Immigration and the Southern Border in the U.S.

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States far from the US-Mexico border are rushing to pass tough immigration laws Some Republican-led states are rushing to give broader powers to local police and impose criminal penalties for those living in the U.S. illegally as the issue of immigration enforcement remains central to the 2024 elections. Read more.

Key points: What’s the latest: Oklahoma is among several states jockeying to push deeper into immigration enforcement. State Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill on Tuesday that creates the new crime of “impermissible occupation,” which imposes penalties of as much as two years in prison for being in the state illegally.    What’s happening in Texas: Lawmakers in Oklahoma, Iowa and Idaho have followed Texas' lead after Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill last year that would allow the state to arrest and deport people who enter the U.S. illegally. That law is currently on hold while the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals considers a challenge brought by the U.S. Department of Justice.   What happens next: Like Texas’ new law, many of the bills are almost certain to face legal challenges because immigration is a federal, not a state, issue under the U.S. Constitution, said Kelli Stump, the president-elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ US and Mexico will boost deportation flights and enforcement to crack down on illegal migration   More than half of foreign-born people in US live in just 4 states and half are naturalized citizens   Trump says he’ll use National Guard to deport migrants, doubling down on anti-immigration rhetoric

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A Year Ago, 40 Migrants Died in a Fire at a Mexican Detention Facility. Who Should Be Blamed?

Long before the Juárez detention center erupted in flames, U.S. and Mexico leaders were aware of the danger. A ProPublica-Texas Tribune examination shows that landmark shifts in U.S. border policies helped sow the seeds of a tragedy.

https://www.propublica.org/article/us-immigration-asylum-policy-juarez-fire?

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⚡ Scoop: Biden beefs up border team

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Jeff Swensen, Brandon Bell via Getty Images

The Biden administration is eyeing a new point guard on border issues, with plans to bring in the Department of Homeland Security's Blas Nuñez-Neto, Axios' Stef W. Kight and Alex Thompson have learned. Why it matters: A lack of ownership among senior White House officials has hampered President Biden's ability to respond to the border, which has become one of his most vulnerable election issues. Nuñez-Neto has been closely involved with border issues as assistant secretary for border and immigration policy at DHS.

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GOP's age split

By Stef W. Kight

Data: The Harris Poll; Chart: Axios Visuals Young Republicans are notably more moderate on immigration than the elders in their party, according to an Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll. Why it matters: The Trump-led GOP has embraced a hardline stance on immigration, but younger party members are more skeptical of the GOP's political narratives on the subject. Gen Z Republicans are more likely to support more legal immigration pathways. They're more likely to question negative narratives about immigrants than older generations, the survey found. They're less likely than Boomer and Gen X Republicans to back some of Trump's most aggressive plans to crack down on illegal immigration. Zoom in: Even where a significant majority of Republicans in Gen Z agree with those in Generation X and the Boomer Generation, a closer look often reveals they agree less emphatically. Only 33% of Gen Z Republicans "strongly" agreed that illegal immigration is unfair to those who come illegally, compared to 70% in older generations. Just 28% of Gen Z felt strongly that immigrants' character is worse today than 50 years ago, about half of the older age group. The other side: Gen Z Republicans are still more concerned about immigration overall than their peers of other political identities. 63% said illegal immigration is a problem for U.S. communities, compared to 39% of Gen Z Democrats. 61% of Gen Z Republicans believe illegal immigration is linked to crime spikes, compared to 45% of Gen Z Democrats.

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🗳️ Scoop: Biden hits Trump on border

Screenshot: Biden campaign ad The Biden campaign is launching a digital ad to remind Latino voters of President Trump's family separation policy at the border — officially announced six years ago today — which resulted in 3,000+ kids being taken from their parents. Why it matters: The Biden campaign is upping its effort to puncture what they see as nostalgia for Trump's four years in office. Zoom in: The ad, "Ripped Apart," interlaces video of Trump making anti-immigrant comments with the cries of children separated from their parents. The other side: Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said he "will restore his effective immigration policies ... and marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history." Watch the ad.

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"If migrant deaths would lead to policy change, we would have changed policies a long time ago."

— Stephanie Leutert, an immigration expert and former Biden administration official, on a fire at a detention center that killed 40 men. A ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigation shows that landmark shifts in U.S. border policies helped sow the seeds of a tragedy.

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Biden prepares to unveil new asylum change

Biden administration officials are readying to publish a new rule to more rapidly reject some migrants from asylum soon after crossing the border, Axios has learned.

https://www.axios.com/2024/05/08/biden-migrants-asylum-restrictions-border-crossing?

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Dems' border offensive

Democrats are preparing to flip the tables on the GOP on immigration, with an aggressive border rule paired with a political push in D.C.

Zoom in: "Democrats are going to make it clear which party is working to fix our broken border, and which party is conspiring to make it worse." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said this afternoon.

• Schumer is seriously considering bringing the failed bipartisan border deal back to the floor for a vote later this month, Axios' Stef Kight scooped this afternoon.
• Meanwhile, Biden administration officials are getting ready to publish a new rule to more rapidly reject some migrants from asylum soon after crossing the border, Stef has learned.

The bottom line: This is a big change for Democrats, who have been hesitant for years to directly deal with the border issue.

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New rule aims to speed up removal of limited group of migrants who don’t qualify for asylum A new Biden administration rule announced Thursday aims to speed up asylum processing at the southern border for a limited group of people believed to have committed serious crimes or who have terrorist links and ultimately more quickly eject them from the country. Read more.

Why this matters: The change comes as the administration has been struggling to demonstrate to voters during an election where immigration is a key issue. Republicans have consistently slammed the Biden administration over policies that they say have worsened problems at the southern border.   Under U.S. and international law, anyone who comes to the U.S. can ask for asylum. To be granted asylum they must prove persecution or fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, or political opinion. It’s a high bar and the majority of people who apply ultimately don’t qualify, or they wait years because of overloaded immigration courts.   Critics have questioned whether the asylum system should be fundamentally changed to make it more restrictive while others say the U.S. has a moral obligation to protect people fleeing for their lives.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Biden administration will seek partial end to special court oversight of child migrants   China and US resume cooperation on deportation as Chinese immigrants rush in from southern border   Man indicted in killing of Laken Riley, a Georgia case at the center of national immigration debate

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Asylum seekers with criminal records would be more quickly removed under Biden proposal

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Thursday it’s proposing changes to the asylum system that would allow immigration officials to reject asylum seekers who have a criminal record that poses a threat to national security or public safety and quickly remove them.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/09/asylum-seekers-with-criminal-records-would-be-more-quickly-removed-under-biden-proposal/?

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Trump suggests Chinese migrants are in the US to build an ‘army.’ The migrants tell another story The daily struggle to find work for Chinese immigrants living illegally in a borough of New York is a far cry from the picture Donald Trump and other Republicans have sought to paint. Read more.

Why this matters: Since the start of the year, as the Chinese newcomers have been trying to find their footing in the U.S., Trump has alluded to “fighting-age” or “military-age” Chinese men at least six times and suggested at least twice they were forming a migrant “army.” It’s a talking point that is being amplified in conservative media and on social platforms.   As Trump and others exploit a surge in Chinese border crossings and real concerns about China’s geopolitical threat to further their political aims, Asian advocacy organizations are worried that the rhetoric could encourage further harassment and violence toward the Asian community.   The U.S. and China just recently began cooperating again to deport Chinese immigrants who were in the country illegally. Yet with tens of thousands of Chinese newcomers who have crossed into the U.S. illegally, there has been no evidence that they have tried to mount a military force or training network.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ About 4 in 10 Americans see China as an enemy, a Pew report shows. That’s a five-year high   Biden hikes tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar cells, steel, aluminum — and snipes at Trump   WATCH: President Biden gives fiery speech calling Trump a “loser” at APAICS

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US House Democrats Voted to Give 'Illegal Immigrants' New Representation in Elections?

On May 8, 2024, Stephen Miller, former adviser to 2024 U.S. Republican presidential candidate (and former president) Donald Trump, claimed on X that U.S. House Democrats had voted to give Electoral College representation to undocumented immigrants (archived😞

https://www.snopes.com/news/2024/05/10/democrats-immigrants-elections-representation/?

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NYC is starting to evict people in migrant shelters under stricter rules New York City stepped up its efforts to push migrants out of its overwhelmed shelters Wednesday as it began enforcing a new rule that limits some adult asylum-seekers to a month in the system before they have to find a bed on their own. Read more.

Why this matters: Before the new rule came into effect, adult migrants without children were still limited to 30 days in a shelter, but they were able to immediately reapply for a new bed with no questions asked. Immigrant rights and homeless advocates say they’re closely monitoring the eviction process, which impacts some 15,000 migrant adults.   Mayor Eric Adams had asked a court in October to suspend the “right to shelter” requirement entirely, but the move was opposed by immigrant rights and homeless advocacy groups. City officials say migrants need to show they’re making “significant efforts to resettle,” such as applying for work authorization or asylum, or searching for a job or an apartment.   The move comes as Denver, another city that’s seen an influx of migrants, embarks on an ambitious migrant support program that includes six-month apartment stays and intensive job preparation for those who can’t yet legally work. Meanwhile, Chicago has imposed 60-day shelter limits on adult migrants with no option for renewal, and Massachusetts has capped stays for families to nine months, starting in June.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ New immigration court docket aims to speed up removals of newly arrived migrants   Denver launches ambitious migrant program, breaking from the short-term shelter approach   DOJ adds Oklahoma to the list of states it’s suing to block their immigration laws

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Praise for U.S. judge who blocked FL’s restriction on transporting undocumented immigrants

Immigrant-rights organizations are cheering a federal judge who blocked enforcement of a Florida law criminalizing transportation of undocumented immigrants into the state.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/23/praise-for-u-s-judge-who-blocked-fls-restriction-on-transporting-undocumented-immigrants/?