The Pueblo Chieftain reports illegal aliens are returning to Mexico rather than run the risk of being deported or sent to prison for immigration violations. Self-deportation is prompting growers to increase their reliance on legal guest workers or to shift away from crops that require field labor.
The largest percentage of visa overstays in FY2016 were foreign nationals on student or exchange visas, according to analysis of a recent DHS report by the Pew Research Center. Around 629,000 foreign visitors overstayed their visas in fiscal year 2016.
The latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) report shows that border apprehensions increased by 9% from last month but remains 53% lower than June 2016. CBP officials noted that since the fiscal year began in October total apprehensions have decreased by two-thirds hitting a six-year record low.
Microsoft Corp. founder and FWD.us co-founder Bill Gates said that Europe should increase foreign aid to countries instead of taking in more refugees. Gates, in an interview with the German newspaper, Welt am Sonntag, said that bringing in more migrants would motivate more to leave their home countries and flood Europe.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Department of Justice began reviewing compliance letters this week sent to the agency by 10 jurisdictions across the country that were put on notice by AG Sessions in May. The states and localities risk losing certain federal grants because of their sanctuary policies that shield illegal aliens from federal law enforcement.
Pres. Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions will prosecute first- time border crossers as criminals under Operation Streamline. Under Pres. Obama only repeat border-crossers could be prosecuted under the program.
In his January 25th executive order Pres. Trump reinstated the Secure Communities program allowing ICE to broaden their enforcement priorities. Since then ICE’s interior arrests of illegal aliens have reached 2014 levels before the Obama administration initiated the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP), which limited ICE to only apprehending illegal aliens who committed felonies or multiple misdemeanors.
Ten states have asked to Trump Administration to end the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by September 5th, and to refrain from renewing or issuing new DACA permits. Failure to do so will prompt the states to amend a case challenging the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and extended DACA programs to include the original DACA program.
Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan answered press questions yesterday. Reading the transcript against the media reports reveals a stark contrast between what Homan said, and what reporters claim he said.
Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee approved the Refugee Program Integrity Restoration Act (H.R. 2826) introduced by Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee Chairman Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) by a 15-11 vote. This bill would reduce the refugee cap and would give more power to Congress and the states to decide how many refugees the U.S. should take in and where the refugees should be settled.