In just two years, the Trump
administration has made more than two hundred policy changes affecting
immigration, according to a 41-page report written by Sarah Pierce and
published by the Migration Policy
Institute (MPI) this month. These changes—implemented in areas where
the executive branch can act without Congressional approval—constitute “one of
the most assertive agendas on immigration in modern times,” Pierce writes.
Some of new policies, like the
Muslim ban and the separation of families, have received widespread coverage,
but most have garnered little attention; the media and even immigration policy
experts have been overwhelmed by the sheer number. Many of the changes,
including the ones overlooked by the media, have serious consequences for
immigrants and their communities. Examples include former attorney general Jeff
Sessions’ imposition of industrial-style speedup on immigration judges and his efforts to limit their ability to exercise discretion.
While most of the changes appear
aimed at limiting immigration—a major goal of the administration—others seem
merely petty and cruel. For instance, a December 2017 memo “eliminates prior
language instructing judges to use the ‘best interests of the child’ standard
to ensure that a case involving a minor takes place in ‘child appropriate’
hearing environment.” In other words, judges are not supposed to make
allowances for the infants and toddlers that current immigration law forces to attend
court hearings.
The report, Immigration-Related
Policy Changes in the First Two Years of the Trump Administration, is an
invaluable resource for anyone concerned about immigration policy and it
effects.
Download the full report:
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/immigration-policy-changes-two-years-trump-administration
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