Boat carrying Chinese migrants capsizes off coast of Mexico

A boat carrying Chinese migrants capsized off the coast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, resulting in the death of 8 people. Mexican officials, who are investigating the incident, reported that the boat was navigated by a Mexican national. More Chinese migrants are making the arduous journey to present themselves at the U.S.-Mexico border due to the difficulty Chinese people have in obtaining visas to travel to the U.S.

CBP One phone app is not accessible for migrants with disabilities

Two migrant advocate organizations filed a complaint against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week, stating that migrants with disabilities are not able to access the CBP One phone app to the extent that others can, therefore they believe it is in violation of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal law that requires federal agencies to ensure individuals with disabilities can access and use the technology they make available.

It is unclear what percentage of the migrant population have disabilities because no official statistics exist, however workers who provide care to migrants find that a disproportionate number of them have disabilities partly due to the situations from which they are fleeing. “When we're dealing with asylum seekers that are victims of torture by state governments, by organized crime, they’re coming with significant mental health issues that will make it difficult for them to navigate a complicated app like CBP One,” Nicole Elizabeth Ramos, border rights project director for the refugee and migrant support organization Al Otro Lado, said. 

Texas immigration legislation is back before a federal appeals court

On Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals again heard arguments from the state of Texas and the Department of Justice over the constitutionality of Texas immigration legislation that would make it a state crime for individuals to enter the U.S. between ports of entry along the Texas border. It is not clear when the circuit court will issue a ruling on the case, but regardless of how the circuit court rules, it is likely that the case will go before the U.S. Supreme Court for a final decision.