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
His Brother Was Killed by an Illegal Immigrant in 2011. Now, He’s Angry the Senate Blocked the Sanctuary Cities Bill.
Brian McCann is angry. Two days before his brother Denny McCann’s birthday, Democrats in the Senate blocked a bill that would have withheld federal funding for sanctuary cities, cities that refuse to work with federal immigration officers and turn over immigrants living in the country illegally. Denny McCann, who was walking in a crosswalk in…Melissa Quinn -
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See How Your Senators Voted on Sanctuary Cities
Senate Democrats blocked legislation that would punish “sanctuary cities” in a 54-45 vote Tuesday afternoon. The bill, called the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act, needed to overcome a 60-vote threshold. It would withhold certain federal funding from states or cities that refuse to comply with requests from federal immigration officials to turn over immigrants…Kelsey Bolar -
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ACLU Sues Missouri Colleges for Denying Illegal Immigrants In-State Tuition
The American Civil Liberties Union filed multiple lawsuits in Missouri last week on behalf of three college students who claim they were wrongfully barred from receiving in-state tuition because of their immigration status under President Barack Obama’s executive action. The ACLU’s Missouri division sued three colleges in the state for “illegally” charging those students an…Natalie Johnson -
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There Are Now 340 Sanctuary Cities. Find Out If There’s One Near You.
Sanctuary cities are growing in the United States, leading to a spike of 340 jurisdictions that shield undocumented immigrants from federal immigration law. The Center for Immigration Studies published an interactive map showing the locations of the sanctuaries, revealing scattered pinpoints across the country. You can view that map here. Sanctuary policies vary from state…Natalie Johnson -
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Sanctuary Cities on the Rise, Releasing More Than 9,000 Criminals in US Illegally
The number of sanctuary cities in the United States has risen to 340, resulting in the release of roughly 1,000 detained illegal immigrants each month despite objections from the federal government, according to a new study. The Center for Immigration Studies, a nonprofit organization that advocates for decreased immigration, reported that local authorities acting in these…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
Deportation Numbers Have Dramatically Fallen. Is This Related to Obama’s Immigration Actions?
Deportations have fallen to the lowest point since 2006, according to unreleased government deportation data the Associated Press recently acquired. Furthermore, criminal immigrants being removed have also fallen to the lowest point of the Obama administration. These figures put two huge holes in the administration’s excuses for not enforcing immigration laws and could even be…David Inserra -
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Conservatives Dispute Civil Rights Commission Report Citing ‘Inhumane’ Conditions at Immigrant Detention Centers
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released an extensive report Thursday urging President Barack Obama to release undocumented immigrant women and children from detention facilities, citing “abuse” and “inhumane” conditions. The commission found that several of the facilities had violated federal requirements regarding the treatment of detained immigrants, including poor medical care standards, inadequate sexual…Natalie Johnson -
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Five Questions Sen. James Lankford Wants Obama to Answer About His Immigration Actions
Sen. James Lankford will send a letter to the White House on Thursday asking the president to clarify his remarks that there will be “consequences” for government officials who do not comply with his executive order on immigration. This is the second attempt Lankford, R-Okla., has made to have President Barack Obama explain his statement….Kate Scanlon -
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16 Photos of the Refugees Stranded in Hungary Amid Migrant Crisis
Thousands of migrants from Middle Eastern countries, including Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, have fled to Europe. As European countries grapple with the situation, Hungary has become the epicenter of the crisis, with many on trains or at train stations. Many of the migrants have resisted going to a refugee camp. 100s of #refugees stuck inside…Kelsey Lucas -
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Study: Half of Immigrant Households Used at Least One Welfare Program
The majority of immigrants in the U.S. receive some form of government welfare, significantly outpacing native-born Americans who use benefit programs, according to a study released Wednesday. The Center for Immigration Studies, a non-profit organization that advocates for decreased immigration, reported that 51 percent of immigrant households used at least one welfare program in 2012…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
The Number of Victims Shows There’s No Excuse for Sanctuary Cities
A litigation battle is raging between the states and President Barack Obama over his attempt to impose a nationwide “sanctuary” policy for illegal aliens. Yet there is no question that existing sanctuary policies implemented by numerous towns and cities have victimized innocent Americans. Those sanctuary policies have enabled illegal aliens to commit thousands of crimes—crimes…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Ann Coulter on Why Immigration Is the Only Issue That Matters
Political commentator Ann Coulter believes that immigration is the most important issue facing America today. If we don’t get it right, she says, debates over economics, foreign policy, and other issues just won’t matter. Coulter makes the case in her new book, “Adios, America,” that it has been the goal of liberals for decades to…Genevieve Wood -
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Why Chris Christie Wants to Defund Sanctuary Cities
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says the next president of the United States should make sure federal dollars don’t flow to sanctuary cities. “Withdraw federal funding from cities that don’t or are unwilling to enforce the federal immigration law,” Christie told The Daily Signal at the RedState Gathering this weekend in Atlanta. The issue of sanctuary…David Brody -
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Domestic Sex Trafficking Survivors Find Hope in Small-Town Iowa Halfway Home
DES MOINES, Iowa–At the intersection of two of the nation’s largest highways, I-35 and I-80, sits the Des Moines, Iowa metro area, known for its small-town feel, farmer’s markets and frequent visits from presidential campaign hopefuls. Less well-known is the fact that the area has become a crossroads for domestic sex trafficking—an industry that claims…Leah Jessen -
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Chris Christie Calls for Sanctuary Cities to Lose Federal Funding: ‘The Law Is the Law’
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa— Speaking at a sports bar in a college town here, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called for funding to be taken away from cities that do not enforce federal immigration laws. “The laws on the books need to be enforced,” said Christie, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president. “People selectively…Leah Jessen -
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Illegal Immigrant Charged With Murder Was Previously Detained
An illegal immigrant accused of attempted rape and murder during a violent crime spree Monday was released by Ohio sheriff’s deputies three weeks ago after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents told the officers not to detain him. Juan Emmanuel Razo-Ramirez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested after a shootout with police in Lake…Natalie Johnson -
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Study: 87% of Illegal Immigrants Won’t Be Deported Under Obama’s Executive Actions
A new study has found that of the unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. already, most of them will be spared from deportation under Obama’s recent executive actions. A report released last Thursday from the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think-tank in Washington, found that 13 percent of an estimated 11 million immigrants without papers—1.4 million…Chelsea Scism -
- Opinion
Illegal Immigrant Sex Offenders Are Escaping Deportation, Not Having to Join Sex Offender Registry
The murder of Kate Steinle in San Francisco by a seven-time felon and five-time deportee has sparked a nationwide debate about sanctuary cities and immigration policy. We recently learned that in one eight-month period in 2014, more than 8,100 deportable aliens were released by sanctuary jurisdictions. Of those, three thousand were felons and 62 percent…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Jim DeMint on Americans’ Views of Sanctuary Cities: ‘Anger is Building’
Former Sen. Jim DeMint, president of The Heritage Foundation, spoke to Fox News today about sanctuary cities. “Millions of Americans are angry about this,” DeMint said. “Americans don’t understand why we don’t protect our border, why cities like San Francisco ignore our federal laws and allow convicted felons who are illegal to stay and live…Daily Signal Staff -
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Kate Steinle’s Father: ‘Self-Inflicted Wound’ of Sanctuary Cities Caused My Daughter’s Death
The father of Kathryn Steinle, the 32-year-old woman fatally shot earlier this month by an illegal immigrant, made a powerful appeal before Congress Tuesday urging lawmakers to close the “legal loopholes” allowing the release of undocumented immigrants with prior criminal records back onto U.S. streets. "Due to disjointed laws and basic incompetence at many levels,…Natalie Johnson