On June 27th, 2018 a federal judge in California ruled that the U.S. government has a duty to reunite families that were separated at the U.S./Mexico border by the Trump Administration. More specifically, Judge Dana Sabraw gave the Administration 14 days to reunite all children under the age of 5 with their legal guardians. In…
According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, United States District Judge John Mendez has rejected two of the three legal claims that the Trump Administration filed against the state of California. The Trump Administration had been seeking to block key aspects of California’s state-level immigration laws. Essentially, these are California’s ‘sanctuary state’ policies. They…
After falsely blaming ‘the law’ for family separation for several weeks, the Trump Administration relented to mass political pressure and the president signed an unnecessary order to stop the policy. While the end of family separation is a major victory for human rights important, sadly, the Trump Administration is planning on replacing separation with another…
People who are being persecuted around the world have a legal right to apply for asylum in the United States. As the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) explains, a person may apply for asylum in the United States regardless of their original country and regardless of their current immigration status. In other words:…
On June 21, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision that will benefit thousands of immigrants. The Supreme Court's Pereira V. Sessions Decision The Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Pereira, a Brazilian citizen living in Massachusetts, was eligible to apply for a green card through Cancellation of Removal (also called the…
For several weeks the Trump Administration has falsely blamed ‘the law’ for its immoral decision to separate families at the southern border. Some administration officials have also pointed to the 1997 Supreme Court case of Flores v. Reno (also known as the ‘Flores settlement’) as a reason why family separation occurred. Once again this is…
In recent months, the Trump Administration has pursued an incredibly inhumane and wholly counterproductive family separation policy at the U.S.-Mexico border. In some cases, asylum seekers are being detained and their young children are being torn away from their arms and shipped to detention facilities on the other side of the country. Facing questions about…
As stated by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), our country recognizes the right of asylum for qualified individuals who are fleeing persecution in other countries. Unfortunately, for those seeking asylum in the United States, the Trump Administration just made it much more difficult for victims of abuse and violence to get to safety…
Recently, disturbing reports have come out regarding Trump Administration’s treatment of migrants who are attempting to obtain asylum in the United States. According to the New York Times, hundreds of young children, many of whom are infants, have been separated from their families at the southern border. Reporters at the New York Times reviewed data…
Under the Trump Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been using increasingly harsh, aggressive immigration enforcement tactics. Among other things, there have been reports that ICE has even started detaining people at courthouses. California lawmakers are now responding. A new bill, (Senate Bill 785), recently passed by the legislature, would provide major protections…
