Immigration

Refugees walk through the rainforest in the Darien Gap in route towards the United States on October 05, 2021 near Acandi, Colombia. Some of the adults carry large backpacks while others carry small children on their backs.

US Brutality Against Haitian Migrants Highlights US-Mexico Collusion and Repositioning in Latin America

Mexico intensifies crackdown on migrants and trade alliance with US, while renewing bid for Latin American leadership.

Oct. 7, 2021 Camilo Pérez-Bustillo

Flanked by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. President Joe Biden attends a virtual meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 1, 2021 in Washington, DC.

How an Internal State Department Memo Exposes “Title 42” Expulsions of Refugees as Violations of Law

Before leaving his post as Senior Legal Advisor to the State Department, Harold Hongju Koh penned a strongly-worded criticism of President Biden’s pandemic border policy and…

Oct. 5, 2021 Jaya Ramji-Nogales

Two tall greyscale rectangles cast dark shadows representing the Twin Towers. Text reads, “How Perpetual War Has Changed Us: Reflections on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11”

Immigration Policy Before and After 9/11: From the INS to DHS – Where Did We Go Wrong?

Creating DHS, escalated the adversarial approach to immigration by blurring the lines between national security and immigration enforcement.

Sep. 9, 2021 Camille J. Mackler

Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants crowd into the Herat Kabul Internet cafe to apply for the SIV program on August 8, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The United States Is the Only Place for Afghan Allies, Not Foreign Bases

As the US scrambles to evacuate its allies, sending them to third countries risks leaving them in limbo without needed resources.

Aug. 14, 2021 Amanda Strayer and Ana Ortega Villegas

Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants crowd into the Herat Kabul Internet cafe applying for the SIV program on August 8, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Someone holds a small sign to the camera reading, “To the attention of Janus/Sterling Former employees! For SIV and HR letter your queries please email to below emails address: [redacted emails] Avoid coming to our office! We cannot help you! Do not waste your time.”

Abandoning Afghan Allies: The Latest Chapter in Shameful History of US in Afghanistan

Existing US refugee and SIV programs are insufficient for Afghan refugee crisis. The US must massively expand programs to bring Afghans to safety.

Aug. 14, 2021 Susan Akram

An Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier stands next to a damaged helicopter which was shot down by the Taliban near the hydroelectric Kajaki Dam in Kajaki, northeast of Helmand Province.

Running Out of Time – Do Not Leave Afghan Allies Behind

An Afghan interpreter shares the terror of being targeted by the Taliban, and urges swift evacuations.

Aug. 2, 2021 Khan and Julie Kornfeld

Afghan former interpreters for the US and NATO forces gather during a demonstration in downtown Kabul on April 30, 2021, on the eve of the beginning of Washington's formal troop withdrawal. One holds a sign with a Canadian flag reading, “Save our lives.” Others hold larger banners and other flags. The demonstrators also wear face masks due to COVID-19.

Biden Needs to Designate an Afghan Evacuation Interagency Task Force

The U.S. government must take an important step and announce the creation of an Inter-Agency Task Force to manage the Afghan refugee crisis.

Jul. 22, 2021 Camille J. Mackler, Steven M. Miska and 1 more

Haitian citizens, including children gather in front of the US Embassy in Tabarre, Haiti on July 10, 2021, asking for asylum after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise explaining that there is too much insecurity in the country and that they fear for their lives. They wear face masks due to COVID-19.

Doubling Down on Deterrence

The Biden administration’s anti-asylum rhetoric harms refugees and won’t win votes.

Jul. 22, 2021 Regina Jefferies and Daniel Ghezelbash

to demand justice and expedite investigations,

Mexico’s Invisible Human Rights Crisis Intensifies

Standard US policy tropes drown out spiraling systemic abuses, including recent killings of activists and paramilitary violence.

Jul. 12, 2021 Camilo Pérez-Bustillo

Razor wire at the Metropolitan Detention Center prison on July 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

Abuse and Retaliation Against Hunger Strikers in ICE Detention

A new report examines never-before-reported details about ICE’s systemic response to hunger strikes.

Jun. 23, 2021 Eunice Cho and Joanna Naples-Mitchell

Migrants and refugees, some wearing facemasks for protective measures, queue in a makeshift camp next to the Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.

Refugee Responsibility Sharing or Responsibility Dumping?

World Refugee Day is an opportunity to focus attention on one of the most pressing refugee law and policy challenges: almost 9 out of 10 refugees are hosted in developing countries.…

Jun. 18, 2021 Katerina Linos and Elena Chachko

Asylum seekers from El Salvador and Honduras sit outside the El Chaparral border crossing on February 19, 2021 in Tijuana, Mexico. They wear face masks with the exception of the toddler, who appears to be too young for a face mask.

Asylum and the Three Little Words that Can Spell Life or Death

The U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals defines “particular social group” in a way that practically ensures the denial of asylum claims, especially for Central Americans. The…

May 28, 2021 Stephen Legomsky and Karen Musalo