M. and Joseph P. Sullivan Award: Dan-el Padilla Peralta
Human Rights Corporate Award: Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Human Rights Practitioner Award: Elizabeth Lopez of United Airlines
Community Change Award: Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Register for the in-person or virtual Human Rights Awards:
www.immigrantjustice.org/HumanRightsAwards