[This is a bi-weekly publication produced by Senior Policy Associate, Cheasty Anderson. New issues will be posted here on this blog or you can subscribe to have them delivered directly to your inbox.]
Dear Partners and Friends,
Thank you so much for wanting to stay up to date on what’s happening. Here’s the latest roundup of immigration-related news, and our bi-weekly action opportunity. Please let me know as things cross your desk that you think might be of value for our next newsletter, and as always, feel free to forward to folks who might want to join our list.
Lead Stories:
Trump’s Rule Creating a Wealth Test for Immigrants Is Now In Effect
The new public charge rule has already had a chilling effect on immigrants dropping out of public benefits programs. Read more here. Vox
Whiplash Rulings on MPP: Trump’s ‘Remain In Mexico’ Immigration Policy Allowed To Proceed Temporarily
After ruling that the Trump administration must suspend the MPP program (a significant win for asylum-seekers and immigrant advocates), that same U.S. appeals court temporarily put that ruling on hold, allowing the continuation of the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy, which forces tens of thousands to wait in Mexico. Read more here. Reuters
Action Items:
1. Texas Fights Back – No New ICE Contracts!
Join Grassroots Leadership for a rally at the South Texas Detention Complex in Pearsall to call on our elected officials to take bold action to stop the new 10-year ICE contracts at Pearsall, T. Don Hutto, and Houston Processing Center that could set a precedent for the expansion of immigrant detention nation-wide. RSVP here.
Date: March 7th, 2020
Time: 1:00pm-2:30pm
2. Out of the Darkness: Bring Your Light to the Border
Join Witness at the Border at Xeriscape Park across from the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville, TX to protest against the “Remain in Mexico” policy.
Date: March 14th, 2020
Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm
3. Public Charge 101 Webinar
Join Protecting Immigrant Families for their live Public Charge 101 webinar. Experts from NILC and CLASP will describe the new public charge regulations in the U.S. and abroad and explain what you need to know if you work with immigrant families. Register for the webinar here.
Date: March 17th, 2020
Time: 12:00pm
4. Call Congress to Oppose Funds for The Department of Homeland Security
Taxpayer dollars shouldn’t fund abusive immigration policies, increased detention, or an unnecessary border wall or barrier. Join the ACLU in calling on Congress to refuse to bend to Trump’s abusive immigration policies. “No wall. No beds. No more agents. No family jails. We won’t allow our taxpayer dollars to fund DHS’s abuse of immigrants.” Click here to find your representatives contact information and a short template of what to say.
5. Share the North Carolina Justice Center’s Informational Videos on Public Charge
Our friends at the North Carolina Justice Center recently posted helpful informational videos in both English and Spanish on five important things that immigrants should know about the public charge rule. Watch and share the videos to help fight the fear of public charge.
Public Charge Resources:
The PIF campaign has great new resources (with LOTS of language translations) to help people stay informed on public charge. You can find them at: protectingimmigrantfamilies.org/know-your-rights
Other Recent News of Interest:
Judge Says Ken Cuccinelli Was Appointed Unlawfully To Top Immigration Post
- “A federal judge ruled on Sunday that Ken Cuccinelli’s appointment to a top immigration position in the Trump administration was unlawful, saying several directives issued by Cuccinelli to tighten asylum rules must now be “set aside.” NPR
An Anti-Immigrant Law That Goes Too Far, Even for the Supreme Court
- The Justice Department promises it won’t abuse a law criminalizing immigration advocacy. SCOTUS doesn’t buy it. The Slate
Greyhound To Stop Allowing Immigration Checks On Buses
- “Greyhound, the nation’s largest bus company, said Friday it will stop allowing Border Patrol agents without a warrant to board its buses to conduct routine immigration checks.” AP News
- “A federal judge in Arizona ruled Wednesday that conditions in US Customs and Border Protection migrant holding cells in the agency’s Tucson sector violated the Constitution.” CNN
- The American Civil Liberties Union is racing against the clock to stop the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency from erasing countless documents on detention records, including records from the first year of the Trump administration. Newsweek
As Trump Barricades the Border, Legal Immigration Is Beginning to Plunge
- President Trump’s border wall is beginning to rise, but a thick curtain of policy changes is more responsible for suppressing the flow of immigrants into the country. The New York Times
Sotomayor Issues Scathing Dissent In Supreme Court Order That Could Reshape Legal Immigration
- Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a scathing dissent late Friday night, castigating the government for repeatedly asking the Supreme Court on an emergency basis to allow controversial policies to go into effect and charging her conservative colleagues on the court with being too eager to side with the Trump administration on such requests. CNN
5 Charts That Show Trump’s Anti-Immigration Policies Are Working
- More visa and green card denials, fewer refugees, tourists, and students. Mother Jones
Supreme Court rules Mexican parents can’t sue Border Patrol agent who killed their son
- “The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the parents of a 15-year-old boy cannot sue the federal agent who shot him by firing across the border separating the United States and Mexico — a case that inflamed tensions over border security.” NBC News
Justice Department Creates Section Dedicated To Denaturalization Cases
- “The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it’s dedicating a section of its workforce to review denaturalization cases — a move that’s likely to worry immigrant advocates who’ve expressed concern about the administration stripping citizenship from Americans.” CNN
A Record High: 1 In 10 Eligible American Voters Are Immigrants
- “The number of immigrants eligible to vote has risen 93 percent — from 12 million in 2000 to 23.2 million in 2020.” NBC News
Thanks so much for reading and staying informed.