The Fairness to Freedom Act of 2026 would guarantee federally funded legal representation for people who cannot afford attorneys while facing deportation, as advocates warn that immigrants without counsel are far more likely to be ordered removed from the United States.
A new report from the Center for Migration Studies of New York found that federal work restrictions and other barriers left thousands of asylum seekers arriving in New York City between 2022 and 2025 unable to legally earn a living, leading some to informal employment where they encountered increased risks of wage theft and unsafe working conditions.
The Trump administration concluded Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 340,000 Haitians and over 6,000 Syrians, potentially subjecting them to deportation to nations grappling with severe instability. This action, which followed a Supreme Court ruling in Mullin v. Doe, was deemed inhumane by the Center for Migration Studies (CMS), which cited ongoing insecurity in both Haiti and Syria. CMS further emphasized the significant integration of Haitian TPS holders into the U.S. workforce and their extensive family connections within American communities.
More than 1,000 high school students participated in the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) largest lobbying effort in its history on July 27, convening on Capitol Hill to advocate for the advancement of the Dream and Promise Act. The advocacy campaign, described by the ACLU as the largest national event focused on citizenship legislation since 2025, sought to address the increasing uncertainty confronting millions of long-term U.S. residents amid the rollback of Temporary Protected Status protections.
The U.S. government is preparing to deport approximately 350,000 Haitian nationals following a June 2026 Supreme Court ruling in Mullin v. Doe. This action proceeds despite State Department advisories warning U.S. citizens against travel to Haiti due to widespread violence, kidnappings, and the collapse of basic public services.
A report from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) contends that the Trump administration’s immigration policies have generated a humanitarian crisis, while asserting the availability of more effective federal alternatives.
Human Rights Watch issued a critique of FIFA, asserting the organization failed to uphold its human rights commitments by prominently featuring President Donald Trump during the 2026 World Cup closing ceremony. The advocacy group argued this action permitted the governing body to legitimize governments accused of serious human rights abuses, thereby facilitating the ‘sportswashing’ of reputations despite FIFA’s stated Human Rights Policy.
A coalition of California legal aid organizations filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, challenging a Trump administration policy that bars abused, neglected, and abandoned immigrant children from seeking fee waivers for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status applications. The litigation contends the policy places vulnerable youth at risk of losing crucial humanitarian protections.
PHOENIX — The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU…
Maryland Legislative Black Caucus Chair Del. N. Scott Phillips defended the state’s Community Trust Act, a law intended to foster trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement, following a legal challenge from the U.S. Department of Justice.
A federal lawsuit filed by a Sunnyvale family alleges Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers employed excessive force during an arrest witnessed by the man’s wife and young daughter. The complaint further asserts inadequate medical care during his subsequent immigration detention prior to his deportation to Mexico.
The nation’s 250th anniversary arrives amidst profound political, legal, and cultural debates concerning immigration, civil rights, economic policy, and the future of American democracy. Immigrant rights organizations are utilizing the semiquincentennial to reflect upon the nation’s progress and the persistent challenges.
Border enforcement agencies have experienced augmented funding and political support, notwithstanding persistent public debate. This trend included the Trump administration’s construction of approximately 450 miles of border barrier and the allocation of $70 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) via the Department of Homeland Security.
Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions have preserved birthright citizenship while expanding executive authority over asylum and humanitarian immigration protections, prompting renewed debate concerning the future of immigration law.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed birthright citizenship for children born in the United States, irrespective of their parents’ immigration status. The 6-3 decision, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts in Trump v. Barbara, rejected President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to narrow the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause and reaffirmed over 150 years of constitutional precedent.
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a significant ruling, affirming the Trump administration’s authority to proceed with the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants. The consolidated decision in Mullin v. Doe and Trump v. Miot further concluded that federal statute largely bars judicial review of these termination decisions, even as litigation continues.
Immigration advocates condemned a recently signed federal budget bill, which allocates an additional $70 billion to federal immigration enforcement operations, contending the measure expands detention and deportation efforts while undermining due process protections.
New York immigrant advocacy groups have criticized the state’s recently finalized Fiscal Year 2027 budget, asserting that a $10 million increase for immigrant legal defense and support programs remains inadequate. Organizations including the Vera Institute of Justice and CARE for Immigrant Families contend the allocation, which raises funding from $64.2 million to $74.2 million, falls short of addressing the needs of the state’s immigrant population amid intensifying enforcement.
Immigration advocates have raised concerns regarding new policies enacted by the Trump administration, contending these measures could further restrict due process protections for immigrants facing deportation proceedings, thereby impeding access to legal representation and exacerbating systemic barriers within the immigration court system.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit declined last Friday to rehear the detention case of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a decision that Amnesty International stated could facilitate his deportation. The ruling prompted criticism from advocacy organizations and civil rights groups, with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announcing its intent to seek Supreme Court review.