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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opinion
Can Trump Really Deport Millions of Illegal Immigrants? What You Need to Know
Right now, a million illegal immigrants have exhausted all their legal appeals and yet still live in the United States illegally, partially thanks to lackluster deportation efforts by the Obama administration. Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, joins us to discuss what Immigration and Customs Enforcement can do, and how…. -
news
Mexico’s Crackdown Nabs Nearly 800 Illegal Immigrants in 1 Day
Mexico apprehended nearly 800 illegal migrants Saturday, an indication that its government is stepping up immigration enforcement amid pressure from President Donald Trump. Mexican authorities nabbed 791 illegal migrants, according to the National Migration Institute, a department within the Mexican government that tracks and manages migration through the country. The foreign nationals were found among… -
news
Veto Looms for Democrats’ Bill to Block Border Wall Spending, Fund Abortions Abroad
The White House on Tuesday issued a veto threat over a House Democratic spending bill that would increase funding for abortions abroad and ban construction of a southern border wall. Democrats announced they would bring to the House floor for debate on Wednesday an appropriations bill to fund the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, State,… -
news
Sen. Hawley Tears Congress Apart for ‘Refusal’ to Address Immigration Crisis, Child Smuggling Rings
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley vehemently criticized lawmakers for failing to address one of the darkest results to emerge from the current immigration crisis: child smuggling rings. “It seems to me that the exploitation of children by cartels, human smugglers on the scale that you’re describing is absolutely unbelievable, and quite frankly, the refusal of… -
opinion
How Open Borders and Sanctuary Policies Victimize (and Kill) Americans
The supporters of open borders and sanctuary policies that obstruct enforcement of our immigration laws must be overjoyed by the latest report from the Department of Homeland Security. The Border Patrol intercepted more than 144,000 illegal aliens at the southwest border in May, the largest monthly total in more than a dozen years. Those who… -
opinion
We Hear You: Visiting the Border Patrol in Laredo, Texas
Editor’s note: The Daily Signal’s audience responded to the reporting our Fred Lucas did from the U.S.-Mexico border at Laredo, Texas. Here’s a sampling. Write us at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: I live on Social Security and do not have funds to donate, but I read and appreciate the information The Daily Signal publishes…. -
news
Mexico Steps Up Illegal Immigration Enforcement After Trump’s Tariff Threat
The Mexican government is showing signs of increased illegal immigration enforcement and cooperation with their U.S. counterparts following President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Around 200 Mexican law enforcement officials blocked a U.S.-bound caravan Wednesday. The caravan, made up of about 1,000 Central American migrants, was heading north on a highway near the town of Metapa. Mexican police… -
news
Federal Judge Rejects House Bid to Stop Trump’s Border Wall
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Monday ruled against House Democrats who tried to block the Trump administration from reallocating Defense Department funds for a border wall. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden said the House of Representatives does not have standing to bring the challenge, calling it a political fight between two branches. “While… -
news
Border Patrol Catches 116 Africans at Texas Border
The Border Patrol is seeing an increase in migrants from African countries who are blending in with the large numbers crossing the southern border illegally through Central America. Agents assigned to at the Del Rio, Texas, sector apprehended 116 individuals last week from African countries as they crossed the border from Mexico. Those caught around… -
news
‘Daily, Our Agents Save Somebody’s Life’: Border Patrol Agents Recall Cases of Heroism and Compassion
LAREDO, Texas—Temperatures along the southwest border here average about 90 degrees, and inside the trailer of an 18-wheeler can go up to 120 degrees, said Joel Martinez, deputy chief for the U.S. Border Patrol’s Laredo sector. “We had a 18-wheeler with 120 people in the back. I think seven of them were juveniles,” Martinez told… -
news
No Border Wall, but This Will Have to Do for 1 Texas City
LAREDO, Texas—Pulling up in an SUV outside the 10-foot-tall fence at Laredo College, Narcizo Ramos recalls the problems the school used to have with unwanted visitors. “I actually came to this college as a student,” Ramos, a special operations supervisor for the U.S. Border Patrol, told The Daily Signal. “I can tell you, this little… -
news
Cruz Fires Back After Omar Suggests Latinos Would Struggle in ‘Merit-Based’ Immigration System
Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar suggested on Tuesday that individuals from Latin America would not be competitive if the U.S. immigration system was based on merit. “A ‘merit based’ immigration policy is fueled toward the Latinx community,” Omar said in a now-deleted tweet. “Our immigration policies shouldn’t be based on discrimination, fear, or bigotry.” “We… -
news
ICE Rips Washington for Passing Sweeping ‘Sanctuary’ Policies Protecting Illegal Immigrants
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ripped Washington for becoming the latest state to enact policies that protect illegal immigrants from local law enforcement and federal authorities. “ICE maintains that cooperation by local law enforcement is an indispensable component of promoting public safety. It’s unfortunate that current local and state laws and policies tie the hands of… -
opinion
The Real Inclusive Approach to Immigrants
Is President Donald Trump’s call for patriotic assimilation, which is a part of his immigration package, a step toward totalitarianism and fascism? These are the hyperbolic claims made in a contentious op-ed by Fabiola Santiago, a columnist at the Miami Herald. Santiago highlighted my own work in this field, citing a 2016 paper. While ordinarily… -
opinion
House Appropriators Vote to Handcuff Pentagon for Reprogramming Funds to Border Wall
The House Appropriations defense subcommittee has slashed the Pentagon’s reprogramming authority by 75% in the approved defense appropriations bill reported out on May 15. The subcommittee, led by Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., reduced the ability of the Defense Department to shift unused resources from lower to higher priorities within the department from $4 billion or… -
news
California Considers Spending Billions on Health Care for Illegal Immigrants
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan for government-funded health care for illegal immigrants is frugal compared to proposals by other Democratic leaders in his state. Newsom, the progressive first-term governor of California and ardent opponent of the Trump administration, wants to offer free health care services to low-income illegal migrants between the ages of 19 and… -
news
Trump Rolls Out Merit-Based Plan to Transform Immigration System
President Donald Trump introduced what he called a “big, beautiful, bold” plan to “transform America’s immigration system” from one of random entry to a meritocracy. “Instead of admitting people through random chance, we will establish simple, universal criteria for admission to the United States,” Trump said Thursday in the Rose Garden. “No matter where in… -
news
Trump Seeks to Unify GOP Around Immigration Goals
President Donald Trump hopes to unite Republicans behind new immigration goals that focus on border security and a merit-based system that keeps legal immigration at current levels. The president is set to deliver a Rose Garden address on the plan at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Trump wants more people coming to the country to fill new… -
news
Lindsey Graham Proposes to Tighten Asylum, Immigration Procedures to Relieve Border
The flow of migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. would be cut off before they cross the southern border illegally, under changes to immigration law proposed Wednesday by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. “There has been a 64% increase in people apprehended at the border, family units,” Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said during…