As we end this week, the Collaborative is back with another Stories of the Week recap. From marking one year of the second Trump administration to ICE quietly releasing some immigrant families from a Texas detention center, here are the top stories impacting im/migrant well-being from January 16th to January 23rd.
– Thomas J. Rachko, Jr.
TOP STORY OF THE WEEK
“The Trump administration has redefined immigration, shifting from viewing it as a beneficial phenomenon for the country to seeing it as a threat to our national security and the well-being of American citizens,” Doris Meissner, director of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), noted last week. “The extent of the use of administrative authority that we are witnessing is unprecedented.” As El Pais reports, many immigrants have preferred not to come or even to self-deport under the Trump administration even if doing so means leaving family and a country that they were once welcomed in.
The great crackdown: The year Trump envisioned a United States without immigrants
NATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
Minneapolis area hotels shut down, citing ‘safety and well-being’
Hotels are closing in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region because of safety concerns. The Double Tree in downtown St. Paul informed some guests of its closure with a notice stating: “Please know that your safety and well-being will always be our top priority. We are taking this step out of care for you, our team members, and the surrounding community.”
Doctors in Minnesota decry fear and chaos amid Trump administration’s immigration crackdown
Doctors decry stories of immigrant patients suffering amid the immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Federal immigration enforcement at hospitals and medical facilities has led to increased chaos and fear among immigrant communities.
INTERNATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
The Uru Chipaya, one of South America’s most ancient civilizations, in Bolivia are facing drought and an ensuing migration to Chile. Indigenous communities are on the brink of extinction as the climate crisis wreaks havoc on their land.
Migrant activists cry foul as Venezuelans trying to register get deportation orders
20 Venezuelan migrants have been issued deportation orders from Trinidad and Tobago for illegal entry since December. The country’s Legal Notice No. 470, the Immigration (Exemption from Work Permit) (Immigrants) Order, 2025, allows registered undocumented immigrants to live and work legally in Trinidad and Tobago from January 1, 2026, to September 30, 2026.
HEART-WARMERS OF THE WEEK
ICE is freeing some detained families despite vowing ‘zero releases’: Exclusive
Thank you for reading the IWB Stories of the Week series! Stay tuned for next week’s edition.
Thomas J. Rachko, Jr. serves as Policy Lead at the Im/migrant Well-Being Scholar Collaborative. He works alongside affiliate scholars to translate academic research in accessible ways for policymakers, advocates, and activists to make change.