Management
He Built a Privately Funded Border Wall. It’s Already at Risk of Falling Down if Not Fixed.
Trump supporters funded a private border wall on the banks of the Rio Grande, helping the builder secure $1.7 billion in federal contracts. Now the “Lamborghini” of border walls is in danger of falling into the river if nothing is done, experts say.
Management
Immigration Judges Sue Justice Department Over Gag Rule
The Trump administration is in violation of the First and Fifth Amendments, judges say.
Pay & Benefits
Furlough Notices in Hand, Citizenship and Immigration Employees Look for New Jobs
Facing at least 30 days without pay, employees are frustrated. "Like it or not, I have to go," one says.
Management
ICE Struggles to Protect Detained Immigrants as Coronavirus Spreads in Its Facilities
Hundreds of employees are also calling out from work as they say physical distancing is impossible and personal protective equipment is in insufficient supply.
Oversight
Reps. Sylvia Garcia, Joaquin Castro Call on ICE to Release Migrants in Immigration Detention Centers as Coronavirus Cases Surge
As cases surge in Texas and the pandemic rages on, the representatives said ICE should release all detainees who are not a safety risk and who are more vulnerable to contracting the virus.
Management
In Zapata County, Local Government Is Fighting the Federal Government to Stop One Piece of the Border Wall
The rural border county is digging in and challenging the Department of Homeland Security in court over the government’s attempt to gain access to small tract of county-owned land.
Oversight
Watchdog: HHS Hasn't Done Enough to Catalog Reports of Sexual Misconduct in Migrant Children Facilities
In a six month period in 2018, the Health and Human Services Department IG found more than 700 possible sexual incidents of varying severity, including 48 incidents of misconduct by an adult against a minor.
Management
GovExec Daily: Homeland Security Operations During the Pandemic
Eric Katz joins the podcast to examine how the agency will operate under this stage of the COVID-19 crisis.
Workforce
DHS to Begin Sending Furlough Notices to 15,000 Employees Next Week
Immigration agency is set to start 30-day RIFs for three-quarters of its workforce next month absent congressional intervention.
Oversight
House Democrats Demand Trump Administration Stop Rushing Through Deportations of Migrant Children
Democratic congressional leaders expressed alarm at the sudden acceleration and requested the government “cease this practice immediately.”
Pay & Benefits
Employees Concerned After Agency Threatens Furloughs Over Budget Shortfall
Employees ask Congress to "please bail us out."
Management
Trump Administration Waives Environmental Safeguards to Fast-Track 69 Miles of Border Fence Construction
The White House said in February its goal was to build 450 additional miles of barrier by the end of 2020. The 69 miles would be in addition to a 52-mile project also underway in Webb County.
Oversight
COVID-19 Cases at One Texas Immigration Detention Center Soared in a Matter of Days. Now, Town Leaders Want Answers.
Coronavirus infections continue to rise at migrant detention facilities in towns with limited resources. Some local governments want details on what’s being done to safeguard the public.
Management
ICE Has Access to DACA Recipients’ Personal Information Despite Promises Suggesting Otherwise, Internal Emails Show
Trump promised that information from DACA applications would not be sent to deportation agents. But internal emails show that ICE can access databases where that information is kept — and DHS decided not to tell Congress.
Oversight
GovExec Daily: Despite a Pandemic, Border Wall Construction Continues
Courtney Bublé joins the podcast to explain how President Trump's major project is doing during COVID-19 crisis.
Management
Despite Coronavirus, ‘The Machinery Continues’ at Immigration Courts
Immigration judges and employees at the Executive Office of Immigration Review said the agency’s informal policy to keep offices and courts open puts deportations over workers’ safety.
Management
Immigration Review Office Remains Open Despite Potential COVID-19 Exposure
Most support staff at the Executive Office of Immigration Review in Falls Church, Va., remain unable to telework even after two floors had to be deep cleaned after an employee exhibited coronavirus symptoms at work last week.
Management
Democratic Senators Demand Answers on Trump’s Secretive Border Expulsions
After ProPublica’s report, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee ask the Department of Homeland Security to explain why it thinks emergency powers granted to the CDC allow it to bypass existing asylum laws.
Oversight
Government Watchdog: Millions Wasted on Tornillo Migrant Detention Facility
The Government Accountability Office found that the government spent $66 million in taxpayer money over five months to hold an average of 28 people per day at the tent encampment near El Paso.
Management
In a 10-Day Span, ICE Flew This Detainee Across the Country — Nine Times
Even as the Trump administration discouraged the public from flying, Sirous Asgari was shuttled from Louisiana to Texas, New Jersey and back on chartered flights full of migrants. He still hasn’t been deported.
Almost There!
Help us tailor content specifically for you: