- On Wednesday, USCIS officially published it new regulations laying out the process for Registration. Immigrants who are not already registered are expected to make a myUSCIS account and fill out Form G-325R online. The will then be given an appointment for biometrics (fingerprints, photo, and signature) to complete the registration process. Registrants would then be able to print out proof of registration to carry with them. The Trump Administration expects people to carry proof of registration with them at all times. NILC has quickly put together both an FAQ and KYR on Registration. Pramila Jayapal will soon be introducing the No Round Up Act to repeal the government’s registration authority.
- On Tuesday, the House passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government after this Friday, when current funding expires. The CR would add $500 million to detention and enforcement, but does not contain the usual guardrails, including directives on how the administration can spend the funds. For instance, previous CRs included directives to ensure fairness in immigration court proceedings and in the hiring of immigration judges; those directives are not in the current CR. The administration would also have more latitude to move resources from criminal enforcement to civil immigration enforcement. A CR would be open to a filibuster, so any attempt to fund the federal government would need Democratic votes to pass in the Senate, and Senator Schumer said yesterday that there are not enough Dem votes to pass this.
The Detention Watch Network and National Immigrant Justice Center have put together an action item for individuals to send letters to Congress opposing additional funding for immigration enforcement, and MIRA encourages everyone to sign it. Similarly, The Protecting Immigrant Families campaign has an organizational sign-on letter to oppose cuts to public benefits, and your organization can sign-on to that letter here.
- House and Senate leadership continue to work on a reconciliation bill to fund the federal government after the current federal fiscal year (which ends September 30). The reconciliation process allows the passage of a bill in the Senate by a simple majority (no filibuster), but it does require both chambers to pass the same blueprint, and the House and Senate are currently far apart on their approach. Expect work on this to continue in Washington into May.
- Rumors are swirling that we will soon see a new travel ban out of the Trump Administration. We had seen a previous travel ban during the last Trump term, which targeting Muslim majority nations. This time around, we are hearing that the travel ban could be broader to include Caribbean nations. MIRA will provide updates as we get them.
- On March 1, President Trump signed an Executive Order making English the official language of the United States, a first in our nation’s nearly 250 year history. The EO would theoretically allow government agencies and others who receive federal funding to choose whether or not to continue providing documents and services in languages other than English. Although MIRA expects this EO to be challenged in federal court, it highlights to the need for MA to pass An Act Relative to Language Access and Inclusion.
- The Trump Administration continues to expand immigrant detention. They have recently reached an agreement with CoreCivic, a private prison company, to reopen the South Texas Family Residential Center with 2,400 beds. This return to family detention marks a reversal from Biden era policies. The Administration also recently signed a contract with GEO Group, another private prison company, to reopen a prison with 1,000 beds in Newark, NJ for immigration detention. It is unclear if or when this facility will open as GEO Group has failed to apply for any of the city permits needed to adapt the facility and make it livable.
- Last week, Representative Sylvia Garcia re-introduced the Dream and Promise Act. This bill would provide a pathway to US citizenship for most DACA recipients, other DREAMers, and those on Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure.
- Various lawsuits against the administration’s xenophobic actions continue to make their way through the courts. Some recent updates include:
- Birthright Citizenship: 4 preliminary injunctions remain in place, blocking the administration from implementing their highly unconstitutional efforts to restrict birthright citizenship. The administration has already lost its initial appeal in the 9th Circuit to stop the injunction. Just yesterday, the 1st Circuit rejected the administration’s appeal of the injunction issued here in Boston.
- Temporary Protected Status: Last week, organizations and individuals from Boston filed suit against the Trump Administration in an effort to protect Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians and Venezuelans. Haitian-Americans United, the Venezuelan Association of MA, and Undocublack, represented by Lawyers for Civil Rights, argue that the administration’s attacks on these programs are in violation of federal law and are asking the court to block these decisions from DHS.
- Parole: The Haitian Bridge Alliance joined plaintiffs from around the country in suing the Trump Administration to block the government’s efforts to cut off categorical humanitarian parole programs, including CHNV, Uniting for Ukraine, and Operation Allies Welcome. The suit, filed in federal court February 28, accuses the administration of violating federal law not only in ending these programs, but also in blocking beneficiaries from accessing any other forms of relief.
- Refugee Resettlement: On Monday, the Trump Administration revealed through court filings that, rather than reinstating existing contracts for refugee resettlement agencies, they are instead planning to open an RFP for a new refugee resettlement agency that would serve the entire country. The also said that they are looking at non-traditional options for reception and placement programs.