Around the U.S.
U.S. tourism industry faces drop-off as immigration agenda deters travelers:
Germany warns travelers to the U.S. that violating entry rules could now lead to arrest or detention. Three German citizens have been detained despite no clear visa or immigration violations. — The Guardian U.S.
IRS nears deal with ICE to share addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants:
The move toward information-sharing comes as Trump pushes his administration to use every resource to conduct what he hopes will be the largest mass deportation of immigrants in U.S. history. — The Washington Post
Cornell student activist asked to surrender to ICE:
Momodou Taal, who helped lead pro-Palestinian protests last year, sued the Trump administration this month over actions aimed at student protesters. — NBC News
TikTok becomes a tool of choice in cat-and-mouse game between migrant smugglers and authorities:
Migrant smugglers say new technologies allow networks to expand their reach to new customers — a far cry from the old days when each village had its trusted smuggler. — AP News
As Trump broadens crackdown, focus expands to legal immigrants and tourists:
U.S. border officials are using more aggressive tactics at ports of entry as the Trump administration scrutinizes green card and visa holders who have expressed opposition to its policies. — The New York Times
New York
Queens man charged for green card fraud, posing as ICE agent:
The suspect allegedly used a fake INTERPOL ID and drove a red Hummer with a vanity plate featuring the acronym “ICE” to scam the victim out of $500,000. — Documented
March 31 event — Learn how to spot & avoid immigration scams:
Documented is teaming up with Envision Freedom Fund to inform our readers about the presence of immigration-related scams and what to do about them. — Read more about the event here
ICYMI — Court rules Mahmoud Khalil’s lawsuit challenging his unlawful detention by ICE should move forward in New Jersey:
The Southern District Court of New York ruled that the case challenging ICE’s unlawful detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia graduate student and lawful permanent resident, should be transferred to New Jersey. — ACLU
Washington D.C.
ACLU reacts to President Trump’s latest directive threatening lawyers and law firms:
“By targeting prominent voting rights attorney Marc Elias, along with unnamed lawyers who have worked on immigration cases, and threatening them with sanctions, President Trump is attempting to silence those who embody the mission and ideals of the legal profession […],” said Cecillia Wang, National Legal Director of ACLU. — Read more here
- Read Trump’s latest Presidential Action here: a memorandum on “Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court”
Internal memo shows Trump admin. reviewing “all disaster relief programs that may indirectly or incidentally aid illegal aliens:”
The two-page memo sent to senior FEMA officials on Feb. 14 also orders the agency to review nongovernmental organizations that “provide assistance” to undocumented immigrants. — POLITICO
DHS shuts down internal watchdog agencies that advocated for immigrants:
The three agencies had about 300 employees and investigated complaints, including about detention conditions and delays in processing green-card and citizenship applications. — The Washington Post
Thousands of agents diverted to Trump immigration crackdown:
This account of Trump’s push to reorganize federal law enforcement — the most significant since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — is based on interviews with more than 20 current and former federal agents, attorneys and other federal officials. — Reuters
U.S. to revoke legal status of more than a half-million migrants, urges them to self deport:
The termination of the work permits and deportation protections of hundreds of thousands of Latin American and Haitian migrants under TPS will take effect in late April. — CBS News
Trump digs in on standoff with judge over deportation flights:
The migrants deported under invocation of the Alien Enemies Act “were taken, it seems, because of tattoos. … He seems to be throwing them under the bus because this case is not about criminal aliens. It is not about wars, it is not about borders. It is about pure cruelty,” says Juliette Kayyem, former assistant secretary, Department of Homeland Security — CNN
Trump said he didn’t sign the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The Federal Register shows one with his signature:
Trump downplayed his involvement in invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport Venezuelan migrants, saying for the first time that he hadn’t signed the proclamation, but that he stood by his administration’s move. — CNN
Federal judge appears skeptical of Trump’s use of wartime law to deport Venezuelans:
Judge James E. Boasberg suggested at an hourlong hearing that the White House had stretched the meaning of the Alien Enemies Act by applying it to scores of Venezuelan immigrants. — The New York Times
