Mayorkas: Texasโ immigration policies have wreaked havoc and disorder
The U.S. Homeland Security Secretary specifically called out the stateโs policy of busing migrants to cities in other parts of the country.
Defamation suit against Fox News by head of dismantled disinformation board tossed by federal judge
A defamation suit against Fox News by a government official who served on a short-lived U.S. government media disinformation board is being dismissed by a federal judge.
More than 3 million pass through US airport security in a day for the first time as travel surges
Agents for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration on Sunday screened 3 million airline passengers in a single day for the first time ever.
US deports 116 Chinese migrants in first 'large' flight in 5 years
The Department of Homeland Security says it has deported 116 Chinese migrants from the United States in the first โlarge charter flightโ in five years.
Homeland Security says border arrests fall more than 40% since Bidenโs halt to asylum processing
The Homeland Security Department says arrests for illegal border crossings have dropped more than 40% during the three weeks asylum processing has been suspended.
Biden is offering some migrants a pathway to citizenship. Here's how the plan will work
A new Biden administration policy will give roughly half a million immigrants who are married to American citizens but lack legal status in the United States a pathway to citizenship for them and their children.
President Joe Biden faces first lawsuit over new asylum crackdown at the border
Several immigrant advocacy groups are suing the Biden administration over President Joe Biden's directive last week to stop asylum processing at the southern border.
US deports about 50 Haitians to nation hit with gang violence, ending monthslong pause in flights
The Biden administration says it has sent about 50 Haitians back to their country, marking its first deportation flight in months to the Caribbean nation struggling under surging gang violence.
A flyer at a camp in Mexico urges US-bound migrants to vote for Biden. Its origins are suspect
A humanitarian organization in northeastern Mexico is saying it did not create flyers urging border-bound migrants to vote for President Joe Biden.
Negotiators race to finish government funding bills after late clash on Homeland Security
Negotiators from Congress and the White House are scrambling to complete work on funding government agencies for the fiscal year and avoid a partial shutdown that could begin this weekend.
US says it disrupted a China cyber threat, but warns hackers could still wreak havoc for Americans
FBI Director Chris Wray has told House lawmakers that Chinese government hackers are busily targeting critical infrastructure inside the United States, including water treatment plants, the electrical grid and transportation systems.
Iowa promised $75 million for school safety. Two shootings later, the money is largely unspent
Iowa's Republican governor announced in June 2022 that the state would use $75 million in federal pandemic relief funds to add security measures at schools.
A new Homeland Security guide aims to help houses of worship protect themselves
A new guide from the Department of Homeland Security aims to help churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship protect themselves during heightened tensions in faith-based communities across the country.
Democratic lawmakers want President Biden to protect Palestinians in US from being forced home
Dozens of Democratic lawmakers are urging President Joe Biden to take steps to protect Palestinians in the United States as the Israel-Hamas war continues.
The Biden administration says it is using executive power to allow border wall construction in Texas
The Department of Homeland Security announced that the Biden administration leveraged sweeping executive power to waive 26 federal laws in South Texas.
US allows Israeli citizens to travel to US visa-free as Israel joins a select group of countries
The Biden administration has admitted Israel into a select group of countries whose citizens are allowed to travel to the United States without getting a visa in advance.
The Biden administration is poised to allow Israeli citizens to travel to the US without a US visa
The Biden administration is poised to allow Israeli citizens to travel to the United States without a U.S. visa.
Afghans who recently arrived in US get temporary legal status from Biden administration
The Biden administration is giving temporary legal status to Afghan migrants who have already been living in the country for a little over a year.
The US government is eager to restore powers to keep dangerous chemicals out of extremists' hands
When Congress returns this week, Homeland Security officials and those in the chemical industries will be watching to see if a program regulating the chemical sector will be on its agenda.
Head of US cybersecurity agency sees progress on election security, with more work needed for 2024
The head of the nationโs cybersecurity agency says efforts to protect the nationโs election systems have grown exponentially since the 2016 presidential election, but more is needed to defend the integrity and resiliency of the election process ahead of next yearโs vote.
Army combat veteran to take over key election security role working with state, local officials
An Army combat veteran with extensive cybersecurity and counterterrorism experience is taking over as one of the nationโs top election security officials.
Border agency reassigns chief medical officer after 8-year-old girl dies in Texas facility
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reassigned its chief medical officer after the in-custody death of an 8-year-old girl whose motherโs pleas for an ambulance were ignored despite a high fever and other ailments.
A Russian ransomware gang breaches the Energy Department and other federal agencies
U.S. officials say the Department of Energy is among a small number of federal agencies compromised in a Russian cyber-extortion gangโs global hack of a file-transfer program popular with corporations and governments.
DHS reports significant decline in border crossings since end of Title 42
The Department of Homeland Security released new figures that show a declining number of unlawful entries between ports of entry along the Southwest border.
US border encounters of migrant families remain low, Department of Homeland Security says
U.S. officials say the number of migrant families they encountered at the Southwest border continues to remain low following the lifting of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionโs Title 42 public health order.
Border migrant encounters have dropped by half since Title 42 ended, federal official says
Federal officials had about 10,000 encounters with migrants per day at the U.S.-Mexico border before the emergency health order ended late Thursday. Since Friday they have had about 5,000 encounters per day.
Southwest border communities prepare for end of Title 42 policy
The Biden Administration and the United States border communities are preparing for the end of the pandemic era policy Title 42 that is set to expire on Thursday night.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy offers warm reception to Biden border proposal as Democrats recoil
The Austin Republicanโs tacit approval only adds fuel to the fire for Texas Democrats recoiling at the report that the Biden administration could detain asylum-seekers.
U.S. judge in Amarillo halts Biden administrationโs attempt to end โremain in Mexicoโ policy
The Biden administration stopped enrolling new asylum seekers into the Trump-era program in August.
COVID's lingering impact prompts Real ID deadline extension
The deadline for obtaining the Real ID needed to board a domestic flight has been pushed back again, with the Department of Homeland Security citing the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for the slower-than-expected rollout.
Supreme Court wrestles with Biden's deportation policy
The Supreme Court has wrestled with a partisan-tinged dispute over a Biden administration policy that would prioritize deportation of people in the country illegally who pose the greatest public safety risk.
Judge delays end of asylum restrictions to late December
A federal judge has granted the Biden administration a five-week delay to end far-reaching asylum restrictions, writing in upper-case letters that he was doing so โWITH GREAT RELUCTANCE.โ.
Senate: Migrants subject to unnecessary medical procedures
A Senate investigation has found that U.S. immigration authorities didnโt do enough to adequately vet or monitor a gynecologist in rural Georgia who performed unnecessary medical procedures on detained migrant women without their consent.
Judge orders end to Trump-era asylum restrictions at border
A federal judge has ordered the Biden administration to lift Trump-era asylum restrictions that have been a cornerstone of border enforcement since the beginning of COVID-19.
Judge Speedlin Gonzalez pays $2,475 fine for loaded gun incident at San Antonio International Airport
Bexar County Court 13 Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez on Friday paid a $2,475 civil penalty, weeks after a loaded gun was found in her carry-on luggage at San Antonio International Airport.
Ted Cruz warns DHS secretary he could be impeached over rise in migrant crossings
Cruz and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas accusing him of โgross dereliction of duty.โ Mayorkas has been a consistent target of conservative ire over immigration.
US warns about foreign efforts to sway American voters
U.S. officials say Russia is working to amplify doubts about the integrity of American elections while China is interested in influencing policy perspectives in favor of Beijing.
Log4j software flaw 'endemic,' new cyber safety panel says
A new cybersecurity panel created by President Joe Biden says a computer vulnerability discovered last year in a ubiquitous piece of software is an โendemicโ problem that will pose security risks for potentially a decade or more.
Supreme Court rules Biden administration can end โremain in Mexicoโ policy, sending case back to a Texas court
The Trump administration created the Migrant Protection Protocols, also called โremain in Mexico,โ in 2019 before the Biden administration canceled it in 2021. The ruling sends the case back to a Texas federal court.
Feds warn that Uvalde massacre, impending abortion ruling and midterm elections could spur more acts of violence
In a bulletin, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said that recent and upcoming events could be โexploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets.โ
US sees heightened extremist threat heading into midterms
The Department of Homeland Security says a looming Supreme Court decision on abortion, an increase of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and the midterm elections are potential triggers for extremist violence over the next six months.
US warns abortion ruling could increase extremist violence
The federal government is warning law enforcement agencies around the nation of the increased potential for extremist violence after the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion striking down the constitutional right to abortion.
First Afghan refugees arrive at new center in Virginia
A first group of Afghan refugees have arrived at a new temporary housing facility in Northern Virginia as the U.S. works to resettle people who fled the Taliban takeover of their country.
EXPLAINER: What is the US doing to help Ukraine refugees?
Russiaโs invasion of Ukraine has set off the largest mass migration in Europe in decades, with more than 1.5 million people having crossed from Ukraine into neighboring countries.
Three arrested in connection with human smuggling case at far West Side shopping center
San Antonio police say they have rounded up as many as 30 people who were seen climbing out of the back of a big rig at a far West Side shopping center last Friday morning.
Extremists see US power grid as target, gov't report warns
Extremist groups in the United States appear to increasingly view attacking the power grid as a means of disrupting the country, according to a government report aimed at law enforcement agencies and utility operators.
US has reunited 100 children taken from parents under Trump
A Biden administration effort to reunite children and parents who were separated under President Donald Trumpโs zero-tolerance border policy has made increasing progress as it nears the end of its first year.
Correction: Homeland Security body cameras story
In a story published Dec. 21 about the use of body cameras by an investigative unit of the Department of Homeland Security, The Associated Press erroneously reported that agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Phoenix and Detroit were the first federal officers to wear body cams.
AP seeks answers from US gov't on tracking of journalists
The Associated Press is seeking answers from the Department of Homeland Security on its use of sensitive government databases for tracking international terrorists to investigate as many as 20 American journalists, including an acclaimed AP reporter.
US limits immigration arrests at schools, 'protected' areas
U.S. immigration authorities will limit arrests at schools, hospitals and other so-called protected areas under new guidelines issued by the Department of Homeland Security.
Haitian activists helping migrants reach final destinations
Val Verde County commissioners say the migrants who were camping out in Del Rio are now cleared, just days after almost 15,000 people, most of them Haitians, were seeking asylum.
Supreme Court orders 'Remain in Mexico' policy reinstated
The Supreme Court says the Biden administration likely violated federal law in trying to end a Trump-era program that forces people to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. With three liberal justices in dissent, the high court refused Tuesday to block a lower court ruling ordering the administration to reinstate the program informally known as Remain in Mexico.
Supreme Court orders 'Remain in Mexico' policy reinstated
The Supreme Court says the Biden administration likely violated federal law in trying to end a Trump-era program that forces people to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. With three liberal justices in dissent, the high court refused Tuesday to block a lower court ruling ordering the administration to reinstate the program informally known as Remain in Mexico.
Supreme Court halts reinstating 'Remain in Mexico' policy
The Supreme Court is temporarily halting a judgeโs order that would have forced the government to reinstate a Trump administration policy forcing thousands to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. Justice Samuel Alito issued the temporary stay late Friday night.
Appeals court won't delay 'Remain in Mexico' return
A federal appellate court has refused to delay implementation of a judge's order reinstating a Trump administration policy forcing thousands to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling late Thursday.
US warns 9/11 anniversary could inspire extremist attacks
The latest terrorism alert bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security warns that the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks as well as approaching religious holidays could inspire violent attacks by extremists.
New cybersecurity order issued for US pipeline operators
The Department of Homeland Security has announced new requirements for U.S. pipeline operators to bolster cybersecurity following a May ransomware attack that disrupted gas delivery across the East Coast.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Texas-led lawsuit seeking to protect a Trump immigration policy
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it wonโt hear a case filed by Texas and 13 other states that seeks to revive a Trump-era โpublic chargeโ immigration rule, stating they need an opinion from a lower court first.
Suspected Chinese hackers spied on US, European targets
A prominent cybersecurity firm says suspected state-backed Chinese hackers exploited widely used networking devices to spy for months on dozens of high-value government, defense industry and financial sector targets in the U.S. and Europe.
Biden OKs more foreign seasonal workers as economy improves
President Joe Bidenโs administration announced an increase Tuesday in the number of temporary seasonal workers who will be allowed to work in the U.S. this year as the U.S. economy recovers from the pandemic.
Senators press for more on SolarWinds hack after AP report
Key lawmakers say theyโre concerned theyโve been kept in the dark about what suspected Russian hackers stole from the federal government and they pressed Biden administration officials for more details about the scope of whatโs known as the SolarWinds hack.
Texas family detention centers expected to transform into rapid-processing hubs
Republicans and some Democrats fear that relaxing detention policies will exacerbate a surge that is already straining the Biden administration. AdWhile the tally is a fraction of the combined capacity of 3,300 people at three family residential centers, the uptick baffled child-welfare advocates who hoped that the detention centers would finally close. They note that Biden and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas helped to expand use of these detention centers during the Obama administration. โThere needs to be open expression of what theyโre going to do with these facilities,โ said Bridget Cambria, a lawyer representing migrant families in Pennsylvania. AdThe Biden administration has not yet detailed how exactly it will cope with another influx.
US shifts state grant focus to extremism, cyberthreats
About half of the money covered comes from two widely used grants: the State Homeland Security Program and the Urban Area Security Initiative. AdThat translates into at least $77 million to address domestic extremism, funds that Mayorkas said can be used to improve intelligence sharing across state lines, training and public awareness. AdConcerns about domestic extremism have been mounting in recent years. DHS listed domestic violent extremism, particularly by white supremacists, as among the top threats facing the nation late last year, and in January for the first time used a national terrorist advisory to warn about domestic extremism. In the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have called for increased focus on domestic extremism.
US reverts to targeted immigration enforcement under Biden
President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with labor leaders in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON โ Immigration enforcement in the U.S. would be more targeted under President Joe Biden than under his predecessor, with authorities directed to focus on people in the country illegally who pose a threat, according to guidelines released Thursday. The guidelines set a new course for U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, which drew fierce criticism under President Donald Trump for arresting and removing anyone in the country illegally regardless of criminal history or community ties. Under Biden, ICE would primarily apprehend and remove people who pose a threat to national security, committed crimes designated as โaggravatedโ felonies or recently crossed the border. AdTrump, whose administration took hundreds of measures to restrict both legal and illegal immigration, early on directed ICE to apprehend anyone who was in the country illegally.
Migrants in โremain in Mexicoโ program will soon be allowed to enter the United States, federal agency says
Launched by the Trump administration, the Migrant Protection Protocols forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico border towns for their hearings in American courtrooms. Officials in Mexico have said that many migrants have since gone back home or decided to cross illegally instead of waiting. AdThe DHS advised asylum seekers in the program to remain where they are for now while a virtual registration process is rolled out next week. Asylum seekers will be tested for COVID-19 before being allowed to cross the border. โThis latest action is another step in our commitment to reform immigration policies that do not align with our nationโs values,โ said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
US won't make immigration arrests at virus vaccination sites
Drivers with a vaccine appointment enter a mega COVID-19 vaccination site set up in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. One of the largest vaccination sites in the country was temporarily shut down Saturday because dozen of protesters blocked the entrance, stalling hundreds of motorists who had been waiting in line for hours, the Los Angeles Times reported. The Los Angeles Fire Department shut the entrance to the vaccination center at Dodger Stadium about 2 p.m. as a precaution, officials told the newspaper. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)WASHINGTON โ The U.S. government says it wonโt be making routine immigration enforcement arrests at COVID-19 vaccination sites. Vaccination sites will be considered โsensitive locationsโ and generally off limits for enforcement actions, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Monday.
The Latest: Wash. state warns hospitals on VIP vaccinations
The state crossed that mark Monday, exactly a year after officials reported the first case of a coronavirus infection in Massachusetts. โ Marylandโs acting health secretary says the stateโs hospitals have received less than half of their expected allocations of second doses of the coronavirus vaccine for front-line health workers this week. Schrader says state officials were talked with the federal Department of Health and Human Services all weekend trying to figure out what happened. The CDC says Iowa has delivered 190,689 first vaccine doses to individuals, or 6,044 per 100,000 people, the third lowest rate in the nation. Ad___PRAGUE โ The Czech Republic is not planning to limit use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for elderly people like some other European Union nations.
US terrorism alert warns of politically motivated violence
FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. In contrast, the deadly attack by rioters on the U.S. Capitol targeted the very heart of government. It brought together members of disparate groups, creating the opportunity for extremists to establish links with each other. The document singles out crimes motivated by racial or ethnic hatred, such as the 2019 rampage targeting Hispanics in El Paso, Texas, as well as the threat posed by extremists motivated by foreign terror groups. The alert comes at a tense time following the riot at the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump seeking to overturn the presidential election.
Judge bars Biden from enforcing 100-day deportation ban
A federal judge on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. Tipton said the Biden administration had failed to provide any concrete, reasonable justification for a 100-day pause on deportations. (AP Photo/Emilio Espejel, File)HOUSTON โ A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November.
Biden administration suspends โremain in Mexicoโ policy for asylum seekers
The group requested asylum in the United States, but were returned to Mexico under the Migrant Protections Protocol to await their court proceedings. DHS said in its statement that more information about people in MPP will be forthcoming and asks the asylum seekers to stay in Mexico for now. She also said Biden should reject the Trump administration's health policy to expel future asylum seekers. Lives are on the line, and asylum seekers continue to be subjected to kidnappings, attacks and other targeted violence," she said in a statement. The "remain in Mexico" policy began in California and expanded to the Texas-Mexico border in early 2019.
Biden's nominees promise fresh approach on national security
President-elect Joe Bidens pick for national intelligence director Avril Haines arrives for a confirmation hearing before the Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. Neither Blinken nor Biden's other nominees for national security Cabinet posts encountered substantial opposition Tuesday. โWhen it comes to intelligence, there is simply no place for politics โ ever,โ she told the Senate Intelligence Committee. The House majority leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer, indicated Tuesday that the full House would consider an Austin waiver bill on Thursday. Like Blinken, Austin said he views China as the leading international issue facing Biden's national security team.
Unions: Passenger rails need better security, no-ride list
FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2021 file photo, The Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge overlooks the newly-completed Moynihan Train Hall in New York. Two major railroad workers unions have asked the Department of Homeland Security to beef up security on Amtrak and other passenger rail lines, including by creating a no-ride list akin to the no-fly list that prevents people identified as risks from boarding planes. The unions said Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, that tougher security measures are needed after last week's riot at the U.S. Capitol because people who took part in the insurrection that were placed on the no-fly list may turn to railroads for transportation. โ Two major railroad workers unions have asked the Department of Homeland Security to beef up security on Amtrak and other passenger lines, including by creating a no-ride list akin to the no-fly list that prevents people identified as risks from boarding planes. The unions also asked the Federal Railroad Administration to intervene and require more security.
Trump Homeland Security chief abruptly quits at tense time
FILE - In this Sept. 23, 2020, file photo, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Shawn Thew/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trumpโs acting head of the Department of Homeland Security abruptly resigned Monday, leaving the post ahead of schedule as the nation faces a heightened terrorism threat from extremists seeking to reverse the election. The announcement by acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf was perplexing. Peter Gaynor, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will serve as acting head of the Department of Homeland Security until the Biden administration takes over. Trump appointed Wolf acting secretary in November 2019, following the resignation of Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary who took over following the resignation of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
US judge blocks Trump administrationโs sweeping asylum rules
SAN DIEGO โ A U.S. judge on Friday blocked the Trump administrationโs most sweeping set of asylum restrictions less than two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. The court order has limited immediate impact because the government has largely suspended asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border during the coronavirus pandemic, citing public health concerns. He said it was the fifth time a court has ruled against Homeland Security on the same grounds. Any foreigner who steps on U.S. soil has a legal right to apply for asylum, according to U.S. asylum law and international treaty obligations. Donato took issue with how people came to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Justice Department, federal court system hit by Russian hack
The U.S. government on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, said a devastating hack of federal agencies is likely Russian in origin and said the operation appeared to be an intelligence gathering effort. The Justice Department said that on Dec. 24 it detected "previously unknown malicious activity" linked to the broader intrusions of federal agencies revealed earlier that month, according to a statement from spokesman Marc Raimondi. Separately, the court office said on its website that โan apparent compromiseโ of the U.S. judiciary's case management and electronic case file system was under investigation. The actual reach is probably significant,โ said a federal court official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the information. Rid wondered how sure the Justice Department could be about the extent of its compromise.
US agencies, companies secure networks after huge hack
WASHINGTON โ U.S. government agencies and private companies rushed Monday to secure their computer networks following the disclosure of a sophisticated and long-running cyber-espionage intrusion suspected of being carried out by Russian hackers. The intrusion was stark evidence of the vulnerability of even supposedly secure government networks, even after well-known previous attacks. U.S. authorities acknowledged that federal agencies were affected by the breach on Sunday, providing few details. The national cybersecurity agencies of Britain and Ireland issued similar alerts. SolarWinds is used by hundreds of thousands of organizations around the world, including most Fortune 500 companies and multiple U.S. federal agencies.
US agencies hacked in monthslong global cyberspying campaign
The threat apparently came from the same cyberespionage campaign that has afflicted FireEye, foreign governments and major corporations, and the FBI was investigating. FireEyeโs customers include federal, state and local governments and top global corporations. Cybersecurity experts said last week that they considered Russian state hackers to be the main suspect in the FireEye hack. Federal government agencies have long been attractive targets for foreign hackers. โI suspect that thereโs a number of other (federal) agencies weโre going to hear from this week that have also been hit,โ Williams added.
US fully restores protections for young immigrants
SAN DIEGO โ The Trump administration said Monday that it fully restored the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that shields hundreds of thousands of young people from deportation, complying with a federal judgeโs order. The announcement is still a major victory for young people who have been unable to apply since Trump ended DACA in September 2017. DACA shields about 650,000 people from deportation and makes them eligible for work permits. It allows certain immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children to work and be exempt from deportation, though it does not confer legal status on recipients. "I don't want people caught in the crossfire.โ___Associated Press writer Anita Snow in Phoenix contributed to this report.
Some undocumented immigrants should again be allowed to apply for DACA protections, federal judge rules
As of March, about 106,000 DACA recipients lived in Texas, and another 86,000 were potentially eligible to apply, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Friday's order follows last month's ruling that acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf wasnโt appointed to the position according to DHS guidelines, rendering a July memo issued on the DACA program invalid. In that memo, DACA protections, which also include a renewable two-year work permit, were slashed to one year. But in his November ruling Garaufis said Wolfโs succession didn't follow proper procedure after former secretary Kevin McAleenan left the post in October. โDHS failed to follow the order of succession as it was lawfully designated," Garaufis wrote.
Judge: Trump administration must take new DACA applications
U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis said the government had to post a public notice within three days โ including on its website and the websites of all other relevant government agencies โ that new DACA applications were being accepted. Garaufis also ordered the government to put together a status report on the DACA program by Jan. 4. โEvery time the outgoing administration tried to use young immigrants as political scapegoats, they defiled the values of our nation. The Trump administration had announced the end of the program in 2017, leading to the legal challenges that wound up in front of the Supreme Court. For the second time, a court has ordered the administration to resume processing DACA applications.
Ex-Homeland Security official Mayorkas returns under Biden
Biden on Monday announced the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas, who served under President Barack Obama as deputy secretary of homeland security and director of the Citizenship and Immigration Services. And he helped negotiate the first homeland security memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Cuba, where he was born. If confirmed by the Senate, Mayorkas, who turns 61 on Tuesday, would be the first Hispanic and the first immigrant to lead DHS. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and received his law degree from Loyola Law School. Bersin said Mayorkas is a โcentristโ who will seek to balance humanitarian concerns with the need for border security.