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
Senate Amendment Seeks to Plug Holes in Cuba Immigration Policy
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. has introduced an amendment aimed at curtailing the widespread abuse of welfare benefits by Cuban migrants. The measure, introduced as an amendment to a bill funding the Federal Aviation Administration, is aimed at reforming the core of the current Cuba immigration policy: the outdated notion that all Cuban migrants are political…Ana Quintana -
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US Immigration Agency Returns ‘Freedom of Religion’ to Naturalization Exam
Sen. James Lankford has made a small vocabulary victory that he believes will have a significant impact on religious liberty. The Department of Homeland Security has announced that it plans to replace the term “freedom of worship” on all naturalization materials with “freedom of religion.” The Oklahoma Republican began pushing DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson to make…Philip Wegmann -
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How a Suspected Murderer and Criminally Convicted Illegal Immigrant Avoided Deportation
Before Pablo A. Serrano-Vitorino became the suspect in a murder spree across two states, the man, a once deported Mexican living in the United States illegally, was convicted of multiple crimes, across different agencies, but still free. Serrano-Vitorino’s case involved a series of errors that kept him from being detained by federal immigration authorities, and…Josh Siegel -
- Opinion
Economic Freedom Essential to Fighting Human Trafficking
New data suggests that countries that rank higher in economic freedom are better at preventing human trafficking. A new report released by The Heritage Foundation found that when core tenets of economic freedom, such as rule of law, are practically applied to fight trafficking, the results are positive. The report used data from The Heritage Foundation’s 2016…Olivia Enos -
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The Challenge of Tracking Money Sent to Other Countries From Illegal Immigrants
Two recent reports by the federal government’s watchdog shed light on one of the more overlooked elements of immigration to the United States: the money migrants send to the country from which they came. The U.S. is the largest source of these money transfers sent overseas by foreign-born residents, known as remittances, with an estimated…Josh Siegel -
- Opinion
What Would Happen If New York City Went Forward With Letting Illegal Immigrants Vote
The New York Post is reporting that some members of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus will be pushing for the New York City Council to pass a law allowing illegal aliens to vote in NYC elections for mayor, comptroller, public advocate, borough president, and City Council. This is an anti-democratic policy driven by politics…Hans von Spakovsky -
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The Sneaky Way Obama Administration Is Making It Look Like Fewer Illegal Immigrants Are Skipping Court Dates
Four out of 10 illegal immigrants never show up for their court hearings. That’s according to Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council (which represents border patrol agents). Judd testified that illegal immigrants show up to their required court hearings only 60 percent of the time after being issued a “notice to appear” at…David Inserra -
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The Immigration Crisis of Unaccompanied Minors Never Really Ended
The crisis of unaccompanied Central American children illegally crossing the United States’ southern border does not end when they enter this country. As the children arrive and settle in the U.S. and wait to hear their fate in immigration court, some are placed into homes where they are sexually assaulted or forced to work. Meanwhile,…Josh Siegel -
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Obama’s Response to Surge of Illegal Immigrants Is Inadequate
Record numbers of unaccompanied alien minors and adults traveling with minors are again surging across our southern border, overwhelming federal and state resources, creating a border security nightmare, and ensuring record profits for the criminal organizations that control the drug and human smuggling and trafficking business along the border. More than 152,000 unaccompanied minors and…Rep. Bob Goodlatte -
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Senator Sinks Obama Court Nominee Over ‘Uncomfortable’ Views on Illegal Immigration
A U.S. senator has scuttled President Barack Obama’s nomination of a pro-amnesty judge from his home state of Georgia in the latest skirmish over judicial nominees. Citing Judge Dax Lopez’s work with an organization supporting amnesty for illegal immigrants, Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., last week torpedoed Obama’s nominee to the U.S. District Court for Georgia….Philip Wegmann -
- Opinion
The Supreme Court Will Hear Case on Administration’s Immigration Actions
The Supreme Court will hear a case brought by Texas and 25 other states challenging President Barack Obama’s attempt to give legal status and work authorizations to more than four million illegal immigrants. In a brief order today, the Supreme Court directed the government and the states to address whether the Obama administration’s program “violates…Elizabeth Slattery -
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Ted Cruz, Jeff Sessions Blame Lax Immigration Enforcers for 113 Terror Suspects in US
Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Jeff Sessions of Alabama continue to push the Obama administration for answers on the rise of homegrown and imported terrorism—an increase the two attribute to increased immigration from jihadi hot spots. The Republican senators seek more information concerning 113 individuals in the U.S. who, by their count, “have been…Philip Wegmann -
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Indiana Ponders Revoking Business Licenses From Employers Who Hire Illegal Immigrants
Indiana may crack down soon on employers who hire illegal immigrants, under a new bill that would prohibit those convicted of doing so from practicing business in the state. The legislation, announced in the Indiana General Assembly last week, would enable judges to revoke business licenses from employers who repeatedly and “knowingly” hire illegal immigrants. State Sen. Mike Delph,…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
New Obama Executive Action to Shred Immigration Caps
President Barack Obama has announced another brazen, illegal executive action. As Americans gathered with loved ones to wish each other a more prosperous new year, the president issued an edict to put that longed-for prosperity farther out of reach. President Barack Obama has announced another brazen, illegal executive action. In a proposed federal rule published…Jeff Sessions -
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What’s Driving the Latest Surge of Illegal Immigration From Central America
In a reprise of the humanitarian crisis of summer 2014, rising numbers of Central American children and families are crossing the Rio Grande Valley into Texas, causing a reckoning over whether the U.S. is facing a “new normal” of illegal migration from countries facing violence and poverty. Though the U.S. is better prepared to handle…Josh Siegel -
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You Only Think You Know How Many Illegal Immigrants Live in the US
Call any journalist, pundit, anchor, strategist or lobbyist and ask: 1. How many illegal immigrants are in the United States? 2. What is your source for that number? Almost without exception he or she will answer: 1. 11 million. 2. The Pew Research Center. For a decade now, no number has been given greater certitude and less…William Campenni -
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Why This Senator Accuses Paul Ryan of ‘Blithely Dismissing’ Americans on Immigration
Speaker Paul Ryan’s honeymoon with fellow conservatives has been tested in the House over the contentious omnibus spending bill, and it’s come to a jolting halt for one member of the Senate. After the House passed the massive spending bill Friday, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., attacked Ryan by name over permitting an expansion of the H-2B…Philip Wegmann -
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Conservatives ‘Shocked’ by Change to Immigration Law Tucked Inside Spending Bill
House conservatives are up in arms over a provision in the omnibus spending bill that could allow more than a quarter-million temporary guest workers into the U.S. As a significant change to immigration law, the measure stunned conservative lawmakers, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told The Daily Signal. “It came out of nowhere, completely out of…Philip Wegmann -
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How Well Is US Vetting Social Media of Immigrants? San Bernardino Attack Sparks Debate
In the aftermath of the San Bernardino terrorist attack, a debate has emerged over how social media should be used in the vetting of foreigners who wish to visit or immigrate to the U.S. FBI Director James Comey confirmed this week that the husband-and-wife attackers were “showing signs in their communication of their joint commitment…Josh Siegel -
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Sanctuary City Advocate Wrong to Lead Border Patrol, Senate Homeland Security Chairman Warns
Selecting San Francisco’s former police chief to head the U.S. Border Patrol would encourage more illegal border crossings because she has a record of not enforcing federal immigration laws, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., argues. Heather Fong advocated San Francisco’s “sanctuary city” policy of non-cooperation with federal immigration officials, Johnson said in a letter Monday to U.S. Customs and…Natalie Johnson