UPDATES FROM THE JCIRA LEGISLATION/POLICY TRACKING TEAM
Disclaimer: JCIRA’s Federal Legislation/Policy Tracking Team does not provide original reporting or legal advice. Our team curates a weekly collection of updates in the area of national immigration policy from journalists, government sources, and subject matter experts that directly impact the immigrant community on the Olympic Peninsula. Please refer to the cited sources. For more information on how to take action on pending policies and legislation, please visit 5 Calls and the Take Action Network. You can also diretly email Washington state's U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, as well as U.S. House Representative, Emily Randall.
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january 16, 2026
Washington State
Report: Federal immigration agents continued using Washington driver data through state-run system
Last July, KING 5 Investigators revealed that the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) had been sharing driver information with immigration enforcement, in violation of state law. After public backlash, state leaders said they shut down that access to ICE. According to a report from the University of Washington Center for Human Rights (UWCFR), federal immigration authorities continued getting driver data through a different channel. Agents used a Washington State Patrol system called ACCESS which connects to a national law-enforcement network known as Nlets. Through ACCESS and Nlets, can enter a license plate number and receive driver and vehicle information from DOL within seconds.
Source: King 5 News 1/28/26
Federal Agencies
ICE Agents Use Secret Rules to Justify Lethal Force
ICE’s "Firearms and Use of Force" policy is almost entirely redacted, leaving the public in the dark about when agents can legally pull the trigger. Newly surfaced documents reveal that while DHS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) maintain public guidelines for the use of force, the specific directive governing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remains almost entirely hidden from the public behind heavy redactions. While the overarching DHS Use of Force Policy and the CBP Use of Force Handbook are publicly accessible, ICE Directive 19009.3, titled “Firearms and Use of Force,” is a wall of black ink. The document uses a law enforcement exemption to redact nearly every substantive page of the policy. This “blackout” leaves the American public in the dark regarding the specific rules of engagement for the very agency involved in Wednesday’s fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good.
Source: Migrant Insider 1/9/26
Trump administration ending legal protections for 2,500 Somalis
A Department of Homeland Security official said the Trump administration had decided to terminate Somalia's Temporary Protected Status program, which allows beneficiaries to live and work in the U.S. without fear of deportation. Nationals of Somalia enrolled in the TPS program are now set to lose their legal status and work permits on March 17. The DHS official said roughly 2,500 Somali immigrants with TPS are expected to be affected by the termination.
Source: CBS News 1/13/26
Bloody Week Triggers National Revolt Against ICE Funding
In a powerful ultimatum delivered to Capitol Hill today, a massive coalition of over 100 civil rights and human rights organizations demanded that Congress immediately halt all funding increases for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).The letter, led by groups including the ACLU and the National Immigration Law Center, comes as the nation reels from a week of “lawlessness” that saw federal agents kill a mother of three in Minneapolis and gun down two others in Portland. The coalition letter presents a stark choice for lawmakers as they debate the FY2026 appropriations bill, which currently seeks billions to expand detention capacity to 50,000 beds and fuel a “mass removal campaign” of one million people per year.
Source: Migrant Insider 1/9/26
US national parks staff say new $100 fee for non-residents risks ‘alienating visitors for decades’
Under the new system, every person who is not a resident of the US and visits any of 11 popular national parks, including Glacier and Yellowstone, now has to pay the $100 charge along with the existing park entrance fee. Acceptable documents to prove citizenship or residency include a U.S. Passport, U.S. government (state or territory)-issued driver's license or state ID, or Permanent Resident card ("green card"). A national park staffer said it felt “awkward” asking for passports or green cards from visitors. “Most of our visitors are foreign tourists, so I expect we will see a drop in visitation,” an NPS worker said.
Source: The Guardian 1/8/26
National Park Service
Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods
A social media and phone surveillance system ICE bought access to is designed to monitor a city neighborhood or block for mobile phones, track the movements of those devices and their owners over time, and follow them from their places of work to home or other locations, according to material that describes how the system works obtained by 404 Media. Commercial location data, in this case acquired from hundreds of millions of phones via a company called Penlink, can be queried without a warrant, according to an internal ICE legal analysis. Senator Ron Wyden, whose office has repeatedly investigated the location data industry stated that, “Under Trump, ICE has terrorized American cities with zero regard for due process or the wishes of the people who live there. In the hands of Trump’s shock troops, location data could do tremendous harm to people who have done nothing wrong.”
Source: 404 Media 1/10/26
US will suspend immigrant visa processing from 75 countries over public assistance concerns
The State Department said Wednesday (1/14) that it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries whose nationals the Trump administration has deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States. The suspension, which will begin Jan. 21, will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, or temporary tourist or business visas, who make up the vast majority of visa seekers. However, a separate notice said that non-immigrant visa applicants should be screened for the possibility that they might seek public benefits in the United States. A full list of countries affected by the suspension is available at the linked article.
Source: Associated Press 1/14/26
ICE error meant some recruits were sent into field offices without proper training, sources say
The AI tool used by ICE to process resumes was tasked with looking for new recruits with law enforcement experience to be placed into the agency’s Law Enforcement Officer program. It requires four weeks of online training. Applicants without law enforcement backgrounds are required to take an eight-week in-person course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Georgia, which includes courses in immigration law and handling a gun, as well as physical fitness tests. Two law enforcement officials familiar with the error said the AI tool sent people with the word “officer” on their résumés to the shorter four-week online training — for example, a “compliance officer” or people who said they aspired to be ICE officers. The majority of the new applicants were flagged as law enforcement officers, the officials said, but many had no experience in any local police or federal law enforcement force. “They now have to bring them back to FLETC,” said one of the officials. The officials weren’t sure how many officers were improperly trained. It’s also not clear how many may have been sent out to begin immigration arrests.
Source: NBC News - 1/14/26
Executive Orders / Proclamations / Court Challenges
Judge blocks Trump administration from revoking immigration parole
On January 10th U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a temporary restraining order that extends the “family reunification parole” status of immigrants who were set to see it expire on January 14th as part of the administration’s broad crackdown on immigration. She stated that immigration officials had failed to notify those affected despite a requirement that they receive direct notification. These are people who have done everything the government has asked of them and, in many cases, were only weeks or months away from finally receiving their green cards.
Source: Politico, 1/10/2026
Hundreds of Judges Reject Trump’s Mandatory Detention Policy with No End in Sight
More than 300 judges have now rebuffed the administration’s six-month old effort to expand its so called “mandatory detention” policy, according to Politico analysis of court documents from across the country. Those judges have ordered immigrants’ release or the opportunity for a bond hearing in more than 1600 cases. Despite the overwhelming legal consensus, there has been no nation-wide block on the policy. That’s partly because most cases are filed on an emergency basis by individuals in the hours after they are arrested — with little time to assemble large groups that could mount a broad challenge.
Source: Politico 1/5/26
Minnesota and Illinois Sue Trump Administration Over ICE Deployments
State and city officials in Minnesota and Illinois filed federal lawsuits against the Trump administration on Monday, claiming that the mass deployment of immigration agents to both regions violated the U.S. Constitution and infringed on state rights. Illinois asked the judge to block U.S. Customs and Border Protection “from conducting civil immigration enforcement” in the state without “express congressional authorization.” The Minnesota lawsuit asked the judge to block the federal government from “implementing the unprecedented surge in Minnesota.”
Source: New York Times 1/12/26
Report: Federal immigration agents continued using Washington driver data through state-run system
Last July, KING 5 Investigators revealed that the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) had been sharing driver information with immigration enforcement, in violation of state law. After public backlash, state leaders said they shut down that access to ICE. According to a report from the University of Washington Center for Human Rights (UWCFR), federal immigration authorities continued getting driver data through a different channel. Agents used a Washington State Patrol system called ACCESS which connects to a national law-enforcement network known as Nlets. Through ACCESS and Nlets, can enter a license plate number and receive driver and vehicle information from DOL within seconds.
Source: King 5 News 1/28/26
Federal Agencies
ICE Agents Use Secret Rules to Justify Lethal Force
ICE’s "Firearms and Use of Force" policy is almost entirely redacted, leaving the public in the dark about when agents can legally pull the trigger. Newly surfaced documents reveal that while DHS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) maintain public guidelines for the use of force, the specific directive governing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remains almost entirely hidden from the public behind heavy redactions. While the overarching DHS Use of Force Policy and the CBP Use of Force Handbook are publicly accessible, ICE Directive 19009.3, titled “Firearms and Use of Force,” is a wall of black ink. The document uses a law enforcement exemption to redact nearly every substantive page of the policy. This “blackout” leaves the American public in the dark regarding the specific rules of engagement for the very agency involved in Wednesday’s fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good.
Source: Migrant Insider 1/9/26
Trump administration ending legal protections for 2,500 Somalis
A Department of Homeland Security official said the Trump administration had decided to terminate Somalia's Temporary Protected Status program, which allows beneficiaries to live and work in the U.S. without fear of deportation. Nationals of Somalia enrolled in the TPS program are now set to lose their legal status and work permits on March 17. The DHS official said roughly 2,500 Somali immigrants with TPS are expected to be affected by the termination.
Source: CBS News 1/13/26
Bloody Week Triggers National Revolt Against ICE Funding
In a powerful ultimatum delivered to Capitol Hill today, a massive coalition of over 100 civil rights and human rights organizations demanded that Congress immediately halt all funding increases for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).The letter, led by groups including the ACLU and the National Immigration Law Center, comes as the nation reels from a week of “lawlessness” that saw federal agents kill a mother of three in Minneapolis and gun down two others in Portland. The coalition letter presents a stark choice for lawmakers as they debate the FY2026 appropriations bill, which currently seeks billions to expand detention capacity to 50,000 beds and fuel a “mass removal campaign” of one million people per year.
Source: Migrant Insider 1/9/26
US national parks staff say new $100 fee for non-residents risks ‘alienating visitors for decades’
Under the new system, every person who is not a resident of the US and visits any of 11 popular national parks, including Glacier and Yellowstone, now has to pay the $100 charge along with the existing park entrance fee. Acceptable documents to prove citizenship or residency include a U.S. Passport, U.S. government (state or territory)-issued driver's license or state ID, or Permanent Resident card ("green card"). A national park staffer said it felt “awkward” asking for passports or green cards from visitors. “Most of our visitors are foreign tourists, so I expect we will see a drop in visitation,” an NPS worker said.
Source: The Guardian 1/8/26
National Park Service
Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods
A social media and phone surveillance system ICE bought access to is designed to monitor a city neighborhood or block for mobile phones, track the movements of those devices and their owners over time, and follow them from their places of work to home or other locations, according to material that describes how the system works obtained by 404 Media. Commercial location data, in this case acquired from hundreds of millions of phones via a company called Penlink, can be queried without a warrant, according to an internal ICE legal analysis. Senator Ron Wyden, whose office has repeatedly investigated the location data industry stated that, “Under Trump, ICE has terrorized American cities with zero regard for due process or the wishes of the people who live there. In the hands of Trump’s shock troops, location data could do tremendous harm to people who have done nothing wrong.”
Source: 404 Media 1/10/26
US will suspend immigrant visa processing from 75 countries over public assistance concerns
The State Department said Wednesday (1/14) that it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries whose nationals the Trump administration has deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States. The suspension, which will begin Jan. 21, will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, or temporary tourist or business visas, who make up the vast majority of visa seekers. However, a separate notice said that non-immigrant visa applicants should be screened for the possibility that they might seek public benefits in the United States. A full list of countries affected by the suspension is available at the linked article.
Source: Associated Press 1/14/26
ICE error meant some recruits were sent into field offices without proper training, sources say
The AI tool used by ICE to process resumes was tasked with looking for new recruits with law enforcement experience to be placed into the agency’s Law Enforcement Officer program. It requires four weeks of online training. Applicants without law enforcement backgrounds are required to take an eight-week in-person course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Georgia, which includes courses in immigration law and handling a gun, as well as physical fitness tests. Two law enforcement officials familiar with the error said the AI tool sent people with the word “officer” on their résumés to the shorter four-week online training — for example, a “compliance officer” or people who said they aspired to be ICE officers. The majority of the new applicants were flagged as law enforcement officers, the officials said, but many had no experience in any local police or federal law enforcement force. “They now have to bring them back to FLETC,” said one of the officials. The officials weren’t sure how many officers were improperly trained. It’s also not clear how many may have been sent out to begin immigration arrests.
Source: NBC News - 1/14/26
Executive Orders / Proclamations / Court Challenges
Judge blocks Trump administration from revoking immigration parole
On January 10th U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a temporary restraining order that extends the “family reunification parole” status of immigrants who were set to see it expire on January 14th as part of the administration’s broad crackdown on immigration. She stated that immigration officials had failed to notify those affected despite a requirement that they receive direct notification. These are people who have done everything the government has asked of them and, in many cases, were only weeks or months away from finally receiving their green cards.
Source: Politico, 1/10/2026
Hundreds of Judges Reject Trump’s Mandatory Detention Policy with No End in Sight
More than 300 judges have now rebuffed the administration’s six-month old effort to expand its so called “mandatory detention” policy, according to Politico analysis of court documents from across the country. Those judges have ordered immigrants’ release or the opportunity for a bond hearing in more than 1600 cases. Despite the overwhelming legal consensus, there has been no nation-wide block on the policy. That’s partly because most cases are filed on an emergency basis by individuals in the hours after they are arrested — with little time to assemble large groups that could mount a broad challenge.
Source: Politico 1/5/26
Minnesota and Illinois Sue Trump Administration Over ICE Deployments
State and city officials in Minnesota and Illinois filed federal lawsuits against the Trump administration on Monday, claiming that the mass deployment of immigration agents to both regions violated the U.S. Constitution and infringed on state rights. Illinois asked the judge to block U.S. Customs and Border Protection “from conducting civil immigration enforcement” in the state without “express congressional authorization.” The Minnesota lawsuit asked the judge to block the federal government from “implementing the unprecedented surge in Minnesota.”
Source: New York Times 1/12/26
JANUARY 9, 2026
Washington State
Seattle-area Somalis seek officials’ help with daycare doxxing, immigration crackdown
In a meeting with Gov. Bob Ferguson and Seattle-area elected officials on Monday, members of the Seattle-area Somali community said they are reeling from the impact of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric — he recently referred to Somali Americans as “garbage” — and from an immigration crackdown that has sent people to detention or left them unable to work. Asia Adam, executive director of West Seattle-based nonprofit Our Hope, which offers services for immigrants and refugees, says local Somali child care providers are seeing their licensing information posted online. Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Director Hamdi Mohamed urged people to take any questions about licensing to the state’s Department of Children,Youth and Families.
Source: KUOW 12/30/25
Masked ICE agents reportedly arrest 3 on Seattle’s Aurora Avenue North
Seattle police responded to reports that armed, masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested three men, pulling them into an unmarked van, on Aurora Avenue in North Seattle Wednesday. Arriving SPD officers said they encountered three men with guns who identified themselves as ICE agents. Citizens reported seeing them transfer three men from an unmarked white van to unmarked SUVs in the area. It’s not immediately known why those three men were arrested. “I want to emphasize what I have been sharing with concerned community members for months: The Seattle Police Department is here to keep people safe, regardless of anyone’s immigration status,” Seattle Police Chief Barnes wrote. “The City of Seattle is a welcoming city and we abide by all State laws and regulations that prohibit the Seattle Police Department’s participation in immigration enforcement. “We have no authority over federal agents, but we will document all incidents and protect the rights of all people in the city.”
Source: Seattle Times 1/8/26
Federal Agencies
Trump's first year sees immigration detention numbers reach unprecedented level
When Trump returned to office, approximately 39,000 people were in ICE custody. By year's end, that number surged to more than 65,000 detainees.The Trump administration has overseen a dramatic expansion of immigration detention which has been fueled by significant funding increases, including $170 billion over four years for immigration enforcement, $30 billion for detention and deportation operations, $45 billion for new immigrant detention facilities and $47 billion for border wall construction. ICE deportation flights have also increased dramatically with monthly flight operations rising from approximately 437 flights to 1,000 flights per month. As of September, detainees spent an average of 44 days in immigration detention, according to data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. The Migration Policy Institute projects the detained population could reach as high as 107,000 by January 2026, with detention budgets expected to grow by $45 billion over three years.
Source: NBC 12/29/25
After judge’s ruling, HHS authorized to resume sharing some Medicaid data with deportation officers
In a blow to the 22 states, including Washington State, who sued the Trump administration to stop the practice of the Health and Human Service (HHS) agency sharing Medicaid data with deportation officials, San Francisco US District court judge Vince Chhabria ruled that HHS can resume sharing the personal data. The decision strictly limits the scope of data that can be shared — for now only allowing the agency to hand over “basic biographical, location and contact information” about immigrants residing in the United States illegally. He wrote in a court filing that this sharing “is clearly authorized by law and the agencies have adequately explained their decisions.” This ruling does not allow HHS to give detailed, sensitive medical information about enrollees to the Department of Homeland Security or ICE. They also can’t hand over Medicaid data about U.S. citizens or legal immigrants in the 22 plaintiff states.
Source: The Seattle Times 1/5/26
Trump Expands His Travel Ban: What You Need to Know
On December 16, President Trump issued an enlarged travel ban, restricting the entry of nationals of 20 new countries, bringing the total to 39. With this new ban in place, roughly 1 in 5 people seeking to immigrate to the United States legally are now barred from doing so. In addition, the Trump administration moved to eliminate multiple exceptions included in the June 2025 ban. Immediate relatives of U.S citizens, children adopted abroad, and Afghans seeking Special Immigrant Visas for their work assisting U.S. armed forces are no longer eligible for visas if they come from one of the 39 countries that are now subject to bans. Because the travel ban restricts entry, there are no immediate impacts on people who are currently in the United States. However, in late November, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) put in place a blanket pause on all immigration actions, including visa petitions, green card applications, and even citizenship oath ceremonies. These suspensions now include nationals from all 39 banned countries.
Source: American Immigration Council 12/19/25
Trump canceled temporary legal status for more than 1.5 million immigrants in 2025
Since Inauguration Day, more than 1.5 million immigrants have either lost or will lose their temporary legal status, including their work authorizations and deportation protections, due to President Donald Trump’s aggressive revocation of legal immigration. “We’ve never seen this many people lose their legal status in the history of the United States,” David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute said. People losing their status are concentrated in certain areas. Florida has more than 400,000 TPS recipients, and Texas has nearly 150,000. Bier said he expects certain industries with high TPS workers to feel the impact, such as construction and health care. As of March 2025, Washington State has over 18,000 TPS recipients.
Source: WLRN Public Media 12/29/25
USCIS Suspends Approvals of Pending Diversity Visa Adjustment Applications While Security Reviews Are Conducted
The state department has temporarily suspended issuance of Diversity Visas (DV) to allow U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to undertake a review of screening and vetting protocols, with the goal of ensuring that the agency can adequately establish the identity and visa eligibility of applicants and verify that they do not present a threat to national security or public safety.The Diversity Visa program typically makes up to 50,000 immigrant visa applications available annually for people from countries with low US immigration rates. Previously issued DV immigrant visas remain valid, and the agency will continue to accept applications and hold interviews, but no DV immigrant visas will be issued during the pause .As such, if these holds are lengthy, they could have a serious adverse impact on foreign nationals applying for permanent residence through the DV program.
Source: Fragomen LLP 12/24/25
Executive Orders / Proclamations / Court Challenges
Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Immigration Court Arrests U.S. Federal Judge Casey Pitts, Northern District
A federal judge in San Francisco on Wednesday found that the Trump administration illegally moved to end temporary deportation protections for tens of thousands of people from Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua. In her ruling, Judge Trina L. Thompson found that the efforts of the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, to terminate protections for people from the three countries had been preordained and driven by an intent to target the Temporary Protected Status program, known as T.P.S. and had failed to address key issues, notably “food insecurity in Nepal, staggering crime in Honduras, or the humanitarian crises in Nicaragua.”
Source: Courthouse News 12/31/2025
Seattle-area Somalis seek officials’ help with daycare doxxing, immigration crackdown
In a meeting with Gov. Bob Ferguson and Seattle-area elected officials on Monday, members of the Seattle-area Somali community said they are reeling from the impact of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric — he recently referred to Somali Americans as “garbage” — and from an immigration crackdown that has sent people to detention or left them unable to work. Asia Adam, executive director of West Seattle-based nonprofit Our Hope, which offers services for immigrants and refugees, says local Somali child care providers are seeing their licensing information posted online. Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Director Hamdi Mohamed urged people to take any questions about licensing to the state’s Department of Children,Youth and Families.
Source: KUOW 12/30/25
Masked ICE agents reportedly arrest 3 on Seattle’s Aurora Avenue North
Seattle police responded to reports that armed, masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested three men, pulling them into an unmarked van, on Aurora Avenue in North Seattle Wednesday. Arriving SPD officers said they encountered three men with guns who identified themselves as ICE agents. Citizens reported seeing them transfer three men from an unmarked white van to unmarked SUVs in the area. It’s not immediately known why those three men were arrested. “I want to emphasize what I have been sharing with concerned community members for months: The Seattle Police Department is here to keep people safe, regardless of anyone’s immigration status,” Seattle Police Chief Barnes wrote. “The City of Seattle is a welcoming city and we abide by all State laws and regulations that prohibit the Seattle Police Department’s participation in immigration enforcement. “We have no authority over federal agents, but we will document all incidents and protect the rights of all people in the city.”
Source: Seattle Times 1/8/26
Federal Agencies
Trump's first year sees immigration detention numbers reach unprecedented level
When Trump returned to office, approximately 39,000 people were in ICE custody. By year's end, that number surged to more than 65,000 detainees.The Trump administration has overseen a dramatic expansion of immigration detention which has been fueled by significant funding increases, including $170 billion over four years for immigration enforcement, $30 billion for detention and deportation operations, $45 billion for new immigrant detention facilities and $47 billion for border wall construction. ICE deportation flights have also increased dramatically with monthly flight operations rising from approximately 437 flights to 1,000 flights per month. As of September, detainees spent an average of 44 days in immigration detention, according to data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. The Migration Policy Institute projects the detained population could reach as high as 107,000 by January 2026, with detention budgets expected to grow by $45 billion over three years.
Source: NBC 12/29/25
After judge’s ruling, HHS authorized to resume sharing some Medicaid data with deportation officers
In a blow to the 22 states, including Washington State, who sued the Trump administration to stop the practice of the Health and Human Service (HHS) agency sharing Medicaid data with deportation officials, San Francisco US District court judge Vince Chhabria ruled that HHS can resume sharing the personal data. The decision strictly limits the scope of data that can be shared — for now only allowing the agency to hand over “basic biographical, location and contact information” about immigrants residing in the United States illegally. He wrote in a court filing that this sharing “is clearly authorized by law and the agencies have adequately explained their decisions.” This ruling does not allow HHS to give detailed, sensitive medical information about enrollees to the Department of Homeland Security or ICE. They also can’t hand over Medicaid data about U.S. citizens or legal immigrants in the 22 plaintiff states.
Source: The Seattle Times 1/5/26
Trump Expands His Travel Ban: What You Need to Know
On December 16, President Trump issued an enlarged travel ban, restricting the entry of nationals of 20 new countries, bringing the total to 39. With this new ban in place, roughly 1 in 5 people seeking to immigrate to the United States legally are now barred from doing so. In addition, the Trump administration moved to eliminate multiple exceptions included in the June 2025 ban. Immediate relatives of U.S citizens, children adopted abroad, and Afghans seeking Special Immigrant Visas for their work assisting U.S. armed forces are no longer eligible for visas if they come from one of the 39 countries that are now subject to bans. Because the travel ban restricts entry, there are no immediate impacts on people who are currently in the United States. However, in late November, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) put in place a blanket pause on all immigration actions, including visa petitions, green card applications, and even citizenship oath ceremonies. These suspensions now include nationals from all 39 banned countries.
Source: American Immigration Council 12/19/25
Trump canceled temporary legal status for more than 1.5 million immigrants in 2025
Since Inauguration Day, more than 1.5 million immigrants have either lost or will lose their temporary legal status, including their work authorizations and deportation protections, due to President Donald Trump’s aggressive revocation of legal immigration. “We’ve never seen this many people lose their legal status in the history of the United States,” David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute said. People losing their status are concentrated in certain areas. Florida has more than 400,000 TPS recipients, and Texas has nearly 150,000. Bier said he expects certain industries with high TPS workers to feel the impact, such as construction and health care. As of March 2025, Washington State has over 18,000 TPS recipients.
Source: WLRN Public Media 12/29/25
USCIS Suspends Approvals of Pending Diversity Visa Adjustment Applications While Security Reviews Are Conducted
The state department has temporarily suspended issuance of Diversity Visas (DV) to allow U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to undertake a review of screening and vetting protocols, with the goal of ensuring that the agency can adequately establish the identity and visa eligibility of applicants and verify that they do not present a threat to national security or public safety.The Diversity Visa program typically makes up to 50,000 immigrant visa applications available annually for people from countries with low US immigration rates. Previously issued DV immigrant visas remain valid, and the agency will continue to accept applications and hold interviews, but no DV immigrant visas will be issued during the pause .As such, if these holds are lengthy, they could have a serious adverse impact on foreign nationals applying for permanent residence through the DV program.
Source: Fragomen LLP 12/24/25
Executive Orders / Proclamations / Court Challenges
Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Immigration Court Arrests U.S. Federal Judge Casey Pitts, Northern District
A federal judge in San Francisco on Wednesday found that the Trump administration illegally moved to end temporary deportation protections for tens of thousands of people from Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua. In her ruling, Judge Trina L. Thompson found that the efforts of the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, to terminate protections for people from the three countries had been preordained and driven by an intent to target the Temporary Protected Status program, known as T.P.S. and had failed to address key issues, notably “food insecurity in Nepal, staggering crime in Honduras, or the humanitarian crises in Nicaragua.”
Source: Courthouse News 12/31/2025
DECEMBER 18, 2025
Legislation
Seven Democrats Vote for GOP Bill Allowing Strip Searches, Detention of Immigrant Children
On 12/16, the House passed HR 4731, a bill the ACLU describes as “masquerading as protective legislation, but actually exposes children to violence and criminalization.”
First, the bill would allow immigration agents to subject unaccompanied children as young as 12 to invasive bodily searches to search for “gang affiliation” markings before authorizing their release. Nothing in the bill prevents agents from subjecting children to a strip search to find such markings. The bill would also subject children to prolonged and unnecessary detention in
prison-like conditions by denying them release to family who are not lawful permanent residents or U.S. citizens. This would mean that children who came alone to the U.S. to reunite with family who are in the U.S. on visas or undocumented parents would be subject to prolonged detention during their immigration proceedings instead of at home with their loved ones.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
Source: ACLU 12/12/25
Federal Agencies
Immigration Agents are using air passenger data for deportation efforts
The Transportation and Safety Administration (TSA) is now providing passenger lists to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to identify and detain travelers subject to deportation orders. The partnership between airport security and the immigration agency, which began quietly in March, is the latest way the Trump administration is increasing cooperation and information sharing between federal agencies in service of the president’s goal of carrying out the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history. Under the previously undisclosed program, TSA provides lists of travelers multiple times a week. ICE has historically avoided interfering with domestic travel but is now matching the lists against its own database to send agents to the airport to detain people.
Source: New York Times 12/12/25
Trump Is “Basically Shutting Down the Legal Immigration System”
The administration’s recent actions include indefinitely halting all asylum decisions, regardless of nationality, “pending a comprehensive review” as well as pausing the processing of immigration benefits for people from 19 countries. “These are not narrow, targeted shifts,” AILA’s executive director Ben Johnson said, adding that the “ripple effects” of these actions would be felt by millions of people. “These policies don’t just disrupt paperwork,” he said, “this is about throwing sand in the gears of the entire immigration system in order to end immigration.” The abrupt changes have put families in limbo and increased the odds that people who were pursuing legal status might now end up in the crosshairs of immigration enforcement.
Source: Mother Jones 12/12/25
DHS ends family reunification parole programs for Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras
The Department of Homeland Security is terminating all categorical family reunification parole (FRP) programs for aliens from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras and their immediate family members. These FRP programs allowed “beneficiaries of approved I-130 petitions in the family-based preference categories to be paroled in the United States, rather than waiting and proceeding through the immigrant visa process” according to the nonprofit Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. Now, if a person’s parole has not expired on Jan. 14, 2026, it will terminate on that date. Employment authorization would also be revoked. Exceptions include if a person has a pending Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
Source: NBC 12/12/25
Trump Administration Aims to Strip More Foreign-Born Americans of Citizenship
New guidance, issued on 12/16 to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field offices, asks that they “supply the Office of Immigration Litigation with 100-200 denaturalization cases per month” in the 2026 fiscal year. If the cases are successful, it would represent a massive escalation of denaturalization in the modern era, experts said. By comparison, between 2017 and this year to date, there had been just over 120 cases filed, according to the Justice Department. Under federal law, people may be denaturalized only if they committed fraud while applying for citizenship, or in a few other narrow circumstances. But the Trump administration has shown a zeal for using every tool at its disposal to target legal and illegal immigrants, leading activists to warn that such a campaign could sweep up people who had made honest mistakes on their citizenship paperwork and sow fear among law-abiding Americans.
Source: The New York Times 12/17/25
Executive Orders/ Proclamations/ Court Challenges
Judge Issues Injunction in Immigration Arrests in Nation’s Capitol
On 12/02/25, Federal District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington D.C. blocked the Trump administration from making widespread immigration arrests in the nation's capital without warrants or probable cause. The injunction was sought by civil liberties and immigrant rights groups, who argued that federal officers were patrolling and setting up checkpoints in neighborhoods with large numbers of Latino immigrants and stopping and arresting people indiscriminately. Officers making civil immigration arrests generally have to have an administrative warrant, but may make arrests without one if they have probable cause to believe the person is in the U.S. illegally and is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained.
In her ruling Judge Howell stated “defendants’ systemic failure to apply probable cause standard, including failure to consider escape risk, directly violates” immigration law and the DHS implementing regulations. Attorneys for the administration denied it had a policy allowing for such arrests.
Source: Associated Press 12/02/25
Judge blocks ICE policy restricting congressional oversight visits
Twelve members of the House of Representatives sued ICE and the Department of Homeland Security in DC federal court over a policy requiring members of Congress to provide seven days notice before visiting certain ICE facilities and restricting access to specific sites.
A federal judge on 12/17 temporarily blocked the new rule, finding that the lawmakers are likely to succeed in their claim that the policy violates federal law governing congressional access to detention facilities. The rules, the judge said, unlawfully prevent members of Congress from conducting unannounced oversight visits while litigation proceeds.
The government is expected to appeal.
Source: CNN 12/17/25
Trump doubles number of countries facing travel bans or restrictions, bringing list to 39 nations
The proclamation signed by President Trump on Tuesday added seven countries to the list of states facing full entry restrictions and imposed partial entry limits on immigrants and travelers from another 15 countries.
The immigration and travel restrictions include some exceptions, including for permanent U.S. residents from the countries on the list and athletes and staff participating in major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup next year. But Tuesday's proclamation also eliminated an exception, included in the June travel ban, that exempted the children, spouses and parents of U.S. citizens who had requested visas on their behalf.
Source: CBS News 12/16/25
Seven Democrats Vote for GOP Bill Allowing Strip Searches, Detention of Immigrant Children
On 12/16, the House passed HR 4731, a bill the ACLU describes as “masquerading as protective legislation, but actually exposes children to violence and criminalization.”
First, the bill would allow immigration agents to subject unaccompanied children as young as 12 to invasive bodily searches to search for “gang affiliation” markings before authorizing their release. Nothing in the bill prevents agents from subjecting children to a strip search to find such markings. The bill would also subject children to prolonged and unnecessary detention in
prison-like conditions by denying them release to family who are not lawful permanent residents or U.S. citizens. This would mean that children who came alone to the U.S. to reunite with family who are in the U.S. on visas or undocumented parents would be subject to prolonged detention during their immigration proceedings instead of at home with their loved ones.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
Source: ACLU 12/12/25
Federal Agencies
Immigration Agents are using air passenger data for deportation efforts
The Transportation and Safety Administration (TSA) is now providing passenger lists to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to identify and detain travelers subject to deportation orders. The partnership between airport security and the immigration agency, which began quietly in March, is the latest way the Trump administration is increasing cooperation and information sharing between federal agencies in service of the president’s goal of carrying out the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history. Under the previously undisclosed program, TSA provides lists of travelers multiple times a week. ICE has historically avoided interfering with domestic travel but is now matching the lists against its own database to send agents to the airport to detain people.
Source: New York Times 12/12/25
Trump Is “Basically Shutting Down the Legal Immigration System”
The administration’s recent actions include indefinitely halting all asylum decisions, regardless of nationality, “pending a comprehensive review” as well as pausing the processing of immigration benefits for people from 19 countries. “These are not narrow, targeted shifts,” AILA’s executive director Ben Johnson said, adding that the “ripple effects” of these actions would be felt by millions of people. “These policies don’t just disrupt paperwork,” he said, “this is about throwing sand in the gears of the entire immigration system in order to end immigration.” The abrupt changes have put families in limbo and increased the odds that people who were pursuing legal status might now end up in the crosshairs of immigration enforcement.
Source: Mother Jones 12/12/25
DHS ends family reunification parole programs for Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras
The Department of Homeland Security is terminating all categorical family reunification parole (FRP) programs for aliens from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras and their immediate family members. These FRP programs allowed “beneficiaries of approved I-130 petitions in the family-based preference categories to be paroled in the United States, rather than waiting and proceeding through the immigrant visa process” according to the nonprofit Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. Now, if a person’s parole has not expired on Jan. 14, 2026, it will terminate on that date. Employment authorization would also be revoked. Exceptions include if a person has a pending Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
Source: NBC 12/12/25
Trump Administration Aims to Strip More Foreign-Born Americans of Citizenship
New guidance, issued on 12/16 to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field offices, asks that they “supply the Office of Immigration Litigation with 100-200 denaturalization cases per month” in the 2026 fiscal year. If the cases are successful, it would represent a massive escalation of denaturalization in the modern era, experts said. By comparison, between 2017 and this year to date, there had been just over 120 cases filed, according to the Justice Department. Under federal law, people may be denaturalized only if they committed fraud while applying for citizenship, or in a few other narrow circumstances. But the Trump administration has shown a zeal for using every tool at its disposal to target legal and illegal immigrants, leading activists to warn that such a campaign could sweep up people who had made honest mistakes on their citizenship paperwork and sow fear among law-abiding Americans.
Source: The New York Times 12/17/25
Executive Orders/ Proclamations/ Court Challenges
Judge Issues Injunction in Immigration Arrests in Nation’s Capitol
On 12/02/25, Federal District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington D.C. blocked the Trump administration from making widespread immigration arrests in the nation's capital without warrants or probable cause. The injunction was sought by civil liberties and immigrant rights groups, who argued that federal officers were patrolling and setting up checkpoints in neighborhoods with large numbers of Latino immigrants and stopping and arresting people indiscriminately. Officers making civil immigration arrests generally have to have an administrative warrant, but may make arrests without one if they have probable cause to believe the person is in the U.S. illegally and is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained.
In her ruling Judge Howell stated “defendants’ systemic failure to apply probable cause standard, including failure to consider escape risk, directly violates” immigration law and the DHS implementing regulations. Attorneys for the administration denied it had a policy allowing for such arrests.
Source: Associated Press 12/02/25
Judge blocks ICE policy restricting congressional oversight visits
Twelve members of the House of Representatives sued ICE and the Department of Homeland Security in DC federal court over a policy requiring members of Congress to provide seven days notice before visiting certain ICE facilities and restricting access to specific sites.
A federal judge on 12/17 temporarily blocked the new rule, finding that the lawmakers are likely to succeed in their claim that the policy violates federal law governing congressional access to detention facilities. The rules, the judge said, unlawfully prevent members of Congress from conducting unannounced oversight visits while litigation proceeds.
The government is expected to appeal.
Source: CNN 12/17/25
Trump doubles number of countries facing travel bans or restrictions, bringing list to 39 nations
The proclamation signed by President Trump on Tuesday added seven countries to the list of states facing full entry restrictions and imposed partial entry limits on immigrants and travelers from another 15 countries.
The immigration and travel restrictions include some exceptions, including for permanent U.S. residents from the countries on the list and athletes and staff participating in major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup next year. But Tuesday's proclamation also eliminated an exception, included in the June travel ban, that exempted the children, spouses and parents of U.S. citizens who had requested visas on their behalf.
Source: CBS News 12/16/25
DECEMBER 11, 2025
Washington State
Washington State Senator Patty Murray calls for release of WA man detained by federal agents after he was attacked by a patrol dog
Toledo-Martinez, who is originally from Mexico, had just returned home from dropping off his child at school when he heard a knock on the door, according to his attorney, Olia Catala. Upon opening the door, he was met by a man wearing a yellow vest who told him he’d hit Toledo-Martinez’s parked car. Unaware he was speaking with a federal agent, Toledo-Martinez told the man he was going back inside to get his ID and insurance information. The next thing he knew, the dog was on top of him and biting him, Catala said, leaving him with bloody wounds along his arm, back and side. Additionally, Catala says her client was not resisting. He was described by DHS as undocumented with prior arrests for possession of a loaded firearm. Catala said two previous charges were dropped and the other two are going to be dropped soon.
Source: CNN 12/10/25
Deportation paused for man held in WA who lost toe in ICE custody
A federal judge has temporarily barred the deportation of Greggy Sorio, a green card holder from the Philippines, due to serious medical issues left untreated for months while detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. Sorio also developed a bone infection so dire physicians had to amputate one of his toes. Sorio is not challenging the deportation order, but “seeks release from custody to permit him to attend his future doctor’s appointment and receive adequate medical attention,” according to his petition. Advocates, human rights organizations and government agencies have for years called attention to poor conditions at the Tacoma detention center.
Source: The Seattle Times 12/9/25
Federal Agencies
Trump’s ‘gold card’ program goes live, offering US visas starting at $1 million per person
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that his long-promised “ gold card ” was officially going on sale, offering legal status and an eventual pathway to U.S. citizenship for individuals paying $1 million and corporations ponying up twice that per foreign-born employee. It is meant to replace EB-5 visas, which Congress created in 1990 to generate foreign investment and had been available to people who spend about $1 million on a company that employs at least 10 people. The president made no mention of requirements for job creation for applying corporations or on overall caps on the program, which exist under the current EB-5 program.
Source: The Seattle Times 12/10/25
Senate Report Exposes Systematic Abuse of U.S. Citizens by ICE and CBP
A Senate investigation released Monday reveals federal immigration agents detained and brutalized at least 22 American citizens between June and November 2025, directly contradicting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s October claim that “no American citizens have been arrested or detained.” The 200-page report from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations documents what investigators describe as a systematic pattern of constitutional violations—including excessive force, violent assault, targeting of children, denial of medical care, fabricated assault charges and deliberate targeting of citizens based on race and ethnicity. The investigation presents evidence that ICE and CBP have functioned as what the report characterizes as a “paramilitary force” with vast resources that “lawlessly detains citizens based on its own whims.”
Source: Migrant Insider 12/9/25
Trump is remaking USCIS to aid his deportation push
The Trump administration is transforming the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) into an anti-immigration policing arm. The agency's focus is now on law enforcement and new job positions have been created called ‘homeland defenders’ that cater to those with backgrounds in traditional law enforcement, rather than expertise in immigration law. The Agency has received over 35,000 applications and has made "hundreds" of job offers. According to a USCIS press release, "USCIS is cutting bureaucratic red tape to hire fiercely dedicated, America-first patriots to serve on the frontlines.” The Agency has also created special agent positions who have law enforcement authority to carry firearms, investigate, arrest and prosecute immigration cases.
Source: NPR 12/10/25
Come North!’ Canada Makes Play for H1-B Visa Holders With New Talent Drive
Canada is making an aggressive effort to attract highly-skilled researchers from around the world, including H1-B visa holders in the United States who are coming under growing pressure because of the Trump administration’s restrictive immigration policies and cuts to research funding. The Canadian government on Tuesday said it would spend more than $1 billion dollars to attract and retain scientists from around the world, including developing an “accelerated pathway” for U.S. H1-B visa holders. H1-B visas are issued to highly skilled people working for American companies and are concentrated in major industries that compete for global talent, such as technology and medicine. “As other countries constrain academic freedoms and undermine cutting-edge research, Canada is investing in science,” said Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Industry minister.
Source: New York Times 12/9/25
Foreigners allowed to travel to the US without a visa could soon face new social media screening
The notice published Wednesday (12/10) in the Federal Register said Customs and Border Protection is proposing collecting five years’ worth of social media information from travelers from select countries who do not have to get visas to come to the U.S. The announcement refers to travelers from more than three dozen countries who take part in the Visa Waiver Program and submit their information to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which automatically screens them and then approves them for travel to the U.S. Also sought would be metadata from electronically submitted photos, as well as extensive information from the applicant’s family members, including their places of birth and their telephone numbers. The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed changes before they go into effect. To leave a public comment on this proposal, follow the directions under the “Addresses” section in the document at the Federal Register link.
Source: The Seattle Times 12/10/25
Federal Register Posting 12/10/25
DHS inks contract to create its own fleet of 737 jets for deportations
The Department of Homeland Security recently signed a contract worth nearly $140 million to purchase six Boeing 737 planes for deportations. This move will allow the agency to operate its own fleet after Congress signed off on $170 billion for President Donald Trump’s border and immigration agenda as part of the GOP’s sprawling tax bill. ICE has long relied on charter planes [for deportation flights and inmate transfers.] A former DHS official said that the likely rationale for the agency is to increase capacity to do both removals from the United States and move people from one facility to another within the country.
Source: The Seattle Times 12/10/25
About 400 immigrant children were detained longer than the recommended limit, ICE admits
A Dec. 1 report from ICE indicated that about 400 immigrant children were held in custody for more than the 20-day limit during the reporting period from August to September. They also told the court the problem was widespread and not specific to a region or facility. The primary factors that prolonged their release were categorized into three groups: transportation delays, medical needs, and legal processing. Legal advocates for the children contended those reasons do not prove lawful justifications for the delays in their release. They also cited examples that far exceeded the 20-day limit, including five children who were held for 168 days earlier this year. Advocates documented injuries suffered by children and a lack of access to sufficient medical care. Chief U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee of the Central District of California is scheduled to have a hearing on the reports next week, where she could decide if the court needs to intervene.
Source: ABC News 12/9/25
Washington State Senator Patty Murray calls for release of WA man detained by federal agents after he was attacked by a patrol dog
Toledo-Martinez, who is originally from Mexico, had just returned home from dropping off his child at school when he heard a knock on the door, according to his attorney, Olia Catala. Upon opening the door, he was met by a man wearing a yellow vest who told him he’d hit Toledo-Martinez’s parked car. Unaware he was speaking with a federal agent, Toledo-Martinez told the man he was going back inside to get his ID and insurance information. The next thing he knew, the dog was on top of him and biting him, Catala said, leaving him with bloody wounds along his arm, back and side. Additionally, Catala says her client was not resisting. He was described by DHS as undocumented with prior arrests for possession of a loaded firearm. Catala said two previous charges were dropped and the other two are going to be dropped soon.
Source: CNN 12/10/25
Deportation paused for man held in WA who lost toe in ICE custody
A federal judge has temporarily barred the deportation of Greggy Sorio, a green card holder from the Philippines, due to serious medical issues left untreated for months while detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. Sorio also developed a bone infection so dire physicians had to amputate one of his toes. Sorio is not challenging the deportation order, but “seeks release from custody to permit him to attend his future doctor’s appointment and receive adequate medical attention,” according to his petition. Advocates, human rights organizations and government agencies have for years called attention to poor conditions at the Tacoma detention center.
Source: The Seattle Times 12/9/25
Federal Agencies
Trump’s ‘gold card’ program goes live, offering US visas starting at $1 million per person
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that his long-promised “ gold card ” was officially going on sale, offering legal status and an eventual pathway to U.S. citizenship for individuals paying $1 million and corporations ponying up twice that per foreign-born employee. It is meant to replace EB-5 visas, which Congress created in 1990 to generate foreign investment and had been available to people who spend about $1 million on a company that employs at least 10 people. The president made no mention of requirements for job creation for applying corporations or on overall caps on the program, which exist under the current EB-5 program.
Source: The Seattle Times 12/10/25
Senate Report Exposes Systematic Abuse of U.S. Citizens by ICE and CBP
A Senate investigation released Monday reveals federal immigration agents detained and brutalized at least 22 American citizens between June and November 2025, directly contradicting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s October claim that “no American citizens have been arrested or detained.” The 200-page report from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations documents what investigators describe as a systematic pattern of constitutional violations—including excessive force, violent assault, targeting of children, denial of medical care, fabricated assault charges and deliberate targeting of citizens based on race and ethnicity. The investigation presents evidence that ICE and CBP have functioned as what the report characterizes as a “paramilitary force” with vast resources that “lawlessly detains citizens based on its own whims.”
Source: Migrant Insider 12/9/25
Trump is remaking USCIS to aid his deportation push
The Trump administration is transforming the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) into an anti-immigration policing arm. The agency's focus is now on law enforcement and new job positions have been created called ‘homeland defenders’ that cater to those with backgrounds in traditional law enforcement, rather than expertise in immigration law. The Agency has received over 35,000 applications and has made "hundreds" of job offers. According to a USCIS press release, "USCIS is cutting bureaucratic red tape to hire fiercely dedicated, America-first patriots to serve on the frontlines.” The Agency has also created special agent positions who have law enforcement authority to carry firearms, investigate, arrest and prosecute immigration cases.
Source: NPR 12/10/25
Come North!’ Canada Makes Play for H1-B Visa Holders With New Talent Drive
Canada is making an aggressive effort to attract highly-skilled researchers from around the world, including H1-B visa holders in the United States who are coming under growing pressure because of the Trump administration’s restrictive immigration policies and cuts to research funding. The Canadian government on Tuesday said it would spend more than $1 billion dollars to attract and retain scientists from around the world, including developing an “accelerated pathway” for U.S. H1-B visa holders. H1-B visas are issued to highly skilled people working for American companies and are concentrated in major industries that compete for global talent, such as technology and medicine. “As other countries constrain academic freedoms and undermine cutting-edge research, Canada is investing in science,” said Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Industry minister.
Source: New York Times 12/9/25
Foreigners allowed to travel to the US without a visa could soon face new social media screening
The notice published Wednesday (12/10) in the Federal Register said Customs and Border Protection is proposing collecting five years’ worth of social media information from travelers from select countries who do not have to get visas to come to the U.S. The announcement refers to travelers from more than three dozen countries who take part in the Visa Waiver Program and submit their information to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which automatically screens them and then approves them for travel to the U.S. Also sought would be metadata from electronically submitted photos, as well as extensive information from the applicant’s family members, including their places of birth and their telephone numbers. The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed changes before they go into effect. To leave a public comment on this proposal, follow the directions under the “Addresses” section in the document at the Federal Register link.
Source: The Seattle Times 12/10/25
Federal Register Posting 12/10/25
DHS inks contract to create its own fleet of 737 jets for deportations
The Department of Homeland Security recently signed a contract worth nearly $140 million to purchase six Boeing 737 planes for deportations. This move will allow the agency to operate its own fleet after Congress signed off on $170 billion for President Donald Trump’s border and immigration agenda as part of the GOP’s sprawling tax bill. ICE has long relied on charter planes [for deportation flights and inmate transfers.] A former DHS official said that the likely rationale for the agency is to increase capacity to do both removals from the United States and move people from one facility to another within the country.
Source: The Seattle Times 12/10/25
About 400 immigrant children were detained longer than the recommended limit, ICE admits
A Dec. 1 report from ICE indicated that about 400 immigrant children were held in custody for more than the 20-day limit during the reporting period from August to September. They also told the court the problem was widespread and not specific to a region or facility. The primary factors that prolonged their release were categorized into three groups: transportation delays, medical needs, and legal processing. Legal advocates for the children contended those reasons do not prove lawful justifications for the delays in their release. They also cited examples that far exceeded the 20-day limit, including five children who were held for 168 days earlier this year. Advocates documented injuries suffered by children and a lack of access to sufficient medical care. Chief U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee of the Central District of California is scheduled to have a hearing on the reports next week, where she could decide if the court needs to intervene.
Source: ABC News 12/9/25
December 4, 2025
Washington State
An ‘atmosphere of fear’ surrounds child care after ICE detention
Immigration enforcement action has hit close to home for the child care industry in Washington, where many of the workers and families include immigrants. In October ICE detained a mother dropping off her child at preschool. She was deported and is now back in her country of origin. On Nov. 20, officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security visited a preschool site in Kennewick seeking to talk to a worker there about someone who was neither a student nor staff.
Child care providers often have ties to immigrant communities. “The ICE actions are causing trauma and disruption to everyone that the child care system touches,” said Genevieve Stokes, director of government relations at Child Care Aware of Washington. According to the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California, Berkeley, 26% of early educators in Washington were born outside the U.S.
Source: Seattle Times 12/2/25
ICE and King County Jail: Americans’ wishes on immigration enforcement are not being honored
King County and other counties across the state do not detain people ready to be released from jail because of questions about immigration status. That stays true even if an ICE officer writes an “ICE detainer,” asking that the jail maintain custody of an inmate. Unless a judge signs a criminal warrant, the person is released. The Trump administration filed 1,262 ICE detainer requests with the King County jail between 2017 and 2020. However, DAJD received only 35 civil detainer requests from federal immigration authorities from January of this year through Nov. 17.
In his inaugural address, Trump promised that mass deportation would be “returning millions and millions of criminal aliens.” But if jail is where the criminals are, the administration is apparently spending much more effort on community raids and high-profile street arrests.
Source: The Seattle Times 12/3/25
Federal Agencies
Trump administration orders enhanced vetting for applicants of H-1B visa
An internal State Department memo stated that anyone involved in "censorship" of free speech be considered for rejection. The cable, sent to all U.S. missions on December 2, orders U.S. consular officers to review resumes or LinkedIn profiles of H-1B applicants - and family members who would be traveling with them - to see if they have worked in areas that include activities such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance and online safety, among others. The cable said all visa applicants were subject to this policy, but sought a heightened review for the H-1B applicants given they frequently worked in the technology sector "including in social media or financial services companies involved in the suppression of protected expression."
Source: Reuters 12/3/25
Revealed: US veterans affairs to share immigration data about non-citizen workers with ‘appropriate agencies’
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is in the process of creating an urgent and massive new internal database of non-US citizens who are “employed or affiliated” with the VA, a sensitive memo leaked to the Guardian has revealed – prompting alarm within the sprawling agency over a potential immigration crackdown. A VA spokesperson confirmed to the Guardian that the department would share some of the data it is now gathering with other federal agencies, including for immigration enforcement purposes. The forthcoming report about non-United States citizens seeks to further vet the VA workforce to varying degrees for “personnel suitability and national security standards”, according to the memo.
Source: The Guardian 12/3/25
Trump’s Deportation Frenzy Reaches Crisis Point Across Multiple Fronts
The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement apparatus escalated on multiple fronts Monday, with operations spanning from farm fields to federal courthouses, as new data reveals the policy’s mounting economic and human costs. The administration paused all asylum decisions nationwide, fired eight immigration judges in New York’s busiest immigration court, froze applications from 19 countries, and announced reviews of every green card issued during the Biden years—all while ICE prepared a major operation targeting Somali immigrants in Minneapolis. The moves came as new reporting shows enforcement operations have already shrunk the agricultural workforce by at least 155,000 workers, driving labor costs up and forcing some farms to close entirely. The administration has given no timeline for when asylum adjudications might resume, when the 19-country application freeze might lift, or what criteria will be used to review Biden-era green cards.
Source: Migrant Insider 12/3/25
Judge blocks IRS from sharing data with DHS for immigration enforcement
A federal judge on Friday blocked the Internal Revenue Service from sharing data with immigration enforcement officials, ruling that the tax agency violated federal law and the rights of tens of thousands of individuals in its attempt to participate in President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. In August, DHS requested 1.2 million names from the IRS, which returned hits matching roughly 47,000 individuals, according to court records. The arrangement deeply alarmed career IRS officials and led to a steep drop-off in tax filing in immigrant communities. It is unclear whether the IRS will ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to review the ruling.
Source: The Washington Post 11/21/25
Executive Orders/Proclamations/Court Challenges
Update on Bond Eligibility for Undocumented Immigrants
On November 25th, a federal court for the Western District of Washington overruled a Board of Immigration Appeals case involving a Venezuelan man, Mr. Y. Hurtado, who crossed the border into the U.S. without permission. Mr. Hurtado had lived in the U.S. for a few years and was subsequently arrested by ICE. He was denied a bond hearing by an immigration judge due to the new ICE legal arguments that said he was not eligible for a bond hearing. A district judge agreed with the Northwest Immigration Rights Project that immigrants in Mr. Hurtado's situation had the right to a bond hearing. Until the government appeals this decision, immigrants across the country have the right to a bond hearing. The court's decision does not require an immigration judge to grant bond, only that the judge must hold a bond hearing.
Source: National Immigration Law Center 11/26/25
Appeals Court Blocks Expedited Deportations
A federal appeals court declined to lift a lower court order barring the Trump administration from using expedited removals to rapidly deport migrants without a court hearing. Previously only used for recent arrivals encountered close to the border, the White House aimed to broaden the use of expedited removals to those who crossed the border at any point in the last two years, anywhere in the country. Additional arguments on the merits of the case are scheduled for December.
Source: The Hill 11/24/25
An ‘atmosphere of fear’ surrounds child care after ICE detention
Immigration enforcement action has hit close to home for the child care industry in Washington, where many of the workers and families include immigrants. In October ICE detained a mother dropping off her child at preschool. She was deported and is now back in her country of origin. On Nov. 20, officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security visited a preschool site in Kennewick seeking to talk to a worker there about someone who was neither a student nor staff.
Child care providers often have ties to immigrant communities. “The ICE actions are causing trauma and disruption to everyone that the child care system touches,” said Genevieve Stokes, director of government relations at Child Care Aware of Washington. According to the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California, Berkeley, 26% of early educators in Washington were born outside the U.S.
Source: Seattle Times 12/2/25
ICE and King County Jail: Americans’ wishes on immigration enforcement are not being honored
King County and other counties across the state do not detain people ready to be released from jail because of questions about immigration status. That stays true even if an ICE officer writes an “ICE detainer,” asking that the jail maintain custody of an inmate. Unless a judge signs a criminal warrant, the person is released. The Trump administration filed 1,262 ICE detainer requests with the King County jail between 2017 and 2020. However, DAJD received only 35 civil detainer requests from federal immigration authorities from January of this year through Nov. 17.
In his inaugural address, Trump promised that mass deportation would be “returning millions and millions of criminal aliens.” But if jail is where the criminals are, the administration is apparently spending much more effort on community raids and high-profile street arrests.
Source: The Seattle Times 12/3/25
Federal Agencies
Trump administration orders enhanced vetting for applicants of H-1B visa
An internal State Department memo stated that anyone involved in "censorship" of free speech be considered for rejection. The cable, sent to all U.S. missions on December 2, orders U.S. consular officers to review resumes or LinkedIn profiles of H-1B applicants - and family members who would be traveling with them - to see if they have worked in areas that include activities such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance and online safety, among others. The cable said all visa applicants were subject to this policy, but sought a heightened review for the H-1B applicants given they frequently worked in the technology sector "including in social media or financial services companies involved in the suppression of protected expression."
Source: Reuters 12/3/25
Revealed: US veterans affairs to share immigration data about non-citizen workers with ‘appropriate agencies’
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is in the process of creating an urgent and massive new internal database of non-US citizens who are “employed or affiliated” with the VA, a sensitive memo leaked to the Guardian has revealed – prompting alarm within the sprawling agency over a potential immigration crackdown. A VA spokesperson confirmed to the Guardian that the department would share some of the data it is now gathering with other federal agencies, including for immigration enforcement purposes. The forthcoming report about non-United States citizens seeks to further vet the VA workforce to varying degrees for “personnel suitability and national security standards”, according to the memo.
Source: The Guardian 12/3/25
Trump’s Deportation Frenzy Reaches Crisis Point Across Multiple Fronts
The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement apparatus escalated on multiple fronts Monday, with operations spanning from farm fields to federal courthouses, as new data reveals the policy’s mounting economic and human costs. The administration paused all asylum decisions nationwide, fired eight immigration judges in New York’s busiest immigration court, froze applications from 19 countries, and announced reviews of every green card issued during the Biden years—all while ICE prepared a major operation targeting Somali immigrants in Minneapolis. The moves came as new reporting shows enforcement operations have already shrunk the agricultural workforce by at least 155,000 workers, driving labor costs up and forcing some farms to close entirely. The administration has given no timeline for when asylum adjudications might resume, when the 19-country application freeze might lift, or what criteria will be used to review Biden-era green cards.
Source: Migrant Insider 12/3/25
Judge blocks IRS from sharing data with DHS for immigration enforcement
A federal judge on Friday blocked the Internal Revenue Service from sharing data with immigration enforcement officials, ruling that the tax agency violated federal law and the rights of tens of thousands of individuals in its attempt to participate in President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. In August, DHS requested 1.2 million names from the IRS, which returned hits matching roughly 47,000 individuals, according to court records. The arrangement deeply alarmed career IRS officials and led to a steep drop-off in tax filing in immigrant communities. It is unclear whether the IRS will ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to review the ruling.
Source: The Washington Post 11/21/25
Executive Orders/Proclamations/Court Challenges
Update on Bond Eligibility for Undocumented Immigrants
On November 25th, a federal court for the Western District of Washington overruled a Board of Immigration Appeals case involving a Venezuelan man, Mr. Y. Hurtado, who crossed the border into the U.S. without permission. Mr. Hurtado had lived in the U.S. for a few years and was subsequently arrested by ICE. He was denied a bond hearing by an immigration judge due to the new ICE legal arguments that said he was not eligible for a bond hearing. A district judge agreed with the Northwest Immigration Rights Project that immigrants in Mr. Hurtado's situation had the right to a bond hearing. Until the government appeals this decision, immigrants across the country have the right to a bond hearing. The court's decision does not require an immigration judge to grant bond, only that the judge must hold a bond hearing.
Source: National Immigration Law Center 11/26/25
Appeals Court Blocks Expedited Deportations
A federal appeals court declined to lift a lower court order barring the Trump administration from using expedited removals to rapidly deport migrants without a court hearing. Previously only used for recent arrivals encountered close to the border, the White House aimed to broaden the use of expedited removals to those who crossed the border at any point in the last two years, anywhere in the country. Additional arguments on the merits of the case are scheduled for December.
Source: The Hill 11/24/25
november 19, 2025
Washington State
WA cities reconsider Flock traffic cameras as judge rules their data is public
Jurisdictions across Washington have turned off their Flock Safety surveillance cameras as officials and residents express concerns about who can access the photos and data they generate. That unease has intensified after a Skagit County Superior Court judge ruled this month the cameras’ pictures and information must be made public (for example, available through public records requests) in accordance with state law.
Flock’s software logs information about every vehicle — including license plate numbers, damage, decals and bumper stickers — into a searchable database controlled by the customer, who can view and download the content and grant others access to do the same. Criticism bubbled up after a University of Washington report last month that said federal immigration enforcement agencies like ICE and Border Patrol had searched Flock Safety databases of at least 18 cities in the state, often without their police departments’ knowledge.
Source: Seattle Times 11/18/25
Nisqually Tribe says it won't allow ICE detainees in tribal facilities
The Nisqually Tribe said it will not house detainees for ICE after revealing that a staff member had been communicating with federal officials without consulting the Tribal Council. The tribe operates its own correctional facility, one of several in Washington state run by tribal governments. Gabe Galanda, an Indigenous rights attorney, said that because tribes are sovereign nations, they are not bound by the Keep Washington Working Act, which bars local and county law enforcement agencies from assisting federal immigration enforcement.
Chairman E.K. Choke said denying the request was in line with the tribe's values of treating all individuals with dignity, respect and compassion. “The Nisqually people are not in favor of, nor will the Tribal Council allow, the detention of individuals by ICE on our reservation or in our facilities,” Choke said in a release.
Source: King 5 News 11/17/25
Federal Agencies
H-1B Visa fee increase impacting rural healthcare
The $100,000 fee imposed on new H-1B visa applications has added extra pressure to health care systems in rural and low- income communities. The fee increase is, according to Trump, a necessary first step to reform a system that has been abused and has undercut the American worker. However, the H-1B visa has become a critical pipeline in providing health care workers to underserved rural areas with limited financial resources. Overall, about 64% of foreign-trained physicians were practicing in areas deemed as “medically underserved” or experiencing health worker shortages, according to the American Medical Association. Businesses- including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, health care, and academic groups- have filed lawsuits challenging the new H-1B fee as financially unsustainable. The cases are in the early stages and could take months to play out.
Sources:
Marketplace 11/18/25
BBC News 10/16/25
Once a Patient’s in Custody, ICE Can Be at Hospital Bedsides — But Detainees Have Rights
Legal experts say ICE agents can be in public areas of a hospital, such as a lobby, and can accompany already-detained patients as they receive care, illustrating the scope of federal authority. However, they must follow constitutional and health privacy laws regardless of the person’s immigration status. Detained patients have rights and can try to advocate for themselves or seek legal recourse.
But according to Sophia Genovese, a supervising attorney and clinical teaching fellow at Georgetown Law, these guidelines are not enforceable. In the past, perceived violations by agents could be reported to ICE leadership or to an oversight body. But earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security cut staffing at ombudsman offices that investigate civil rights complaints, saying they “obstructed immigration enforcement by adding bureaucratic hurdles.”
Source: KFF Health News 11/17/25
Trump administration rule could further penalize immigrants for using benefitsHomeland Security Department officials released a new proposed regulation in the Federal Register on Wednesday (11/19) that migrants' use of safety net programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Medicare, could be considered when determining whether they should be granted further legal status, such as a green card.
Advocates were quick to criticize the proposal, arguing its new broad scope is too vague and could disincentivize the use of the benefits by immigrants who need them and qualify for them.
Source: NPR 11/18/25
Executive Orders/Proclamations/Court Challenges
Forced Labor Lawsuit
Geo Group, which derived more than $2.4 billion annual revenue last year from federal contracts says it should be immune from a legal challenge to its $1-a-day detainee work program because it was acting on behalf of the federal government. The government is protected from some lawsuits through a concept known as “sovereign immunity,” and some government contractors have attempted to claim this immunity applies to them as well. On Monday, (11/17), the Supreme Court heard oral arguments and is reviewing whether Geo Group can appeal a lower court ruling before a trial, where a jury would decide the merits of the case. The Trump administration has filed a friend-of-the court brief opposing Geo’s attempt to claim immunity, arguing that a trial in a lower court would have to establish that the federal government directed the action.
Source: Washington Post 11/10/25
WA cities reconsider Flock traffic cameras as judge rules their data is public
Jurisdictions across Washington have turned off their Flock Safety surveillance cameras as officials and residents express concerns about who can access the photos and data they generate. That unease has intensified after a Skagit County Superior Court judge ruled this month the cameras’ pictures and information must be made public (for example, available through public records requests) in accordance with state law.
Flock’s software logs information about every vehicle — including license plate numbers, damage, decals and bumper stickers — into a searchable database controlled by the customer, who can view and download the content and grant others access to do the same. Criticism bubbled up after a University of Washington report last month that said federal immigration enforcement agencies like ICE and Border Patrol had searched Flock Safety databases of at least 18 cities in the state, often without their police departments’ knowledge.
Source: Seattle Times 11/18/25
Nisqually Tribe says it won't allow ICE detainees in tribal facilities
The Nisqually Tribe said it will not house detainees for ICE after revealing that a staff member had been communicating with federal officials without consulting the Tribal Council. The tribe operates its own correctional facility, one of several in Washington state run by tribal governments. Gabe Galanda, an Indigenous rights attorney, said that because tribes are sovereign nations, they are not bound by the Keep Washington Working Act, which bars local and county law enforcement agencies from assisting federal immigration enforcement.
Chairman E.K. Choke said denying the request was in line with the tribe's values of treating all individuals with dignity, respect and compassion. “The Nisqually people are not in favor of, nor will the Tribal Council allow, the detention of individuals by ICE on our reservation or in our facilities,” Choke said in a release.
Source: King 5 News 11/17/25
Federal Agencies
H-1B Visa fee increase impacting rural healthcare
The $100,000 fee imposed on new H-1B visa applications has added extra pressure to health care systems in rural and low- income communities. The fee increase is, according to Trump, a necessary first step to reform a system that has been abused and has undercut the American worker. However, the H-1B visa has become a critical pipeline in providing health care workers to underserved rural areas with limited financial resources. Overall, about 64% of foreign-trained physicians were practicing in areas deemed as “medically underserved” or experiencing health worker shortages, according to the American Medical Association. Businesses- including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, health care, and academic groups- have filed lawsuits challenging the new H-1B fee as financially unsustainable. The cases are in the early stages and could take months to play out.
Sources:
Marketplace 11/18/25
BBC News 10/16/25
Once a Patient’s in Custody, ICE Can Be at Hospital Bedsides — But Detainees Have Rights
Legal experts say ICE agents can be in public areas of a hospital, such as a lobby, and can accompany already-detained patients as they receive care, illustrating the scope of federal authority. However, they must follow constitutional and health privacy laws regardless of the person’s immigration status. Detained patients have rights and can try to advocate for themselves or seek legal recourse.
But according to Sophia Genovese, a supervising attorney and clinical teaching fellow at Georgetown Law, these guidelines are not enforceable. In the past, perceived violations by agents could be reported to ICE leadership or to an oversight body. But earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security cut staffing at ombudsman offices that investigate civil rights complaints, saying they “obstructed immigration enforcement by adding bureaucratic hurdles.”
Source: KFF Health News 11/17/25
Trump administration rule could further penalize immigrants for using benefitsHomeland Security Department officials released a new proposed regulation in the Federal Register on Wednesday (11/19) that migrants' use of safety net programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Medicare, could be considered when determining whether they should be granted further legal status, such as a green card.
Advocates were quick to criticize the proposal, arguing its new broad scope is too vague and could disincentivize the use of the benefits by immigrants who need them and qualify for them.
Source: NPR 11/18/25
Executive Orders/Proclamations/Court Challenges
Forced Labor Lawsuit
Geo Group, which derived more than $2.4 billion annual revenue last year from federal contracts says it should be immune from a legal challenge to its $1-a-day detainee work program because it was acting on behalf of the federal government. The government is protected from some lawsuits through a concept known as “sovereign immunity,” and some government contractors have attempted to claim this immunity applies to them as well. On Monday, (11/17), the Supreme Court heard oral arguments and is reviewing whether Geo Group can appeal a lower court ruling before a trial, where a jury would decide the merits of the case. The Trump administration has filed a friend-of-the court brief opposing Geo’s attempt to claim immunity, arguing that a trial in a lower court would have to establish that the federal government directed the action.
Source: Washington Post 11/10/25
november 13, 2025
Washington State
UW loses federal funding for migrant students
A federal program that helps young people from migrant families attend colleges, including the University of Washington (UW), will not be continued due to the Trump administration’s elimination of funding for migrant education. Since 2010, the College Access Migrant Program (CAMP) funding allowed UW to send recruiters to agricultural communities across the state. Migrant students who are accepted into CAMP receive significant support in their first year from mentors assigned to help them academically and emotionally as they acclimate to college. CAMP also provides financial support that can be critical for students from families where income can be seasonal. The program is designed to retain Migrant students and make sure that they finish their first year of college and continue on. The U.S. Department of Education has found that students who take part in CAMP are far more likely to stay in school. The Trump administration has questioned the effectiveness of migrant education programs and called them “extremely costly.”
Source: KUPW 11/10/25
Following ICE Arrests, Redmond turns off Flock cameras while Olympia defends their security
A bystander’s cellphone video showing federal immigration agents detaining a man in Olympia last week is prompting concern among city officials and immigrant advocates, who question whether federal authorities may be leveraging local police data despite the city’s sanctuary policies. Interim Police Chief Shelby Parker reaffirmed Olympia’s sanctuary-city status in a statement, writing that, “federal immigration authorities do not have access to OPD systems or data, including the Flock Safety camera network.” Her assurance comes as a University of Washington Center for Human Rights study found ICE and other federal agencies had accessed Flock license plate data from several Washington state law enforcement agencies, potentially in violation of state privacy and immigration-limitation laws. However, Redmond police turned off their city’s Flock Safety cameras last week after masked,U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested seven people, at least three less than a mile from one or more of the city’s cameras. During a City Council session Oct. 27, Redmond police Chief Darrell Lowe said no federal agency had accessed the city’s Flock data, but agreed to suspend officers’ access to the system until city officials had discussed ending Redmond’s contract with the company.
Sources:
King 5 News 11/11/25
Seattle Times 11/10/25
Federal Agencies
Immigrants Face Loss of Eligibility for Healthcare in 2026
A provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed in July strips all Affordable Care Act subsidies from low-income lawfully present immigrants — those authorized to work and live in the country but unable to qualify for Medicaid yet. The bill changes the definition of “eligible alien” to exclude eligibility for many groups of lawfully present immigrants, including those granted asylum, refugees, and survivors of domestic violence and trafficking. This change in eligibility also extends to those currently qualified for Medicare and Medicaid. It is estimated that 300,000 people could lose coverage next year because they can’t afford it. “Once we get the government open maybe we can get them to negotiate on that, but I am not optimistic,” said Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) on Friday. Immigration advocates worry that the impact of the loss is being underestimated and predict that entire families could lose access, including U.S. citizen spouses and children. Immigrant advocacy groups and states that have programs supporting immigrant healthcare are scrambling to inform those impacted of the eligibility changes. In particular, immigrants are urged to look carefully at ACA requirements during the current open enrollment period for options still available.
Sources: Politico 11/10/25
Commonwealth Fund 10/16/25
Without automatic work authorization renewals, immigrant children could lose their only ID
Until last week, immigrants with temporary work permission were able to automatically renew because of processing backlogs at USCIS that threatened to force tens of thousands out of a job without their paperwork. But last month, the Trump administration said it was ending that permission to deter fraud. Experts say the change will also impact immigrant children who are in the U.S. seeking asylum, leaving them without the documents they need to work. Jennifer Podkul, chief of global policy and advocacy at Kids in Need of Defense, or KIND, says unaccompanied immigrant children may use that authorization as their main form of ID. “Things that you and I might use our driver’s license for, these kids are relying on their work permit, because it is the only government issued ID that they might have from the U.S. government,” she said. In addition to losing out on employment with workplace protections, Podkul says, without a valid U.S. ID, children may be barred from getting on a bus or applying for financial aid for school. “It’s so crucial they have that, so they can access day-to-day things like being able to travel or being able to even go into certain buildings,” she said.
Source: Fronteras Desk 11/9/25
Study shows Immigration enforcement appears to hurt test scores, and not just for immigrant students
A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research using test score data found noticeable declines in spring test scores compared with recent years. The effect was similar for Spanish-speaking immigrant and U.S. citizen students. The analysis found that each percentage point increase in immigration enforcement intensity reduced Spanish-speaking students’ scores on state tests by an amount equivalent to about 10 to 15 points. This points to compelling evidence that students are affected by being part of a community that is subject to scrutiny and arrests. The study adds to research that had already established wide-ranging effects of immigration enforcement on young people, from increased anxiety to higher dropout rates. Additional studies have also found impacts on student attendance including a 22% increase in daily absences after an immigration raid in California’s Central Valley. Absences were higher among elementary students, perhaps because parents worried more about being separated from young children.
Source: Chalkbeat 11/9/25
Federal Data Exposes Border Patrol's Extreme Use of Force
A new investigation by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) and American University’s Investigative Reporting Workshop (IRW) exposes how a senior Border Patrol official, Gregory Bovino, has led agents who use force against civilians at rates far higher than the rest of the agency. POGO’s full report offers a data-backed look at a pattern of violence under Bovino, one of the top tactical leaders behind the Department of Homeland Security’s immigrant raids in Chicago and Los Angeles. Over the last four fiscal years, agents under Bovino’s command used force 3.6 times more often than they were assaulted- the highest ratio in the country. Bovino, a 30-year Border Patrol veteran, frequently deploys alongside agents and has publicly defended the use of aggressive tactics. Bovino has continued to promote the tactics online — even posting montage-style videos of agents tackling protestors under the slogan “Zero tolerance. The mission continues.”
Source: Migrant Insider 11/11/25
Executive Orders/Proclamations/Court Challenges
Judge Rules Administration Cannot Tie Transportation Funds to Immigration
The Trump administration cannot withhold billions of dollars in transportation funding to states that refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement, a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled on Thursday (10/30). Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnel wrote in his ruling that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy "blatantly overstepped" their authority in attempting to link funding used to maintain roads, bridges, and highways to immigration demands. He further noted "The Constitution demands the Court set aside this lawless behavior."
Source: Politico 11/04/25
Judge Puts ICE Detention Under Court Supervision
U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman issued a temporary restraining order late Wednesday (11/04) directing the Trump administration to immediately improve conditions for people held at the ICE's Broadview, IL. facility, citing evidence of irreparable harm and the public interest in swift relief. The ruling came after weeks of protests about the conditions at the detention center. Central to the ruling are medical and legal access. ICE must provide prescribed medications, free private phone calls with counsel and a list of pro bono attorneys (with interpreter services as needed). Judge Gettleman also ordered that detainees be promptly listed in ICE's Online Detainee Locator with accurate location information; that papers given to detainees not be misrepresented; and that any papers include a Spanish translation providing time to read and understand them. Improvements in food, water provisions, sanitary conditions and hygiene supplies were also ordered by the court. The order remains in effect through Nov. 19, when a status hearing is set.
Source: Migrant Insider
november 6, 2025
Washington State
UWCHR releases report on surveillance data in Washington state, used by immigration enforcement
The UW Center for Human Rights (UWCHR) has released a study that contends that automated license plate reader (ALPR) networks have become increasingly common in Washington, and that immigration enforcement has access to their data. Flock Safety is an American manufacturer and operator of security hardware and software, particularly ALPR, video surveillance, and gunfire locator systems. At least eight WA state law enforcement agencies allowed for direct sharing of their networks with U.S. Border Patrol. Border Patrol also had apparent “back door” access to licence plate data captured by ALPRs, with plates run by at least 10 local law enforcement agencies that had not explicitly authorized sharing. Currently, this technology is entirely unregulated in Washington state.
Source: University of Washington The Daily 11/5/25
Federal Agencies
Trump committed to ongoing ICE Raids; Accuses Federal Judges of holding back his deportation agenda In an interview on 60 Minutes Donald Trump said that he was committed to continuing immigration enforcement raids across the country, saying, "I think they haven't gone far enough." His remarks come even as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been photographed and taped using violent methods to detain immigrants across the country. Asked if he is OK with ICE agents sometimes using violent tactics, Trump said, "Yeah, because you have to get the people out." In the interview Trump addressed concerns that his deportation agenda was arresting landscapers, farmers and other laborers, not just the criminals and "the worst of the worst" undocumented immigrants that he promised to deport during his presidential campaign.
Source: NBC News 11/2/25
Trump’s refugee cap lowered
The Trump administration announced this week that it will resettle only 7,500 refugees this year, a number far below the historical norm. Additionally, the administration has earmarked most of the limited number of slots for Afrikaners from South Africa, effectively shutting out tens of thousands of refugees who have waited for years for U.S. resettlement. It is also telling that none of Afrikaners being brought to the U.S. have fled their home country — long considered the predicate for being a refugee. Enacted in 1980 to streamline refugee admissions after the Vietnam War, America’s refugee resettlement program has worked undeniably well. Refugees arrive through an orderly procedure with more than a dozen U.S. government agencies screening candidates, ensuring that all resettled refugees have gone through extensive background checks. Tearing down the refugee resettlement program will not address any of the concerns Americans have about the border but will be a loss for the American economy, which needs refugees’ talent and labor according to Gideon Maltz, CEO at the Tent Partnership for Refugees.
Source: Washington Post 11/1/25
DHS Unleashes Historic Surveillance Dragnet on Migrants and Citizens
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has unveiled a sweeping proposed rule that is set to fundamentally alter how immigration authorities collect and use biometric data across the United States. Filed for public inspection on October 31 in the Federal Register, the proposal lays out changes that would require the submission of biometrics—including fingerprints, facial images, iris scans, voiceprints, and even DNA—by anyone filing or associated with an immigration request. Under the new standards, even U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents petitioning for family members would be required to submit biometrics. Notably, age restrictions for biometric collection are being removed—meaning children, including infants may be fingerprinted and scanned. Additionally, the government will be allowed to share biometric data with federal, state, local, and some foreign government agencies under the expanded authority.
Source: Migrant Insider 11/2/25
ICE issues Request for Information proposing private "bounty hunters" to locate, track, and serve documents on immigrants
According to the document, which solicits information from interested contractors for a potentially forthcoming contract opportunity, companies hired by ICE will be given bundles of information on 10,000 immigrants at a time to locate, with further assignments provided in “increments of 10,000 up to 1,000,000.” Soon, according to the document, private sector ICE contractors will surveil and confirm the home or work addresses of tens of thousands of immigrants in the U.S. and then report their locations back to the government. Data provided by ICE will include “case data” provided by the government, location data, social media information, as well as “photos and documents” showing where a person lives or works. With this in hand, contractors will surveil their target to confirm the accuracy of their home address, including “time-stamped photographs of the location,” before reporting back to ICE.
Source: The Intercept 10/31/25
ICE violates its own policy by holding people in secretive rooms for days or weeks
Court records, interviews and arrest data show ICE has been detaining people in small, secretive holding facilities for days or even weeks past the federal limit of three days. Based on data first published by the Deportation Data Project, ICE has used at least 170 ICE holding facilities nationwide. The holding facilities are not subjected to the audits, inspections or general oversight that larger ICE detention centers are required to face. Former agency officials with extensive knowledge of conditions inside holding facilities have expressed concern at their prolonged use saying that the risk of people experiencing sexual abuse or assault while in a holding room – either from ICE staff or fellow detainees – increases the longer they are held.
Source: The Guardian 10/30/25
Advocates warn immigrants could lose jobs as DHS stops automatically extending work permits
The Trump administration said it will eliminate an automatic grace period for legal immigrants waiting for renewed work visas, a shift advocates said will likely force people out of the workforce because of a long-standing backlog at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The rule took effect Thursday, Oct. 30, and immigrants who file renewals could lose their jobs during the gap between the expiration of their documents and a pending application. Immigration lawyers called the move "cruel" and "short-sighted." "Many people will lose their jobs because USCIS’s processing times for renewals are far longer than the window in which someone is allowed to submit a renewal." said Jesse Evans-Schroeder, a Tucson immigration attorney.
Source: Tucson Sentinel 10/30/25
Executive Orders/Proclamations/Court Challenges
More Than 100 District Court Judges Have Ruled Against the Trump Administration's Mandatory Detention Policy
Since July 8, when a memo from the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement reversed 30 years of practice and determined that ICE must lock up everyone facing deportation - even if they've lived in the country for decades and have no criminal record - federal courts have issued increasing warnings. The new ICE policy, they note, doesn't just subject millions more people to detention while they fight deportation, it also bars them from even asking an immigration judge to consider releasing them on bond. The onslaught of legal rejections has come in hundreds of individual cases. However, a handful of class action lawsuits have been filed seeking to block the administration's expanded detention policy. One such case broke on Thursday, 10/30, when U.S. District Judge Patti Saris of the District Court of Massachusetts, approved a statewide class for immigrants in Massachusetts who are subject to mandatory detention policy. "The overwhelming majority of district courts across the country, including this Court, that considered the Trump administration's new statutory interpretation have found it incorrect and unlawful," ruled U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware, District Court of Nevada. Despite the overwhelming consensus in the detention cases, the administration is pinning its hopes on the appellate courts to reverse the tide. Source: Politico 10/31/25
UWCHR releases report on surveillance data in Washington state, used by immigration enforcement
The UW Center for Human Rights (UWCHR) has released a study that contends that automated license plate reader (ALPR) networks have become increasingly common in Washington, and that immigration enforcement has access to their data. Flock Safety is an American manufacturer and operator of security hardware and software, particularly ALPR, video surveillance, and gunfire locator systems. At least eight WA state law enforcement agencies allowed for direct sharing of their networks with U.S. Border Patrol. Border Patrol also had apparent “back door” access to licence plate data captured by ALPRs, with plates run by at least 10 local law enforcement agencies that had not explicitly authorized sharing. Currently, this technology is entirely unregulated in Washington state.
Source: University of Washington The Daily 11/5/25
Federal Agencies
Trump committed to ongoing ICE Raids; Accuses Federal Judges of holding back his deportation agenda In an interview on 60 Minutes Donald Trump said that he was committed to continuing immigration enforcement raids across the country, saying, "I think they haven't gone far enough." His remarks come even as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been photographed and taped using violent methods to detain immigrants across the country. Asked if he is OK with ICE agents sometimes using violent tactics, Trump said, "Yeah, because you have to get the people out." In the interview Trump addressed concerns that his deportation agenda was arresting landscapers, farmers and other laborers, not just the criminals and "the worst of the worst" undocumented immigrants that he promised to deport during his presidential campaign.
Source: NBC News 11/2/25
Trump’s refugee cap lowered
The Trump administration announced this week that it will resettle only 7,500 refugees this year, a number far below the historical norm. Additionally, the administration has earmarked most of the limited number of slots for Afrikaners from South Africa, effectively shutting out tens of thousands of refugees who have waited for years for U.S. resettlement. It is also telling that none of Afrikaners being brought to the U.S. have fled their home country — long considered the predicate for being a refugee. Enacted in 1980 to streamline refugee admissions after the Vietnam War, America’s refugee resettlement program has worked undeniably well. Refugees arrive through an orderly procedure with more than a dozen U.S. government agencies screening candidates, ensuring that all resettled refugees have gone through extensive background checks. Tearing down the refugee resettlement program will not address any of the concerns Americans have about the border but will be a loss for the American economy, which needs refugees’ talent and labor according to Gideon Maltz, CEO at the Tent Partnership for Refugees.
Source: Washington Post 11/1/25
DHS Unleashes Historic Surveillance Dragnet on Migrants and Citizens
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has unveiled a sweeping proposed rule that is set to fundamentally alter how immigration authorities collect and use biometric data across the United States. Filed for public inspection on October 31 in the Federal Register, the proposal lays out changes that would require the submission of biometrics—including fingerprints, facial images, iris scans, voiceprints, and even DNA—by anyone filing or associated with an immigration request. Under the new standards, even U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents petitioning for family members would be required to submit biometrics. Notably, age restrictions for biometric collection are being removed—meaning children, including infants may be fingerprinted and scanned. Additionally, the government will be allowed to share biometric data with federal, state, local, and some foreign government agencies under the expanded authority.
Source: Migrant Insider 11/2/25
ICE issues Request for Information proposing private "bounty hunters" to locate, track, and serve documents on immigrants
According to the document, which solicits information from interested contractors for a potentially forthcoming contract opportunity, companies hired by ICE will be given bundles of information on 10,000 immigrants at a time to locate, with further assignments provided in “increments of 10,000 up to 1,000,000.” Soon, according to the document, private sector ICE contractors will surveil and confirm the home or work addresses of tens of thousands of immigrants in the U.S. and then report their locations back to the government. Data provided by ICE will include “case data” provided by the government, location data, social media information, as well as “photos and documents” showing where a person lives or works. With this in hand, contractors will surveil their target to confirm the accuracy of their home address, including “time-stamped photographs of the location,” before reporting back to ICE.
Source: The Intercept 10/31/25
ICE violates its own policy by holding people in secretive rooms for days or weeks
Court records, interviews and arrest data show ICE has been detaining people in small, secretive holding facilities for days or even weeks past the federal limit of three days. Based on data first published by the Deportation Data Project, ICE has used at least 170 ICE holding facilities nationwide. The holding facilities are not subjected to the audits, inspections or general oversight that larger ICE detention centers are required to face. Former agency officials with extensive knowledge of conditions inside holding facilities have expressed concern at their prolonged use saying that the risk of people experiencing sexual abuse or assault while in a holding room – either from ICE staff or fellow detainees – increases the longer they are held.
Source: The Guardian 10/30/25
Advocates warn immigrants could lose jobs as DHS stops automatically extending work permits
The Trump administration said it will eliminate an automatic grace period for legal immigrants waiting for renewed work visas, a shift advocates said will likely force people out of the workforce because of a long-standing backlog at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The rule took effect Thursday, Oct. 30, and immigrants who file renewals could lose their jobs during the gap between the expiration of their documents and a pending application. Immigration lawyers called the move "cruel" and "short-sighted." "Many people will lose their jobs because USCIS’s processing times for renewals are far longer than the window in which someone is allowed to submit a renewal." said Jesse Evans-Schroeder, a Tucson immigration attorney.
Source: Tucson Sentinel 10/30/25
Executive Orders/Proclamations/Court Challenges
More Than 100 District Court Judges Have Ruled Against the Trump Administration's Mandatory Detention Policy
Since July 8, when a memo from the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement reversed 30 years of practice and determined that ICE must lock up everyone facing deportation - even if they've lived in the country for decades and have no criminal record - federal courts have issued increasing warnings. The new ICE policy, they note, doesn't just subject millions more people to detention while they fight deportation, it also bars them from even asking an immigration judge to consider releasing them on bond. The onslaught of legal rejections has come in hundreds of individual cases. However, a handful of class action lawsuits have been filed seeking to block the administration's expanded detention policy. One such case broke on Thursday, 10/30, when U.S. District Judge Patti Saris of the District Court of Massachusetts, approved a statewide class for immigrants in Massachusetts who are subject to mandatory detention policy. "The overwhelming majority of district courts across the country, including this Court, that considered the Trump administration's new statutory interpretation have found it incorrect and unlawful," ruled U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware, District Court of Nevada. Despite the overwhelming consensus in the detention cases, the administration is pinning its hopes on the appellate courts to reverse the tide. Source: Politico 10/31/25
To see previous policy briefs, check the JCIRA archive here.
