Published by WOLA on October 3, 2024.
A brief set of principles and guidelines for the next U.S. administration’s border and migration policies.
Migration: Five Policies that Protect Human Rights and Human Dignity
600 Reports
Links to long-form information about U.S. border governance and migration
Testimony of WOLA’s Adam Isacson Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Hearing: “The Border Crisis: The Cost of Chaos”
Published by the U.S. House of Representatives on September 25, 2024.
Testimony delivered in a House hearing, centered on recent migration trends and reforms needed to the U.S. immigration and asylum systems. (Link at oversight.house.gov)
Enduring Change: A Data Review of Firsthand Accounts of Climate Mobility Impacts
Finds significant evidence of climate migration from more than 3,600 responses and firsthand accounts of migrants and displaced people seeking safety in the United States.
Guidelines on International Protection No. 14: Non-penalization of refugees on account of their irregular entry or presence and restrictions on their movements in accordance with Article 31 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
Published by the UN Refugee Agency on September 23, 2024.
Emphasizes that refugees should not be penalized for irregular entry or presence if they meet certain conditions, and any restrictions on their movements should be proportional and limited. (Link at refworld.org)
Challenges in access to health for migrants transiting the Darien region. Health service needs and gaps on the border between Colombia and Panama
Published by the Pan-American Health Organization on September 19, 2024.
Finds serious public health needs among the migrant population in the Darién Gap.
Trapped in Texas: How Federal – and Now State – Immigration Enforcement Traps People Trying to Escape Texas’ Abortion Ban
Published by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Texas on September 18, 2024.
Finds that immigration enforcement severely limits undocumented people’s access to abortions in Texas.
Soldiers Confronting Migrants: Texas’s Dangerous Precedent
Published by WOLA on September 13, 2024.
Calls for federal investigation into Texas National Guard use of force against migrants on the borderline.
Handcuffed, Pushed, and Afraid: immigrant children share terrifying experiences while in Border Patrol custody
Published by the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project on September 12, 2024.
Interviews with children in Border Patrol custody find a surprisingly high proportion suffering verbal or physical abuse.
The influence of Safe Mobility Offices (SMO) on mixed migration in Latin America
Published by the Mixed Migration Center on September 12, 2024.
Finds that despite some successes, such as increased access to resettlement, structural challenges limit the effectiveness of SMOs in addressing broader migration dynamics.
Asylum Restrictions Comparison Chart
Published by the National Immigration Project on September 11, 2024.
A chart showing how asylum seekers might be processed following implementation of two Biden administration rules limiting asylum access between border ports of entry.
Asylum Processing at the U.S.-Mexico Border: August 2024
Published by the University of Texas Strauss Center on August 30, 2024.
The latest in a series of updates detailing asylum waitlists and shelter capacity in Mexican border cities.
Fewer Migrants, Greater Danger: The Impact of 2024’s Crackdowns
Published by WOLA on August 29, 2024.
Explains twelve trends marking U.S.-bound migration and the U.S.-Mexico border during the summer of 2024.
Management Alert – ICE Cannot Monitor All Unaccompanied Migrant Children Released from DHS and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Custody
Published by the DHS Inspector-General on August 19, 2024.
Finds that more than 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children failed to appear for their immigration court hearings from 2019 to 2023. (Link at oig.dhs.gov)
CBP Did Not Thoroughly Plan for CBP One Risks, and Opportunities to Implement Improvements Exist
Published by the DHS Office of Inspector-General on August 19, 2024.
Finds that “CBP did not initially consider critical factors such as the design of the CBP One Genuine Presence functionality, adequacy of supporting application infrastructure, sufficiency of language translations, and equity of appointment distribution.” (Link at oig.dhs.gov)
The Cost of Immigration Enforcement and Border Security
Published by the American Immigration Council on August 16, 2024.
A fact sheet about the $409 billion that the U.S. government has spent on border and immigration enforcement since 2003.
CBP Directive on Short-Term Holding Facilities Handling, Storage, Transference, and/or Return of Detainee Personal Property
Published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on August 16, 2024.
Outlines specific procedures for the handling, storage, transference, and return of personal property belonging to detainees held in short-term holding facilities. (Link at cbp.gov)
Results of January 2024 Unannounced Inspections of Cbp Holding Facilities in the del Rio Area
Published by the DHS Office of Inspector-General on August 8, 2024.
Found that Border Patrol held 23-31% of detainees longer than the 72-hour standard due to factors such as limited ICE bedspace and prioritization of family units over single adults. (Link at oig.dhs.gov)
“Don’t Tell Me About Your Fear”
Documents U.S. border officials executing a new asylum restriction in such a way that even people who badly need protection are refused a hearing.
Six-Week Report: Implementation of the Biden Administration’s June 2024 “Securing the Border” Asylum Ban
Documents people who have faced “insurmountable due process violations” after trying to seek asylum at the border after the Biden administration’s June 2024 asylum ban went into effect.
Results of October 2023 Unannounced Inspections of CBP Holding Facilities in the El Paso Area
Published by the DHS Office of Inspector General on July 16, 2024.
Finds that Border Patrol was unable to meet standards of care for migrants at some holding and processing facilities during migrant surges. (Link at oig.dhs.gov)
Migrant Death Prevention and the Border Patrol’s Missing Migrant Program (2023-2024)
Published by the University of Texas Strauss Center on July 11, 2024.
Focuses on migrant deaths in South Texas and the Missing Migrant Program’s death prevention activities.
Migrants in Colombia: Between government absence and criminal control
Published by WOLA on June 20, 2024.
A report on migration, security, U.S. policy, and protection needs, based on fieldwork along Colombia’s borders with Ecuador and Panama.
“No Human Being Should Be Held Here”: The Mistreatment of LGBTQ and HIV-Positive People in Federal Immigration Jails
Documents systemic abuse against LGBTQ and HIV-positive individuals in ICE and CBP custody.
Report to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances Regarding Disappearances of Migrants and Asylum Seekers in the United States
Published by several organizations, and hosted by Human Rights First, on June 14, 2024.
A report to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances alleges that U.S. authorities’ treatment of migrants and asylum seekers in custody at the border is tantamount to enforced disappearances.
Complaint: Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Published by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on June 12, 2024.
Challenges the Biden administration’s June 2024 rule restricting access to asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. (Link at aclu.org)