Trump Wants to Use the IRS to Track Down Immigrants. They May Stop Paying Taxes.

IMMIGRANTS IN THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY paid nearly $100 billion in taxes in 2022, according to a report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic policy. But that source of government revenue may soon taper off as the Trump administration pushes the Internal Revenue Service to help it accelerate its program of mass deportations. The Washington Post reported Friday that the IRS rejected a request from Homeland Security to reveal the addresses of 700,000 people the agency suspects of being undocumented, an action that could violate taxpayer privacy laws. But the Post went on to report the new acting IRS commissioner Melanie Krause is (surprise) more amenable to complying with the request to turn over the taxpayer data of immigrants. The result, experts say, is not just that tax data will be morphed into a cudgel for the immigration fights. People are also now becoming too scared to file their taxes. One immigration lawyer told me they suspect the number of people forgoing those filings will only rise as the Washington Post report hits Spanish-language media. Tax professionals and immigration advocates in areas with large immigrant populations who spoke to The Bulwark said they are already feeling the effects. And it’s not just tax filings—it’s the shriveling of small businesses with ties to the community. In Nevada, which has the third-highest rate among states of mixed-status families—where at least one family member is undocumented—an employee at Toro Taxes in Las Vegas, where their clientele is 95 percent Latino, said overall business has dropped a stunning 25 percent from last year. “Business is slow,” the employee who declined to give her name said, adding that even longtime customers have disappeared or said they won’t be filing taxes this year: “They’re saying they’re too scared.” In Corona, Queens—where in 2016 I found that one in five residents was undocumented—Dejesus Tax Services has seen the same chill among its customer base, 80 percent of whom are Latino, as tax season heats up. The owner said an estimated 60 percent of Dejesus clients known to the company to be here illegally are not showing up to file taxes so far. “Turnout has been very low,” Ramon DeJesus told The Bulwark. “At the beginning there was nobody, but now there is a trickle.” “I have people that come here with a W2 for $120,000 with no papers, usually in construction, and this year a lot of them have been afraid to come in,” he said. “Even the streets around my office have been quiet.” This dynamic has left immigrants in a desperate bind: fearful that they could be tracked down and deported if they file their taxes, but also mindful that they could get in trouble for not paying their taxes. “I’m still going to file my taxes because anything tiny, even a parking ticket, could be detrimental to my possible citizenship in the future,” one temporary protected status holder told The Bulwark, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Even if I was scared, I would still file because not filing would be worse than them not having my information.” THAT UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS PAY TAXES is not a widely known fact. But under the law, if you have reportable income, you have to pay, no matter your immigration status. And if you’re not here legally but hope to be able to change your status in the future, not paying taxes can create problems for residency or citizenship applications later on, while staying current on your tax obligations can be used to demonstrate civic responsibility to an immigration judge. These payments are a huge benefit for U.S. citizens. Of those undocumented taxpayer funds, nearly $60 billion went to the federal government, the Institute on Taxation and Economic policy study found. Another $37 billion went to local and state governments. Undocumented people paid roughly $8,889 per person in 2022. “In other words, for every 1 million undocumented immigrants who reside in the country, public services receive $8.9 billion in additional tax revenue,” the report stated. Those taxes help prop up the nation’s Social Security system, which undocumented immigrants can’t even access when they turn 65. As Trump has gone about accelerating deportations, pro-immigrant advocates have warned that the follow-on effects will include the fraying of the social safety net as these payments disappear. Americans for Tax Fairness, an advocacy organization that promotes progressive tax reform, is one of the groups shouting out those warnings. It is holding a Spanish-language briefing next week with labor leaders and Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Illinois) on how, contrary to Trump’s rhetoric, undocumented immigrants are “not a drain on federal resources at all.” Don’t miss another Huddled Masses: Sign up to get it delivered for free twice a week. Type your email... Join “These are workers that are positively contributing to our communities—they’re our neighbors and coworkers who are contributing not just through their labor in critical industries like agriculture and construction, but they’re paying their taxes and don’t get benefits back,” Pablo Willis, the group’s communications director, told The Bulwark. “Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s entire business empire is based on federal subsidies, and Tesla didn’t pay taxes last year.” It’s All About the Data IMMIGRANTS WITHOUT SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS receive individual taxpayer identification numbers (ITIN) to facilitate their tax payments, which is why the IRS has records of their last known addresses and information about their families, employers, and earnings. The Trump administration is after that data because they want to use it to search out people who may be in the country illegally. The pressure being brought to bear on the agency for the data is part of a larger effort to try to collect as much useful information as possible to help recalibrate the machinery of the government to accelerate deportations. “The real danger is when they’re trying to access other databases,” Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Cal.) told The Bulwark. “A good example, tax information: Extremely sensitive, only certain people are supposed to have access to it, any unauthorized disclosure of that information, $5,000 fine or five years in jail. . . . I think what they’re actually after is the ITINs so they can go after undocumented immigrants; that’s why it’s so dangerous for them to have access to that information.” The prospect that the IRS may comply with the Trump White House’s request has alarmed Democrats. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) argued that doing so would violate privacy laws and lay the groundwork for future abuses. “They give their address and it’s supposed to all be confidential,” she said. “It’s not just the undocumented that should be worried.” Share The Bulwark FOR MANY, THE VERY IDEA THAT THE TRUMP administration would repurpose the logistics of paying taxes as a means to ramp up deportations demonstrates how little their deportation program is actually about tackling criminality. “What criminal pays their taxes?” asked Mariana Castro, a DACA recipient. She said that despite the swirling uncertainty of their legal fate, DACA recipients have to continue paying their taxes—and they do so with the full knowledge the government has their information. “This is something when DACA first came out, undocumented people worried about signing up because the thought was, ‘What happens if we give them our information?’” she added. “Now, in Trump’s view, I’m a criminal when I have a cleaner criminal record than the president.” In 2022, the Trump Organization was convicted of tax fraud and fined $1.6 million. Lawyers who spoke to The Bulwark said there are reasons someone might not file taxes during a certain year—they could leave the country or die, for example. They don’t believe the goal of the administration’s tax information push is for the IRS to go after immigrants using audits, but for the administration to use the information the agency gives them to track down immigrants. Matt Cameron, a Boston-based immigration lawyer, said whether immigrants use an ITIN or fake Social Security number, the money ultimately goes into the Social Security pot where it benefits everyone—just not undocumented people. “It goes into Social Security to pay Trump-supporters’ retirement,” he said. Share One Last Thing CNN is out with a new report on how Trump’s immigration crackdown is setting up “potential labor shortages, weaker economic growth and higher inflation.” With signs of legal immigration slowing and the expectation that it will decline throughout Trump’s second term, our newly hostile environment could result in worker shortages in crucial industries. To give one example of the seriousness of the situation: Our aging nation is in dire need of health care workers for the elderly. Older Americans will not be well served by an absence at their bedsides when they need help. So there’s that. Happy Wednesday!

US Immigration Service Wants To Review Applicants’ Social Media Accounts

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—which handles visa approvals, citizenship applications and asylum requests—outlined the social media monitoring policy proposal on the Federal Register Wednesday. The proposal notes that the USCIS conducted a review of the information it collects for applications and the agency “identified the need to collect social media identifiers…from applicants.” The agency said this information would help them to carry out “identity verification, national security and public safety screening, and vetting, and related inspections.” The USCIS argues that collecting this data is necessary to comply with a day one executive order issued by Trump, “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.” The proposal has been opened for public comments for the next 60 days. Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here. symbol 00:00 03:12 Read More What Do We Know About The Executive Order Cited By The Uscis? The executive order, which Trump signed on his first day in office, notes that it intends to protect U.S. citizens from “aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.” The USCIS argues that the social media data collection is necessary to fulfill section 2 of the order, titled “Enhanced Vetting and Screening Across Agencies.” The section calls for ensuring that “all aliens seeking admission to the United States, or who are already in the United States, are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” and establish a “uniform baseline for screening and vetting standards and procedures.” In its proposal notice, the USCIS says social media information is necessary for “establishing enhanced screening and vetting standards” and “help validate an applicant's identity.” For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

Privately run immigration detention center to reopen

A private prison company has signed an agreement to reopen an immigrant detention facility in Texas that previously held families with children for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the business said Wednesday. Nashville-based CoreCivic announced the contract with ICE and the city of Dilley regarding the 2,400-bed South Texas Family Residential Center, located about 85 miles (135 kilometers) north of Laredo and the Mexico border. The center was used during the administration of President Barack Obama and Donald Trump’s first presidency. But President Joe Biden phased out family detention in 2021, and CoreCivic said the facility was idled in 2024. “We do acknowledge that we anticipate housing families” at Dilley, CoreCivic spokesman Ryan Gustin told The Associated Press. CoreCivic said in a statement that the facility “was purpose-built for ICE in 2014 to provide an appropriate setting for a family population.” The new contract runs through at least March 2030. ICE officials did not immediately respond to messages seeking information about who will be held at Dilley and how soon. The agency — which mostly detains immigrants at privately operated detention facilities, its own processing centers and local prisons and jails — entered this year with zero facilities geared toward families, who last year accounted for about one-third of arrivals on the southern border. The Trump administration has expanded the detention of migrants to military bases including Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba, via flights out of Army installations at El Paso, Texas, as it promises to ramp up mass deportations. Private detention contractors with longstanding ties to ICE, including CoreCivic and GEO Group, say they offer less expensive options than the military for an array of immigrant detention services and transportation including international flights. During Trump’s first administration, he authorized the use of military bases to detain immigrant children, including Army installations at Fort Bliss, Texas, and Goodfellow Air Force Base. In 2014, Obama temporarily relied on military bases to detain immigrant children while ramping up privately operated family detention centers to hold many of the tens of thousands of Central American families crossing the border illegally. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

Fact-checking Trump's speech to Congress

President Donald Trump delivered his first speech to Congress of his second term Tuesday night, celebrating the big spending cuts, crackdown on migration and economic vision from the opening weeks of his administration. In his remarks, Trump bent the facts on issues including Social Security, immigration, fentanyl and the Russia-Ukraine war. Here's what Trump got right — and wrong — during his 100-minute address. Economic issues Fact check: Are millions of people older than 100 — including some older than 160 — collecting Social Security? Trump said: “We’re also identifying shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud in the Social Security program for our seniors.” This is false. Trump alleged in his speech that millions of senior citizens over age 100 — including some he maintained were older than 160 — were collecting Social Security checks, according to Social Security Administration data. Trump specifically said that SSA records indicated that 4.7 million people 100 to 109 were getting checks, that 3.6 million 110 to 119 were, that 3.47 million 120 to 129 were, that 3.9 million 130 to 139 were, that 3.5 million 140 to 149 were, that 1.3 million 150 to 159 were — and that even 130,000 people older than 160 years old were still getting checks. He also alleged that several hundred people older than 220 were still getting checks, according to SSA data — and that “one person is listed at 360 of age.” The alleged fraud that Trump — and DOGE chief Elon Musk — have pointed to doesn’t exist. Rather, the numbers they refer to are products of a known problem with the government’s data. There are millions of people over age 100 in the Social Security Administration’s database, but the vast majority aren’t receiving benefits. Inspectors general at the agency have repeatedly identified the issue, but the Social Security Administration has argued that updating old records is costly and unnecessary. An SSA IG report from 2023 showed 18.9 million people listed as 100 years or older — but not dead — were in the database. But “almost none” currently receive SSA payments. The SSA’s inspector general also found in a report released in July that from 2015 to 2022, only 0.84% of benefits payments were improper. That 0.84% of improper benefits payments totaled $71.8 billion over eight years. The report also says most of the improper payments were overpayments — not payments to dead people or people who didn’t qualify. In addition, according to the agency’s online records, just 89,106 people — not tens of millions — over age 99 received retirement benefits in December, out of the more than 70 million people who receive benefits every year. Fact check: Under whose watch did egg prices spike? Trump said: "Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control — and we are working hard to get it back down." This needs context. It’s true that egg prices spiked during Biden’s presidency as inflation rose steadily. The average price of one dozen Grade A eggs peaked during the Biden administration in January 2023 at $4.32, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. It eventually retreated, falling to less than half that by late 2023, before it rose again last year. According to that government data, however, the average price of one dozen Grade A eggs peaked this January at $4.95, a month in office that Trump shared with Biden — a product of the growing transmission of bird flu among chickens. That is nearly double the price they were in January 2024 ($2.52). Fact check: Trump says car plants are "opening up all over the place" Trump said: “We’re going to have growth in the auto industry like nobody’s ever seen. Plants are opening up all over the place. Deals are being made, never seen. That’s a combination of the election win and tariffs. It’s a beautiful word, isn’t it, that, along with our other policies, will allow our auto industry to absolutely boom. It’s going to boom. Spoke to the majors today, all three, the top people, and they’re so excited. In fact, already, numerous car companies have announced that they will be building massive automobile plants in America, with Honda just announcing a new plant in Indiana, one of the largest anywhere in the world.” This is mostly false. No automaker has announced a new plant since Trump took office and began instituting new tariffs. Reuters reported that Honda planned to produce 210,000 Civics in Indiana instead of Mexico, but the company hasn’t made a public announcement. What’s more, it’s unclear whether Honda would expand its operations in Indiana, open a new plant or simply move production of the new Civic to the plant and reduce production of other vehicles there, too. Honda’s Indiana plant produces as many as 250,000 vehicles annually. In addition, Trump’s move to impose a 25% tariff on all imports coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico could add thousands of dollars to the cost of each new vehicle. Immigration Fact check: Trump claims illegal immigration "destroyed" Aurora, Colo., and Springfield, Ohio Trump said: "Joe Biden didn’t just open our borders. He flew illegal aliens over them to overwhelm our schools, hospitals and communities throughout the country. Entire towns like Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio, buckled under the weight of the migrant occupation and corruption like nobody has ever seen before. Beautiful towns destroyed." This is false. Springfield and Aurora have long been some of Trump’s favorite targets when it comes to examples of American cities he likes to nod to as being overrun by migrants, though he often misrepresents the situations there. He didn’t mention any specific allegations about the two cities in his speech — but his reference to them is a clear reference to previous false allegations about them. For example, Trump repeated a baseless claim about Haitian immigrants in Springfield eating dogs and other pets during a debate last year. The story provide false, however. The culprit was a non-migrant woman in a nearby town. Meanwhile, Trump also painted a sinister picture of Aurora during the campaign. At a rally there in October, he alleged the city had been overtaken by a Venezuelan prison gang — Tren de Aragua — after a social media clip went viral claiming the gang had taken over an apartment complex in Aurora. Police at the time said there was no evidence the gang had taken over the complex, and Mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican, called Trump’s descriptions “not accurate.” Fact check: Is Canada, along with Mexico, to blame for the fentanyl crisis? Trump said of Canada and Mexico: “They’ve allowed fentanyl to come into our country at levels never seen before, killing hundreds of thousands of our citizens and many very young, beautiful people, destroying families. Nobody has ever seen anything like it.” This is partly false. While fentanyl comes across the border from Mexico in significant numbers, Canada is hardly to blame for the crisis. In the 2024 fiscal year, fentanyl seizures at the northern border were just 43 pounds, according to Customs and Border Protection data. Meanwhile, more than 21,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized at the southern border during the same period. Fact check: Trump says many migrants who entered the country the past four years were criminals Trump said: “Over the past four years, 21 million people poured into the United States. Many of them were murderers, human traffickers, gang members and other criminals from the streets of dangerous cities all throughout the world because of Joe Biden’s insane and very dangerous open border policies. They are now strongly embedded in our country, but we are getting them out and getting them out fast.” This is misleading. According to Customs and Border Protection data, the Biden administration had more than an estimated 14 million migrant encounters at and between ports of entry at U.S. borders. More than 118,000 migrants with criminal backgrounds were apprehended at U.S. borders during that time — a small part of the more than over 14 million migrant encounters. There have been instances of migrants found to have criminal records from their home countries after they’ve entered the United States, but there is no evidence to support that it is widespread, and immigration officials have long cited challenges with getting criminal records from certain migrants’ home countries before they cross the border. The Trump administration has frequently cited the presence of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in the United States and the high-profile killing of the Georgia nursing student Laken Riley last year by a Venezuelan national who entered the country illegally in 2022 as indicative of widespread migrant crime. Fact check: Is Trump responsible for "the lowest numbers of illegal border crossers ever"? Trump said: “Since taking office, my administration has launched the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history — and we quickly achieved the lowest numbers of illegal border crossers ever recorded.” This appears to be true, but questions about the specifics remain. Recommended Donald Trump 'We are just getting started': Trump touts his agenda to reshape America It is unclear whether Trump is speaking about border crossings, encounters and/or apprehensions. According to Customs and Border Protection data from 2000 to 2019 that compares apprehensions across the various sectors by month, the month with the fewest crossings on record was April 2017, at 11,677. CPB says, “From Jan. 21 through Jan. 31, 2025, the number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border dropped 85% from the same period in 2024.” Trump claimed last month on Truth Social: “There were only 8,326 apprehensions of Illegals by Border Patrol at the U.S. — Mexico Border.” Health Fact check: Trump says more children are being diagnosed with autism Trump said: “As an example, not long ago, and you can’t even believe these numbers, 1 in 10,000 children had autism. One in 10,000, and now it’s 1 in 36. There’s something wrong. One in 36, think of that, so we’re going to find out what it is.” This needs context. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this ratio is correct. But the statistic is often used to justify opposition to vaccination. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pointed to vaccines to explain the substantial rise in autism diagnoses in recent decades, which have ballooned from an estimated 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 today. But the science is clear that vaccines don’t cause autism. Rather, research suggests that much of the increase is due to increasing awareness and screening for the condition, changing definitions of autism to include milder conditions on the spectrum that weren’t recognized in previous years and advances in diagnostic technology. Finding the causes of autism is complicated, because it’s not a single disorder, scientists and experts have told NBC News. In addition, those scientists and experts have said they believe that people develop autistic traits because of a combination of genetic vulnerability and environmental exposures. International Fact check: Trump claims U.S. is spending much more on Ukraine than Europe Trump said: “Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine by far. Think of that. They’ve spent more buying Russian oil and gas than they have defending. And we’ve spent perhaps $350 billion, and they’ve spent $100 billion. And we have an ocean separating us, and they don’t. And Biden has authorized more money in this fight than Europe has spent.” This is mostly false. From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to last December, the United States had allocated $114.2 billion in aid to Ukraine, according to the Kiel Institute, which is tracking aid to Ukraine. That’s not more than Europe spent: Those nations allocated more than $132.3 billion, with plans to allocate more. Trump is correct in pointing out that Europe has spent more on oil and gas than it spent on military assistance last year, according to estimates from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Oil and gas taxes account for a huge share of Russia’s revenues each year. Polling Fact check: Is the share of Americans who think the country is on "right" track at a record high? Trump said: “For the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the right direction than the wrong direction.” This is false. Trump appears to be cherry-picking a single poll result and ignoring a few strong numbers from early in Biden’s term. While he doesn’t cite his source, it seems likely he’s pointing to a recent Rasmussen Reports poll showing that 47% say America’s on the “right track.” Rasmussen is a right-wing poll that regularly partners with conservative authors and outlets to sponsor its polling. And it’s controversial — the polling aggregation site FiveThirtyEight removed the poll from its averages last year over concerns about its partisanship and its methodology. It’s true that many polls have shown a bump in the classic “right track, wrong track” question since Trump took office. For example, NPR/Marist/PBS’ newest poll found 45% saying the country is moving in the right direction, up from 35% in December and from even lower during earlier parts of the Biden administration. But those highs have been hit before — 47% said America was moving in the right direction in a July 2021 poll from NPR/Marist/PBS (49% thought it was moving in the wrong direction). And just months earlier, a Politico/Morning Consult poll found 51% of registered voters saying the country was going in the right direction.

Trump vows to press ahead on reshaping America in speech to Congress as Democrats register dissent

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump vowed to keep up his campaign of “swift and unrelenting action” in reorienting the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy in an unyielding address before Congress that left Democratic legislators to register their dissent with stone faces, placards calling out “lies,” and one legislator’s ejection. Trump’s prime-time speech Tuesday was the latest marker in his takeover of the nation’s capital, where the Republican-led House and Senate have done little to restrain the president as he and his allies work to slash the size of the federal government and remake America’s place in the world. President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP) President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP) Republicans stand as Democrats sit as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Republicans stand as Democrats sit as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) The president’s address, clocking in at a record 99 minutes, added up to a defiant sales pitch for the policies that Trump promised during his campaign and leaned into during his first weeks back in office. Trump pledged to keep delivering sweeping change to rescue the nation from what he described as destruction and mistakes left by his predecessor. He seldom addressed his comments directly to the American people, who are trying to keep up with the recent upheaval, while repeatedly needling the Democratic lawmakers seated before him. Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who delivered the Democratic response following Trump’s speech, allowed that “America wants change, but there’s a responsible way to make change and a reckless way, and we can make that change without forgetting who we are as a country and as a democracy.” Emboldened after overcoming impeachments in his first term, outlasting criminal prosecutions in between his two administrations and getting a tight grip on the GOP-led Congress, Trump has embarked on a mission to dismantle parts of the federal government, remake the relationship with America’s allies and slap on tariffs that have sparked a North American trade war. “It has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action,” Trump said of his opening weeks in office. “The people elected me to do the job, and I am doing it.” Trump, who has billionaire adviser Elon Musk orchestrating his efforts to slash the size and scope of the federal government, said he is working to “reclaim democracy from this unaccountable bureaucracy” and threatened federal workers anew with firings if they resist his agenda. Elon Musk stands and is recognized and applauded as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Elon Musk stands and is recognized and applauded as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Musk, who was seated in the House gallery, received a pair of standing ovations from Republicans in the chamber, as Trump exaggerated and shared false claims about alleged government abuse uncovered by the Tesla and SpaceX founder and his team of disrupters. Trump repeated false claims that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments, prompting some Democrats to shout, “Not true!” and “Those are lies!” Trump spoke at a critical juncture in his presidency, as voters who returned him to the White House on his promise to fix inflation are instead finding economic chaos. All the gains the S&P 500 have made since Election Day are now gone, while consumer sentiment surveys show the public sees inflation as worsening. Trump seemed prepared to double down on his trade policies, which experts have warned will raise prices for consumers. “Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them,” Trump said. At the same time, he tried to ease concerns about the resulting price increases, saying, “There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.” President Donald Trump speaks as Vice President JD Vance, from left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stand and clap as Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) President Donald Trump speaks as Vice President JD Vance, from left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stand and clap as Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) President Donald Trump arrives to address a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) President Donald Trump arrives to address a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Trump said one of his “very highest priorities” was to rescue the economy and offer relief to working families. He promised to organize the federal government to lower costs on eggs and energy, blaming his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden for the situation and offering scant details of his own plans. Trump also called for the extension of his first-term tax cuts and additional federal funding for his border crackdown, including for his promised efforts at “mass deportation” of people in the U.S. illegally. He celebrated his crackdown on migration, saying, “But it turned out that all we really needed was a new president.” Speaking about his promised tax cuts, Trump seemed to goad Democrats, saying: “I’m sure you’re going to vote for those tax cuts. Because otherwise I don’t believe the people will ever vote you into office.” The backdrop was the new economic uncertainty unleashed after the president opened the day by placing stiff tariffs on imports from the country’s neighbors and closest trading partners. A 25% tax on goods from Canada and Mexico went into effect early Tuesday — ostensibly to secure greater cooperation to tackle fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration — triggering immediate retaliation and sparking fears of a wider trade war. Trump also raised tariffs on goods from China to 20%. Republican members of Congress applaud as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican members of Congress applaud as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republicans were boisterous as Trump stepped to the lectern in the House, chanting “USA! USA!” as the president basked in the cheers. The GOP lawmakers were jubilant, having won a trifecta of the White House, Senate and House in the elections. However, they face the challenging task of delivering on Trump’s agenda as well as avoiding a government shutdown later this month. Across the aisle, out-of-power Democrats set the tone early, with most remaining seated without applauding or making eye contact with Trump as he was introduced in the chamber. After several interruptions, House Speaker Mike Johnson jumped in and called for decorum to be restored in the chamber as Republicans shouted “USA” to drown out the cries from the other side of the aisle. Johnson then ordered Texas Rep. Al Green removed from the chamber. “It’s worth it to let people know that there are some people who are going to stand up” to Trump, Green told reporters after being thrown out of the chamber. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, left, shouts as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP) Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, left, shouts as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP) Other Democrats held up signs criticizing like “Save Medicaid” and “Protect Veterans” during Trump’s remarks, seeking to drive public awareness to elements of Trump’s agenda they believed might offer them a pathway back to the majority. Some Democrats chose to highlight the impact of Trump’s actions by inviting fired federal workers as guests, including a disabled veteran from Arizona, a health worker from Maryland and a forestry employee who worked on wildfire prevention in California. Trump also used his speech to address his proposals for fostering peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, where he has unceremoniously upended the policies of the Biden administration in a matter of just weeks. On Monday, Trump ordered a freeze to U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, ending years of staunch American support for the country in fending off Russia’s invasion. Democrats hold signs as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Democrats hold signs as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., holds a protest sign with fellow Democrats as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP) Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., holds a protest sign with fellow Democrats as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP) Trump recited a letter he received earlier Tuesday from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying that the wartime president wants to come back to the table after a explosive Oval Office meeting last week broke down negotiations for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. “We’ve had serious discussions with Russia and have received strong signals that they are ready for peace,” Trump said. “Wouldn’t that be beautiful?” He also announced the arrest of a suspect in the 2021 suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that killed U.S. troops during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Trump’s 1 hour and 39 minute speech was the longest annual address a president has ever delivered to Congress, breaking Bill Clinton’s record of 1 hour and 28 minutes. Watching from the gallery with first lady Melania Trump were guests including 15-year-old Elliston Berry, of Aledo, Texas, who was the victim of an explicit deepfake image sent to classmates. Other White House guests included relatives of Corey Comperatore, the former Pennsylvania fire chief who was killed as he protected his family during an assassination attempt on Trump last summer. Republican lawmakers cheered the conclusion of Trump’s address with chants that echoed his words after he was struck in the ear by a bullet: “Fight! Fight! Fight!” ___ For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

Amid Trump crackdown, illegal border crossings plunge to levels not seen in decades

Washington — The number of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border illegally in President Trump's first full month in office plunged to a level not seen in at least 25 years, according to preliminary government data obtained by CBS News. Last month, Border Patrol recorded about 8,450 apprehensions of migrants who crossed into the country unlawfully between official entry points along the U.S.-Mexico border, the statistics show. On some days during a record spike in illegal crossings under the Biden administration, Border Patrol recorded more than 8,000 apprehensions in a single day. February's total, which could be adjusted when the government officially publishes the statistics, would be the lowest monthly apprehensions tally recorded by Border Patrol since at least fiscal year 2000, the last period with public monthly data. The final tallies usually don't deviate much from the preliminary figures. Over the past 25 years, the only time monthly apprehensions came close to the level recorded in February was in April 2017, when Border Patrol apprehended 11,000 migrants at the southwest border, agency data show. Historical illegal crossings along the U.S. southern border since 2000 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 0 20K 40K 60K 80K 100K 120K 140K 160K 180K 200K 220K 240K 8,450 Note: February 2025 figure is preliminary Chart: Taylor Johnston / CBS NewsSource: U.S. Customs and Border Protection While monthly data before fiscal year 2000 is not publicly available, the last time Border Patrol averaged roughly 8,000 apprehensions per month over a year was in fiscal year 1968, according to historical statistics. Illegal crossings along the U.S. southern border have been trending downward over the past year, including under the Biden administration, after spiking to an all-time high in late 2023. They first dropped in early 2024 after Mexican officials expanded efforts to stop migrants from reaching the U.S. border and then fell further in the summer following former President Biden's move to sharply restrict access to the asylum system. But the reduction in illegal immigration has been precipitous since Mr. Trump's inauguration. In January, Border Patrol agents at the Mexican border recorded 29,000 apprehensions, down 38% from 47,000 in December. The drop from January to February was even more pronounced, amounting to a roughly 70% decrease. Trump administration officials have credited their sweeping, government-wide immigration crackdown for the dramatic decrease in unlawful crossings. At the U.S.-Mexico border, the Trump administration has empowered federal officials to swiftly deport migrants without hearing their asylum claims, under the premise that the country is facing an "invasion." U.S. law says migrants on American soil generally have the right to claim asylum to delay or halt their deportation. Trump administration officials have argued the system has been systematically abused by smugglers and economic migrants, who don't qualify for asylum. Mr. Trump has also directed the American military to help with immigration enforcement, deploying thousands of additional troops to the southern border and tasking military planes with deporting migrants. While Biden also moved to curtail asylum during his last year in office, Mr. Trump's unprecedented actions are far more restrictive. Unlike the Biden administration, for example, the Trump administration is not processing, in any significant capacity, asylum-seekers at official border entry points. In fact, a Biden-era system that facilitated that processing through a government app was quickly terminated. The Trump administration is also considering adding another layer to its restrictions at the border, making plans to invoke a public health law known as Title 42 to summarily expel migrants on the grounds that they could spread diseases like tuberculosis. Whether migrant flows continue dropping, plateau or increase in the coming weeks and months remains unclear. Historically, migrant arrivals at the southern border have increased in the springtime. While its border strategy has yielded quick results, the Trump administration's efforts in the U.S. interior, where the president has promised to conduct the largest deportation operation in American history, have encountered significant obstacles. Top Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have been reassigned in recent weeks amid frustrations that the agency is not carrying out sufficient arrests and deportations. ICE's detention capacity has also been stretched thin. As of Friday, ICE detention centers were at 117% capacity, with the agency detaining more than 45,000 migrants, 20,000 of whom were first apprehended at the southern border, according to internal government data. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

What Trump’s order making English the official language in the US could mean

As President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, activists and advocacy groups are alarmed by what that will mean for non-English speakers when it comes to immigration, voter access and other issues. The order, which was announced Friday, will allow government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding to choose whether to continue to offer documents and services in languages other than English, according to a fact sheet. The move rescinds a mandate from former President Bill Clinton that required the government and organizations that received federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers. Designating English as the national language “promotes unity, establishes efficiency in government operations, and creates a pathway for civic engagement,” according to the White House. But some activists and organizations think the move is just another way for the president to stoke division and fear. Advertisement “This isn’t just an offensive gesture that sticks a thumb in the eye of millions of U.S. citizens who speak other languages, but also will directly harm those who have previously relied on language assistance for vital information,” Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice, an advocacy group for immigration reform, said in an email. What does it mean to have an official language? According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, an official language is what is used by the government to conduct official, day-to-day business. Having one or more official languages can help define a nation’s character and the cultural identity of those who live in it. Prioritizing one language may place certain people in position of power and exclude others whose language is not recognized, according to the institute. U.S. English, a group that advocates for making English the official language in the United States, believes having an official language provides a common means of communication, encourages immigrants to learn English to use government services and “defines a much-needed common sense language policy.” Advertisement Currently there are more than 350 languages spoken in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The most widely spoken languages other than English are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Arabic. People in the U.S. also speak Native North American languages such as Navajo, Yupik, Dakota, Apache, Keres and Cherokee, among others. Advertisement Potential impact on citizenship and voting Anabel Mendoza, the communications director for United We Dream, a nonprofit immigrant advocacy organization, said limiting the language of federal communication will make it harder for people to become citizens if they are denied the ability to speak their native tongue throughout the process. Currently, people of certain age and residency requirements can qualify for a waiver to do the citizenship test and interview in their native language. “Trump is trying to send the message that if you’re not white, rich and speak English you don’t belong here,” Mendoza said. “Let me be clear: Immigrants are here to stay. No matter how hard Trump tries, he can’t erase us.” The Congressional Hispanic Caucus announced Friday that New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat, caucus chair, will deliver, on behalf of Democrats, the official Spanish-language response to Trump’s upcoming joint address to Congress. George Carrillo, co-founder & CEO of the Hispanic Construction Council, said it seems like a step backwards in a country that has championed its diversity. He is also concerned how limiting governmental communication might affect U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico where the predominant language is Spanish. “This executive order, while framed as promoting unity, risks dismantling critical supports like ESL programs and multilingual resources that help immigrants adapt and contribute,” Carrillo said. “Imagine families navigating healthcare or legal systems without materials in a language they understand, it’s a barrier, not a bridge.” Advertisement APIAVote, a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on registering Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, also expressed worry this could mean barriers for millions of voters such as naturalized citizens or elderly residents who aren’t English-proficient. “It will make it harder for them to participate civically and vote, as well as access critical healthcare, economic and education resources,” the group said in a statement. Furthermore, the organization says this action could make anyone who speaks another language a target. “The exclusionary nature of this policy will only fuel xenophobia and discrimination at a time when anti-Asian hate and hate against other minority and immigrant groups are rising.” States that have English as the official language More than 30 states, from California to New Hampshire, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands have already passed laws designating English as their official language, according to U.S. English. Hawaii is the only state to declare two official languages, English and Hawaiian. For decades, lawmakers in Congress have introduced legislation to designate English as the official language, but those efforts failed. The most recent effort was in 2023, when Sens. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and JD Vance, R-Ohio, introduced the English Language Unity Act. Vance is now vice president. Advertisement How many countries have official languages? It is estimated that over 170 countries have an official language, with some having more than one language. Mexico does not have an official language. In Canada the official languages are English and French. According to Canada’s Official Languages Act of 1969, the purpose of designating two languages ensures “the equality of status” and protecting linguistic minorities “while taking into account the fact that they have different needs.” For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

Business groups quietly push back on Trump's immigration raids

Business groups are quietly urging the Trump administration to ease up on its plans for immigration raids in workplaces, but the White House is resisting. Why it matters: So far, the pace of workplace raids doesn't appear to have increased under President Trump compared to the Biden administration's efforts. But aggressive shows of enforcement are key to Trump's plans to crackdown on illegal immigration. Zoom in: Just the threat of more raids has rattled several industries — such as construction and agriculture — that rely on immigrant labor, not all of it legal. "Rumors of raids are having more impact at this point than raids themselves," said Brian Turmail, vice president of public affairs and workforce for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Two agriculture industry group leaders echoed that sentiment. Concerns about raids have led some workers to walk off job sites early or not show up at all, they said. "It's a question of, where are we being prioritized" in the immigration crackdown, said one of the agriculture industry group leaders, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the immigration issue. "I think there's a lot of uncertainty" about that. The big picture: Trump's team and other Republican leaders are betting that a crackdown on immigrants not authorized to work in the U.S. will open up jobs for Americans and legal residents, and raise wages among working-class voters, who've drifted toward the GOP in recent elections. In doing so, the administration is bucking some of the GOP's traditional supporters in the business community. Americans "overwhelmingly voted for decisive action on the border and those here illegally," said Chris LaCivita, a Trump campaign co-manager who's now a senior adviser at Building America's Future, a group that supports Trump initiatives. "No amount of lobbying from certain business sectors will change what the new GOP and President Trump are determined to implement." "Republicans are making a big switch, a lot of them," a former Trump administration official said. They're "recognizing that the American worker is not happy, and they're justified in not being happy." Critics see the White House's plan as leading to an exodus of workers in jobs that many Americans don't want to do, resulting in lower productivity, higher prices and a damaged economy. "The long-term impact will be where housing prices are already too high in places like Arizona," said Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). "When they can't get the workforce to build the houses, the prices are going to go up and rents are going to go up." "We've been told why Americans don't do" certain jobs, said immigration attorney Patricia Gannon, who used to work for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. "We may not like the answers." By the numbers: Undocumented workers and those with expired work visas can be difficult to track across sectors of the economy, but some studies have given a glimpse of their presence. The American Immigration Council estimates that about 4.6% of the employed labor force are undocumented immigrants. A recent Department of Agriculture study estimated that about 42% of America's farmworkers were undocumented from 2020 to 2022. About a quarter of construction workers across the U.S. may be undocumented, according to the National Immigration Forum, an immigration advocacy group. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) told Axios he's heard from companies in his state concerned about worksite raids. " 'Don't hire illegals' should be your statement," Moreno said he told one business association when it asked him what it should say about the situation. "Migrants are … fleeing terrible situations," Moreno said. "But it's the companies that are hiring that need to have some sort of ramifications." The intrigue: Trump's immigration plans have sparked increased lobbying on the issue. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation's largest lobbying organization, recently filed a government disclosure that offered hints at its work on immigration. The chamber didn't respond to an interview request and didn't list specific policies it's lobbying on in its February report. But a more detailed filing for the last quarter of 2024 showed the chamber lobbied on "high-skilled" immigrants, "less-skilled" immigrants, various immigration visa categories and several immigration-related bills. Other industry groups, including the AGC, are pushing for protections for their labor force, including more visas for foreign workers and more trade school trainings to hire Americans. What they're saying: "[Pennsylvania Democratic Sen.] John Fetterman would have a better chance of convincing Trump to do something for the business community than the chamber," said one Republican lobbyist, who currently doesn't have a client focused on immigration. "The chamber represents the Nikki Haley-establishment, Paul Ryan-, Mitch McConnell-wing of the party, which is dead and buried at this point," the lobbyist added. "Businesses that human traffic and exploit migrants for cheap labor should be afraid: We will go after them," said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. "As for law-abiding companies, the media is intentionally manufacturing fear," she added. "If there was any correlation between rampant illegal immigration and a good economy, Biden would have had a booming economy." Many Democrats have backed detaining and removing criminals who are in the U.S. without authorization, but don't support Trump's plans. "Mass deportations," Kelly said, "are designed to scare people. We need to deport criminals." For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

Why Trump’s ‘gold card’ proposal is more complicated than it sounds

The Oval Office announcement caught many immigration experts by surprise. Last week the president known for touting his mass deportation plans floated a new way he wants to draw wealthy foreigners to the US: a “gold card” that offers investors a path to US citizenship for $5 million. “I think it’s going to be very treasured. I think it’s going to do very well. And we’re going to start selling, hopefully, in about two weeks,” President Donald Trump said on Wednesday. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the plan could raise $1 trillion to pay down the national debt, and that it would replace the existing EB-5 investor visa. But immigration law experts say the “gold card” proposal is far more complicated and uncertain than Trump and Lutnick made it sound. Here are several reasons why: The president can’t create a new visa on his own The gold card Trump described would be a new visa granting lawful permanent resident status in the US and a pathway to citizenship. But a president alone can’t create a pathway to citizenship – a fact that’s also foiled Trump’s predecessors’ desires for significant immigration reforms. Both President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden used executive actions to protect certain people from deportation – efforts frequently decried by Trump and other Republicans. But Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, and Biden’s humanitarian parole program for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, known as CHNV, stopped short of conferring a legal status or providing a pathway to citizenship. Immigration law experts say a new visa would require a new law, something a president can’t create on his own. “Congress would have to legislate a new program. I really don’t know what legal authority you would have to just create this new program out of whole cloth,” says Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. In other words, lawmakers would need to pass a law to create the program Trump has described. The Trump administration “has literally no legal power to create a visa category,” says Charles Kuck, an immigration lawyer in Atlanta. Mario Tama/Getty Images Trump says the "gold card" would offer a path to US citizenship for a $5 million fee. It isn’t the first time Trump has tried to tie wealth to immigration privileges. During his first term, the Trump administration attempted to reshape legal immigration to the US by broadening the definition of a public charge and penalizing those who rely on public assistance in green card applications. Critics said that measure, which was ultimately revoked by the Biden administration, amounted to an unjust “wealth test,” while Trump administration officials defended the move, arguing that self-sufficiency is a core American value. This latest effort by Trump earned swift praise from supporters who lauded the president’s outside-the-box thinking, and criticism from immigrant rights advocates who say it’s sending the wrong message. “All it’s saying is we want the richest people in the United States, rather than maybe the best and the brightest, or those who are going to actually serve in the national interest of the United States by … improving our economy overall,” Dalal-Dheini says. Congress created the EB-5 program. That means ending it would require Congress to act Lutnick said Tuesday that the gold card would replace the government’s EB-5 immigrant investor visa program, which allows foreign investors to pump money into US projects that create jobs and then apply for visas to immigrate to the US. Immigration law experts say ending the EB-5 program or significantly changing it would also require Congress to act. On Wednesday, Lutnick suggested the program would be modified rather than replaced. “We will modify the EB-5 agreement,” Lutnick says. “(Homeland Security Secretary) Kristi (Noem) and I are working on it together. For $5 million, they’ll get a license from the Department of Commerce. Then they’ll make a proper investment.” Congress created the EB-5 visa in 1990. Statutes define how many visas can be granted under the program every year and how much money investors must contribute to participate. The law allows the admission of about 10,000 investors and qualifying relatives annually, according to the Congressional Research Service. Applicants who filed before March 15, 2022, must have invested at least $1 million – or $500,000 in economically distressed zones known as targeted employment areas, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Applicants after that date must invest at least $1,050,000 – or $800,000 in economically distressed zones. Andy Wong/AP/File Chinese visitors seek information on the US government's EB-5 visa program at a 2017 Invest in America Summit in Beijing. Kuck, who says he’s helped hundreds of clients navigate the EB-5 process, says he sees “zero chance” that Congress would eliminate the program and replace it with the gold card proposal. “The amount of money that the EB-5 program has brought in over the course of the last 30 years would dwarf the number of people who could actually afford and want to use a $5 million golden visa,” he says. “People with that kind of money do not necessarily want to be subject to U.S. taxation.” Could lawmakers pass changes to the program in the budget reconciliation process? Nicolette Glazer, an immigration lawyer in California, says it wouldn’t be possible to end or significantly change the EB-5 program that way. But it’s possible a “gold card” provision could be added, she says, if it’s presented as a simple immigration tariff. “I could see them trying to put in something like that just to show that they’re doing something,” she says. Past efforts by Democrats to make a major immigration policy change during reconciliation were rejected by the Senate parliamentarian, Kuck says. “They can’t change immigration law in reconciliation,” he says. Officials haven’t said what would happen to investors already waiting for a green card What about the thousands of people who’ve already applied for EB-5 visas and are waiting for decisions from the government? Officials haven’t said what would happen to them under the gold card plan. Many with concerns have been reaching out to attorneys, uncertain of what the new move could mean for their applications, according to Dalal-Dheini of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “They’ve already invested their money into this while they’re waiting for their green card to be approved. … It’s a multi-step process and it can take years, if not decades, for someone to get approved,” Dalal-Dheini says. “So pulling the rug out from under those investors without any notice or without any opportunity to either save their investment or be able to finalize their process would be really unfair and would actually damage our economy.” Other questions about the gold card proposal remain unanswered, too, such as how or whether it would help foreign graduates of US universities. That’s something Trump suggested last week while offering few details, saying companies may be able to buy gold cards and give them to foreigners as a recruitment tool. Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg/Getty Images Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said vetting "gold card" applicants would be a priority. "They’ll have to go through vetting, of course,” Lutnick said Tuesday, “to make sure they’re wonderful, world-class global citizens.” It’s also unclear how applicants would be vetted, though Lutnick stressed that would be a priority. Already critics are warning the gold card would be likely to attract criminals eager to pay their way into the US. “Selling US citizenship to the highest bidder will attract corrupt actors seeking safe haven for themselves and their dirty money,” Transparency International CEO Maíra Martini said. For his part, Trump maintained creating the gold cards would be “totally legal.” Asked whether he would consider selling the cards to Russian oligarchs, Trump responded: “Yeah, possibly. I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people.” Despite the confusion Trump’s announcement caused, Dalal-Dheini says she sees an opening in the president’s recent comments. “We do need to increase the number of green cards that we have available to people. There aren’t enough,” she says. “And I think what the president is highlighting is that immigrants actually contribute to our economy … A number of our big entrepreneurs that have been super successful came here as immigrants.” And that, she says, is something many people across the aisle can agree on, whether or not Trump’s gold card proposal ever becomes a reality. CNN’s Michael Williams and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed to this report. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

Trump prepares to use controversial 1798 ‘Alien Enemies’ law to speed deportations

Washington CNN — The Trump administration is preparing to invoke a sweeping wartime authority to speed up the president’s mass deportation pledge, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions. In his inaugural address, President Donald Trump said that he planned to invoke a little-known, 18th-century law, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, as part of his sweeping slate of immigration crackdowns. The measure gives the president tremendous authority to target and remove undocumented immigrants, though legal experts have argued it would face an uphill battle in court. The move is being widely discussed at several agencies as administration officials look at how they could implement the law, three sources told CNN, though details are still being finalized and it’s unclear when the administration would move to invoke it. The primary target as of now, according to three sources, is the Tren de Aragua gang, which was also recently designated as a foreign terrorist organization. “Labeling Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization was the first step,” a senior White House official told CNN. Gang tattoos cover the faces and bodies of many inmates, including this man, a member of MS-13. Related article The US now considers these cartels and gangs terrorist groups. Here’s what to know about them In the final weeks of his 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to invoke the act to deport suspected criminal gangs and members drug cartels. He often referred to Tren de Aragua, and the exaggerated, disputed claims that the Venezuelan gang had “invaded” and “conquered” Aurora, Colorado — to serve as justification for wanting to implement the 18th century wartime law. Part of the ongoing discussions includes where those migrants would be sent. While Venezuela has agreed to take back its nationals, those repatriation flights are generally limited. Other options include countries that have agreed to take back third-country migrants, like El Salvador. Using the law has been repeatedly floated among immigration hardliners because it would streamline the deportation process. Detentions and deportations that occur under the Alien Enemies Act do not go through the immigration court system, which provides immigrants the chance to seek relief and make their case to stay in the country. Experts have noted that the backlogged court system, where cases can take years, could be a significant obstacle to Trump’s mass deportation plans. The Alien Enemies Act is designed to be invoked if the US is at war with another country, or a foreign nation has invaded the US or threatened to do so. Legal experts say it would be difficult for Trump to use the act when the US isn’t being attacked by a foreign government, even if the administration does cite threats from gangs or cartels. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

Immigration officials say everyone living in the US illegally must register. What does that mean?

Immigration officials say anyone living in the U.S. illegally will soon have to register with the federal government, and those who don’t could face fines, imprisonment or both. The registry will be mandatory for everyone 14 and older who doesn’t have legal status, according to a Tuesday statement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security. Each person must register and provide their fingerprints and address, the statement says, and parents and guardians of anyone under age 14 must ensure they are registered. Here are some details about the registry — the latest in a string of Trump administration moves tied to campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration and deport millions living in the country illegally: Advertisement What is behind the registry? Federal immigration law has long required that people living illegally in the U.S. register with the government. Those laws can be traced back to the Alien Registration Act of 1940, which came amid heightened growing fears of immigrants and political subversives in the early days of World War II. The current requirements stem from the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. A system set up after 9/11, the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, required all noncitizen males age 16 or older from 25 countries - all but one of them majority Arab or Muslim - to register with the U.S. government. The program led to no terrorism convictions but pulled more than 13,000 people into deportation proceedings. It was suspended in 2011 and dissolved in 2016. Related Stories Trump administration creates registry for immigrants who are in the US illegally Trump administration creates registry for immigrants who are in the US illegally AG Pam Bondi rails against NY leaders as she announces immigration lawsuit AG Pam Bondi rails against NY leaders as she announces immigration lawsuit Top ICE officials are reassigned amid frustrations over immigration arrests Top ICE officials are reassigned amid frustrations over immigration arrests Across the decades, though, scholars say the registration requirement has rarely been enforced. Officials say that now will change. “The Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws — we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce,” Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “We must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland and all Americans.” Advertisement What is the goal of the announcement? In part, Tuesday’s Homeland Security statement was purely bureaucratic, a way to announce that the law is again being enforced and how people should register. Officials said they’d “soon announce a form and process for aliens to complete the registration requirement.” On its website, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service directs people to create an online account and says additional information on registering will be available “in the coming days.” “No alien will have an excuse for failure to comply with this law,” the statement said. The USCIS website indicated that people who register would be given some form of identity card, which anyone over age 18 “must carry and keep in their possession at all times.” The announcement of the registry allows the Trump administration to flex its political muscle on the key issue of immigration. It’s also a signal to people living in the U.S. illegally. “If you leave now, you may have the opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream,” McLaughlin’s statement said. Advertisement What will be the effect of the registry? Like much about the registry, that’s unclear for now. But legal scholars say the practical consequences may not matter, as people already living below the legal radar are unlikely to register, which would make them far easier to deport. “But even if it doesn’t actually accomplish much in terms of deporting more people, it sends a signal to the American people that ”We’re cracking down on immigrants,” and it will also heighten the fear immigrants already have about what’s going on,” said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a longtime immigration law scholar and retired Cornell Law School professor. Advocates blasted the announcement. Heidi Altman, vice president of policy at the National Immigration Law Center, said in a statement that it “harkens back to shameful episodes in U.S. history of government-sanctions discrimination against immigrants and people of color.” For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

House lawmakers introduce citizenship bill for Dreamers

WASHINGTON — House lawmakers reintroduced a bill Wednesday that would create a legal pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. The American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 would also set up citizenship pathways for immigrants with Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure. What You Need To Know House lawmakers reintroduced a bill Wednesday that would create a legal pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children The American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 would also set up citizenship pathways for immigrants with Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure The average recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program came to the country at age six and has been in the U.S. for 20 years The American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 would protect and grant eligible Dreamers conditional permanent residence for ten years and cancel removal proceedings; it would also provide a pathway to citizenship for eligible Dreamers by granting them full lawful permanent resident status “Dreamers are American in every way but on paper,” Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, said in a statement accompanying the reintroduction of a bill that Congress has failed to pass despite multiple attempts. “For decades, they have contributed to and shaped the fabric of America. Yet they are currently denied their place in the American story.” Garcia was part of a bipartisan coalition of nine lawmakers who reintroduced the bill, including Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Rep. Maria Elvia Salazar, R-Fla. The average recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program came to the country at age six and has been in the U.S. for 20 years, according to the statement. DACA recipients pay almost $6.2 billion in federal taxes and $3.3 billion in state and local taxes each year. The Center for American Progress estimates the U.S. economy would grow by $799 billion over the next 10 years if DACA recipients were able to become citizens. An email to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement requesting comment was not immediately answered. The Obama-Biden administration first created DACA in 2012 to allow undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children to live and work in the U.S. without fear of deportation. An estimated 3.4 million Dreamers currently live in the country. The American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 would protect and grant eligible Dreamers conditional permanent residence for ten years and cancel removal proceedings. It would also provide a pathway to citizenship for eligible Dreamers and individuals with Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforcement Departure by granting them full lawful permanent resident status and would protect that status while their applications under the American Dream and Promise Act are being processed. Eligible Dreamers would also be able to access federal financial aid. “A pathway to citizenship is supported by an overwhelming number of Americans as a just, humane and practical way to manage immigration in the United States," Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights executive director Angelica Salas said in a statement. CHIRLA is one of 120 organizations supporting the proposed legislation. Salas championed the legislation as “the counterweight to President Trump’s, and some in Congress’, obsessively cruel, highly expensive and unnecessary attacks on immigrants everywhere.” While campaigning for president, Trump vowed mass deportations of illegal immigrants. Earlier this month, border czar Tom Homan said ICE arrested about 14,000 people during the president’s first three weeks in office. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

Opinion: Trump’s blanket views of immigration lack the empathy leaders need

The United States Department of Homeland Security was established in 2002 by President George W. Bush in an attempt to combat terrorism and promote a sense of security across America. Upon its introduction, the agency made its mission to safeguard American values with honor and integrity clear. But the agency has failed in its mission for years and continues to fall short in upholding certain essential values in American culture, notability seen in its deprioritization of equality. We’ve seen worrisome behavior from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before, like with former president Barack Obama’s mass deportations, but these instances didn’t grow to the overt level we’re seeing with President Donald Trump. As president, Trump is the man who’s supposed to represent all demographics in our country equitably and fairly. Outside of politics and economics, the harsh manner he displays when speaking on immigration illustrates his lack of respect for human rights, which wasn’t present in Obama’s rhetoric. Trump’s reelection has brought unreasonable amounts of power to ICE through executive action. This newly redistributed power means Trump sees more importance in maintaining our country’s borders through policies disguised as “protecting civil rights” than treating people with basic human respect, whether they’re from here or not. Trump’s alleged goal is to eradicate “illegal” immigrants from the U.S. His new policies over-exaggerate the nature of illegal immigration in our nation, and recent data from the Pew Research Center proves only 23% of immigrants in America are here against the law. This low proportion is holistically plaguing our country, according to Trump, yet only comprises 3% of the total American population. This calls into question the necessity, from a logical standpoint, of the large-scale ICE raids Trump endorsed with his executive orders. It clearly points to an ideological agenda being pushed behind a facade of law and order. These raids fail to recognize the majority of immigrants as legal and often result in unjustified deportation. This cruel policy risks casting wide scrutiny on all non-white people living in the U.S., creating real doubt that Trump recognizes people from different ethnic backgrounds as deserving of humane treatment. Trump also refuses to acknowledge the benefit immigrants have on our economy. The U.S. was built on immigration and is part of why our nation is successful economically to this day. In 2022, the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies estimated that immigrants added more than $2 trillion in contribution to the U.S. economy — almost 10% of the GDP. Choosing to ignore this positive value is dismissive and contradicts Trump’s preference toward merit-based hiring and immigration policies. At the GOP rally leading up to his reelection, Trump spoke about migrants offensively, using words filled with prejudice. Cindy Zhang | Design Editor Trump demanded during his rally in Nevada that immigrants be known as the “enemy.” He generalized all newcomers to America as a group consisting of “gang members, drug dealers and cartel members.” Trump’s words and actions so far are a devastating example of the exclusionist idea of “Us vs. Them.” In real time, he’s popularizing the thought that “rightful” American citizens must protect their nation from unwarranted foreigners. This notion hedges on systemically racist ideology and lacks the sort of empathy we should be practicing as more privileged and secure members of global society. Part of Trump’s actions entailed rescinding protections from ICE raids to “sensitive areas,” like college campuses, churches and schools. These actions led to the Syracuse City School District releasing protocols instructing faculty on what to do in the event of an ICE raid during school hours. SU also put policies in place in the event ICE comes onto campus. Staff have been instructed that if they are approached by ICE or any other outside law enforcement, they must notify their supervisor of the situation, who will then relay the details to DPS for further steps. Ezoic People migrate to America in search of better opportunities and in asylum from strife. It should not be acceptable in any way for people to be seized once they make it into our country and then thrown to the side like trash. This is simply wrong and un-American. While it’s the sad reality today, no students should have to worry about potentially being taken away by ICE — especially in a learning environment. Trump’s orders have yet to be particularly effective, but the lack of empathy behind his policies is still a severe cause for concern. Considering his coldness, we must reevaluate whether we can wholeheartedly trust that everyone is promised equality in America. With Trump at the helm, the answer is a resounding no. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

House approves ‘big, beautiful bill’ budget after wild whip effort

House Republicans approved a budget framework for President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy agenda Tuesday — a major victory for Speaker Mike Johnson who worked with Trump and fellow leaders in a chaotic last-ditch effort to win over naysayers within the GOP ranks. The vote went almost entirely along party lines, 217-215, with every Democrat voting against the measure and only GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky joining them. Adopting the budget measure is a key step toward passing the “big, beautiful bill” that Trump and Johnson have called for — one that includes border security, tax and energy provisions that the president campaigned on. 00:07 Top Stories from POLITICO The video player is currently playing an ad. The Senate passed a competing plan last week, and the Republicans in the two chambers must now reconcile the significant differences between the two fiscal blueprints. “We’re going to celebrate tonight,” Johnson told reporters after the vote, adding that House Republicans will “roll up their sleeves” as they prepared to reconcile their plans with the Senate. Tuesday night’s vote came after a wild scene on the House floor that played out over the course of hours. Around 6:30 p.m. members were called to the floor to begin voting on an unrelated measure, with the budget plan to follow. But that unrelated vote was held open for more than an hour as the GOP whip team worked to win over the holdouts. Democrats screamed “regular order” as the planned 15-minute vote stretched on and on. Shortly after 7:30 p.m., the vote was closed and members were informed the budget vote was canceled. Minutes later, leaders sent out another alert saying the vote was back on. The holdouts included Reps. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Victoria Spartz of Indiana, as well as Massie. All four voiced public opposition to the budget plan Tuesday and could be seen on the House floor during the evening vote series speaking to various Republican leaders. The fiscal hawks all raised objections about inadequate spending cuts in the measure; Davidson also aired concerns about how Republican leaders plan to handle the impending March 14 government funding deadline. Trump spoke over the phone at various points with several of the holdouts, according to two Republicans familiar with the whip effort — Johnson later said the calls were “a big help.” Because of the House GOP’s tiny majority and the united opposition of Democrats, those four members could together block action. But Johnson and Trump managed to win them over, one by one. Spartz said in a online post that she came around because Trump had a “personal commitment to save healthcare and make it better for physical and fiscal health for all Americans. ... I trust his word.” Davidson said in his own post that he “finally received the assurances I needed that there will be cuts to discretionary spending” ahead of the March funding deadline “and that we will work together to develop a plan for further discretionary spending cuts that could survive passage in the Senate.” And Burchett told reporters that Trump “committed to me that he is going to go after the spending in a lot of these big departments” and that more generally Republicans are “going in the right direction.” “It’s not everything I wanted, but in this game, you’re either at the table or on the menu,” he said. “It’s time to get at the table.” Only Massie remained unconvinced. Meanwhile, a different faction of the GOP conference — moderate Republicans, many representing swing districts — had aired qualms about the scale of the Medicaid cuts implied by the budget plan. That group, however, quickly softened: On Monday night, some said that a presentation from House leaders had moved them closer to supporting the budget plan, and by midday Tuesday, House leaders were confident enough to move toward a final vote. After it was all over, top Democratic leaders said Republicans had betrayed Americans by advancing a plan that they said would cut taxes for the richest while cutting benefits for the poor and middle class. “They chose their billionaire puppet masters over the American people,” said Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “Democrats were unified, and we will remain unified throughout this process, because this reckless Republican budget will bring nothing but destruction to the American people.” Several Democrats who have faced health challenges and missed recent House votes rushed back to Washington for the budget showdown. That forced Johnson to scrounge up every vote he could. Tuesday’s vote sets up a harsh reality check between House and Senate Republicans, who all want to push the president’s agenda forward but still have profoundly different approaches to key issues. The Senate, for instance, is looking to avoid the deep cuts to Medicaid that the House is leaning on for significant cost cutting. Senate Republicans are also insisting that they won’t support a final measure that only extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts temporarily. That could require making significant changes to the House blueprint, putting the fragile GOP support for the measure in jeopardy. Senate Majority Leader John Thune congratulated the House GOP “for moving our team one step closer to advancing the president’s agenda” while also calling for a permanent extension to the Trump tax cuts — a goal that will be difficult to carry out under the House budget plan. The House and Senate must adopt identical budget resolutions to unlock the power of reconciliation — which allows parties with unified control of Congress and the White House to pass massive policy bills along party lines, sidestepping the Senate filibuster. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

Trump introduces a green card for the rich: the gold card

President Trump said he is planning to introduce a new visa to attract rich foreigners to America — something he is calling a "gold card." For $5 million, people will be able to apply to become lawful permanent residents. Trump said the program would be rolled out in two weeks, would bring in "very high-level people," and said the proceeds from the program could help pay down the deficit. A U.S. Army soldier standing at a razor-wire-topped fence monitors the border with Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas. National Trump's immigration orders are a blueprint for sweeping policy changes Trump first raised the idea with reporters at an unrelated event in the Oval Office on Tuesday, and expanded on it during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. "It's going to be a route to citizenship, and wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card. They'll be wealthy, and they'll be successful, and they'll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes," Trump said. Trump says it's a way to keep top students in the country Trump suggested that U.S. companies would buy his proposed gold cards to keep job candidates who attend U.S. schools from leaving the country. Sponsor Message "I get calls from, as an example, companies where they want to hire the No. 1 student at the school — person comes from India, China, Japan, lots of different places, and they go to Harvard to Wharton School of Finance, they go to Yale," Trump said at his Cabinet meeting. "They graduate No. 1 in their class and they're made job offers. But the offer is immediately rescinded because you have no idea whether or not that person can stay in the country." President Trump listens as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Feb. 26, 2025. President Trump listens as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Feb. 26, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images North America The new program could replace the EB-5 investor visa Trump's Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called it the "Trump Gold Card" and said it would effectively replace the current EB-5 immigrant investor visa. That program gives residency to foreigners who invest at least $1.05 million in a new business that creates jobs — or $800,000 if the business is in a rural area, high unemployment area or an infrastructure project. In this photo, two members of the U.S. Marine Corps patrol on foot near a U.S.-Mexico border fence. They are wearing uniforms, boots and helmets. Behind the fence, buildings in Tijuana, Mexico, rise up in the background. National New poll details America's views on Trump's immigration plans: deportation, citizenship, border wall Lutnick told reporters the EB-5 program was "full of nonsense, make-believe and fraud." He emphasized that applicants for the "gold card" would be vetted. Asked by a reporter whether Russian oligarchs could apply for "gold cards," Trump said — seemingly tongue-in-cheek — "Yeah, possibly. Hey, I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people." For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

Judge temporarily blocks Trump refugee ban

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from suspending the U.S. refugee program, siding with resettlement groups that challenged a Day One order from the president. U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead said in his ruling after a hearing Tuesday that President Trump’s actions amount to an “effective nullification of congressional will” in setting up the nation’s refugee admissions program. “The president has substantial discretion … to suspend refugee admissions,” Whitehead told the parties. “But that authority is not limitless.” The bench ruling grants a request for a preliminary injunction on the executive order. Trump’s order barred processing of those fleeing persecution and danger for 90 days as administration officials study whether accepting refugees is “in the interests of the United States,” leaving it to the president to determine when to do so. The suit was filed on behalf of Church World Service, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, and HIAS, formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and challenged not just the suspension but the abrupt cutoff of funding to those that aid refugees. That includes for refugees that had already arrived to the U.S under the Biden administration. Trump on inflation, price of eggs Next Stay Nine refugees are also listed as plaintiffs in the suit, representing those cut off from accessing the program, a group that includes many refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan Sign up for the Morning Report The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Email address By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use, have reviewed the Privacy Policy, and to receive personalized offers and communications via email, on-site notifications, and targeted advertising using my email address from The Hill, Nexstar Media Inc., and its affiliates Even before the order formally took effect, the State Department suspended refugee flights, saying it was “coordinating with implementing partners to suspend refugee arrivals to the United States and cease processing activities.” A federal judge last week however declined to reinstate refugee funding in a similar case brought by Catholic bishops. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.

I'm an Immigration Attorney in the U.S.—Fear Is Rising Fast

CLOSE X Pause Unmute Current TimeÂ0:04 / DurationÂ0:53 Â Quality Fullscreen Armed ICE Agents Raid Denver Apartments To Remove 'Threat of Criminal Aliens' By Nadine C. Atkinson-Flowers Trust Project Icon Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 22 According to a Migration Policy report, nearly 46.2 million legal immigrants lived in the United States in 2022. Based on the rhetoric in the news—and elsewhere—ramped up in February 2025, you would think there were none here in America. You would also think that everyone who has come from elsewhere had committed some kind of crime in the U.S.—or in their home countries. It also felt like people from specific groups were being targeted. Since coming to America, I have walked many miles in these—my immigrant shoes. It started with a 12-year wait for a green card approval at my local Embassy in Jamaica—for which many trees died and much financial resources were poured into over the years. It culminated in the visa package that was not to be opened on penalty of death—even if only figuratively—that was to be handed to the border officer when I landed in the U.S. with my family. To this day, I am not sure what was in it. The interrogation—albeit benign—at secondary inspection signaled the beginning. The stamp in the passport was what truly began the journey. Having left Jamaica armed with my extensive professional experience in several fields—including as a prosecutor and defense attorney—and several academic qualifications, not getting a job in the legal field immediately was quite jolting. Not getting a job in any professional area was mind-boggling. I was beginning to be an immigrant. Since this wasn't an employment-based green card—or a work permit scenario—there was no job waiting for me. I had come on a family-based green card. So, it took a lot of cold calls, résumé rebuilding, and fearless networking to get a survival job. Nadine C. Atkinson-Flowers Nadine C. Atkinson-Flowers, Esq., (L & R) is both a U.S. Immigration Attorney and a Jamaican Attorney. Nadine C. Atkinson-Flowers I can only describe a survival job as one that you take because you have to—and one that you would never think of taking with your skills and qualifications in your home country. But taking such a job in America meant you got paid—and if you really want to be optimistic—you were interacting with people and networking with a fervent hope of getting into your field of qualification eventually. Whilst navigating that, I was morphing as an immigrant. This process occurred slowly as phrases like "you have an accent," "what accent is that?" "where are you from?" and "oh, you were a lawyer" were thrown about. Sometimes I would say "everyone has an accent," but by then, the person had already mentally left me behind. So, I didn't even have the satisfaction of seeing them squirm—to wriggle out of a corner they created for themselves. Mispronunciation of my name—sometimes with an apology, sometimes even after sustained effort on their part—remains common. However, now, I am emphatic about them getting it right. If I can spend the time to get yours right—you can spend the time to get mine right. Small victory—but now that I know that I am an immigrant—it's a victory nonetheless. I practice here in the U.S. and in Jamaica, and the difference is sometimes startling—from the pace of matters to the reception I get when people hear that I am a lawyer—and not just in one, but two jurisdictions. My immigration practice began naturally as I had been privy to my attorney completing the documentation on my family's behalf and found it fascinating as it is so evidence-driven. Being a prosecutor and defense attorney has served me well as an immigration attorney, while I try to ensure that clients' cases are as airtight as possible so that they get their immigration benefits. I am always thinking about what documentary evidence is useful in this specific case. Regardless of what people say, no two cases are the same—regardless of how they appear on the surface. I find it fascinating that many persons in the U.S. are very uninformed about how immigration actually works—and are equally uninformed about other countries. My excellent education in Jamaica exposed me to worldwide vistas, and now in my immigration practice, when I meet clients from all over the world, I can invariably ask a useful question or two about something in their country. That puts them at ease—even if it's a simple question about football. I recall a meeting early on in my career as an immigration attorney with a client from the Ivory Coast, who was visibly nervous. I mentioned that Didier Drogba was a favorite player of mine when he was at Chelsea Football Club—and that put the person at ease immediately. Now Bruno Fernandez of Manchester United is my favorite football player, so I have kind of switched my Premier League club allegiance. However, I have never forgotten that client's reaction, and I always try to bring that kind of ease to my client interactions. My clients often teach me something—even as I assist with their cases. Since I practice across the country and have clients internationally who I work with in person and virtually—it's very important to have good communication, and putting people at ease is a great way to achieve that. As I reflect on the past few weeks of the new administration, there has been a significant increase in people seeking information. Many people are afraid—and that is not solely persons without lawful status in the country. Citizens are worried they will be caught up because of profiling or mistakes—and worry about what can happen to their children and loved ones. There are several cases now before the courts where people have been arrested for impersonating law enforcement and Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officers. These are alongside scenes of ramped-up immigration enforcement activities across the country. I am seeing the public's worry in person, on my YouTube channel, when I do speaking engagements and on radio programs that I have been doing—as well as comments to articles I write in newspapers. People are trying to sift out what is true, what is legal, and what is the law as it stands now about immigration. I sincerely believe that access to correct legal information helps people to make informed decisions. So, now increasingly, people are seeking resources to help them make decisions. For myself, if there's any good that has come out of me now knowing that I am an immigrant—it is regarding my culture. During the past few years, I have increasingly embraced my Jamaican culture and am making desperate efforts to ensure my children know it—even as they too navigate being immigrants—albeit without my telltale Jamaican "accent." Nadine C. Atkinson-Flowers, Esq is a U.S. Immigration Attorney and a Jamaican Attorney. She is also an avid writer with 6 books on the US Immigration system, Jamaican Law and Caribbean History. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/. All views expressed are the author's own.

Noem on potentially sending nonviolent migrants to Guantanamo: 'I don’t know what the president will decide'

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem doesn’t rule out sending nonviolent undocumented immigrants to Guantanamo, telling CNN’s Dana Bash, "I don't think the president's going to tie his hands on what he needs to do to make sure that America is safe."

Trump sued over order suspending refugee admissions

A coalition of refugee resettlement organizations sued President Trump on Monday over an executive order from the first day of his administration that indefinitely suspends the U.S. Refugee Assistance Program (USRAP). The suit challenges not just the suspension but the abrupt cutoff of funding to those that aid refugees, including for work done in advance of Trump taking office. Trump’s order bars processing of those fleeing persecution and danger for 90 days as administration officials study whether accepting refugees is “in the interests of the United States,” leaving it to the president to determine when to do so. “President Trump cannot override the will of Congress with the stroke of a pen,” said Melissa Keaney, an attorney with International Refugee Assistance Project, which is representing the resettlement groups, in a statement. “The United States has a moral and legal obligation to protect refugees, and the longer this illegal suspension continues, the more dire the consequences will be. Refugees and the families and communities waiting to welcome them have been thrown into indefinite limbo and the resettlement agencies ready to serve them don’t know if they can keep the lights on if the government continues to withhold critical funding. This could decimate the USRAP, carrying consequences for years to come.” The suit was filed on behalf of Church World Service, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, and HIAS, formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. Up Next - Bannon pleads guilty in border wall fraud case, avoids jail time “The American Jewish community owes its very existence to those times when the United States opened its doors to refugees fleeing anti-Semitism and persecution,” said Mark Hetfield, HIAS’s president, in a statement. Sign up for the Morning Report The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Email address By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use, have reviewed the Privacy Policy, and to receive personalized offers and communications via email, on-site notifications, and targeted advertising using my email address from The Hill, Nexstar Media Inc., and its affiliates “HIAS will stand for welcome, stand up for what we believe in, and fight this refugee ban in court.” Nine refugees are also listed as plaintiffs in the suit, representing those cut off from accessing the program, a group that includes many refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan The suit argues the suspension violates numerous laws, including the U.S. Refugee Act and the Administrative Procedures Act. It also argues Trump has circumvented the Constitution’s mandate on the separation of powers. The suit also challenges Trump’s withholding of funds to the organizations which is spent on helping refugees get established in the United States. “National faith-based nonprofit organizations that receive a majority of their funding from the federal government—are already struggling to keep their lights on and their staff employed, let alone continue to serve the vulnerable refugees at the core of their missions,” they wrote in the suit. “Since receiving the Suspension Notices, the Plaintiff Resettlement Agencies have not received reimbursements for millions of dollars they are owed from the State Department for work performed in November and December 2024, well before the Suspension Notices and the Foreign Aid Executive Order issued.” For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.