Policy

What if the next California governor decides whether your city cooperates with ICE — or fights back? On September 24, 2026, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton faced off in the only scheduled debate before California's November 3 general election, clashing sharply on immigration. For the millions of immigrants living in California, the outcome of this race has direct consequences for deportation defense, local enforcement, and state-level protections.

The Department of Justice filed a complaint against Minnesota judges who gave media interviews about an immigration surge in their courts. The move raises questions about judicial independence in immigration cases. Details of the complaint — including which judges are named and what penalties are sought — have not been made public.

DHS told Nevada officials it had confirmed 185 people on the state's voter rolls were non-citizens. Nevada reviewed every record and found the opposite: all 185 were US citizens. The episode has exposed serious flaws in how the federal government is matching immigration data — and raises urgent questions for naturalized citizens and green card holders whose records could be next.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced a $28.7 million vehicle maintenance facility at the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station in Murrieta, California. The project, funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, replaces a rented off-site garage the station has used since 1997. For immigrants living near the southern border, expanded CBP infrastructure signals continued — and likely intensified — enforcement operations in the region.

In July 2026, half of the 50,000 people detained by federal immigration agents had no criminal record, according to data cited by Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar of Florida. Salazar went public with that figure in a political ad and then repeated her warning on national television, calling out Trump administration advisers for driving a deportation policy that is sweeping up law-abiding immigrants. The fallout is now reshaping the political landscape — and the daily risk calculation for millions of undocumented people living in the US.

You crossed the border and were released with a court date — that option no longer exists for anyone arriving today. DHS and CBP announced on September 16, 2026, that for 16 straight months, zero people apprehended at the border have been released into the US. With apprehensions 94% below the previous administration's average, the enforcement shift is the most dramatic in decades.

A DHS whistleblower says federal officers were ordered to search state voter websites using methods that may violate state computer fraud laws — and to create law enforcement records on people even when the underlying data turned out to be wrong. Those records now sit in TECS, the same federal database that immigration officers check when you cross a border or apply for a green card. For immigrants, an erroneous entry in that system can mean delays, extra scrutiny, or worse.

Immigration attorney Ilya Fishkin breaks down six key shifts in US enforcement: ICE detaining fewer people without criminal history, courthouse arrests quietly dropped, birthright citizenship ruling, and why AI can't replace a lawyer in asylum cases.

Immigration attorney Ilya Fishkin breaks down two urgent risks under new Trump administration policy: the 10-year bar triggered by a green card denial and stalled EB-5 investor cases as mandamus lawsuits face new obstacles.

Immigration attorney Ilya Fishkin breaks down four critical decisions that can make or break a US immigration case: voluntary departure, passport renewal during asylum proceedings, daily fines for ignored removal orders, and deportation to third countries.

New BIA precedent raises the bar for asylum seekers citing military refusal — now you must prove you'd be forced to commit war crimes. Plus: should you fear applying for US citizenship right now? Attorney Ilya Fishkin breaks it down.

Ninety-five commercial truck drivers were arrested in a single week during a Border Patrol operation in Yuma, Arizona — most of them holding state-issued CDLs. Behind the operation is a new federal rule that could reshape who is allowed to drive commercial vehicles in the US. If you are an immigrant who drives trucks for a living, this directly affects you.

You live in New York and rely on your county sheriff's office not sharing your information with ICE — but that protection may not be as solid as you thought. New York's ban on local police partnerships with ICE took effect August 26, 2026, yet several counties refused to comply, forcing Attorney General Letitia James to issue subpoenas. At the same time, ICE set a new monthly detention record nationwide, detaining more than 45,000 people in July alone.

Smuggling networks had a simple trick: stay just beyond 12 nautical miles from the U.S. coast, transfer cargo at sea, and slip away. As of August 25, 2026, that buffer no longer exists. CBP has doubled its maritime enforcement reach to 24 nautical miles in four high-risk coastal zones — and the change affects not just drug traffickers, but anyone attempting a sea crossing toward the United States.

San Diego County voted 3-2 to cut off ICE access to county firearms-training facilities where federal officers had trained for years. ICE fired back publicly, calling it political obstruction. For immigrants in the region, the message is clear: federal enforcement is not slowing down.