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
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 -
- Opinion
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 -
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Syrian Immigration Poses ‘Grave National Security Threat,’ Conservative Leaders Say
Conservative leaders, including a former U.S. attorney general and a previous chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, are warning that the United States is putting its national security at risk unless it strengthens the vetting of Syrian refugees. The 66 leaders who signed Monday’s memo from the Conservative Action Project believe that currently, “there is no possible way…Leah Jessen -
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Meet the State Lawmaker Who Wants to Slap $5K-a-Day Fines on Sanctuary City Officials
A Florida state senator proposes to impose a fine of up to $5,000 a day on officials of “sanctuary cities” who don’t follow federal immigration enforcement policies. “In Florida, [sanctuary cities] enjoy sovereign immunity, meaning they’re shielded from being sued on any of their decisions in conducting their business,” state Sen. Aaron Bean, sponsor of the bill, told…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
Obama’s Unilateral Immigration Amnesty Plan Gets to the Supreme Court
On Friday, the U.S. Justice Department filed a 35-page petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review Texas v. U.S., the case filed by 26 states against President Obama’s immigration amnesty plan. The government is appealing a preliminary injunction that stopped implementation of Obama’s amnesty plan, which was issued by a federal district court and…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Lawmakers Demand Answers About Illegal Immigrant Gang Member Who Assaulted Police Officer
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has 10 days to complete a homework assignment. But this assignment, given to him via a strongly worded letter by the chairmen of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, doesn’t involve math, science, or literature: it involves telling the truth about the violent criminal past of a known MS-13…Cully Stimson -
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Illegal Immigrant, Deported 3 Times, Charged With Running Over Police Officer
A man deported from the United States three times is accused of running over a Dallas police officer and backing into a second cop. The illegal immigrant, Eduardo Gonzalez-Rio, is being held in the Dallas County Jail, according to The Dallas Morning News. Gonzalez-Rio, 29, was escorted out of a nightclub early Mondaymorning. He got into…Leah Jessen -
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Leaked DHS Memo Reveals Attempt to Skirt Immigration Law; Senate Republicans Demand Explanation
Senate Republicans are asking the Department of Homeland Security to explain a leaked agency memo reportedly revealing that federal officials are planning to evade a federal court order barring pieces of President Barack Obama’s executive immigration actions. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, led eight others on the committee in a letter sent to DHS Secretary Jeh…Natalie Johnson -
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How Georgia Became a Haven for Violent Illegal Immigrants
According to an investigation by Atlanta’s WSB-TV, Georgia ranks first in deportations of illegal immigrants among all non-border states. And it trails only Texas, Arizona, and California as fourth overall, based on a review of government deportation records. In fiscal year 2013, there were 7,120 illegal immigrants deported in Georgia alone, according to WSB-TV reporter Aaron Diamant’s investigation. Of…Daily Signal Staff -
- News
Republican Committee Chairmen Want Answers About Twice-Deported Illegal Immigrant Who Allegedly Raped a Woman
Congressional Republicans continue to press the Department of Homeland Security for answers on how that agency handles the deportation of illegal immigrants suspected of violent crime. On Friday, the chairmen of both the Senate and House Judiciary Committees sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson concerning a twice-deported man who allegedly kidnapped, trafficked,…Philip Wegmann -
- Opinion
Most Illegal Immigrants Crossing Border Believe They Are Eligible for Legal Status. Obama’s Actions Make That No Surprise.
Families caught illegally crossing the border into the United States recently are telling government agencies they did so in part because they thought they would be allowed to stay. According to data from Customs and Border Protection, which recently interviewed illegal border crossers, families “consistently” believed they were eligible for some sort of legal “permisos,”…David Inserra