Immigration Law

Recent Posts

Deported for a Crime He Didn’t Commit — to the Wrong Country
Posted on 25 Apr 2019 by Daniel M. Kowalski

Scott Bixby, Daily Beast, Apr. 25, 2019 "A longtime legal resident of the United States may have been deported to the wrong country for a crime he didn’t commit—all due to what a foreign court has determined could be a case of mistaken... Read More

Tags: hoppock , deportation , Italy , hope

Born in Philadelphia, U.S. Citizen Held For Deportation to Jamaica by ICE - Lawsuit
Posted on 5 Dec 2018 by Daniel M. Kowalski

Isaac Stanley-Becker, Washington Post, Dec. 4, 2018 - "When Peter Sean Brown turned himself in to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in April, he expected to be back to work in no time at Fogarty’s, a laid-back restaurant in Key West... Read More

Tags: ACLU , deportation , lawsuit , ICE

Communities in Crisis: Interior Removals and Their Human Consequences
Posted on 13 Nov 2018 by Daniel M. Kowalski

Kino Border Initiative, Center for Migration Studies of New York, Office of Justice and Ecology, Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, Nov. 2018 "In late 2017, the Kino Border Initiative (KBI), the Center for Migration Studies of New... Read More

Tags: deportation

AP Investigation: Deported parents may lose kids to adoption
Posted on 10 Oct 2018 by Daniel M. Kowalski

Garance Burke, Martha Mendoza, Associated Press, Oct. 9, 2018 - "Federal officials insist they are reuniting families and will continue to do so. But an Associated Press investigation drawing on hundreds of court documents, immigration records and... Read More

Tags: adoption , zero tolerance , deportation , Children , border

A Tale of Two Typos
Posted on 9 Jul 2013 by Daniel M. Kowalski

"As members of Congress struggle to reconcile their opposing views on immigration reform, rapid-firing amendments and counter-amendments across the aisle, we all should remember the successes and failures of our last immigration law overhaul in 1996... Read More

Tags: murray-tjan , deportation , iiraira , typos , Congress

They Deport Valedictorians, Don't They?
Posted on 5 Mar 2012 by Daniel M. Kowalski

If you thought the Morton Memo was too good to be true, you were right. ICE and EOIR have their sights set on Daniela Pelaez , the valedictorian at North Miami Senior High with a 6.7 GPA and a U.S. citizen brother who served in the Army in Afghanistan... Read More

Tags: Miami , carvalho , Daniela Pelaez , Nelson , deportation , ICE

Family Values on ICE: The Deportation of Parents of U.S.-Born Citizens
Posted on 2 Apr 2012 by Daniel M. Kowalski

"I am pleased to present the following report, "Deportation of Parents of U.S.-Born Citizens" for the second half of Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, as prepared by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)." - John Morton, Mar. 26, 2012... Read More

Tags: report , deportation , citizens , Children , parents , ICE

Yes He Can, on Immigration
Posted on 7 Apr 2014 by Daniel M. Kowalski

"Those who would qualify for legalization under a Senate bill passed last summer — people who do not pose criminal threats, who have strong ties to this country and, in many cases, have children who are American citizens — should not... Read More

Tags: daca , dreamers , deportation , Obama , times , editorial

TRUST Act Signed Into Law In Illinois
Posted on 30 Aug 2017 by Daniel M. Kowalski

NIJC, Aug. 28, 2017 - "Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner (R) signed the Illinois TRUST Act (SB 31) into law this morning, enacting the nation’s strongest state-level due process protections for immigrants who fear any interaction with local police... Read More

Tags: Illinois , immigration , rauner , deportation , trust

Fire Captain of a New Jersey Town is Targeted for Deportation
Posted on 18 Oct 2011 by Daniel M. Kowalski

"Every day Jesus Manolo Donis tackles a full agenda. He takes his 3-year-old son to school and makes sure his stepdaughter makes her therapies. He cooks for his fellow neighbors. He is active in the PTA. And, with palpable pride, Donis serves... Read More

Tags: New Jersey , deportation , donis

Will DHS Policy Deepen Rift With Mexico?
Posted on 10 Mar 2017 by Daniel M. Kowalski

Melvin Félix, Univision, Mar. 9, 2017 - "The Trump administration intends to press forward with its plan to send immigrants of any nationality back to Mexico after they're caught illegally crossing the southern U.S. border, a spokesman... Read More

Tags: kelly , Mexico , deportation , DHS , border

Children pack South Texas foster care systems after ICE deports parents
Posted on 12 Nov 2011 by Daniel M. Kowalski

"El Paso and parts of the Rio Grande Valley have some of the nation’s highest numbers of children living in foster care because their parents were removed by immigration enforcement, according to a new study by the Applied Research Center... Read More

Tags: foster , deportation , Children , separated

Detention, Deportation, and Devastation: The Disproportionate Effect of Deportations on the Latino Community
Posted on 7 May 2014 by Daniel M. Kowalski

"The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of 37 of the nation’s preeminent Latino organizations, today released a report, " Detention, Deportation, and Devastation: The Disproportionate Effect of Deportations on the... Read More

Tags: ndlon , Latinos , report , MALDEF , deportation , nhla

Feds Defend Deportation Rates as Backlog Swells
Posted on 24 Jul 2012 by Daniel M. Kowalski

"Immigration lawyers say the numbers show that the government is not following through on its directive and becoming more efficient with deportation proceedings, but federal officials say that the figures aren’t telling the whole story."... Read More

Tags: tribune , backlog , deportation

They met with immigration officers to apply for legal residency — only to be arrested by ICE
Posted on 6 Apr 2017 by Daniel M. Kowalski

Kristine Phillips, Washington Post, Apr. 7, 2017 - "Leandro Arriaga has been in the United States illegally since 2001. He stayed despite a deportation order and over the past 16 years has made a living fixing and remodeling homes. He also started... Read More

Tags: motomura , deportation , ICE , Green Card

  • Blog Post: Leniency isn’t automatic under new deportation policy

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "As evidenced by a series of recent near-deportation cases that have made the news, the guidelines aren’t being applied automatically as they trickle down through layers of immigration enforcement officials, and sometimes the contractors who work for them. The “left hand isn’t...
    on 1 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: Notarios Victimize Immigrants Over New Policy

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "The Obama administration said in the Aug. 18 announcement that it is creating an “interagency working group” to review the more than 300,000 immigrant files in deportation proceedings. It is unclear, however, who will be assigned to this working group and when or how it will announce...
    on 1 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: Advocates hail Bloomberg's support of City Council legislation

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "In a significant reversal, the Bloomberg administration said Friday that it would support a City Council bill that would hamper federal authorities’ ability to detain, and eventually deport, foreign-born inmates on Rikers Island who are about to be released. The decision is an important...
    on 1 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: Crossing Over, and Over...

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "Migrant shelters along the Mexican border are filled not with newcomers looking for a better life, but with seasoned crossers: older men and women, often deportees, braving ever-greater risks to get back to their families in the United States — the country they consider home. They...
    on 3 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: Culture of Cruelty

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    A series of compelling videos from No More Deaths Arizona. Evidence of a failed and inhumane policy.
    on 3 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: Are Bureaucrats Blowing Off Obama’s New Immigration Policy?

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "Why are undocumented immigrants that the administration says it intends to help stay in this country still facing deportation?" Nathan Pippenger, The New Republic, Oct. 4, 2011 .
    on 4 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: Napolitano: Prioritizing finite resources makes sense

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "It makes sense to prioritize our finite resources on removing a Mexican citizen who is wanted for murder in his home country ahead of a Mexican national who is the sole provider for his American citizen spouse; It makes sense to remove a Costa Rican man convicted of sexual assault against...
    on 5 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: DREAMer escapes deportation...for now

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    " Rodrigo Cruz , a 16-year-old high school student preparing for deportation, walked into an immigration office in Charlotte on Tuesday with a $155 bus ticket to Mexico and walked out with permission to stay temporarily in the United States . Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials granted...
    on 5 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: Napolitano calls for immigration 'reality check'

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano have called for a “reality check” of the country’s debate over immigration enforcement. Napolitano, speaking at American University on Wednesday, defended the Obama administration’s immigration enforcement policies as being...
    on 5 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: College student granted one-year stay of deportation

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "A Stony Brook University student received a birthday present on Friday that she will never forget. Nadia Habib, a psychology major who was scheduled to be deported to Bangladesh last week, has been granted a stay of removal for a year. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, told Habib on...
    on 6 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: ICE grants short stay, denies Deferred Action, in case of gay binational couple

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "A gay Indonesian man fighting to remain in the U.S. with his American husband has been denied a reprieve from deportation — a decision that appears to contradict Obama administration promises that members of same-sex binational couples can be considered lower-priority cases among ...
    on 9 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: Alabama parents fearing deportation make plans for kids

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "Terrified by Alabama 's strict new immigration crackdown, parents living in the state illegally say they are doing something that was unthinkable just days ago — asking friends, relatives, co-workers and acquaintances to take their children if they're arrested or deported...
    on 10 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: Obama's Immigration Gamble

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    " Amid impassioned demands from Latinos to revamp immigration policy , President Barack Obama found a way to act alone, without relying on an unwilling Congress. His administration’s solution — scaling back deportations of illegal immigrants who appear to pose little criminal threat...
    on 15 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: Fire Captain of a New Jersey Town is Targeted for Deportation

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "Every day Jesus Manolo Donis tackles a full agenda. He takes his 3-year-old son to school and makes sure his stepdaughter makes her therapies. He cooks for his fellow neighbors. He is active in the PTA. And, with palpable pride, Donis serves as captain of the fire department in Rocky Hill...
    on 18 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: U.S. deportations reach historic levels

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "Nearly 400,000 people were deported from the United States in the past fiscal year, the largest number in the history of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the government announced Tuesday." - CNN, Oct. 18, 2011 .
    on 19 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: The story behind 'Lost in Detention'

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "The Workshop requested data going back a decade about people held by the U.S. government for deportation, including detainee names, when and where individuals were booked in and booked out of detention, and what prompted their arrest. We asked for this information in several Freedom of...
    on 19 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: DREAM Act-Eligible Man Faces Deportation, Despite Policy Change

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "Shamir Ali, a 25-year-old born in Bangladesh, was at work at a Miami luxury car dealership last week when federal officers raided the company. FBI officers asked Ali for his papers, and then turned him over to immigration authorities, putting the undocumented man into deportation proceedings...
    on 25 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: In The Rush To Deport, Expelling U.S. Citizens

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "The government is not shy about its success deporting people from the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently sent out videos of early-morning raids conducted across the country. Uniformed ICE agents are shown planning to capture suspects, followed by shots of the suspects...
    on 25 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: What Does 396,906 Deportations Mean? 654,895 Children Lose a Parent

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "What does this very large number of 396,906 mean for families and U.S. citizen children? Let us assume that at least two-thirds of the deportees are married, with an average of 2.5 children. Thus, from the perspective of ICIRR, the impact of this year's accomplishments by ICE is that...
    on 25 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: NY Court of Appeals on appeal rights of deportees

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "In these criminal proceedings, the Appellate Division, pursuant to CPL 470.60 (1), dismissed defendants' direct appeals from their judgments of conviction prior to their hearing and disposition. Both defendants filed timely notices of appeal, but were involuntarily deported by the Department...
    on 26 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: NY court: Deported immigrants entitled to appeals

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "New York's top court ruled Tuesday that two immigrants who had been in the United States legally are entitled to appeal criminal convictions even though they've been deported after being released from jail." - Associated Press, Oct. 25, 2011 .
    on 27 Oct 2011

  • Blog Post: House member appalled at family separation statistics

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    " In response to a new report out today on families separated by deportation, Congressman José E. Serrano expressed his profound disgust with a system that has left more than 5000 citizen children in foster care because their parents were deported. Serrano called the policies 'un...
    on 5 Nov 2011

  • Blog Post: Children pack South Texas foster care systems after ICE deports parents

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "El Paso and parts of the Rio Grande Valley have some of the nation’s highest numbers of children living in foster care because their parents were removed by immigration enforcement, according to a new study by the Applied Research Center, a public policy institute covering racial justice...
    on 12 Nov 2011

  • Blog Post: Deportations Under New U.S. Policy Are Inconsistent

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "A new Obama administration policy to avoid deportations of illegal immigrants who are not criminals has been applied very unevenly across the country and has led to vast confusion both in immigrant communities and among agents charged with carrying it out." - New York Times, Nov. 13...
    on 13 Nov 2011

  • Blog Post: Obama: Kids Stuck in Foster Care Due to Deportation a 'Real Problem'

    Daniel M. Kowalski
    "In a briefing with Latino journalists last week, President Obama directly acknowledged that his administration’s immigration enforcement practices break up families and exclude parents from decisions about the custody of their children. His comments affirmed the central findings of...
    on 15 Nov 2011