Immigration News

Iowa has passed a law which outlaws sanctuary cities and counties in the state. It bans any action by cities and counties which "prohibits or discourages the enforcement of immigration laws." Supporters of the legislation said it came in response to a policy in Iowa City which prohibited local assistance to immigration law enforcement.

President Trump has called on federal agencies to "expeditiously end" the catch and release policy. Under that policy people who cross our border and claim asylum are set free in the U.S. with the promise that they will appear at an asylum hearing to present their claim. Often they don't show up and blend into the population. The alternative is to hold them in custody until their hearing comes up. It present, however, there are not enough detention facilities to meet that need. President Trump also directed the agencies to locate other  facilities, such as military bases, which might be used for detention.   

Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban was re-elected for a third term, and his  Fidesz party won two-thirds of the seats in Hungary's parliament. Orban made defense of his country against mass immigration a major issue in his campaign. His victory will encourage patriots in other European countries to resist demands by the European Union to open their borders to mass entry. Following his electoral success Orban proclaimed, "We and won [and] Hungary has won a great victory."

President Trump dispatched troops to the border in response to reports that a "caravan" of migrants from Central America was moving through Mexico with plans to enter the U.S. Subsequent reports claimed that the caravan broke up. Dailymail.com, in the U.K, maintains this is not the case:   "Hundreds of immigrants from Central America are in a 'caravan' through Mexico which Trump had claimed was 'broken up' thanks to 'the strong immigration laws of Mexico.' [But] . . . the marchers are being issued passes which give them as long as 30 days to stay in Mexico and tell them to report to immigration centers which dot the U.S. border. Members of the caravan are being moved in a fleet of buses north to the outskirts of Mexico City for a rally where they will be given tips on how to apply for asylum in the U.S."   

The city of Huntington Beach, California, has voted to file a lawsuit against California's sanctuary law. Under that law, state and local police departments are prohibited from notifying federal authorities when illegal aliens held in custody are being released. Without this knowledge, those authorities can't move to deport them. Huntington Beach Mayor Mike Posey described the law as "constitutional overreach."   

President Trump called on the military to secure the border. He stated, "Until we can have a wall and proper security, we're going to be guarding our border with the military. That's a big step, we certainly haven't done that before, or certainly not very much before." This move may have come in part because of the "caravan" of migrants now moving through Mexico toward the U.S. border.

A caravan of 1,300 migrants from Central America is moving through Mexico to the U.S. border.  The caravan calls itself Migrantes en la Lucha (Migrants in the Struggle), and its members plan to petition for asylum when they reach the U.S.  After doing so, under current policy, they are free from custody. Those making bogus claims (probably the majority) can simply disappear and add their number to the 11 million illegal aliens already residing here. If the present caravan can achieve its goal, a succession of these caravans may follow. The Trump Administration has called on Congress to change the current policy to prevent abuse of asylum applications.

A total of 380 sheriffs from 40 states have called on Congress to enact the border wall proposed by President Trump. A spokesman for the group, Sheriff Thomas Hodgson of Bristol County Massachusetts, stated than lack of action from Congress to stop illegal immigration makes it harder for local law enforcement officers to protect their communities.  Hodgson was particularly critical of sanctuary cities. He affirmed, "Enough is enough. And the sheriffs are speaking up joining together with our constituents in our communities and saying, 'You need to now act, Congress.' ''

The Trump Administration is ending Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED) for 839 Librarians who have been in the U.S. for almost 20 years. The program...

A growing number of towns and cities in California see seeking to opt out of the state sanctuary law that limits cooperation between local police agencies and federal immigration agencies. The city of Los Alamitos has done so, stating that the new state law "may be in direct conflict with federal laws and the Constitution." State Assemblyman Travis Allen affirmed that "Tiny Los Alamitos has kicked ope the door, and not other cities across California are looking to get on board and stand up against the illegal sanctuary state."