- Recent media reports that the administration is once again looking to revise the naturalization exam. President Trump had moved to change the exam at the tail end of his first term, but that move was quickly reversed once Biden came into office. It is not a surprise to learn that the administration is once again looking to change the exam and add new roadblocks on the pathway to citizenship. However, it is important to note that there are no concrete proposals for any changes yet. Once changes are proposed by the administration, MIRA and other advocates will fight to ensure that the administration does not make access to US citizenship more difficult than it already is.
- Following large-scale protests against ICE operations in communities across Los Angeles, the Department of Justice has been quietly dropping criminal charges against protesters they had previously accused of violence. A review of cases has found instances of false statements by law enforcement leading to the detention of peaceful protestors. As one former California prosecutor said, “It seems this is a way to detain people, hold them in custody, instill fear and discourage people from exercising their first amendment rights.
- Last week, Human Rights Watch released a report detailing overcrowding, abuse, and neglect at immigration detention centers across Florida, including the newly constructed “alligator alcatraz”. The report concludes that these are systematic problems, not isolated incidents, and that the US should shift away from detaining people and families on civil immigration charges in favor of community-based holistic services.