Workforce
At Least One Federal Agency Plans to Begin the Biden Administration Under a Hiring Freeze
Resource shortages could hinder Biden's ability to carry out key pieces of his policy agenda.
Management
Donald Trump Pardons Former Border Patrol Agent Gary Brugman, Who Was Convicted of Violating a Man’s Civil Rights
Brugman’s case drew national attention among conservative figures who hailed him for working to secure the U.S. border.
Oversight
Judge Orders Trump Administration to Stop Immediate Deportations of Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors
The practice started in March as a way to contain the spread of COVID-19. At least 13,000 unaccompanied children had been removed from the country under the order, the ACLU said in a statement.
Management
FLRA Overturns Its Own Regional Director, Busts Immigration Judges’ Union
The lone Democrat on the board of the agency tasked with administering federal labor law accused his colleagues of “sophistry” and “facetious” reasoning to strip more than 450 federal employees of their collective bargaining rights.
Management
House Committee to Subpoena Records on Discipline Related to Secret Border Patrol Facebook Group
Rep. Carolyn Maloney says Customs and Border Protection won’t turn over records identifying agents disciplined or fired for their offensive posts
Oversight
U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear Cases on Border Wall Funding, 'Remain in Mexico' Policy
The Migrant Protection Protocols program has been criticized for sending thousands of vulnerable asylum seekers to Mexican border states that have seen sustained violence.
Defense
Border Apprehensions Down Sharply in 2020 but Spiked in September
Apprehensions of unaccompanied children dropped by as much as 70% in Border Patrol sectors along the Texas-Mexico border this fiscal year.
Oversight
President Trump Can’t Use $3.6 Billion in Military Funds for Border Wall Construction, Federal Court Rules
The 2-1 decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes as $3.6 billion was slated for construction of about a dozen projects, including two projects in the Laredo and El Paso areas.
Management
ICE Deported a Woman Who Accused Guards of Sexual Assault While the Feds Were Still Investigating the Incident
The DHS and DOJ inspectors general are investigating allegations that ICE guards assaulted detainees in camera blind spots. DHS instructed ICE not to deport a key witness, then suddenly decided to allow it.
Oversight
New Engineering Report Finds Privately Built Border Wall Will Fail
The report, set to be filed in federal court this week, confirms reporting from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune that found portions of the wall were in danger of overturning if not fixed due to extensive erosion just months after it was built.
Workforce
Immigration Services Agency Cancels Furloughs for 13,000 Employees
Agency expects major operational impacts and says furloughs still possible in the future.
Management
This Rural Town Swelled With Immigrants. But Will Census Count Them?
The 2020 census was supposed to show this rural town what it is now. Then came COVID-19.
Management
ICE Guards 'Systematically' Sexually Assault Detainees in an El Paso Detention Center, Lawyers Say
Allegations include guards attacking victims in camera “blind spots” and telling them that “no one would believe” them in ICE detention centers, which imprison about 50,000 immigrants each year at a taxpayer expense of $2.7 billion.
Management
ICE Is Making Sure Migrant Kids Don’t Have COVID-19 — Then Expelling Them to 'Prevent Its Spread'
The administration has used infection risk to justify expelling thousands of children without legal protections. But it’s only expelling kids who’ve tested negative.
Oversight
After a Year of Investigation, the Border Patrol Has Little to Say About Agents’ Misogynistic and Racist Facebook Group
The Border Patrol vowed a full accounting after ProPublica revealed hateful posts in the private Facebook group. Now congressional investigators say the agency is blocking them and revealing little about its internal investigation.
Management
Immigration Judges Union Survives, For Now
Federal Labor Relations Authority regional director rejects arguments by the Justice Department that immigration judges are managers and therefore their union should be decertified.
Workforce
USCIS Pleads for Money to Avoid Furloughs, Democrats Float Making the Funds Contingent on Policy Changes
"Don't send us home," employee implores lawmakers at hearing.
Workforce
ICE May Be Giving Senior Execs Preferential Treatment on Disciplinary Matters
Agency may be incentivizing rank-and-file workers to engage in misbehavior, IG says.
Workforce
Homeland Security Agency Delays Widespread Furloughs
Agency still leaves unpaid time off on the table for later this year.
Workforce
Homeland Security Moves Forward With 13,000 Furloughs Despite Its Improving Financial Situation
Lawmakers say the furloughs, set to begin in August, are now unnecessary.
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