Immigration News Today: ICE Arrests, Tuition Fears, Detention
A Los Angeles family — all green card holders, no criminal records — has been locked in a Texas detention facility for months. An ICE agent maced a bystander in New York, and now she is suing under a new state law. And tens of thousands of undocumented college students in New York are watching a federal lawsuit that could strip away the affordable tuition keeping them in school.
What if you are a green card holder with no criminal record — and you still end up detained in Texas for months? That is exactly what happened to a Los Angeles family, all lawful permanent residents, who described their ordeal to The Nation and NBC Los Angeles as an "unendurable, unending nightmare." Their story is one of several this week that show how enforcement actions are reaching people who believed they were safe.
Undocumented Students at Risk of Dropping Out
The DOJ sued New York to block in-state tuition for undocumented students. Under current New York rules, eligible students pay $7,070 per year at SUNY campuses versus $17,730 at out-of-state rates, and $6,930 at CUNY versus $18,600. State financial aid — including TAP grants and the Excelsior Scholarship — is also at stake. The New York Daily News reported that students fear these attacks will force them to drop out entirely. The outcome of the lawsuit could reshape college access for tens of thousands of students across the state.
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ICE Sued, Detention Conditions Questioned
Linda Wolff, a New Yorker who was maced by an ICE agent during an operation in Inwood, became the first person to sue an immigration agent under New York's new Bivens Act — a state law that allows individuals to sue federal officers for civil rights violations. Separately, immigrants detained at Mississippi's Adams County detention center told The Guardian they were denied medical attention after a gas leak, among other reports of abuse. An Oregon lawmaker visited the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, where roughly 140 detainees had been on hunger strike since the previous Tuesday. Meanwhile, Marcos Gaspar-Da Silva, an asylum seeker from Brazil held in Maine, was granted a green card after nearly seven months in detention.
On Long Island, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office and Police Department had not yet ended their 287(g) agreements — contracts that allow local law enforcement to act as immigration agents — as the August 25 deadline approached. An immigration law firm in Sacramento alleged that ICE agents targeted their office using a list of addresses linked to undocumented immigrants, had no warrant, and attempted to break in. And a wife of a U.S. soldier was removed from a deportation flight to Brazil and returned to her home in Louisiana after her arrest drew public backlash.
What to Do
- If you are an undocumented student in New York, contact your college's financial aid office now to ask about your current eligibility status and whether your aid package could be affected by the DOJ lawsuit.
- If ICE comes to your home or workplace without a warrant, lawyers recommend that you do not open the door and that you clearly state you do not consent to entry. You have the right to remain silent.
- If you or a family member is detained, contact an immigration attorney immediately. Detained individuals have the right to a bond hearing (a court proceeding where a judge decides whether you can be released while your case continues).
- If you are a green card holder and are detained, document everything — dates, names, conditions — and share that information with your attorney. Lawful permanent residents have legal rights in removal proceedings.
Fishkin Law Firm, New York
Green card holders are not immune from detention or removal — any contact with ICE can trigger removal proceedings, especially under current enforcement priorities. If you are detained, request a bond hearing immediately; under immigration law you have the right to ask an immigration judge to set bond, and delays in making that request can cost you weeks in custody. Undocumented students facing loss of financial aid should document their enrollment and aid history now, as that record may matter in any future legal challenge. Consult an immigration attorney before making any decisions about your status or your education.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can ICE enter an immigration law firm's office without a warrant?
No. Like any other private office, an immigration law firm is protected against warrantless entry. If agents have no judicial warrant signed by a judge, you do not have to let them in. The Sacramento firm's case, as reported by KCRA, is being investigated on exactly this basis.
What is a 287(g) contract, and why does the August 25 deadline matter?
A 287(g) agreement lets local police or sheriffs act as immigration enforcement agents. Some New York counties — including Nassau — had not ended these contracts as the August 25 deadline approached. Once that deadline passed, counties still holding these agreements remained in a cooperative enforcement relationship with ICE.
If I am a green card holder, can I still be detained by ICE?
Yes. Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) can be detained and placed in removal proceedings, particularly if ICE believes there are grounds for deportation. The Los Angeles family's case shows this can happen even without a criminal record. You have the right to a bond hearing and to legal representation.
What happens to undocumented students in New York if the DOJ lawsuit succeeds?
If the court sides with the DOJ, undocumented students could lose access to in-state tuition rates and state financial aid programs like TAP and the Excelsior Scholarship. That would mean tuition costs more than doubling at SUNY and CUNY campuses. The lawsuit has not been decided yet, so current eligibility rules remain in place while the case moves through court.