As we end this week, the Collaborative is back with another Stories of the Week recap. From the Trump administration announcing the halt of visa processing for 75 nations to teachers and parents in California stepping up to help students get to school, here are the top stories impacting im/migrant well-being from January 9th to January 16th.
– Thomas J. Rachko, Jr.
TOP STORY OF THE WEEK
The Trump administration is halting visa processing for 75 countries including Brazil, Iran, Russia, and Somalia. “This new announcement is effectively an immigration ban on a very significant portion of the world coming to the United States,” Elora Mukherjee, director of Columbia Law School’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic told the Washington Post. “While claiming the decision was motivated by public benefits, we’re seeing an administration intent on demolishing nearly all legal pathways for immigrants to come to the United States from countries where people are overwhelmingly Brown and Black.”
Trump administration indefinitely pauses immigrant visa processing for 75 nations
NATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
Was 2025 the ‘Deadliest Year’ for Immigrants in ICE Custody?
ICE reported 32 migrants died in its custody during the 2025 calendar year, the highest death toll since 2004. According to data analysis by the American Immigration Council, from the start of the Trump administration to December 2025, the number of people in immigration detention increased by almost 75 percent, with nearly 66,000 people held in immigration detention across the United States — the highest level in history.
ICE’s Murder of Renee Nicole Good Was Not an Aberration — It Is the New Normal
The fatal shooting of Renee Good was one of 11 civilians shot at by ICE agents over the last four months. The surge of federal immigration officers to major cities across the country has led to a surge in violence.
Fearing arrest and deportation, immigrant parents look for willing guardians for their kids
After the deployment of U.S. Border Patrol to New Orleans, Louisiana, undocumented immigrant parents have reported that they stopped going to work and have lived in isolation for fear of arrest and deportation. Some parents are creating guardianship arrangements for their children should they be detained.
INTERNATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
‘History will tell’: as US pressure grows, Cuba edges closer to collapse amid mass exodus
Between 2022 and 2023, there was an 18% decrease in the Cuban population due to migration. Hundreds of thousands are leaving each year due to a myriad of causes including U.S. trade embargo, decades of economic crisis, crumbling public services, political repression and widespread disillusionment with the revolution.
Trump adds 25 countries to costly U.S. visa bond policy
Effective January 21st, another 25 countries were added to the State Department’s list of nation’s whose citizens may be required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for U.S. entry. The countries on this list are mostly from African nations.
HEART-WARMERS OF THE WEEK
Looking out for ICE: California parents, teachers help students get to school
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