As we conclude this week, the Collaborative is back with another Stories of the Week recap. From a House vote to reopen the Department of Homeland Security to shifting immigration policies in Japan, here are the top stories impacting im/migrant well-being this week.
– Sophia Benavente, Law and Policy Intern
TOP STORY OF THE WEEK
The House narrowly passed a party-line vote of 215 to 211 that would funnel an additional $70 billion into immigration enforcement, specifically to fund ICE and CBP through the rest of Trump’s second term. This is a vital step in Republicans’ plan to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, ending an 11-week government shutdown.
House Adopts Budget to Unlock $70 Billion for Immigration Enforcement
NATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
Supreme Court appears to lean toward ending TPS for some migrants
The Supreme Court appeared poised to side with the Trump administration in a case that could pave the way for mass deportations of over a million people currently living and working legally in the US under Temporary Protected Status.
Illinois commission recommends investigating federal immigration agents for misconduct and criminal charges
An independent Illinois commission released a report Thursday concluding that federal agents during Operation Midway Blitz—the Trump administration’s mass deportation operation in Chicago—committed serious misconduct that warrant criminal investigation. Among the report’s findings were high-speed vehicular pursuits, extreme physical force, indiscriminate use of chemical agents, shootings, and other misuses of federal power and force.
¡Hablemos! With Dr. Emir Estrada
Dr. Emir Estrada is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the School of Human Evolution & Social Change at Arizona State University. She is a qualitative immigration scholar interested in the migration and incorporation aspects of immigrants from Latin America. Her research interests in immigration and gender are influenced in great part by her own immigration experience. Rick Tzompa Chimal interviewed Dr. Estrada in March 2026 to discuss her research through her sociocultural focus on im/migrant groups and communities, her recent scholarship, and the future of her research.
How Do Immigration Policies Affect Children’s Access to Early Childhood Education and Family Engagement in Schools?
Latino children, the majority of which have at least one immigrant parent, face challenges when it comes to education. Lower parental education, limited income, and for Latino immigrant families, learning a new language and understanding how the U.S. education system works, present additional obstacles to educational attainment. In response, Early Childhood Education programs help to shrink gaps in immigrant Latino children’s education. This episode of the Im/migrant Lives podcast discusses how immigration policies affect access to these programs and to education generally.
INTERNATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
UK lowers population growth estimate as immigration slows
The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revised its population growth forecast downward, now projecting the country’s population will reach 71 million by mid-2034—about 1.2 million fewer than previously estimated—due to lower than expected immigration.
Two Sides of Japan’s Immigration Policy: Welcoming Migrant Workers and Excluding Asylum Seekers
Japan actively recruits migrant workers to address labor shortages while simultaneously denying those same workers basic legal protections and rights. A 2023 amendment to the Immigration Control Act tightened asylum rules and increased deportations, leaving thousands of undocumented migrants barred from working and cutoff from public services.
HEART-WARMERS OF THE WEEK
Immigrants and families rally at Supreme Court during TPS arguments
Study: Immigrants help address the US eldercare shortage
Thank you for reading the IWB Stories of the Week series! Stay tuned for next week’s edition.
Sophia Benavente serves as a Law and Policy Intern at the Im/migrant Well-Being Scholar Collaborative. She contributes by writing blog posts, translating materials, and assisting with research.