Immigration and the Southern Border in the U.S.

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Schools face wave of migrant pupils

Photo illustration: Allie Carl/Axios. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

School districts across the country are on the front lines of the migrant crisis, as children coming with their families across the U.S.-Mexico border enter classrooms, Axios' Stef Kight, Alayna Alvarez, Steph Solis, Caitlin Owens, Monica Eng and Cuneyt Dil report. Why it matters: Districts across the country are scrambling to meet the learning, physical health and mental health needs of their new students. All children in the U.S. are entitled to a public elementary and secondary education regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, the Education Department says. 🧮 By the numbers: Chicago Public Schools have seen their first enrollment bump in 12 years thanks to the new arrivals. Boston hired 18 in-school social workers dedicated to migrants with major education gaps — in addition to its existing 200. D.C. reports it has struggled to find high-quality, bilingual mental health support for migrant students. Threat level: This comes as many districts already face tight budgets. Keep reading.

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Nebraska senator slams White House immigration policies after visit to border

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Nebraska Republican, at a Tuesday press conference blasted Biden administration immigration policies following a visit last week with other senators to the U.S.-Mexico border.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/11/01/nebraska-senator-slams-white-house-immigration-policies-after-visit-to-border/?

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The Census Bureau sees an older, more diverse America in 2100 in three immigration scenarios The population projections offer a glimpse of what the United States might look like at the turn of the next century. Without substantial immigration, older adults will outnumber children, and white, non-Hispanic residents will account for less than 50%. However, a forecast decades into the future can’t predict the unexpected like a global pandemic. Read more.

Key findings: The three different projections through 2100 are based on high, medium and low immigration. Currently, the U.S. has 333 million residents. If immigration is low, the population shrinks to 319 million people. It grows to 365 million people under the medium immigration scenario and to 435 million residents with high immigration.   The projections can help prepare for change, from anticipating the demands of senior health care to providing insight into the number of schools that need building, said Paul Ong, a public affairs professor at UCLA.   Experts say that predicting immigration trends is more difficult than in the past, when migration was tightly linked to the pull of economic opportunity. It is harder to predict when factors like climate change, social tensions and fluctuating anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.S. are involved, said Manuel Pastor, a professor of sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California.

Related coverage ➤ Feeling crowded yet? The US Census Bureau estimates the world’s population has passed 8 billion

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States spend millions to ship migrants

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

States spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to ship migrants elsewhere this year: What started as a GOP political stunt ahead of the midterms now has states and cities spending significant resources to shuttle migrants around the country. Why it matters: Responding to historic levels of migration has come with high costs at every level of government, Axios' Stef Kight, Asher Price, Jeremy Duda, Alayna Alvarez, Yacob Reyes and Monica Eng report. ⚠️ Threat level: The U.S. has a resettlement process for refugees that ensures they are placed in communities prepared to support them. But there's no such national coordination for migrants and asylum seekers. So states "are trying to ad hoc come up with solutions," Migration Policy Institute's Kathleen Bush-Joseph told Axios. 🧮 By the numbers: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has taken the most aggressive approach — sending state law enforcement and National Guard troops to patrol the border and, as of mid-November, busing more than 66,000 migrants and asylum seekers across the country. The state spent $86.1 million between April 2022 and October 2023 on these efforts — roughly $1,650 per person, according to data obtained by Axios through the Texas Public Information Act. 🐊 Florida passed legislation earlier this year that provided a $12 million budget for migrant transportation. Between the lines: It's no longer just red-state governors making a loud political point. New York City has spent millions on what officials call a "re-ticketing program," which provides free bus and plane tickets to migrants and asylum seekers. Denver has spent nearly $4.3 million on migrant transportation costs. New York, Chicago and Salt Lake City are three of the most frequently requested destinations, according to the mayor's office. Catholic Charities in Chicago tells Axios it has used city money to buy tickets for 2,500 migrants to travel to other towns. 👀 What to watch: A slew of lawsuits targeting all sides of the practice could cost taxpayers even more.

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Trump immigration policies set the tone for most of the GOP presidential field

WASHINGTON — Most of the candidates in this year’s 2024 Republican race for the presidential nomination mirror hard-line immigration policies set by the front-runner, former President Donald Trump.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/11/24/trump-immigration-policies-set-the-tone-for-most-of-the-gop-presidential-field/?

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Mexico halts deportations and migrant transfers citing lack of funds

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The head of Mexico’s immigration agency has ordered the suspension of migrant deportations and transfers due to a lack of funds amid a record-setting year for migration through the country’s territory.

https://apnews.com/article/mexico-immigration-migrants-venezuela-17615ace23d0677bb443d8386e254fbc?

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Private Prison Firms Set To Cash In On Immigrant Surveillance Boom

Companies are salivating over a proposal to electronically track millions of people caught up in the U.S. immigration system.

https://www.levernews.com/private-prison-firms-set-to-cash-in-on-immigrant-surveillance-boom/?

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Federal judge prohibits separating migrant families at US border for 8 years

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A federal judge on Friday prohibited the separation of families at the border for purposes of deterring immigration for eight years, preemptively blocking resumption of a lightning-rod, Trump-era policy that the former president hasn’t ruled out if voters return him to the White House next year.

https://apnews.com/article/border-separated-families-trump-biden-settlement-2720c59c1873a9c3fc53da1aad4d1a80?

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Political leaders miss the mark on immigration

U.S. foreign policy has failed Latin American countries and compelled the migration of their citizens.

https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/12/05/political-leaders-miss-the-mark-on-immigration/?

[8thdaypriest]

5 minutes ago, phkrause said:

Political leaders miss the mark on immigration

U.S. foreign policy has failed Latin American countries and compelled the migration of their citizens.

https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/12/05/political-leaders-miss-the-mark-on-immigration/?

Is the proliferation of evil and suffering, the fault of the USA specifically and solely, or were there many more actors who played a part? 

Is the proliferation of evil in the world, the failure and fault of Western Christians? 

ANSWER:  Somewhat and sometimes.   

[phkrause]

9 minutes ago, 8thdaypriest said:

ANSWER:  Somewhat and sometimes.

I agree!!

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Biden and Congress are mulling big changes on immigration. What are they and what could they mean? President Joe Biden is taking a more active role in Senate negotiations over changes to the immigration system that Republicans are demanding in exchange for providing money to Ukraine and Israel. The Democratic president has said he is willing to make “significant compromises on the border” as Republicans block the wartime aid in Congress. Read more.

Why this matters: The White House is expected to get more involved in talks this week as the impasse over changes to border policy has deepened and the funds remaining for Ukraine have dwindled.   Much of the negotiating is taking place in private, but some of the issues under discussion are asylum standards, humanitarian parole and fast-track deportation authority, among others.   Much of the disagreement comes down to whether people think deterrence works. Many immigration advocates say some of the proposals would gut protections for people who desperately need help and wouldn’t really ease chaos at the border.

Related coverage ➤ Smugglers are bringing migrants to a remote Arizona border crossing, overwhelming US agents New US aid for Ukraine by year-end seems increasingly out of reach as GOP ties it to border security The State Department approves the sale of tank ammunition to Israel in a deal that bypasses Congress

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Immigration talks in Congress lag as Latino lawmakers urge rejection of GOP proposals

WASHINGTON — Negotiations over immigration policy made small progress Wednesday, but not enough to strike a deal and ease the passage of billions in global security aid before Congress leaves for a three-week recess.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/12/14/immigration-talks-in-congress-lag-as-latino-lawmakers-urge-rejection-of-gop-proposals/?

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Senate border security talks grind on as Trump invokes Nazi-era ‘blood’ rhetoric against immigrants

WASHINGTON (AP) — Time slipping, White House and Senate negotiators struggled Sunday to reach a U.S. border security deal that would unlock President Joe Biden’s request for billions of dollars worth of military aid for Ukraine and other national security needs before senators leave town for the holiday recess.

https://apnews.com/article/border-security-ukraine-congress-senate-biden-cb8d4e3ad8271323cfd9294b527d6615?

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Texas’ governor signs a bill that lets police arrest migrants who enter the US illegally Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday approved sweeping new powers that allow police to arrest migrants who illegally cross the U.S. border and give local judges authority to order them to leave the country, testing the limits of how far a state can go to enforce immigration laws. The law will take effect in March. Read more.

Why this matters: Abbott has predicted the number of people crossing illegally into Texas would drop by “well over 50%, maybe 75%.” He did not offer evidence for that estimate.   Opponents have called the measure the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since a 2010 Arizona law — denounced by critics as the “Show Me Your Papers” bill — was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.   The law adds another tension point over immigration as the White House and Senate struggle to reach a deal on border security. Republicans in Congress are demanding changes to the immigration system in exchange for help for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs.

Related coverage ➤ Illegal crossings surge in remote areas as Congress, White House weigh major asylum limits Texas judge rips into Biden administration’s handling of border in dispute over razor wire barrier Texas wants the power to arrest and order migrants to leave the US. Can it do that?

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Trump borrows from the language of Hitler for anti-immigration speech in New Hampshire

As leaders in Washington negotiate a bipartisan immigration deal, former President Donald Trump used inflammatory language to demonize immigrants during a Saturday campaign speech in New Hampshire that echoed Adolf Hitler.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/12/18/trump-borrows-from-the-language-of-hitler-for-anti-immigration-speech-in-new-hampshire/?

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Groups sue over new Texas law that lets police arrest migrants who enter the US illegally

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The White House and Mexico’s president on Tuesday came out strongly against a new Texas law that would allow police to arrest migrants who illegally cross into the U.S. and empower local judges to order them to leave the country.

https://apnews.com/article/texas-immigration-lawsuit-border-2be91001567623db8ad3171265d5e739?

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White House assures Hispanic Dems

Thousands of immigrants, most wearing thermal blankets, await processing at a U.S. Border Patrol transit center today in Eagle Pass, Texas. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images Biden officials have told Hispanic lawmakers that they are resisting GOP demands to limit the administration's authority to release migrants through the legal tool known as parole, Axios' Stef Kight and Hans Nichols report. Why it matters: The assurances on parole will complicate the already-fraught negotiations with Republicans over pairing additional aid to Ukraine — a key priority for Biden — with major changes to border policy. Behind the scenes: The administration's holding-the-line message was conveyed by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House chief of staff Jeff Zients over a Zoom call this weekend. Top Biden officials are trying to placate members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who have expressed public anger at being left out of border policy negotiations. They told the lawmakers that they would brief them again — before any potential deal is reached. What they're saying: "We hear a lot of what concessions are we giving to Republicans, when there is not really any 'gets' on our side," Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), who was part of the small briefing, told Axios. "That's not a negotiation. That's a hostage taking," Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who was also briefed, told Axios. "And the question is how far you're going to let them take you hostage." Keep reading

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Texas starts flying migrants to Chicago. The first plane carried over 120 people Texas sent a plane with more than 120 migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to Chicago in an escalation of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s busing operation that has given more than 80,000 migrants free rides to Democratic-led cities across the country since last year. Read more.

Why this matters: The flight took off a day after Abbott signed a new law this week that would allow police in Texas to arrest migrants who illegally cross the border, ratcheting up a series of aggressive measures the state has taken in protest of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.   Abbott’s border mission known as Operation Lone Star, according to the governor’s office, is a multibillion-dollar operation that includes stringing razor wire along the frontier, installing buoy barriers in the Rio Grande and the deployment of more officers.   The White House has criticized the flight and accused Abbott of using migrants for politics.

Related coverage ➤  What we know about Texas’ new law that lets police arrest migrants who enter the US illegally Death of 5-year-old boy prompts criticism of Chicago shelters for migrants Texas judge rips into Biden administration’s handling of border in dispute over razor wire barrier

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US delegation is meeting with Mexico’s government for talks on the surge of migrants at the border

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A top U.S. delegation met with Mexico’s president Wednesday in what many saw as an attempt to have Mexico do more to limit a surge of migrants reaching the U.S. southwestern border.

https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-immigration-meeting-blinken-f39247c4848cb7cf1097fcbaa84edcbd?

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Deported by US, arrested in Venezuela: One family’s saga highlights Biden’s migration challenge

MIAMI (AP) — Pedro Naranjo idolized his father growing up and followed him into the Venezuelan air force to fly helicopters. So deep was their bond that when the older Naranjo feared being jailed for plotting against Nicolás Maduro’s socialist government, father and son fled to the United States together.

https://apnews.com/article/immigration-venezuela-latin-america-biden-ff26a7ca3143ef9603da9399ba8ecdf2?

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Mexico asks for border crossings to reopen during Blinken visit

(NewsNation) — Mexico pressed U.S. officials to reopen border crossings during a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Mexico’s Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena said Wednesday, as U.S. officials sought assistance to stem “irregular migration.”

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-coverage/blinken-mayorkas-amlo-mexico/

Southwest Land Border Encounters

Demographics for U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Office of Field Operations (OFO) include:

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters

Migrant caravan heads toward U.S. southern border ahead of Blinken's trip to Mexico

7,500 people are estimated to be part of the massive group, organizers of the migrant caravan told Telemundo on Wednesday.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/migrant-caravan-heads-us-southern-border-ahead-blinkens-trip-mexico-rcna131192

Seeking Protection: How the U.S. Asylum Process Works

Record numbers of migrants seeking to cross the southern U.S. border are challenging the Joe Biden administration’s attempts to restore asylum protections. Here’s how the asylum process works.

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/seeking-protection-how-us-asylum-process-works

Mexican officials clear border camp as US pressure mounts to limit migrant crossings

MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP) — A ragged migrant tent camp next to the Rio Grande is a long way from Mexico’s National Palace, where a U.S. delegation met this week with Mexico’s president seeking more action to curb a surge of migrants reaching the U.S. border.

https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-immigration-meeting-blinken-migrant-tent-camp-14e034375dd0c58ffc2698cae4d017e3?

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Some Illinois and New York suburbs are putting the brakes on migrant bus arrivals Nervous officials in suburbs and outlying cities near Chicago and New York are giving migrants arriving from the southern border a cold shoulder amid attempts to circumvent restrictions on buses in those two cities, opening a new front in response to efforts led by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to pay for migrants to leave his state. Read more.

Why this matters: The suburban backlash comes amid unprecedented arrivals, with illegal entries topping 10,000 several days last month. For months, big-city Democratic mayors including Eric Adams of New York and Brandon Johnson of Chicago have pleaded with the Biden administration for help addressing the influx.   Abbott has bused more than 80,000 migrants from Texas to Democratic-led cities since 2022, and some buses have also arrived from other states. Abbott’s administration also recently began chartering planes as Chicago and New York started cracking down on buses making unscheduled drop-offs.

Related coverage ➤ Trump’s vows to deport millions are undercut by his White House record and one family’s story Biden administration asks Supreme Court to allow border agents to cut razor wire installed by Texas Texas has arrested thousands on trespassing charges at the border. Illegal crossings are still high

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Year of the border

Hundreds of migrants attempt to reach the border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Dec. 29. Photo: David Peinado/Anadolu via Getty Images

Democrats are entertaining border policies once treated as complete non-starters, as pressure from a united GOP, angry Democratic city officials and desperate Ukrainians threatens to boil over into political disaster, Axios' Stef Kight reports. Why it matters: Republicans believe that if they can make 2024 the year of the border — an issue that polls consistently show is a top priority for voters and a vulnerability for Democrats — President Biden will be defeated at the ballot box in November. Driving the news: As bipartisan Senate negotiations sputter over a deal to pair Ukraine aid with an immigration crackdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) led a delegation of 60 Republicans today to a border site in Eagle Pass, Texas. There, as cameras captured scenes of migrants attempting to cross the border just yards away, members of the GOP delegation threatened to shut down the government unless Biden "shuts down the border." One lawmaker recounted to Axios' Juliegrace Brufke that a Houston-area sheriff told the group he'd support a government shutdown if it would ensure a more secure border. "House Republicans are once more compromising America's national security and economic growth with shutdown threats," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in response. The House Homeland Security Committee also revealed today that it will formally begin impeachment proceedings against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Jan. 10. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, meanwhile, continues to take matters into his own hands — busing tens of thousands of migrants to overwhelmed, Democratic-run cities and daring the administration to sue over his policies. And early reports indicate that border authorities processed more than 300,000 migrants in December — the highest monthly total on record. Screenshot via Fox News Zoom out: A key turning point for Democrats came when major cities began sounding the alarm over their ability to serve thousands of newly arrived migrants. "Democrats have certainly shifted," Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), a key voice on immigration, told Axios. "It is mainly because they're now starting to feel and see what we in the border communities have been experiencing for so many years." The migrant crisis has caused tensions to escalate between Biden and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, while other cities have also been demanding more federal support. "It's just inarguable that Greg Abbott has had no better ally than the mayor of New York," said one former Biden official, who admitted the situation in cities has forced some Democrats to change their tune. The big picture: Biden has sought to embrace a tougher image and policies on the border, but the historic wave of crossings has still not slowed. He now faces an outdated, underfunded, backlogged immigration system at the mercy of a narrowly divided Congress in the middle of an election cycle. Trump, meanwhile, has relentlessly campaigned on the border crisis and used dehumanizing rhetoric about undocumented immigrants "poisoning the blood of our country." Keep reading

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New York City is suing charter bus companies for transporting migrants from Texas

New York (AP) — New York City is suing more than a dozen charter bus companies for $700 million, accusing them of illegally transporting tens of thousands of migrants from the southern border to the city under the direction of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

https://apnews.com/article/mayor-eric-adams-bus-migrants-greg-abbott-cc9b1f7a7b1adf0fcd5c4e448a44dfac?