Statue of Liberty climber testifies she had nightmares about kids in cages
The woman who climbed the Statue of Liberty on July 4 to protest the border separation of children from parents says the images gave her nightmares.
Immigration Reform
The latest news, analysis and debates on immigration reform and policy.
Mexico's new president signs deal to stop migrants
By Associated Press
In one of his first acts in office, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has signed an agreement with his counterparts from three Central American countries to establish a development plan to stem the flow of migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. Published December 2, 2018
Recent Stories
'Why hasn't someone made a GoFundMe for Trump's wall?' asks columnist
"Why hasn't someone made a GoFundMe for Trump's wall?' asked New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin, who offered a rundown of the complicated political and financial dynamics regarding the future of the southern border between Mexico and the U.S.
House conservatives back Trump on call for vote on border wall funding
House conservatives are cheering President Trump on in his desire for a government shutdown, saying they have his back in the standoff over border wall money.
Homeland Security refutes Democrats' blame on death of 7-year-old Guatemalan girl
The death of a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl after a lengthy journey with her father through Mexico to the U.S., then into the hands of the U.S. Border Patrol, has ignited a furious debate over who's to blame.
Dems defy Trump shutdown threat: 'He is not going to get the wall in any form'
Democrats dug in their heels Sunday on President Trump's threat to shut down the government unless he gets money for his border wall, saying if the president makes good on his demand, the American people will suffer.
Deportations up, but backlog of ICE fugitives also grows
The U.S. deported more than 256,000 people in fiscal 2018, Homeland Security announced Friday, as the Trump administration's tougher policies took full effect.
7-year-old dies after border journey; DHS says she was 'overcome by the elements'
A 7-year-old illegal immigrant girl died last week after being caught jumping the border with her parent, the apparent victim of the rough journey north through Mexico, Homeland Security said Friday morning.
'Absolute hypocrites': Trump uses Dems' own words in border security pitch
President Trump posted a video to Twitter on Thursday in which he accused the Democrats of being "absolute hypocrites" on border security and his wall, using clips from numerous high-profile Democrats to support his point.
Mexico announces crackdown on illegal immigration: 'Get in line and you can enter our country'
Mexico's top security official said Wednesday the government will close off illegal entries at its southern border with Guatemala.
Accused 'terrorist' behind migrant caravan members demand of $50,000 apiece to go back home
A splinter group from the migrant caravans camped out on the U.S.-Mexico border has offered the U.S. a deal: Pay them $50,000 each and they'll go back home.
Migrant group demands U.S. pay them $50K each to turn back
A group of about 100 Central American migrants currently camped out in Tijuana, Mexico, have reportedly sent a letter to the U.S. government demanding entry or $50,000 each to go back to their home countries.
'This has spiraled downward': Trump, top Democrats put raw partisan divide on full display
President Trump and congressional Democratic leaders ripped off the bandage over their raw, partisan disagreements Tuesday in open bickering that offered a glimpse of the divided government to come in the next two years.
Top border security official defends using tear gas on migrant caravan
The nation's top border security official told skeptical senators Tuesday that the use of tear gas on a group of migrants that included children was justified to manage a chaotic clash where a crowd was hurling rocks at agents and trying to illegally cross into the U.S.
Climate change a factor driving migrant caravan: CNN
Climate change is a main factor motivating migrants to flee Central America for the U.S. border, a CNN report said Tuesday.
Trump clashes with Pelosi, Schumer at White House, threatens shutdown: 'The wall will get built'
President Trump told Democratic leaders Tuesday he would be "proud" to shut down the government if he doesn't get the $5 billion in border wall funding he's demanding in a year-end spending bill.
More than 3,000 illegals caught in one day: DHS
The government snared more than 3,000 immigrants who illegally attempting to cross into the U.S. in just one day last week, the Trump administration's top border official told Congress on Tuesday, saying the situation qualifies as a full-blown "crisis."
Trump: If Democrats hold back on border wall, the military will build it
President Trump said Tuesday that he'd use the military to build the border wall to circumvent Democratic opposition.
Trump foes scrambling to derail 'cruel' rule requiring immigrants to show they aren't public burden
The Trump administration is now on the clock to finalize one of the biggest changes to legal immigration policy in a generation, after the official comment period ended Monday on a plan to require immigrants to show they aren't a public burden if they want to extend their visas or get on the path to citizenship.
Asylum claims soar 67 percent at U.S. border
The number of migrants demanding asylum at the U.S. border soared 67 percent in 2018, Homeland Security officials said Monday, swamping an already overloaded system and fueling a testy debate on Capitol Hill over how the government is responding.
Illinois county makes $10 million detaining illegal immigrants in 2018
A northwest Illinois county's decades-old deal with the federal government to detain immigrants living in the country illegally will bring in $10 million this year, according to records.
DEA agent charged with facilitating drug shipments
A criminal complaint says a DEA agent traded inside information for bribes which helped facilitate drug shipments to north Florida and Arkansas. The complaint obtained this week by First Coast News in Jacksonville says Special Agent Nathan Koen warned dealers of pending investigations in exchange for money and enabled shipments of drugs worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Ammon Bundy quits militia movement over immigration, 'fanatically loyal' Trump supporters
Ammon Bundy, the Mormon rancher who famously led two armed standoffs against the feds in Nevada in 2014 and Oregon in 2016, has renounced the militia movement due to its hardline immigration stance and unwavering loyalty to President Trump.
U.S. taxpayers spend $27M to ease deportees' lives in Central America: GAO
Illegal immigrants deported from the U.S. back to Central America are greeted back home with toilet paper, school supplies and Barbie doll-style toys, paid for by American taxpayers and designed to make reintegration easier.
Trump business empire shuns E-Verify, hires illegal immigrants
Just five of the 565 companies in President Trump's business empire are signed up to use E-Verify, the government's best tool to weed illegal immigrants out of the workforce, according to a Washington Times analysis that suggests the president could personally be doing more on that front.
Illegal immigrant families shatter records in November
Illegal immigration ticked up in November, but the number of those people traveling as families shattered records, Homeland Security reported Thursday, saying it's proof that migrants have figured out how to game the flawed U.S. immigration system.
Nancy Pelosi rejects 'Dreamers' for wall money deal
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday flatly rejected the idea of approving funding for President Trump's border wall in exchange for protections for illegal immigrant "Dreamers."
81 migrant children separated from parents since June
The Trump administration separated 81 migrant children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border since the June executive order that stopped the general practice amid a crackdown on illegal crossings, according to government data obtained by The Associated Press.
Caravan migrant gives birth on U.S. soil after entering illegally
A Honduran woman affiliated with a caravan of Central American migrants has given birth on U.S. soil shortly after entering the country illegally.
Border Patrol agent charged with capital murder
A U.S. Border Patrol agent who confessed to shooting four women in the head and leaving their bodies on rural Texas roadsides has been indicted on a capital murder charge, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
Mass. church protests Trump by placing baby Jesus in cage
A Catholic church in Massachusetts is making headlines again ahead of Christmas, this time by placing its nativity scene's baby Jesus in a cage to protest the Trump administration's immigration policies.
9th Circuit Court strikes down federal law against encouraging illegal immigration
The law made it a felony for people to encourage an immigrant to enter or live in the U.S. if they know either act is illegal.
Pentagon yet to sign off on longer deployment of troops on Mexican border
Defense Secretary James N. Mattis has yet to approve a Department of Homeland Security request to extend the deployments of U.S. troops on the southern border into next year, pending a military review of the request.
Teen charged in MS-13 killing had avoided deportation
A Massachusetts man facing charges in the killing of a 17-year-old boy was allowed to remain in the country despite being listed as an MS-13 member on Boston Police's gang database.
DHS asks troops to remain at border through January
With the caravans still camped out on the Mexican side of the border, Homeland Security asked the Defense Department on Friday to keep the latest deployment of troops at the border through the end of January.
Three dead after truck flees Border Patrol stop
Three people were killed Thursday when their pickup truck careened out of control and crashed after the Border Patrol attempted to blow the tires to bring the vehicle to a stop.
Geraldo: 'Facts of life' talk for rock throwers should replace tear gas used by Border Patrol
Fox News contributor Geraldo Rivera has an alternative to tear-gas agents used along the southern border to stop rock-throwing migrants: "the facts of life."
DHS to shift guest-worker program to reward higher-skilled foreigners
Homeland Security proposed a new regulation Friday that would give the government a chance to make sure more of those applying for a key guest-worker program are the highest-skilled workers the system was designed for.
Feds catch convicted murderer in migrant caravan: DHS
Homeland Security said Friday that a convicted murderer was among the members of the migrant caravan, and was caught trying to sneak into the U.S. late last week.
Judge OKs sanctuary cities, rules anti-sanctuary law unconstitutional
A federal judge in New York has ruled the Trump sanctuary city crackdown illegal Friday -- but even went further and also ruled the law Congress passed requiring information-sharing is unconstitutional.
Illegal immigrant pulls gun on Border Patrol agent
Violence against Border Patrol agents continued to spiral this week with authorities reporting one agent held at gunpoint by an illegal immigrant in California, and two agents in Arizona facing attacks by hand.
Teen accused of video-game rape is illegal immigrant: DHS
The Florida teen accused of raping a girl while still broadcasting live on a video game audio feed is an illegal immigrant who came to the country 17 years ago on a visitor's visa and never left, Homeland Security said Thursday.
Schumer: Trump in middle of border wall 'temper tantrum'
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer accused President Trump of throwing a "temper tantrum" over his demand for $5 billion in border wall money, and said Thursday that Democrats will never vote for that.
Caravan migrants won't face charges in border clash
No criminal charges will be filed against any of the 42 people associated with a caravan of Central American migrants who were arrested in a clash that ended with U.S. authorities firing tear gas into Mexico, The Associated Press has learned.
Oscar winner Anne Hathaway: 'My country gassed children'
Actress Anne Hathaway penned an emotional post this week slamming the U.S. government for using tear gas at the U.S.-Mexico border as a "monstrous use of force" against migrants.
U.S. and Mexico face stark choices as new president takes over
Migrants, trade, crime, the border wall: The challenges to the modern U.S.-Mexico relationship have perhaps never been as stark and divisive as they are now, at a critical juncture for both countries.
Caravan mostly standard illegal immigrants, not refugees fleeing violence
The Central Americans surging into the U.S. and claiming asylum look a lot more like regular illegal immigrants, eager for better jobs or to reunite with families, than traditional refugees fleeing persecution or violence back home, according to a new report Wednesday that challenges conventional wisdom on the migrants' motives.
San Diego chief patrol agent stands by using tear gas on migrants
Homeland Security officials said Tuesday that Border Patrol agents were right to use tear gas in repelling the "violent mob" that tried to burst through the border over the weekend, and said gas will be used again if another situation arises.
U.S. nixed FBI checks on staff at migrant teen detention camp
The Trump administration announced in June it would open a temporary shelter for up to 360 migrant children in this isolated corner of the Texas desert. Less than six months later, the facility has expanded into a detention camp holding thousands of teenagers -- and it shows every sign of becoming more permanent.
Lawmakers strike deal to double number of guest worker visas
A key group of lawmakers has struck a deal to double the number of visas doled out to temporary seasonal guest workers each year, suggesting a breakthrough on an immigration issue that's bedeviled Congress for years.
Tear gas used once a month at border under Obama
The same tear gas agent that the Trump administration is taking heat for deploying against a border mob this weekend is actually used fairly frequently -- including more than once a month during some years under President Obama, according to Homeland Security data.
Caravan migrants reconsider asylum claims after border clash
A chaotic border clash with choking tear gas fired by U.S. agents left Central American migrants sullen and dejected, with some opting Monday to leave and others worrying the incident may have spoiled their chances at asylum.
Trump defends use of tear gas on migrant caravan border jumpers
President Trump on Monday defended border officials for using tear gas against migrants who tried to storm the U.S. border, even as Mexico announced it has deported nearly 100 of the caravan members it says were involved in the chaos.
Hispanic babies aborted in the U.S. outnumber the caravan population 7 to 1: Report
An analysis of new federal data shows that the number of Hispanic babies aborted in 2015 in 31 states and the District of Columbia is larger than the number of migrants estimated to be in the current caravan from Central America.
Mexican human rights commission condemns U.S. use of tear gas on border
Mexico's National Commission of Human Rights on Monday condemned American authorities' use of tear gas and force to prevent a mob from overwhelming the U.S. border crossing in San Diego over the weekend, saying it was an "unnecessary risk."
Rep. Adam Smith, rising Democratic defense panel chairman, hits Trump's border moves
Rep. Adam Smith, the Democrat expected to head the House Armed Services committee in the incoming Congress, is slamming the White House's decision to allow U.S. troops stationed along the southern border to use lethal force if necessary against migrants seeking to cross into American territory.
Sen. Brian Schatz deletes tweet suggesting border patrol used 'chemical weapons' on migrants
Sen. Brian Schatz deleted a tweet Sunday that questioned whether border patrol agents used "chemical weapons" when they deployed tear gas on a group of migrants trying to cross the southern U.S. border.
42 arrested in Sunday border skirmish, chief patrol agent says
Rodney Scott, the chief patrol agent for the San Diego region, said Monday that 42 people were arrested for crossing the U.S.-Mexico border this weekend.
Trump threatens to close U.S.-Mexico border 'permanently if need be'
President Trump threatened Monday to "close the Border permanently if need be" and called on Mexico to deport members of the migrant caravan after skirmishes broke out between border agents and migrants at the Southern border this weekend.
Trump, Democrats at odds on migrants as violent clashes break out on U.S.-Mexico border
President Trump's vow to keep the migrant caravans out of the country pending approval of asylum status met Sunday with Democratic opposition, even as episodes of violence erupted along the southern border fence in Mexico.
Elijah Cummings says U.S. must let caravan migrants enter: 'That's the law'
Rep. Elijah Cummings, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said Sunday that caravan migrants seeking asylum should be able to enter the country immediately, challenging President Trump's efforts to keep them in Mexico while their cases are processed.
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.
