Immigration
Beefing up Border Patrol is a bipartisan goal, but the agency has a troubled history of violence and impunity
Created by the Labor Appropriations Act of 1924, the Border Patrol's full mission under the law was to “safeguard our borders” and “enhance the nation’s economic prosperity.”
Federal judge pauses a program that grants protections for undocumented spouses
A Homeland Security Department spokesperson said the agency will defend the program, known as Keeping Families Together, in court. DHS is still allowed to collect applications, but not allowed to approve them.
ICE struggles to track unaccompanied minors, oversight report says
The agency lacks automated systems to chart the path of underage migrants through the immigration system.
LGBTQ+ asylum seekers detail harsh conditions and abuse in ICE custody
A new study found that the majority of LGBTQ+ detainees interviewed experienced harassment while being detained.
The asylum backlog could double by the end of the decade without a DHS staffing surge
USCIS is failing to meet its legal obligations due to its shrinking workforce and growing responsibilities, IG says.
ICE detainees suffer preventable deaths
ICE detention facilities suffer from outdated systems, a lack of translation services – and a penchant for releasing ailing detainees to reduce the death count. A Q&A with a medical researcher examines systemic failures.
DHS says surge of employees to the front lines is working to ramp up border enforcement
President Biden's new policies to turn away most migrants is causing border crossings to decline significantly, administration says.
Staffing, funding shortages forced DHS to release hundreds of ‘inadmissible’ international travelers
In many cases, those travelers never faced efforts to subsequently remove them from the country.
CBP disposes of and loses migrants’ personal belongings due to unclear policy, watchdog says
The GAO recommended that Border Patrol clarify the amount of personal property from individuals in its custody that should be stored and what items may or may not be discarded.
Executive order limiting asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border signed by Biden
The White House order would cap asylum requests at the southern border at 2,500 daily crossings.
The Biden administration seeks to speed up some asylum cases with a new immigration docket
Homeland Security and DOJ announced a similar process in 2021 where a dedicated docket applied to migrant families that arrived between ports of entry at the Southwest border.
ICE might be incorrectly measuring its resources needs, GAO says
A new GAO report found that the office responsible for managing ICE’s budget had a staff vacancy rate of 25% in fiscal 2023.
Is Biden’s new immigration rule doomed without more staffing?
The administration is looking to create new responsibilities for an agency it has said desperately needs additional resources.
Special Counsel’s office cites whistleblower protections in immigration judge gag order
The Office of the Special Counsel highlighted its recent enforcement actions of Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act provisions to curb agency efforts to chill employee speech.
Exclusive
House GOP launches investigation into DOJ's immigration judge 'gag order'
Top lawmakers say the Biden administration is inhibiting free speech and circumscribing congressional oversight.
DOJ issues 'gag order' on immigration judges
Biden administration says the union representing the judges can no longer speak publicly without agency sign off.
Senate rejects border-related federal hiring surge after Republicans turn on deal
The $118 billion personnel, border security, immigration reform and foreign aid measure collapsed just days after it came together.
Updated
Hiring and pay reforms accompany staffing surges in bipartisan border deal
After months of negotiations, Senate group unveils measure to ramp up border security, provide foreign aid and largely meet President Biden's request for thousands of new federal employees.
DHS warns it’s running low on funds and borrowing personnel to manage border
As the number of migrants arriving at the border climbs, federal personnel are becoming overwhelmed.
With congressional deal elusive, Biden administration ramps up border closures
DHS will reassign officers to assist Border Patrol in taking migrants into custody.
