As we close out this week, the Collaborative is back with another Stories of the Week recap. From an expansion of ICE personnel to demonstrations in Mexico, here are the top stories impacting the well-being of im/migrants this week.
– Sophia Benavente
TOP STORY OF THE WEEK
As ICE promotes signing bonuses and uses celebrity endorsements to encourage Americans to join its ranks, experts warn that such a push could endanger public safety. Shifts in vital personnel to immigration enforcement expands efforts to detain and deport im/migrants, the vast majority with no criminal record.
ICE is leaning hard on recruitment, but immigration experts say that could come at a price
NATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
Some immigrants seeking green cards may be placed in removal proceedings, USCIS says
According to a new Trump administration policy, federal immigration authorities may begin removal proceedings for immigrants lacking legal status and applying to become residents through a spouse or other family members. Effective immediately, the policy authorizes USCIS to begin removal proceedings for a green card applicant “at any point in the process.”
Judge Orders Halt to Construction at Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center
A federal judge ruled on Thursday that Florida must temporarily stop construction of the Everglades immigration detention center, after environmental groups argued that the project went without completing an environmental review required by federal law.
‘This is sending a message’: DOJ moves to sanction lawyer who took pro bono deportation case
The Justice Department is asking a federal judge to impose a “substantial monetary sanction” on a CA lawyer who attempted to block the deportation of his client. Legal experts say this is part of a continued pressure campaign by the Trump administration on law firms he regards as opposing his agenda.
INTERNATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
A migrant march in Mexico continues despite scrutiny of organiser’s arrest
A march northward has begun in the Mexican state of Chiapas, in protest of polices that make legal immigration status in Mexico difficult to achieve. While the demonstration has been overshadowed by the arrest of one of the main organizers, Luis Garcia Villagran, it has still drawn attention to issues such as slow processing time for asylum applications in Mexico and other hurdles to achieving legal immigration status.
‘We are scapegoats’: The rise of anti-migrant anger in Poland
Anti-migrant sentiment in Poland has risen as a result of far-right rhetoric, including that the country has faced “unconstrained illegal migration.” Harsh rhetoric claiming migrants take local jobs and that their “foreign lifestyle” poses a threat to Poles has been pushed by lawmakers.
HEART-WARMERS OF THE WEEK
Americans’ views on immigration hits a 5-year high in new poll
Thank you for reading the IWB Stories of the Week series! Stay tuned for next week’s edition.
Sophia Benavente is a Law & Policy Intern at the Im/migrant Well-Being Scholar Collaborative. She contributes by writing blog posts, translating materials, and assisting with research.