Judge seeks settlement in ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ civil rights lawsuit
Attorneys representing detainees at the facility are seeking a preliminary injunction to make it easier for their clients to meet and communicate with them.
Immigration
Articles
New federal law sparks hike in some immigration fees
The cost of appealing an immigration judge decision rose from $110 to $900, while the fee for people seeking temporary protected status jumped from $50 to $500.
Trump administration sues California over law banning masked federal agents
California became the first state to ban most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business under a bill that was signed in September by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Foreign enrollment at US colleges holds steady, for now, despite Trump’s visa crackdown
Overall, U.S. campuses saw a 1% decrease in international enrollment this fall compared with last year, according to a survey from the Institute of International Education.
New Trump directive could deny more visas based on applicants’ health and finances
The guidance directs embassy and consular officials to vet visa applicants to demonstrate that they will not need to rely on public benefits from the government.
Chicago judge says Border Patrol official lied about threats before restricting agents’ use of force
The judge issued an order restricting agents from using certain riot control weapons, such as tear gas and pepper balls, “unless such force is objectively necessary” to prevent “an immediate threat.”
Rokita files lawsuit against IPS for ‘frustrating’ immigration officials
IPS said it will continue to uphold the law while keeping its commitment to ensure “safe, supportive, and welcoming learning environments for all students.”
Judge orders improvements at a Chicago-area immigration facility after claims of inhumane conditions
The order requires officials to provide detainees with a clean bedding mat and sufficient space to sleep, soap, towels, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, menstrual products and prescribed medications.
Excessive force allegations will be the focus of a Chicago court hearing
A judge will weigh on Wednesday how to respond to allegations that federal immigration agents in the Chicago area have used excessive force, following a surge of recent court filings detailing tense encounters between agents and local residents.
Raio Krishnayya: Due process doesn’t stop at the border — or on social media
The framers of the Constitution did not invent due process; they inherited it from centuries of English law, most notably the Magna Carta’s promise that no person could be deprived of liberty except by the “law of the land.”
Renewed push would strengthen Indiana attorney general’s role in immigration enforcement
A legislative proposal was promoted at a recent Statehouse event, where White House Border Czar Tom Homan urged state lawmakers to pass it in 2026.
Judge again bars Trump administration from deploying troops to Portland
A federal judge in Oregon on Sunday barred President Donald Trump’s administration from deploying the National Guard to Portland, Oregon until at least Friday.
Hegseth orders the military to detail dozens of attorneys to the Justice Department, AP learns
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to provide dozens of lawyers to the Justice Department for temporary assignments in Memphis and near the U.S.-Mexico border that could run through next fall.
Trump sets 7,500 annual limit for refugees entering US. It’ll be mostly white South Africans
The Trump administration is restricting the number of refugees admitted annually to the United States to 7,500 and they will mostly be white South Africans.
Appeals court blocks order requiring Bovino to brief judge on Chicago immigration sweeps
The one-page suspension by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came before Greg Bovino’s first late-afternoon meeting with U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis at the courthouse in downtown Chicago.
Judge’s order blocking removal of man from US wasn’t received until after he was deported, DHS says
The man was deported to Laos a day after a federal judge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to keep him in the country so that he could present what the judge called a “substantial claim of U.S. citizenship.”
Rokita appeals decision in his case against the St. Joseph County sheriff
The attorney general’s office argues that numerous undocumented immigrants have been released into St. Joseph County, jeopardizing public safety, because of the sheriff’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration officials.
Judge seeks assurances that Abrego Garcia won’t be deported to Liberia in violation of court order
Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed a notice late last week of their plan to deport him to the West African nation of Liberia as early as Friday.
Trump’s $100K H-1B visa fee creates confusion, concerns for Hoosier companies
Some employers are freezing efforts to recruit H-1B workers because they don’t know if the federal government will apply the $100,000 fee to certain applicants.
Rokita’s lawsuit against St. Joseph County’s sheriff dismissed for lack of evidence
Judge Jenny Manier wrote in the court’s order that Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has not provided “any real factual basis” to support his argument that St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman and the St. Joseph County Police Department were not cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.