Immigration Law

Government shutdown averted as Trump is expected to sign funding bill

President Donald Trump will declare a national emergency to fund a border wall without congressional approval, according to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Feb 14, 2019 3:45 PM CST

Formerly separated immigrant families begin process for suing Trump administration

Eight immigrant families separated at the border last year under a rescinded Trump administration policy have filed claims for millions in damages, the Associated Press reported Monday.

Feb 12, 2019 2:41 PM CST

Trump administration had statutory authority to expedite California border wall, 9th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court has ruled 2-1 that the Trump administration had statutory authority to expedite construction of a border wall and repair existing barriers between California and Mexico.

Feb 12, 2019 9:55 AM CST

Two immigrant-rights lawyers are denied entry to Mexico after their passports trigger Interpol alerts

Two immigrant-rights lawyers say they don’t know who placed Interpol alerts on their passports that led to them being denied entry to Mexico last week. But one lawyer suspects the U.S. government is to blame, the Los Angeles Times reports. The lawyers are leaders of the nonprofit Al Otro Lado,…

Feb 4, 2019 4:30 PM CST

Defense Department engaged in illegal discrimination against some soldiers, district court finds

A Seattle federal district court ruled Thursday that the federal government illegally discriminated against naturalized U.S. citizens in the U.S. Army by requiring security checks on them every two years, without individualized suspicion.

Feb 1, 2019 4:55 PM CST

Hundreds of immigrants show up for hearings that never got scheduled, causing ‘mass chaos’

Hundreds of immigrants who received notices to appear at immigration hearings across the country on Thursday learned after they arrived in court that their hearings had never been scheduled.

Feb 1, 2019 10:35 AM CST

Are courts back to business as usual with temporary end to government shutdown?

The government shutdown has ended, at least until Feb. 15. That’s good news for the federal judiciary, but there are still some lasting effects in court cases, particularly in immigration courts where backlogs are intensifying.

Jan 29, 2019 7:00 AM CST

Immigrant and refugee rights should be protected, ABA House urges

Delegates to the ABA's House of Delegates lined up Monday afternoon to condemn the federal government's "zero tolerance" policy for people caught crossing the border illegally.

Jan 28, 2019 8:40 PM CST

$150K ABE grant will help ABA facilitate pro bono immigration work

Stephen N. Zack knows firsthand how tough it is on a kid to be separated from their parents. When he was 13, his family tried to flee Cuba—and got taken off a plane by a Cuban spy agency. Each member of the family was held in a separate room overnight. They would be reunited the next morning and eventually permitted to leave Cuba, but he didn't know that at the time.

Jan 26, 2019 5:15 PM CST

Trump announces deal to reopen government until Feb. 15

Updated: President Donald Trump on Friday announced a deal to end the government shutdown for three weeks while negotiations continue on funds for a border wall.

Jan 25, 2019 1:33 PM CST

US begins sending asylum-seekers at San Ysidro back to Mexico

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that, beginning Friday, asylum-seekers at the San Ysidro port of entry are being sent back to Mexico to await asylum hearings. The California port near San Diego is the first to change procedures as a result of a new policy announced last month…

Jan 25, 2019 12:06 PM CST

Once again, judiciary pushes back date when funds will run out, says this is final extension

Updated: For the third time, the federal judiciary has pushed back the date it expects funds for federal court operations to run out. The funds are expected to be depleted on Jan. 31, according to a press release.

Jan 23, 2019 8:55 AM CST

US can’t count or track all separated immigrant children, but it’s thousands more than reported

The number of separated immigrant children is far greater than the amount revealed in a court-ordered review, according to a report released Thursday by the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Jan 17, 2019 1:06 PM CST

Federal judiciary says money won’t run out just yet

Updated: The federal judiciary will be able to keep paying its employees until about Jan. 25, thanks to efforts to defer and delay expenses for noncritical functions. Courts and federal public defender offices are delaying new hires, cutting travel unrelated to cases and deferring some contracts, a court spokesperson told…

Jan 16, 2019 9:08 AM CST

Judge blocks citizenship question on 2020 census, cites ‘veritable smorgasbord’ of violations

A federal judge in New York City blocked the federal government from adding a citizenship question on the 2020 census on Tuesday.

Jan 15, 2019 12:20 PM CST