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Immigration News Today: Biden Pardons Immigrant Advocate Ravi Ragbir

Fisayo Okare

Jan 20, 2025

Congresswoman Yvette Clark speaks next to Councilman Jumaane Williams and Ravi Ragbir, leader of the New Sanctuary Coalition, after his ICE check-in. Photo: Felipe De La Hoz for Documented

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Just have a minute? Here are the top stories you need to know about immigration. This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.

Washington D.C.

Biden pardons five more, including Ravi Ragbir, a well-known advocate for immigrants:

The immigrant advocacy community received the news of Ragbir’s pardon with much elation. He had been convicted of a nonviolent offense in 2001 and now his record is wiped clean. — The New York Times

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Trump rethinking this week’s planned immigration raids, report says:

President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration is reconsidering plans for immigration raids in Chicago next week after details were leaked, Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan told the Washington Post in an interview on Saturday. — Reuters

Ahead of day 1, Trump’s team works to temper expectations on immigration:

The president-elect’s immigration advisers have warned Republicans that it will take time and money from Congress to carry out the mass deportation effort he has promised to execute immediately. — The New York Times

Trump has promised another immigration crackdown. Here’s a primer on his first:

The hard-line policies in his first term were a significant shift that reframed the national conversation on immigration and helped return him to the White House. — The New York Times

Trump administration considering ‘hotline’ to report undocumented immigrants, says border czar:

Incoming Trump administration border czar Tom Homan discussed how he plans to implement President-elect Trump’s immigration agenda. — NBC News

A resource to track immigration legal changes under Trump:

A law professor and numerous students at Yale Law and Stanford Law will be tracking and summarizing every change in immigration policy. — Immigration Policy Tracking Project

New York

Chinese asylum seekers await Trump’s next move in uncertainty:

Some have chosen to relocate from other states to places like New York or California, where they feel safer. Others remain anxiously in place, waiting for the other shoe to drop. — Documented

Many fear NYC churches won’t be safe enough under Trump:

During the first Trump administration, NYC churches became safe havens for undocumented immigrants. Some now fear these churches are not safe enough. — Documented

NYC organizations on alert after reports of ICE ramping up arrests as Trump takes office:

“There’s going to be a big raid all across the country,” said Trump’s border czar Tom Homan. “On Tuesday, you’re gonna expect ICE, ICE is finally going to go out and do their job — CBS News

Around the U.S. 

Facing Trump’s mass deportation plans, some sanctuary cities shift their tone:

In Philadelphia, Mayor Cherelle Parker and District Attorney Larry Krasner, both Democrats, seem to have shied away from some of the rhetoric celebrating the city as a sanctuary. — NBC News

Fisayo Okare

Fisayo writes Documented’s "Early Arrival" newsletter and "Our City" column. She is an award-winning multimedia journalist, and earned an MSc. in journalism from Columbia University and a BSc. in Mass Communication from Pan-Atlantic University.

@fisvyo

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