Border & Immigration News
The Daily Signal provides border and immigration news, including reporting, analysis, and commentary on policy, enforcement, and political debates.
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- News
Tucson Voters Overwhelmingly Reject Sanctuary City Proposal
In a major defeat for illegal alien advocates, voters in Tucson, Arizona, overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to designate it as the state’s one and only “sanctuary city.” Tucson voters on Tuesday resoundingly opposed an initiative, known as Proposition 205, that would have given sweeping protections to illegal aliens and prohibited local law enforcement from working…Jason Hopkins -
- Opinion
Trump Should Take on the Mexican Cartels
At least nine American women and children were slaughtered in northern Mexico on Monday, the victims of cartel violence. Tragically, such carnage is all too common. The unchecked power of criminal enterprises in Mexico poses an unacceptable threat, not just to Mexico, but to the entire Western Hemisphere. The cartels’ reach extends from the tip of Latin America to Northern Canada….James Carafano -
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‘Clear Public Safety Threat’: ICE Rips Sanctuary County for Releasing Illegal Alien Convicted for Deadly Crash
Officials in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, refused to honor an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer placed on an illegal alien convicted in a deadly drunk driving accident, opting instead to release him back into the community. ICE placed a detainer request on Jose Barajas-Diaz, a Mexican national living illegally in the U.S., a day after…Jason Hopkins -
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Obama-Appointed Judge Blocks Trump’s Health Care Rule for Immigrants
A federal judge has, at least temporarily, blocked the Trump administration from implementing a rule that would require immigrants prove that they have health insurance or can afford to pay for it. Judge Michael Simon of the federal district court in Portland, Oregon, issued a nationwide temporary restraining order Saturday, barring President Donald Trump from implementing his…Jason Hopkins -
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Protesters Successfully Silence Former ICE Chief at University Event on Immigration
Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was shouted off stage at an immigration policy event by students opposed to President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda Wednesday. Homan was scheduled to speak at the University of Pennsylvania as one of several speakers to discuss immigration enforcement under the Obama and Trump administrations….Jason Hopkins -
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Why These 6 Towns Became ‘Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn’
Abortion clinics can change the viewpoint of entire communities, a pastor who is working to outlaw abortion locally says. So far, six towns in Texas have banned abortion clinics with his help, and cities and towns in other states have shown an interest in doing the same. Pastor Mark Lee Dickson says he sees a…Jackson Elliott -
- Opinion
How Trump Is Beating Activist Judges on Immigration
President Donald Trump was elected on a promise to secure the border, build the wall, and reform America’s immigration system. At every step, he’s faced opposition not only from Congress, but from federal judges striking down his policy initiatives. In this special edition of The Daily Signal Podcast, Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship…Katrina Trinko -
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Dysfunctional Immigration Courts Cited for Growing Asylum Crisis
Blame for a rising backlog of immigration asylum claims at the southern border belongs with a dysfunctional system in which immigration judges don’t have the power to toss out meritless and fraudulent claims, a panel of experts said this week. John Hostettler, vice president of federal affairs for the States Trust intiative at the Texas…Aaron Credeur -
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ICE Identifies Hundreds of Migrants Allegedly Lying About Their Family Status
The United States government identified hundreds of migrants allegedly falsely claiming familial status and numerous other migrant adults attempting to pose as minors. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection in the El Paso area have identified 238 fraudulent families, 50 adults falsely claiming to be minors, and have seized hundreds of documents…Jason Hopkins -
- Opinion
Immigration Judges Need 2 Tools to Cut Caseload
The U.S. Justice Department announced Oct. 10 that the nation’s immigration judges resolved 275,000 immigration cases in fiscal 2019. That’s the second-highest number of cases resolved in a single year in the immigration courts’ history. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the backlog of cases is now over 1 million cases, and…GianCarlo Canaparo -
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ICE Chief: Lawmakers Must Stop ‘Ugly Rhetoric’ and ‘Vilification’ of Immigration Agents
The chief of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement called out members of Congress for demonizing federal agents while not addressing relevant laws. “The safety and security of our personnel—officers and non-officers alike—is our primary concern. I think that’s why we’ve been so strident with our concerns about the ugly rhetoric that has been utilized around…Fred Lucas -
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Is Encouraging Illegal Immigration Protected Speech? The Supreme Court Will Decide
The Supreme Court will decide whether a federal law that makes it a crime to “encourage or induce” someone to enter the country illegally violates the First Amendment. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the law is unconstitutional in December 2018. The justices added the case to their docket Friday. “The provisions here are primarily…Kevin Daley -
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Trump Proclamation Bars Immigrants Who Cannot Afford Health Insurance
The Trump administration will require many future immigrant applicants to prove they can afford health insurance, marking the White House’s latest move to restrict immigration from those who could become a financial burden on the government. President Donald Trump, invoking his executive authority, issued a proclamation Friday evening that will prohibit the entry of immigrants…Jason Hopkins -
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ACLU Wants Government to Pay Migrant Families Separated at Border
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Thursday, demanding the federal government pay damages to migrant families who were separated under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy. The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Arizona, calls for punitive and compensatory damages from the Trump administration, according to court filings. The progressive…Jason Hopkins -
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Energy Department Facility Lost Track of Enough Fentanyl to Kill 1,750, Report Says
The Department of Energy’s National Laboratory in New Mexico misplaced or lost track of enough fentanyl four years ago to kill more than 1,000 people, according to a report in September from the DOE’s Inspector General. DOE’s facility obtained 50 grams of fentanyl on Feb. 2, 2015, the report noted before stating that the amount was not added to…Chris White -
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Trump Administration to Expand DNA Collection From Migrants Caught at Border
The Trump administration is moving forward with its plan to dramatically expand DNA testing of illegal migrants at the southern border, a move intended to help control the immigration crisis. Border Patrol agents will soon have the ability to collect DNA samples of migrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a Department of Homeland…Jason Hopkins -
- Opinion
New York City Will Fine You for Saying ‘Illegal Alien.’ That’s an Assault on the Constitution.
The propaganda, surveillance, and censorship of Big Brother in George Orwell’s novel “1984” has now arrived in New York. The city’s Commission on Human Rights recently released new legal enforcement guidelines that ban the use of the term “illegal alien” by employers, housing providers (including hotels), and law enforcement as “discriminatory.” Violators can be punished…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Police Force Lifts Suspension for Officer Who Reported Illegal Alien to ICE
Police officials will allow an officer to return to duty after his suspension for turning an illegal alien over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Fairfax County, Virginia, police officer will return to work Friday following an update from the Fairfax County Police Department’s internal affairs division, according to a news release Wednesday from the department. The…Jason Hopkins -
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3 Obama Judges Deliver String of Losses to Trump’s Agenda on Illegal Immigration
Three Obama-appointed judges ruled in one day against immigration initiatives by the Trump administration, dealing blows to the president’s effort to contain the border crisis. In a span of several hours Friday, a judge in California ruled against the administration’s plan to detain migrant families indefinitely, another California judge blocked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement…Jason Hopkins -
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New York Threatens to Punish Those Who Say ‘Illegal Alien’ With $250K Fine
Those who use the term “illegal alien” in New York City will be hit with a fine as high as $250,000, the city’s human rights panel has determined. The move by the city’s Commission on Human Rights, its latest attempt to fight discrimination against illegal immigrants, is expected to face a quick court challenge based…Aaron Credeur