Immigration News Today: Trump Dropping Tons of Lawsuits Against Anti-ICE Protesters and Immigrants

Julia Malleck

Jul 22, 2026

Photo: Pixabay.com

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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.

Around the U.S.

Trump admin. drops hundreds of lawsuits against anti-ICE protesters and immigrants, investigation finds:

The DOJ has lost or abandoned almost half of its cases that allege individuals assaulted immigration agents, according to an analysis. —New York Times [Paywall]

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Federal appeals court overturns lower court decision that released Mohsen Mahdawi:

The Palestinian green card holder, Vermont resident and Columbia University student could now potentially be re-arrested as the Trump administration continues seeking his deportation. —VT Digger, AP

Trump-appointed judge rejects administration’s challenge to Minnesota “sanctuary city” policies:

U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud dismissed the federal government’s argument that several state and local laws and policies violated the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause. —MPR News, The Minnesota Star Tribune [Paywall] 

United Airlines investigating worker who allegedly threatened to call ICE on passenger at San Francisco airport:

An employee at SFO can be heard saying “Maybe we should call ICE on you,” to Julio Varelo and his family, who were reportedly trying to resolve a ticketing issue. —KTVU

ICE is arresting relatives who come forward to take custody of migrant children in federal shelters:

Attorneys say the federal agencies are using children as “bait” to detain sponsors, leaving kids waiting in shelters for months. — Texas Tribune

Washington, D.C.

ICE considers expanding detention centers to 14 new locations:

The Virgin Islands and Guantanamo Bay are among the proposed sites, according to a request for construction proposals posted on a government website. —TIME, SAM.gov   

DOJ official who oversaw mass firing and rehiring of immigration judges nationwide steps down:

Daren Margolin, was appointed director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, stepped down on July 18, citing health issues. He was appointed in October. —Bloomberg Law

New York

NYC immigrants may avoid using government-funded benefits due to Trump admin. rule change:

New Yorkers relying on housing vouchers, Medicaid, SNAP and other benefits may now be forced to give them up in order to improve their chance of securing a green card, advocates warn. —ABC7

New Jersey removes thousands of noncitizens from voter rolls following registration mix-up:

Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) said 6,600 noncitizens were registered to vote due to a software issue from June 2023 to June 2024, with fewer than 400 from that group voting since then. —Patch, POLITICO 

Deportation orders in NYC soar amid ramp-up in “mega master” hearings:

Removal orders for individuals who missed their court hearings in NYC more than doubled in June, while that figure hit a record high nationwide. —The City Reporter 

Julia Malleck

Julia Malleck is a journalist based in NYC. She writes Documented's flagship newsletter, Early Arrival, which tracks national and local developments in immigration policy. (And my handle on X/Twitter is @txt_julia)

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