Immigration
Federal judge blocks Biden rule that limits asylum for migrants at the border
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Biden administration’s rule that restricts migrants from seeking asylum if they arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border without first seeking protection in another country or applying for an asylum appointment online. Judge Jon S. Tigar, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, wrote in his decision that the rule […]
Public schools banned from sheltering migrants under bill passed by U.S. House
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Wednesday night passed a bill to bar the use of public K-12 school facilities to provide shelter for migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. The bill, approved 222-201, is known as the “Schools Not Shelters Act” and is a rebuke of the Biden administration’s immigration policy. If enacted into […]
DACA recipients’ Medicaid eligibility slammed by U.S. House Republicans
WASHINGTON — A panel on the U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Tuesday grilled a Biden administration official about the White House’s decision to allow undocumented people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to enroll in Medicaid or private insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act. The chair of the subcommittee, Republican […]
U.S. House Republicans pass overhaul of federal elections system out of committee
WASHINGTON — On a party-line vote, the U.S. Committee on House Administration on Thursday night passed a bill that would enact strict new voting laws for states, such as requiring copies of IDs for voting by mail, and set penalties for states that allow voting by noncitizens in local elections. The 224-page bill, H.R. 4563, was […]
Detroit Immigration Task Force celebrates Immigrant Heritage Month
A resolution passed this month by the Detroit City Council celebrates Immigrant Heritage Month in Michigan’s largest city. “The resolution acknowledges Detroit’s past and present as a beacon of freedom, refuge, and opportunity for migrants from around the world. Detroit is home to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers of all backgrounds, and continues to welcome […]
US Supreme Court turns down push by states to challenge Biden deportation policy
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overwhelmingly ruled that Texas and Louisiana lacked the legal standing to challenge the Biden administration’s deportation guidelines, granting a win to the White House on immigration policy. The states objected to the White House’s directive to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to prioritize arresting and deporting […]
‘Nearly broke me’: Migrant workers accuse Michigan farm of trafficking, forced labor in suit
When Feliciano Velasco Rojas and Luis Guzman Rojas left their homes in Mexico and traveled to North Carolina for work in 2017, they did so to support their families and earn enough money to pay for sick relatives’ medication. Instead, they faced a nightmare situation in which they were trafficked from North Carolina to First […]
‘We’re just trying to live our lives’: DACA hits 11-year mark still mired in the courts
WASHINGTON — Thursday marked the 11th anniversary of a program that was created during the Obama administration to temporarily protect undocumented children from deportation. But congressional inaction and legal challenges have led to more than a decade of limbo for the 600,000 people enrolled, with no end in sight. They are often called “Dreamers,” based […]
Column: People-centered budget priorities are key to changing population, prosperity trajectory
It’s more important than ever that our state lawmakers take bold action in making Michigan a more welcoming and attractive place for people to not only live, but thrive. Not doing so will only worsen Michigan’s population plight and declines in prosperity. In May, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan (CRC) and Altarum released the […]
New bipartisan immigration legislation proposed in U.S. House
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of six U.S. House lawmakers on Tuesday described details of proposed legislation that would create a legal pathway for citizenship for undocumented people through work requirements, and would also fund border security measures. The two Latinas who spearheaded the bill, Reps. Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat, and María Elvira Salazar, Republican of Florida, […]
U.S. House passes bill to reinstate Trump-era immigration policies
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Thursday pushed through a border security package that mirrors Trump-era immigration policies, aiming criticism at the Biden administration for ending a pandemic-era public health measure used to expel millions of migrants from the country. The House passed the measure in a 219-213 vote. Only two Republicans voted in opposition, Reps. […]
Title 42 nears an end, marking a shift in U.S. immigration policy at the border
WASHINGTON — A pandemic-era measure that allowed for the swift expulsion of millions of migrants at the Southwest border is set to end Thursday, and the Biden administration and state officials across the U.S. are bracing for a potential increase in asylum seekers. At the same time, House Republicans this week are pushing through a […]