Jul 22, 2019

The Trump administration is speeding up deportation procedures

Stef W. Kight

An ICE agent with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

Starting Tuesday, any arrested unauthorized immigrant who has been in the U.S. for less than 2 years could be deported without a hearing in front of an immigration judge, according to a rule set to publish in the Federal Register.

Why it matters: The expanded use of what is called "expedited removal" could make it easier for the Department of Homeland Security to deport unauthorized immigrants once they are arrested, avoiding long backlogs in the immigration court system.

  • It could result in 20,000 more immigrants being placed in expedited removal every year, according to an analysis of 2018 enforcement data by the Migration Policy Institute's Sarah Pierce.
  • But 66% of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. have been here for 10 years or more — disqualifying them from expedited removal, according to Pew Research Center.
  • Unauthorized immigrants who are arrested and placed in expedited removal proceedings, but have been in the U.S. for under a year, still have the right to claim asylum and go through the legal asylum process.

Between the lines: The rule has long been in the works. The Immigration and Nationality Act allows DHS to modify the conditions for using expedited removal proceedings — but the administration is still likely to face legal challenges.

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Stef W. Kight

Trump administration to penalize immigrants likely to use public benefits

A woman and her daugher fill out an application for food stamps. Photo: Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

A rule that would penalize immigrants who use or are likely to use public benefit programs such as food stamps, housing assistance or Medicaid will be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday.

Why it matters: The long-anticipated rule will make it much harder for immigrants with low incomes or low levels of education to obtain visas or green cards. It will also be much harder for immigrants already in the U.S. to stay longer, change their immigration status or become citizens if they have used any of the specified safety net programs.

Go deeperArrowAug 12, 2019
Rebecca Falconer

California counties file lawsuit against Trump admin green card rule

A woman who's applying for food stamps in Orange, California. Photo: Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

San Francisco and Santa Clara counties filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a Trump administration move to penalize immigrants who use or are likely to use public benefit programs such as food stamps, housing assistance or Medicaid.

Why it matters: Per Axios' Stef Knight, the rule would make it much harder for immigrants with low incomes or low levels of education to obtain visas or green cards. And it would be much harder for immigrants already in the U.S. to stay longer, change their immigration status or become citizens if they have used any of the specified safety net programs.

Go deeperArrowAug 14, 2019
Rashaan Ayesh

Immigrant-owned businesses contribute billions to U.S. economy

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Immigrants in the U.S. are twice as likely to start businesses as their native counterparts for a myriad of reasons, generating at least $1 trillion in annual sales revenue, per the New American Economy (NAE).

Driving the news: President Trump recently issued an immigration rule that targets legal immigrants "who are likely to use public benefit programs" — positioning them as a burden on taxpayers. However, studies show that immigrant-owned small businesses in the U.S. generate billions of dollars in tax revenue each year.

Go deeperArrowAug 17, 2019