With $75 Billion Boost, ICE Launches Aggressive Recruitment Campaign
ICE is offering a near $90,000 salary, a $50,000 signing bonus, and loan forgiveness to grow its ranks by 10,000 officers.
Immigration
Are Trump's Deportations Constitutional?
Glenn Greenwald debates Anna Gorisch on Trump's deportation policies.
Trump Asks Supreme Court To Bless Racial Profiling by Immigration Agents
The federal government has embraced unconstitutional tactics and now wants SCOTUS to do the same.
Hotel Sex Trafficking Suit Can Proceed, Inviting Hotels to Profile and Harass Guests
Can a hotel be guilty of sex trafficking just because it didn't surveil its customers enough?
They Fled Socialism and Came to the U.S. Legally. Now the Trump Administration Is Trying To Deport Them.
For years, the president has rightly railed against those oppressive regimes. So why is his administration targeting their victims?
A Terrible Environmental Law Finally Did Something Good: It Paused Construction of Alligator Alcatraz
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against any additional construction at the immigration detention center amid plans to increase the facility’s capacity to 4,000 detainees.
Why Trump's Plan to Exclude Undocumented Migrants From Census Count Determining Apportionment of Congressional Seats is Unconstitutional
The Constitution requires apportionment to be based on a count of all "persons," excluding only "Indians not taxed."
Flickers of Hope for Afghans Caught in Legal Limbo
A federal court clears the way for a broader legal challenge to Trump’s refugee policies, even as Afghans in the U.S. face detention, expired protections, and rising fears of deportation.
A First Amendment Lawsuit Highlights the Chilling Impact of Speech-Based Deportation on Student Journalists
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is seeking an injunction that would protect noncitizens at The Stanford Daily from arrest and removal because of their published work.
Why Ghislaine Maxwell's Transfer to a Minimum-Security Prison Camp Stinks
Sex offenders are supposed to be ineligible for minimum-security federal prison camps, but the rule was waived for Maxwell.
Violent Crime Rates Fell Again in 2024 and Are Likely To Keep Dropping in 2025
This is great news, but it also undercuts Donald Trump's claim that violent crime was out of control before he returned to office.
Trump's Immigration Crackdown Imperils the Fourth Amendment Rights of U.S. Citizens
A federal court says U.S. citizens “are likely to succeed in showing” that immigration agents violated their rights.
A Cop Lied, Fabricated a Sex-Trafficking Case, and Jailed a Teen on False Charges—and Still Can't Be Sued
The case is a baffling reminder that the more power a government official has, the harder it is for a victim to get a shot at justice.
Shattering Norms: Federal Immigration Agents Aren't Afraid to Smash Your Car Window
Immigration officers are using more forceful tactics to keep up with the Trump administration’s mass deportation goals.
Lawmakers Sue ICE To Protect Right To Visit Detention Centers Unannounced
Lawmakers say a new DHS rule requiring advance notice for detention center visits undermines congressional oversight.
Patrick Eddington: How to 'Tyranny-Proof' America
The former CIA analyst and Cato scholar discusses Palantir, Trump's new national database, and the sordid history of federal law enforcement on Just Asking Questions.
My New Dispatch Article on Judicial Review of Emergency Powers
It makes the case for strong judicial review of executive invocations of sweeping emergency powers.
Wife of Marine Corps Veteran Released After 2 Months in ICE Detention
Paola Clouatre had no previous convictions and was detained immediately following a green card interview.
On Sanctuary Cities, It's Trump vs. the 10th Amendment
The anticommandeering doctrine stands in the way of Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Woman Who Died of Heart Disease in ICE Custody Reportedly Told Son She Wasn't Allowed to See Doctor for Chest Pains
Questions about the death of Marie Blaise at a South Florida ICE detention center have lingered since she collapsed in April.
Trump Administration Takes Credit for Crime Drop It Previously Denied Existed
The Department of Homeland Security is boasting that its mass deportation program is responsible for a major drop in crime. That's unlikely for several reasons.
This U.S. Citizen Recorded an Immigration Arrest. Officers Told Him To Delete It or Face Charges.
The peaceful traffic stop in Florida turned violent after immigration officers arrived and used chokeholds and a stun gun to make arrests.
How Sports Tickets Got So Expensive—Or Did They?
Plus: regulating college sports, forgiving baseball’s legends, and Happy Gilmore 2
History Isn't on the DOJ's Side in Its Case Against NYC's Sanctuary Policies
The Trump administration's lawsuit against New York City challenges decades of sanctuary policies and local independence.
Federal Court Rejects Trump Lawsuit Challenging Illinois Sanctuary Policies
The court ruled the state and local policies are protected by the Tenth Amendment.
Two Cases That Demonstrate the Incoherence of Trump's Immigration Policy
The Trump administration cut a deal with Venezuela to return a triple murderer to American shores while it tries to deport someone accused of much less.
My Jotwell Review of Michael Ramsey's "The Originalist Case Against the Insular Cases"
The article makes a compelling argument that has broader implications.
Appeals Court Rules Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order is Unconstitutional and Upholds Nationwide Injunction Against it
The court ruled that a nationwide injunction is the only way to provide complete relief to the state government plaintiffs in the case.
Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order Is Unconstitutional, Says the First Appeals Court to Consider the Issue
The judgment is not surprising, since the president's reading of the 14th Amendment contradicts its text and history, plus 127 years of Supreme Court precedent.
Treasonous Conspiracy
Plus: Columbia settles, State Department releases murderer, and more...
Ninth Circuit Upholds Nationwide Injunction in State Suit Against Birthright Citizenship Order
Judge Bumatay objects on standing grounds, arguing that courts should not seek to offset narrowing one form of relief by expanding another: "That would be like squeezing one end of a balloon—it just pushes all the air to the other end."
Why I Distrust Social Trust Rationales for Immigration Restrictions
Evidence indicates immigration doesn't actually undermine social trust, and that reductions in social trust aren't necessarily bad, anyway.
Trump Administration Plans To Spend $1.26 Billion on an Immigrant Detention Center in Texas
The latest detention facility will house up to 5,000 detainees and function as a central hub for deportation operations.
Defending Its Speech-Based Deportation Policy, the Trump Administration Says 'No Such Policy Exists'
The government's gaslighting strategy suggests that federal officials are not confident about the constitutionality of punishing students for expressing anti-Israel views.
Tom Homan's Plan To 'Flood the Zone' in Sanctuary Cities Will Lead to More Due Process Violations
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and border czar Tom Homan blamed the shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer on the policies of sanctuary cities like New York.
'Alligator Alcatraz' Contracts Disappeared From a Florida State Database
A state official says the contracts contained "proprietary information," so they were scrubbed and replaced with bare-bones summaries.
Report Alleges Degrading Treatment and Medical Neglect at South Florida ICE Detention Centers
One former ICE detainee says he and a group of men were forced to kneel with their hands tied behind their backs and eat "like dogs."
How Trump's Travel Crackdown Is Hurting Americans at Home and Abroad
From trade wars to visa restrictions, policies aimed at foreigners are backfiring on U.S. travelers—raising costs, shrinking freedoms, and souring global goodwill.
Trump's Alien Enemies Act Deportees Sent Back to Venezuela in Shameful Hostage Deal [Updated]
After being ilegally deported and imprisoned in El Salvador, they will now be sent back to the oppressive regime they fled in the first place, in exchange for ten Americans detained by the Venezuelan government.
ICE Is Shipping Detainees to Hawaii as Bed Space on the U.S. Mainland Fills Up
Immigrant detainees transferred thousands of miles from where they were first arrested face unique challenges in immigration court.
Major League Soccer Struggles With Free Speech as Fans Protest Trump's Immigration Policies
Recent protests at MLS matches and the ensuing bans for some fans have put the league in a delicate position, balancing tolerance and enforcement.
Judicial Nominee Emil Bove Can't Recall Whether He Said the DOJ Might Say 'Fuck You' To Court Orders
The alleged incident goes to the heart of the objections raised by critics who worry about Bove's respect for the rule of law.
As ICE Agents Hide Their Faces, ICE Attorneys Are Hiding Their Names in Immigration Courts
One immigration judge referred to an ICE attorney as merely “Department” during a hearing.
'Alligator Alcatraz' Detainees Say in New Lawsuit They're Being Denied Access to Their Attorneys
The lawsuit says attorneys have been repeatedly turned away from the detention camp and had virtual meetings mysteriously canceled.
Afghan Allies Under Pressure to Self-Deport: Voices from Camp As Sayliyah
"We have no criticism of the U.S. government—on the contrary, we are truly thankful. However, we are deeply afraid of the possibility of being returned to Afghanistan."
A Compelling Defense of Immigration Parole Programs
My Cato Institute colleague David Bier presented it in testimony before a congressional committee.
Leaked Blueprint Reveals ICE Plan To Use IRS Data To Increase Detentions
ICE wants to access confidential IRS data to locate tax-paying undocumented immigrants and boost detention numbers.
Lawyers and Families Report Squalid Conditions and Lack of Legal Access at Alligator Alcatraz
Numerous accounts of lack of showers, overflowing toilets, and inability to meet with lawyers are emerging from the detention center in the middle of the Everglades.
