Immigration policy updates, border security news, visa regulations, deportation cases, and comprehensive coverage of U.S. immigration issues.
The Trump administration is pursuing a policy to debank illegal immigrants as an incentive for self-deportation, according to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. This follows an executive order signed by President Trump on May 19 directing increased scrutiny of accounts and credit applications involving immigrants without legal status. Federal agencies have since issued guidance on lending practices.
More than 1,000 people gathered at Monument Square in Portland, Maine, on July 18, 2026, to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the killing of Colombian immigrant Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by a federal officer. ICE stated Guerrero was not the target of their investigation and that an officer fired after the vehicle attempted to flee. Protesters called for ICE abolition and the ousting of Senator Susan Collins.
Republican legislative leaders and Attorney General Kris Mayes are jointly defending the 2024 law, which allows state judges to issue deportation orders and local police to arrest migrants. A lawsuit by the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project argues it violates the Supremacy Clause. A hearing on blocking the law is set for July 24.
ICE plans to renew its contract with Thomson Reuters at up to $25 million per year for five years, totaling $125 million, for access to its CLEAR database. The data includes personal information and license plate reader data, used to investigate voter fraud, immigration fraud, and identify unaccompanied minors. ICE has been buying data from Thomson Reuters since 2008.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated ICE plans to intensify traffic stops, contradicting an earlier directive to avoid vehicle pursuits. His remarks followed President Trump undercutting the DHS announcement. Mullin also promised to maintain the surge in immigration arrests even after recent shootings.
Court filings reveal ICE improperly shared Medicaid data with data analytics firm Palantir, which operates an app used by agents to locate deportable noncitizens. The disclosure came in a motion by Democratic attorneys general suing over a data-sharing agreement between CMS and ICE.
Houston police cooperated with ICE on at least 103 occasions since April, according to the first quarterly immigration report. Of those, 59 people were released after an average 39-minute detention, while 19 were transferred to ICE custody. Nearly half of interactions began with traffic stops, and 91 of the 103 individuals were Hispanic.
A Columbus Police officer conducted six searches of Flock license-plate camera records within 10 minutes on Feb. 3, 2025, with the reason listed as 'ICE'. An audit of nearly 20 million Flock data requests identified 14 other potential immigration-related searches by Columbus Police officers. Deputy Chief Tim Myers said the officer has not been placed on leave and it is unclear if the searches violated department policies.
Gabriel Hurtado-Cariaco pleaded guilty as part of a plea bargain, with no prior criminal record. The initial complaint alleging he slammed an officer's head into the ground and choked her was later amended, changing the narrative. Bystander videos contradicted the federal government's account of his arrest in Nebraska.
A United Airlines employee threatened to call ICE on passenger Julio Varela at San Francisco International Airport, telling him he didn't 'act like a citizen.' The incident occurred after Varela spent hours resolving a ticketing error. United said it is looking into the interaction.