Voters continue to support meaningful immigration reforms

A new poll shows that 76% of registered voters support bipartisan immigration reforms that would strengthen border security, offer immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children a pathway to citizenship, and provide farm and ranch owners with a legal, reliable workforce. It is also noteworthy that 74% of voters who identify themselves as Republicans and 79% of those who identify as white evangelical Protestants support these reforms.

“More and more Americans want the kinds of solutions Congress began to discuss late last year. The administration and Congress should work together in 2023 to make those solutions reality. Americans understand that security and compassion can and should stand side by side,” stated Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum.

Federal judge rules President Biden’s policy on parole and alternatives to detention is illegal

Judge T. Kent Wetherell II ruled that the policy, which released asylum seekers who were not deemed a security risk at the U.S.-Mexico border instead of detaining them until their asylum cases were processed, violates the Immigration and Nationality Act. The policy was used to address overcrowding at CBP detention facilities by providing migrants who were released on parole with a registration number and directions to report to immigration authorities. The Biden administration has declined to appeal the decision.

A group of Democratic lawmakers call for DHS to resolve issues with the use of the CBP One app and to reverse course on the proposed rule to limit asylum

35 House Democrats sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to express their serious concerns about the proposed rule that would ban most migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. They also asked Mayorkas to address the issues of accessibility and usability of the CBP One app that DHS is requiring migrants to use to request an appointment for an asylum interview instead of doing so at a port of entry.

“While technology can be helpful to facilitate processing, it should never be used to create a tiered system that treats groups differently according to economic status, gender identity, age, language, nationality, or race,” they stated.