Week of September 15–21, 2022

The American Immigrant Council has published an interactive map showing that there are approximately 45 million immigrants in the US, nearly 14% of the population, contributing $1.3tn to the US economy annually, paying about $500bn a year in taxes, and accounting for roughly 22 million eligible voters. The map details where immigrants are clustered, breaking down the population by state, cities and districts, and highlights the benefits of immigration. The second publication from the Center for Immigration Studies, found that there are over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, with one quarter of the immigrant population being undocumented, and that the number of undocumented immigrants will soon surpass pre-pandemic totals. The US currently offers little in the way of legal options for undocumented immigrants to enter the country. Canada is working on a program to regularize the status of its 500,000 undocumented immigrants, whilst Brazil adopted a very liberal approach under their New Migration Law.

Former US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer Katherine De Leon Evaristo has been sentenced to two years of probation for immigration fraud. Evaristo agreed to a fake marriage with an acquaintance from the Philippines for $20,000 to help him obtain US citizenship. She later used her position at the Office of Field Operations for CBP to check on her husband's immigration status. The investigation began after Evaristo's colleagues uncovered the fraud scheme while looking into her access to a federal law enforcement database. Evaristo pleaded guilty in May 2022 and was sentenced in March 2023. In recommending a probationary sentence, prosecutors noted that Evaristo is a single parent of infant twins who lost her CBP job and now works a lower-wage warehouse job.

The US Supreme Court has been asked to consider the constitutionality of a federal law criminalizing the act of “encouraging or inducing” non-citizens to enter or remain in the US for financial gain. The law has been the subject of litigation since 2018, when the justices reversed a circuit-court decision that had previously struck it down. Critics say the legislation is unconstitutional because it prohibits speech that is protected under the First Amendment. The case under consideration concerns Helaman Hansen, who ran an immigration-advising service and was convicted of fraud as well as convincing two of his customers to overstay their visas and participate in his adoption program. The US government is appealing a decision that the law is unconstitutionally overbroad.

Immigration attorney Rachel Self and at least seven other immigration lawyers have worked with federal officials to ensure that a group of Venezuelan migrants, flown to Massachusetts by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have the flexibility to leave Joint Base Cape Cod for their permanent destinations in the US. The migrants are free to move within the facility, but Self's team reached out to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ensure that there would be no legal repercussions for missing the required check-ins, which could lead to an order for removal. Meanwhile, other attorneys are preparing to file a lawsuit seeking an injunction to halt the transportation of migrants. The Florida governor has reportedly spent $615,000 on charter flights to bring the Venezuelan migrants to the US.

US President Joe Biden won 65% of the Hispanic vote in the 2020 presidential election, but two years into his presidency, Hispanic voters are increasingly deserting the Democratic Party. Biden campaigned on an immigration overhaul and has largely allowed a record migrant surge to continue at the border throughout most of his presidency, even as his job approval rating on the issue tumbled into the 30s in most polls. Biden saw his national share of the Hispanic vote decline relative to Hillary Clinton in 2016, with the losses in parts of Texas and Florida being even worse. According to Civiqs, Biden’s job approval rating among Hispanics is 51%, which is improved from the summer and above his overall approval rating, but well below his 65% vote share from this demographic in the last presidential race.

State officials in New York are partnering with immigration advocates to help streamline the naturalization process for around 800,000 eligible residents. The Office for New Americans will provide free online naturalization application assistance and virtual legal support, while the Citizenshipworks online portal will be used to help people access services. This will be especially useful for those living in rural or isolated areas or without access to public transportation. The portal is available in Spanish and Chinese and was developed by the Immigration Advocates Network, a program of Pro Bono Net. State officials are continuing to work with thousands of refugees who have arrived in the state in recent years. This includes over 2,500 people from Afghanistan who are seeking permanent legal status.

Immigration advocacy groups in South Florida are calling on the Biden administration to extend the protections of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Central American refugees that are due to expire in December. The TPS provides temporary relief and protection to immigrants fleeing from deportation during humanitarian crises or natural disasters in their home countries. The special status also allows immigrants to work in the US. The protections were extended by 15 months last September, but now the US is considering ending them for nationals from Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Advocacy groups are also pushing for Guatemala to be covered under the TPS program due to the natural disasters the country has experienced in recent years.

The City of Chicago is asking other cities in Illinois to help with a surge of migrants bused in by red state governors, including from Florida and Texas. The move by southern states aims to highlight the burden of a flood of would-be immigrants. Mayor of Normal, Chris Koos, said that leaders from cities across Illinois discussed taking in migrants at a recent meeting of the Illinois Municipal League to ease the burden. The town of Normal is examining how it would cope if a bus of migrants arrived and if there is room for them. Meanwhile, the immigrants are being housed in temporary quarters in Salvation Army shelters and community center gyms in Chicago. The city is asking for donations of clothing and other items to help the people live as winter approaches.

Peruvian bishops have called for fair immigration policies that guarantee the human rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the country. The appeal was made on the occasion of the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees on 25 September, and follows Pope Francis' message to "build the future with migrants and refugees, placing them at the center of our pastoral action." The bishops also urged Peruvian society to avoid "attitudes of rejection, xenophobia or discrimination". The bishops highlighted the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, who have seen their access to health, food and work compromised. The Peruvian Bishops expressed solidarity with Venezuelan migrants and refugees, noting that Peru has the highest number of Venezuelan refugees in the world, with over 1.2 million having arrived in the country.

Niagara Falls has been suggested as a possible relocation site for some of the newly arrived immigrants to New York City, but this idea has been met with concern. The author, who is the product of immigrants, highlights the importance of assimilation into American culture and the benefits of doing so. The author questions whether the immigrants in question have gone through the proper immigration process and whether they have a desire to learn English and find employment. The strain on social service agencies and the city government to provide for current residents is already significant, and the idea of taking on more immigrants solely for the large payments from the federal government is not advisable. The author suggests asking the federal government to use that money to help rebuild the city and care for current citizens in need before taking on more immigrants.