ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division greatly expanded criminal investigations, business audits and arrests in fiscal year 2018. HSI conducted 6,848 worksite investigations compared to 1,691 in FY17, initiated 5,981 I-9 audits compared to 1,360; and made 779 criminal and 1,525 administrative arrests compared to 139 and 172.
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker called for increased border security and changes to asylum law in a speech to the local Department of Justice office in Austin, Texas on Tuesday. Whitaker said the United States needs to close up loopholes that allow illegal aliens to falsely claim asylum in the United States, allowing them to stay in the United States for an extended period of time.
The Washington Post "fact-checkers" have a new tool as their disposal: "The Bottomless Pinnochio." This is for politicians who engage in "campaigns of disinformation." Glenn Kesller described how they will be awarded, and gives a statement of President Trump's that meets the test. Kesller's explanation shows what's wrong when journalists use "fact-checking" as a way to avoid substantive, and truthful, reporting.
Thanks to the feckless Republican leadership, President Trump is unlikely to get funding for his border “wall” or legislative solutions for the Southwest border crisis before the new Congress. Democrats are now firmly against even a bad deal like a DACA amnesty/wall funding trade. He will either have to veto the next continuing resolution, hoping the Democrats will change their mind, or rethink how he can win against a Democrat-controlled House and filibuster-limited Senate. Since a pre-Christmas shutdown is likely to produce only animosity, President Trump should think about re-branding his "wall" to increase public support for a broader solution next year.
In an op-ed in The Washington Times, NumbersUSA Deputy Director Chris Chmielenski explains how Congressional staffers of four Republican Members Congress are planning to double the number of H-2B workers, and how that would hurt the job prospects of American workers.
More than 400 migrants surrendered to Customs and Border Protection agents Monday in an open area in between two-tier fencing near El Paso, Texas. Border Patrol spokesman Joe Romero said the migrants are part of a caravan seeking asylum in the U.S. Meanwhile in San Diego, California at least two dozen caravan migrants were apprehended after climbing a border fence near the Pacific Ocean.
Immigration judges denied asylum claims at a record rate in FY2018, according to a new report from Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) that tracks immigration court cases. According to the report, judges rejected 65% of claims between Oct. 1, 2017 and Sept. 30, 2018, while 78.6% of asylum claims entered by individuals from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala were denied.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced a notice of proposed rulemaking that would give priority under the H-1B visa cap to foreign students with advanced degrees from U.S. universities or colleges. The measure would increase the likelihood that visa holders are better educated and decrease the chances that outsourcing companies can obtain visas for foreign-educated workers.
The Washington Times reported on new findings by the Center for Immigration Studies that 63% of households headed by non-citizens access at least one welfare program, compared to 35% of households headed by U.S. citizens.
Congressional Republicans have reportedly cut a deal to permanently double the number H-2B guest worker visas given out each year. These visas are used by employers to bring in foreign workers to take jobs in landscaping, food service, meat processing, hospitality services, janitorial and housekeeping work, and other lower-skilled, non-agricultural occupations.