Oversight

Gov. Greg Abbott Orders Texas National Guard to Help with Migrant Arrests at the Border

In a letter to the major general of the Texas National Guard, Abbott said “more manpower is needed” at the border.

Management

Converted Texas Prison Gets First Immigrant Detainees as Gov. Greg Abbott’s Border Security Effort Ramps Up

Border-crossing immigrants are being arrested by Texas troopers on state charges like trespassing, and they’re starting to trickle into a prison emptied to house them.

Management

U.S. Immigration Judges Considering Asylum for Unaccompanied Minors Are ‘Significantly Influenced’ by Politics

Immigration judges must base their decisions to grant asylum to immigrant children on whether these children have realistic fears of persecution. But other factors influence those decisions.

Management

Donald Trump Visits Texas to Tour “Unfinished Border Wall” on U.S.-Mexico Border with Gov. Greg Abbott

The former president is toured border Wednesday with Abbott, who has promised to build a state-funded border wall.

Oversight

The U.S. Is Closing a Loophole That Lured Mexicans Over the Border to Donate Blood Plasma for Cash

Selling blood plasma in the U.S. could net Mexican residents hundreds of dollars a month — if they donated often enough. But some were putting their health at risk to do so.

Defense

Texas Empties Prison to Prepare to Detain Immigrants Arrested During Ramped-Up Border Enforcement

The prison — Dolph Briscoe Unit in Dilley — will have capacity for about 1,000 people.

Defense

Donald Trump to Tour Border Wall with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on June 30

Abbott announced last Thursday that Texas would build its own border wall to stem the flow of migrants from Mexico.

Management

GAO Says Biden’s Freeze on Border Wall Construction Didn’t Violate Budget Law

The watchdog said the “programmatic delays” were not comparable to an earlier GAO finding that the Trump administration violated the Impoundment Control Act in withholding funds for Ukraine.

Management

As More Climate Migrants Cross Borders Seeking Refuge, Laws Will Need to Adapt

Climate migrants don’t fit neatly into the legal definitions of refugee or migrant, and that can leave them in limbo. The Biden administration is debating how to identify and help them.

Workforce

Lawmakers Say Biden's Deployments of Feds to the Border Risk Agency Missions

Republican House members ask for data on governmentwide details set up to address uptick in migrant children.

Management

'Shadow Wins': How ICE Avoids Judicial Accountability by Quietly Releasing Immigrants Who Challenge Being Detained

ICE helps maintain the status quo of prolonged detentions by releasing immigrants without having their cases vindicated in court, according to a new report.

Management

Senate Democrats Call on Attorney General to Restore Immigration Judges Union

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee called on Merrick Garland to reverse efforts to decertify the National Association of Immigration Judges and to axe a policy restricting judges' ability to speak publicly on immigration issues.

Management

GovExec Daily: CBP, Social Media and the IG Report

Eric Katz joins the podcast to discuss a new Homeland Security Inspector General report on workforce issues at Customs and Border Protection.

Management

Documents Show Trump Officials Used Secret Terrorism Unit to Question Lawyers at the Border

In newly disclosed records, Trump officials cited conspiracies about Antifa to justify interrogating immigration lawyers with a special terrorism unit. The documents also show that more lawyers were targeted than previously known.

Pay & Benefits

OPM Waives Premium Pay Cap for Border Detailees

The federal government’s HR agency declared that the influx of children at the southern border is an emergency for the purposes of waiving restrictions on how much premium pay federal employees can earn.

Workforce

Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Pushes Federal Hiring Spree to Address Border Influx

Several agencies would see boosted workforces, even those where Democrats previously resisted such efforts.

Management

The Situation at the U.S.-Mexico Border Is a Crisis – but Is It New?

Children and families have been fleeing to the U.S. in rising numbers for nearly a decade. So why is the current situation at the US-Mexico border being viewed as something new?