Pro-Trumpers turn to GoFundMe to build border wall
Dozens of people have launched GoFundMe accounts to raise money that they say they will make sure is used to push the president's plans for his "great, beautiful wall."
Immigration Reform
The latest news, analysis and debates on immigration reform and policy.
Feds forced to release border-jumping children to criminals already in U.S. illegally
By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times
The government says it's being forced to turn illegal immigrant children over to sponsors who are themselves in the U.S. illegally -- and many of those adults already have criminal records, leaving the kids in a precarious position. Published September 18, 2018
Recent Stories
GOP senator writes bill to solve family separations
A key senator announced legislation Thursday to authorize the government to hold families who crossed the border illegally in detention while they await their deportation cases, moving to clean up the legal mess that led to family separations earlier this year.
Trump finds fault with latest spending bill: Where's the border wall funding?
President Trump called the latest spending bill "ridiculous" while complaining about border wall funding Thursday morning and demanded Republicans "finally get tough."
A needed pause: Trump administration caps refugee admissions at record-low 30,000
The Trump administration said it will admit no more than 30,000 refugees next year, the lowest cap in history, making good on a presidential promise and enraging immigrant rights activists, who said the U.S. is shirking its global duty.
Border Patrol supervisor charged in two-week serial killing spree
Texas authorities charged a U.S. Border Patrol supervisor with murder following what they called a two-week serial killing spree that left four female sex workers dead and ended when a fifth woman escaped at a gas station and found help.
Illegal immigrant families exploit 'catch-and-release' loopholes, surge over border at record levels
Illegal immigration across the southwest border surged last month as President Trump's zero-tolerance effort crumbled, and smugglers and migrant families rushed to take advantage of renewed "catch-and-release" loopholes.
Iraq reneges on travel ban deal with Trump, refuses to accept deportees
Iraq was the first country to earn its way off President Trump's travel ban last year, after the administration said it wanted to thank the Muslim nation for agreeing to start taking back its deportees whom the U.S. was trying to oust. But evidence has emerged suggesting that either Iraq has backslid or the deal was never what the administration said it was in the first place.
Illegal immigrant attempted to drown Border Patrol agent
An illegal immigrant was sentenced this week to five years in prison for trying to kill a Border Patrol agent by drowning him in a Texas creek.
HIV-positive immigrant convicted of abusing illegal immigrant kids in feds' custody
A federal jury has convicted a legal immigrant of sexually abusing teenage illegal immigrant boys he'd been hired to care for as part of the government's massive program to deal with the surge of Unaccompanied Alien Children.
Sessions rallies immigration judges to defend country against 'open borders'
Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a new class of immigration judges Monday they are the country's defense against open borders policies and activist lawyers trying to twist the law in favor of migrants.
Assaults on ICE, Border Patrol surge as illegal immigrants get more violent
Assaults on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents reached a decade high in 2017, and assaults on Border Patrol agents also have surged in recent years, according to government numbers that seem to support agents' claims that immigrants living in the U.S. illegally increasingly are looking to fight rather than flee.
Making 'the wall' work
With 470 BC destruction at Thermopylae of the 300 Spartans and a group of Greek auxiliaries at the hands of a huge invading Persian army under King Xerxes, all Greece appeared open to conquest. The Athenians were particularly at risk and were not much comforted when the Oracle of Delphi predicted than Athens would be saved by her wooden walls.
'Incompetence': Bungling district attorney blasted for allowing terror suspects to go free
The New Mexico compound leaders suspected of running a terrorist training camp are back in custody, but the district attorney whose bungling allowed them to go free is facing calls for his resignation.
Deportations up 9 percent in 2018; still below Obama peak years
Immigration arrests and deportations are rising under the Trump administration, according to the latest statistics released Thursday -- though they're still far shy of the levels during the peak years of President Obama.
Homeland Security announces new rules to detain illegal immigrant families
The Trump administration moved Thursday to regain control of immigration detention decisions, proposing rules that would allow them to hold parents and children together in facilities until they're either deported or win their cases.
'Reestablish the rule of law': Sheriffs honor Trump for fighting illegal immigration
Dozens of sheriffs from across the country came to the White House on Wednesday to thank Present Trump for supporting law enforcement and fighting illegal immigration.
Trump shutdown threat: 'If it's about border security I'm willing to do anything'
President Trump said Wednesday that he is ready to shut down the government if Democrats block spending on border security.
Kavanaugh defends ruling against illegal immigrant teen seeking abortion
Judge Brett Kavanaugh defended his decision to slow an illegal immigrant juvenile's quest to get an abortion, telling senators Wednesday that he was following precedent in ruling the government didn't have to immediately grant her an "abortion on demand."
Illegal immigrants who exploited Motor Voter to register in North Carolina still on rolls
Elvis David Fullerton has voted in 16 elections in North Carolina dating back nearly two decades. The only problem, authorities say, is he's not a citizen and never should have been on the voter rolls, much less allowed to step into a polling booth to cast a ballot.
Obama-era DACA program likely illegal: Judge
Immigrant-rights groups are urging "Dreamers" to quickly renew their protections under the Obama-era DACA deportation amnesty after a federal court put the program on thin ice late last week.
Majority of Americans want to keep ICE
Most Americans don't want to see the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency abolished, a poll released Monday shows.
Casualties beyond the border
The same country that expects its all-volunteer soldiers to serve multiple tours in combat hell-holes also assumes that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents will put themselves in harm's way to protect our borders.
The do-something president
Mollie Tibbetts, 20, a psychology student at the University of Iowa, went for a jog on July 18 and was never seen alive again. She was once a cross-country runner, a good athlete, and hope was fading but still alive when the first month passed and she was still missing. Then her body was recovered on Aug. 21, a life snuffed out before the life could begin in earnest. Miss Tibbetts' dreams of life and love vanished with her.
Feds charge 19 noncitizens with illegally voting in 2016
The Justice Department announced charges Friday against 19 noncitizens who they say illegally voted in the 2016 election -- putting a major spotlight on one of President Trump's pet issues.
Facebook admits error in deleting conservative immigration comments after Mollie Tibbetts death
Facebook said Thursday night that it made a mistake in removing a comment by a conservative group that posted about illegal immigration after the death of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts.
Green groups ask Supreme Court to stop Trump border wall
Environmental groups begged the Supreme Court on Thursday to step in and block construction on President Trump's border wall, saying he's circumventing dozens of laws designed to protect everything from wildlife to Native American graves.
Trump tainted trial of Tibbetts slaying suspect, lawyer says
The lawyer for the illegal immigrant accused of killing an Iowa college student suggested Wednesday that President Trump has tainted his client's chance to get a fair hearing by publicly talking about the case.
Illegal immigrant leads police to body of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts
Police charged an illegal immigrant Tuesday with killing Mollie Tibbetts and dumping her body in a cornfield after he led police to the body, in a startling conclusion to a monthlong search for the Iowa college student.
Trump warns of 'terror, bloodshed and suffering' in Abolish ICE movement
President Trump blasted those calling for the abolition of ICE as cowardly "loud mouths," and demanded Monday that governors and mayors pick sides between federal immigration agents and the chaos of "open borders extremists."
'Laura Ingraham is right'
To understand why Ms. Ingraham has a point, let's take a trip to San Diego, California, where you can catch Los Tucanes de Tijuana playing the San Diego County Fair in summer.
How many illegal aliens is enough?
The illegal immigrants, by whatever name or label they're called, keep on coming. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York scoffed that "America was never all that great." He took it back only after he was inundated by several days of outrage and by the thousands who arrive every day having argued with him with their sore feet.
Judge halts full DACA restart
The federal judge who had ordered the government to restart the Obama-era deportation amnesty in full has backed off his decision and said the government does not, after all, have to begin accepting new applications.
Nearly 20 illegal immigrant juveniles skip deportation hearings, disappear into shadows each day
On any given day, nearly 20 illegal immigrant children skip their deportation hearings and disappear into the shadows, the Trump administration said Thursday, putting contours on the difficulty the government faces in trying to stop the flow and protect the children.
Govt. spent $2.5 billion to jail criminal migrants in 2016: Study
The federal government spends about $1.4 billion a year incarcerating migrants charged or convicted of crimes, and states spent at least $1.1 billion more, Congress's chief investigative arm said in a report Thursday.
Feds point fingers as illegal immigrant children face abuse: Senate probe
Illegal-immigrant children are slipping through the federal safety net designed to protect them from abuse, Senate investigators said in a new report released Wednesday that found no federal agency willing to step up and accept responsibility for them once they're released into the community.
Democrats demand DHS un-deport illegal immigrant parents
Democratic senators demanded Tuesday that the federal government un-deport hundreds of illegal immigrant parents, letting them back into the country to reunite with their children and make new asylum claims.
NRSC attacks Sen. Heidi Heitkamp's record on 'sanctuary cities'
The National Republican Senatorial Committee released a new attack ad Tuesday accusing Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of being soft on "sanctuary cities."
ICE blames computer for mother who was deported against judge's wishes
Homeland Security officials say someone forgot to update a computer system last week, leading to an illegal immigrant mother and daughter being deported despite a strict promise to a judge that they wouldn't be touched.
#BoycottElTiempo: Jeff Sessions photo at Houston Mexican restaurant sparks outrage
A Houston Mexican restaurant was forced to shut down its social media pages after a picture of the owner posing with Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions sparked a boycott.
Feds track down 299 deported parents in family separation case
The federal government has managed to reach nearly 300 illegal immigrant parents back in their home countries who were deported without their children, and has submitted a plan to try to figure out how to reconnect the families.
Man arrested for offering $500 bounty to kill ICE agents
A Massachusetts man was arrested Thursday on charges of offering a $500 bounty on Twitter to anyone who killed an ICE agent -- the latest in a series of horrific threats aimed at the immigration law enforcement amid the ongoing deportation debate.
Laura Ingraham under fire for lamenting America's 'massive demographic changes'
Fox News host Laura Ingraham is again facing calls for a boycott after she lamented the country's "massive demographic changes" due to legal and illegal immigration during her monologue Wednesday night.
Judge threatens to hold Jeff Sessions in contempt over asylum deportation
A frustrated federal judge lashed the Trump administration Thursday and threatened to hold Attorney General Jeff Sessions in contempt after being told the government had deported an asylum seeker despite clear assurances she wouldn't be touched.
ICE nets 133 illegal immigrants in alleged worker exploitation scam
Federal authorities Thursday announced the arrest of 13 people they say were ringleaders in a massive scheme to exploit illegal immigrants as cheap labor on farms and Hispanic-oriented businesses in Minnesota and Nebraska.
'Zero tolerance' crackdown fails to stop illegal immigrant families from pouring across the border
Illegal immigration across the southwest border appears to have dipped in July -- but the number of families trying to sneak in is still stubbornly high, suggesting the administration's zero-tolerance crackdown failed to dissuade smugglers or would-be migrants contemplating the journey.
How visa 'overstays' are fueling America's immigration boom
More than 400,000 people came to the U.S. on legal visitor visas in 2017 but were still here six months after their time was up, the government said in a new report Tuesday detailing the less-talked about side of illegal immigration.
Police nab illegal immigrant 'family' after man found to have raped girl
A woman turned her juvenile daughter over to a sexual predator to sneak them both into the U.S. in exchange for getting the mother a job, Homeland Security officials said Tuesday, detailing one of the horrific abuses that migrants are able to make of the immigration system.
9th Circuit Court grants Mexican mother power to sue in U.S. court over cross-border shooting
A Mexican woman whose teenage son was killed in a cross-border shooting can sue a Border Patrol agent in American courts, a federal appeals panel ruled Tuesday in a decision that extends some constitutional rights to foreigners who have never set foot in the U.S.
ICE employee ousted for using job to campaign for Hillary Clinton
An ICE employee agreed to resigned Tuesday and accepted a five-year bar from working in the federal government after admitting to politicking on behalf of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election.
Trump administration appeals DACA ruling; DOJ seeks first win in legal tussle
The Trump administration filed notice late Monday that it is appealing last week's ruling that ordered it to restart the Obama-era DACA deportation amnesty in full.
Refugee charged with murder was in ICE custody in 2016
An Iraqi refugee now charged with attempted murder of a Colorado police officer was actually in ICE custody in 2016, but was ordered released thanks to a court decision that ruled his previous convictions for assault and a host of other crimes weren't serious enough to deport him.
DHS invests $20 million in border wall prototypes, fails to account for rough terrain
The Department of Homeland Security invested $20 million in the contest to build prototypes for President Trump's border wall, only to discover that most of them were impractical for the tough terrain along the U.S.-Mexico line, the government's chief watchdog said Monday.
Court ruling freed refugee who's now charged with attempted murder of cop
An Iraqi refugee now charged with attempted murder of a Colorado police officer was actually in ICE custody in 2016 but was ordered released thanks to a court decision that ruled his previous convictions for assault and a host of other crimes weren't serious enough to deport him.
DHS cut corners to start building Trump's border wall
Homeland Security cut corners in deciding where to build President Trump's border wall, and still hasn't been able to put any of the new designs the president demanded into operation, the government's chief watchdog said in a new report Monday.
Federal judge rules that DACA must be restarted
A federal judge on Friday said the government must restart the entire DACA deportation amnesty, including accepting brand new applications -- but gave the administration a chance to appeal before his ruling takes effect.
Federal judge orders Trump admin to restart DACA program
A federal judge on Friday said the government must restart the entire DACA deportation amnesty, including accepting brand new applications -- but gave the administration a chance to appeal before his ruling takes effect.
Feds say it's up to immigration activists to reunify children with deported parents
The Trump administration said Thursday it will largely be up to immigrant-rights advocates to track down deported parents who want to be reunited with their children still in the U.S.
Activists: Facebook's move to block Russian interference discriminates against illegal immigrants
Facebook's attempt to stop Russian interference in the U.S. elections has enraged activists who say illegal immigrants will be banned from buying political ads on the internet platform.
Zephyr Teachout, Democrat running for N.Y. attorney general, pledges to prosecute ICE
A Democratic candidate running to be New York's attorney general pledged Wednesday to prosecute the Immigration Customs Enforcement Agency if elected.
Lawmakers defuse Trump's shutdown threat by passing partial spending bills ahead of deadline
Congress is taking big strides to defuse President Trump's shutdown threat, working to pass as many spending bills as possible before next month's deadline so most of the government will remain open no matter what Mr. Trump demands on border security.
Recent Opinion Columns
Ending the gridlock on immigration reform
Rejection of the House Republicans' "compromise" immigration proposal late last month (June 27) by a lopsided 121-301 margin was seen as a fatal blow to current reform efforts. To the contrary, it may be exactly what was needed to end the decades-long gridlock on immigration reform, if members of Congress learn the right lesson from the failure.
Why ICE must not be abolished
Kate Steinle was shot and killed on a San Francisco pier three years ago this month. Her death came at the hands of an illegal alien who had been previously deported five times and was a convicted felon. It also ignited a national discussion about sanctuary city policies that is still going. Unfortunately, Democrats' new proposal to abolish the department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is moving the immigration debate in an unhealthy direction.
Donald Trump hits mark on immigration, quickly grasps complex problem
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi (or somebody)
From The Vault
Homeland Security asks Pentagon to house up to 12,000 migrants; DoD may build temporary camps
The Department of Homeland Security late Wednesday asked the Pentagon "to house and care for" up to 12,000 migrants, military officials said, and the request ultimately could lead the Defense Department to build large camps in Texas, Arizona and elsewhere near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump hosts 'Angel Families' to highlight crime by illegal immigrants
President Trump highlighted "American victims of illegal immigration" on Friday, hosting families of people killed by people who immigrated to the U.S. illegally to tell their stories and hitting back at critics of his rescinded policy that separated some children from their parents who crossed the border illegally.
Trump on pace for record low number of refugees
The Trump administration has resettled slightly more than 10,000 refugees as it nears the midpoint of the fiscal year, putting it on pace for by far the lowest total since the modern system was established nearly four decades ago.
Court orders restoration of DACA program
A federal judge in New York ruled Tuesday that the government must restart the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals deportation amnesty, adding more weight to the legal case against President Trump's phaseout of the program just as Congress is debating the fate of "Dreamers" on Capitol Hill.
Arpaio pardon still rubs Trump opponents wrong
President Trump used his pardon powers sparingly in his first year in office, but one he did issue remains intensely controversial, with some of his political opponents now asking a federal appeals court to rule it invalid.
130 miles of Mexico border won't need wall because of natural barriers
Homeland Security said Tuesday that at least 130 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border have enough natural barriers that there's no need to build a wall there — leaving most of the 1,954-mile divide as potential ground for a fence.
Free of Obama restraints, immigration agents make 38% more arrests in Trump's first 100 days
Immigration arrests surged 38 percent during the first 100 days of President Trump's tenure, authorities said Wednesday, adding that agents have been freed from the tight restrictions of the Obama era and are now able to target a far broader universe of illegal immigrants for deportation.
Trump's immigration enforcement helps slow illegal border crossings by 76%
Illegal immigration across the southwestern border is down a stunning 76 percent since President Trump was elected, with the flow of children and families dropping even faster as analysts say the administration's commitment to enforcing the law has changed the reality along the border.
Trump's Justice Department to end 'catch and release' immigration policy
Attorney General Jeff Sessions declared "a new era" in immigration enforcement on Tuesday, saying his prosecutors will try to bring stiffer criminal charges against repeat illegal immigrants and smugglers as part of President Trump's crackdown.
Illegal immigration plummets after Trump inauguration
Illegal immigration across the southwest border is down more than 60 percent so far under President Trump, officials revealed Tuesday, even before the first new agent is hired or the first mile of his promised border wall is constructed.
Deportation agency ignored 1.6 million visa overstays under Obama
The government flagged more than 1.6 million foreign visitors for overstaying their visas from 2013 to 2015, but deportation agents said they fell too low on President Obama's list of priorities to bother targeting for removal, according to a watchdog report released Monday.
Feds say border fence has been cut 9,200 times since 2010
The wrong type of border wall could actually make Border Patrol agents less safe, according to a new report Thursday from the government's chief watchdog, which said walls that block lines of sight can become ambush sites for attackers looking to get the drop on agents.
Cost of border wall is less than cost of services for illegals: report
If President Trump's border wall stopped just 10 percent of new illegal immigrants it would pay for itself by saving American taxpayers from spending money on services for those migrants over their lifetimes, according to a new report from the Center for Immigration Studies.
Nearly 2 million non-citizen Hispanics illegally registered to vote
A large number of non-citizen Hispanics, as many as 2 million, were illegally registered to vote in the U.S., according to a nationwide poll.
Trump eviscerates Obama's immigration policy in two executive orders
With a couple strokes of his pen, President Trump wiped out almost all of President Obama's immigration policies Wednesday, laying the groundwork for his own border wall, unleashing immigration agents to enforce the law and punishing sanctuary cities who try to thwart his deportation surge.
