- Tensions continue to mount in Minnesota following last week’s murder of Rene Good amid reports that hundreds more immigration officers will be joining over 2,000 already deployed across the state. The state, joined by the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed suit against the federal government to stop the surge of immigration officers. . Meanwhile, everyday residents are pushing back against the growing lawlessness from the federal government. The administration’s response has been on-brand, deploying tear gas and pepper spray, arresting protesters, and detaining people of color, including members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, of supposed immigration violations without probable cause. Meanwhile, attorneys with the Department of Justice are fleeing the agency as they are pressured to investigate protesters rather than the murder the of Ms. Good.
- The administration has also increased its attacks on Somalis, announcing on Tuesday that it would end Temporary Protected Status for that population. Although the administration claims that the situation in Somalia has improved to the point where people can safely return, others argue that it remains a war-torn and unstable nation. If the administration’s decision is not blocked by the courts, Somalis on TPS would be expected to leave the US by March 17th.
- President Trump broadened his attacks on cities and states that resist his diktats, promising to cut all payments to, “sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities.” The administration has made similar promises many times since coming into power a year ago, and federal courts have continually blocked such efforts.
- Meanwhile, the increasing opposition to ICE enforcement tactics, especially in the wake of the murder of Ms. Good, has led to increasing calls for the abolition of ICE. Recent polls have found a plurality of Americans support eliminating the agency, but as Congress faces a January 30 funding deadline in order to avoid another government shutdown, negotiators are instead looking at ways to add guardrails on immigration enforcement actions. Democratic leadership is looking to requiring DHS agents to go through increased training and wear body cameras while prohibiting them from wearing masks on the job. Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus are similarly calling for reforms and increased oversight in exchange for continuing to fund the agency.
- The Trump Administration, however, continues to bristle at any attempts by Congress to conduct oversight of immigration enforcement, secretly reimposing restrictions on Congressional visits of detention facilities. ICE blocked three members of Congress from conducting oversight at a facility in Minnesota days after the murder to Ms. Good despite a previous court order that cleared the way for such visits. Members of Congress have asked the judge to review whether this new ICE directive is in violation of that court order, and an emergency hearing is expected on Wednesday.
- On Friday, a federal judge in Boston indicated that she would temporarily block the administration’s efforts to cut short family unification parole. This pathway was open to beneficiaries of family-based immigration visas with long wait times, inviting some to apply for early admission as parolees until the visa was available. The Trump Administration had announced late last year that they would rescind these grants of parole, effective January 14th. The judge found that, while the administration has the authority to rescind parole, it took issue with the manner in which it was done. The ruling could affect over 10,000 relatives of US citizens and green card holders.
- The Trump Administration has recently moved to make non-immigrant visas less accessible unless you are rich. In August, the administration began requiring bonds of $15,000 for citizens of 6 countries, and has expanded the list to 38 countries in the past couple of weeks. The majority of impacted countries are in Africa, with a handful in Asia and Latin America.