10 Deaths in Detainee Centers go Unreported

The government recently announced that it had previously overlooked one out of every ten deaths that had died since 2003. [...]

Detention Policy to be Reformed

The Obama Administration has announced that it is initiating reforms to the often-criticized immigration detention system.  These reforms will centralize the detention system and will provide for more federal government oversight over the system.  These changes are welcome news as the conditions in the current detention system have been almost universally criticized and have resulted [...]

Frontline Report on Postville ICE Raid

Frontline has produced a provocative documentary that examines the lasting effects of the May 2oo8 ICE raid on a Postville, Iowa meatpacking plant.  The raid resulted in over 400 arrests and has had lasting consequences.

Government Expands Deportation Initiative

The Obama Administration is expanding an initiative launched by the Bush Administration to identify and remove unauthorized foreign nationals who have had run ins with the law.  The initiative, called Secure Communities, has local jails officials checking the fingerprints of accused criminals against those in the federal immigration database.  If a person turns out to [...]

Humans Caught in Immigration Bureaucracy

Two stories crossed my desk recently that remind me what consequences the United States’ bureaucratic immigration process has on humans. First there is the case of Diane Williams, who was recently deported to Honduras following her drug-related arrest in the United States. Although not a model citizen, Ms. Williams is a U.S. Citizen. Despite [...]

Is a Volunteering Monk an Unauthorized Employee?

In an excellent article (and photo gallery), the Wall Street Journal chronicled the bizarre story of Buddhist Monk Phra Bunphithak Jomthong. Monk Jomthong is facing deportation because, according to the government, he engaged in unauthorized employment at his temple. What did he do? Monk Jomthong was “volunteering his religious services and physical energy to make [...]

DOJ Reverses Bush Era Ruling On Immigrants Facing Deportation

In a decision that was expected by most immigration practitioners, Attroney General Holder has vacated a ruling that former Attorney General Mukasey made just days before President Obama’s inauguation.  Mukasey’s ruling, which overturned long standing precedent, determined that individuals in deportation hearings were not entitled to legal counsel.  Holder’s order withdrawal’s Mukasey’s ruling and states that [...]

Attorney General Rules on Deportation

Two caveats before I get to the main topic of this post.  First, it is not my intention to provide in-depth legal analysis about any new judicial decision, statute or regulation.  My reason is simple – I don’t want to bore you.  Second, I am determined to keep this blog apolitical.  I follow politics [...]