Immigration
News related to immigration, immigration reform and illegal immigration in the United States
January 27, 2023
A bicameral coalition of nearly 80 lawmakers signed a letter to push back against the Biden administration’s expansion of Title 42 and proposed asylum transit ban on Tuesday. In their letter to Biden, Democratic leaders took issue with a recent policy allowing 30,000 migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Haiti to enter the U.S. each month under temporary immigration status. The policy also facilitates the same number to be expelled from the country under a pandemic directive, known as Title 42.
January 20, 2023
The State Department launched a new refugee admission program called Welcome Corps on Thursday. It will allow everyday Americans to directly help refugees adjust to life in the U.S. through private sponsorship. The program aims to lower government costs while boosting admission rates.
January 14, 2023
Four years after they were arrested, the trial of 24 humanitarian workers indicted for rescuing migrants at sea began on Tuesday in Lesvos, Greece. On Friday, the Court of Appeal of Mytilene accepted the prosecutor’s recommendation to drop all charges, including espionage, against 23 defendants. Foreign defendants' charges were dropped due to a procedural shortcoming: the lack of translation of the official indictment.
January 9, 2023
President Joe Biden has visited the US-Mexico border at El Paso, Texas, days after his administration announced a tightening of immigration rules as the country faces a “historic” rise in asylum seekers. The White House says the trip's purpose was to assess border enforcement operations and support local officials in managing the current migrant situation.
January 8, 2023
On Sunday, Biden plans to visit El Paso, Texas. Biden will meet with elected local officials and community leaders while assessing operations at the border.
January 5, 2023
The US embassy in Havana recommenced full immigrant visa processing and consular services on Wednesday. The US embassy stated, "Beginning January 4, 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Havana will resume full immigrant visa processing to include immediate relative, family preference, diversity visa, and K fiancé(e) visa categories."
January 2, 2023
The Lebanese Navy carried out rescue operations on Saturday after a boat transporting migrants capsized. The Lebanese Army stated, "The Naval Forces, in cooperation with UNIFIL, finished rescuing the 232 people on board the boat off Selaata beach, and they are currently being transferred to the port of Tripoli. The bodies of two people who drowned during the rescue operation were also recovered."
December 29, 2022
In a 5-4 vote on Tuesday, the Supreme Court left in place a Trump-era emergency public health order known as "Title 42." The order allows officials to swiftly expel migrants caught at US borders. Through Tuesday's vote, the Supreme Court granted a request by several Republican-led states to place a lower court judge's decision, terminating the order, on hold.
December 27, 2022
On Sunday, a rickety boat with Rohingya refugees aboard landed on the Indonesian coast. The wooden boat washed up in Indonesia's Aceh Besar district with 58 Rohingya men aboard.
December 26, 2022
Immigrant groups and volunteers in El Paso, Texas, are rushing to help migrants and asylum seekers survive the arctic freeze sweeping across the country. El Paso is dealing with a massive wave of migrants and asylum seekers, with roughly 12,800 noted in the past seven days.