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.
The Cost of Immigration Enforcement and Border Security
611 Reports
Links to long-form information about U.S. border governance and migration
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)
DHS Needs to Improve Its Screening and Vetting of Asylum Seekers and Noncitizens Applying for Admission into the United States
Published by the DHS Office of Inspector-General on June 7, 2024.
Identifies deficiencies in DHS’s technology, procedures, and coordination for effectively screening and vetting asylum seekers and noncitizens. (Link at oig.dhs.gov)
The Futility of “Shutting Down Asylum” by Executive Action at the U.S.-Mexico Border
Published by WOLA on June 4, 2024.
Explains and contextualizes the Biden administration’s June 2024 executive actions curtailing asylum access at the border, in a Q&A format.
Asylum Processing at the U.S.-Mexico Border: May 2024
Published by the University of Texas Strauss Center on May 30, 2024.
The latest in a series of updates detailing asylum waitlists and shelter capacity in Mexican border cities.
Second Backgrounder on the Biden Administration’s Safe Mobility Initiative May 28, 2024
Published by the International Refugee Assistance Project on May 28, 2024.
Provides difficult-to-obtain information about the implementation of the U.S.-initiated Safe Mobility Offices program for some migrants in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala.
Southwest Border: Additional Guidance and Monitoring Needed to Improve CBP’s Handling of Personal Property
Published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office on May 23, 2024.
Finds that CBP has guidance for handling personal property, but some of it is unclear, resulting in field locations interpreting it differently. (Link at gao.gov)
Southwest Border: CBP Could Take Additional Steps to Strengthen Its Response to Incidents Involving Its Personnel
Published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office on May 13, 2024.
Finds that CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility has made significant progress implementing new investigative standards, but it could strengthen investigator independence from the agency
Why Is Migration Declining at the U.S.-Mexico Border in Early 2024?
Published by WOLA on April 18, 2024.
Seeks to explain the very atypical springtime lull in migration at the border in 2024. A crackdown in Mexico seems to be the main cause.
Kidnapping of Migrants and Asylum Seekers at the Texas-Tamaulipas Border Reaches Intolerable Levels
Published by WOLA on April 4, 2024.
An epidemic of migrant kidnappings and rapes in Tamaulipas, Mexico demands that CBP dramatically improve protection-seeking migrants’ access to ports of entry.
Legal Action Agenda for Climate Displacement
Published by the International Refugee Assistance Project on March 29, 2024.
Consensus-based recommendations for regional approaches to ensure the rights and well-being of climate-displaced people.
Checkpoint Dreams
Published by the New York Review of Books on March 23, 2024.
“An unrealized proposal for a Border Patrol installation in Arizona reveals the tension between restricting immigration and freeing trade”
Brief of Amicus Curiae the Government of the United Mexican States in Support of Plaintiffs-Appellees and Affirmance of the District Court’s Preliminary Injunction Order
Finds that “SB 4 is already causing significant fear and concern among Mexican nationals living in Texas.” (link at courtlistener.com)
Border Security: Border Patrol’s Missing Migrant Program
Published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office on March 20, 2024.
Finds that by including data limitations in its reports, Border Patrol could provide context for Congress and the public to better understand data on migrant deaths. (Link at gao.gov)
200,000 Immigration Court Cases Dismissed Because DHS Failed to File Paperwork
Published by TRAC Immigration on March 20, 2024.
“Troubling is the almost total lack of transparency on where and why these DHS failures occurred. Equally troubling is the lack of solid information on what happened to these many immigrants when DHS never rectified its failure”
Ohio, We Have A Problem: Border Patrol and Local Law Enforcement’s Patterns and Tactics of Abuse in Ohio’s Immigration Enforcement
Local law enforcement agencies like the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) often work in concert with USBP agents in constructing a dragnet that serves as a force multiplier for USBP to funnel immigrants—most of whom have no criminal history—into deportation proceedings.