Ximena Bustillo

Civil rights jobs have been cut. Those ex-workers warn of ICE detention violations After layoffs, it's unclear how many people are policing civil rights violations inside the Department of Homeland Security, even as the Trump administration ramps up ICE detention.

After layoffs, it's unclear how many people are policing civil rights violations inside the Department of Homeland Security, even as the Trump administration ramps up ICE detention.

DACA has bipartisan support in Congress. Still, Republicans are following Trump's lead President Trump failed to revoke DACA in his first term and his focus on immigration this time has mostly ignored the policy. Still, Republican lawmakers are deferring to the president on the issue.

DACA recipients are being caught up in immigration arrests. In interviews with Republican lawmakers who previously supported pathways to legal status for DACA recipients, nearly every lawmaker was clear: Trump needs to be the one to start talks.

My latest:
www.npr.org/2025/09/28/n...

NPR @ximenabustillo.bsky.social says the same ICE officer on leave after this viral video of him shoving an Ecuadorian woman in NYC is the one she recorded violently arresting a court observer and cursing at her last month www.npr.org/2025/09/26/n...

ICE officer caught on video pushing woman is placed on leave The man appears to be the same officer who was caught last month on NPR audio aggressively arresting a court observer.

🚨NEW-ICE officer caught on video pushing a woman in a NYC immigration court is the same ICE officer NPR reported last month aggressively arrested a court observer.

He was placed on admin leave after this latest incident. Watch the video, hear the audio: www.npr.org/2025/09/26/n...

Trump administration fires more immigration judges Nearly 20 immigration judges received emails this month informing them that they are being let go, NPR has learned, the largest single month of firings since the process began in February.

SCOOP: About 20 immigration judges have been fired this month, adding to the 80 dismissed by President Trump earlier this year.

NPR has been in front of this story and the people impacted on all sides -- do you work for EOIR? LMK. www.npr.org/2025/09/23/n...

Georgia senators demand answers on more than a dozen deaths in immigration detention Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are asking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for answers after more than a dozen people died in immigration detention, as the department rushes to expand.

Scooplet: Senators are continuing to probe DHS on the death count in detention centers. As DHS ramps up detention capacity and arrests there are concerns over a lack of oversight to these facilities.

www.npr.org/2025/09/23/n...

Trump administration rushes to rent space for immigration officers conducting raids Employees at the General Services Administration are scrambling to lease offices to accommodate a rapid increase of immigration enforcement officers carrying out widespread raids across the country.

One of the GSA employees said ICE has urgently requested the agency find around 300 fully furnished properties with private office space to lease by this winter.

Story from @jennamclaughlin.bsky.social @ximenabustillo.bsky.social + me

Trump administration rushes to rent space for immigration officers conducting raids Employees at the General Services Administration are scrambling to lease offices to accommodate a rapid increase of immigration enforcement officers carrying out widespread raids across the country.

NEW ON @npr.org: Employees at the General Services Administration are scrambling to lease hundreds of offices in an “ICE surge” effort to accommodate a rapid increase of immigration enforcement officers carrying out widespread raids across the country.

Trump administration rushes to rent space for immigration officers conducting raids Employees at the General Services Administration are scrambling to lease offices to accommodate a rapid increase of immigration enforcement officers carrying out widespread raids across the country.

NEW: ICE is asking the General Services Administration to find around 300 fully furnished properties with private office space to lease by winter. GSA has created an “ICE Surge” team in response but grasping to manage the demand after staff losses.
www.npr.org/2025/09/18/g...

Trump administration rushes to rent space for immigration officers conducting raids Employees at the General Services Administration are scrambling to lease offices to accommodate a rapid increase of immigration enforcement officers carrying out widespread raids across the country.

NEW with @ximenabustillo.bsky.social and @stphnfwlr.com:

The Trump administration is rushing to rent space for immigration officers conducting raids nationwide:

www.npr.org/2025/09/18/g...

Inside one of the most understaffed immigration courts in the country The Chelmsford, Mass., court has hemorrhaged judges, a consequence of the Trump administration's seemingly contradictory efforts to downsize the federal government and increase immigration arrests.

The Chelmsford, Mass., court has hemorrhaged judges, a consequence of the Trump administration's seemingly contradictory efforts to downsize the federal government and increase immigration arrests.

Inside one of the most understaffed immigration courts in the country The Chelmsford, Mass., court has hemorrhaged judges, a consequence of the Trump administration's seemingly contradictory efforts to downsize the federal government and increase immigration arrests.

In Feb. the first round of immigration judges was laid off. Union officials warned me — if the admin starts cutting judges as they finalize their two year probationary period — the Chelmsford Immigration Court could be in big trouble.

My latest: www.npr.org/2025/08/13/n...

Asylum-seekers thought they were following the rules. Now some are told to start over NPR has learned that dozens of immigrants across the U.S. have received letters notifying them that their asylum cases have been dismissed because they have not yet received a screening interview.

ICYMI: In the last few weeks, some people who applied for asylum via USCIS years ago got letters telling them to report to ICE to be sent back to USCIS for whats called a credible fear interview - a key step lawyers say now comes with risks.

My latest: www.npr.org/2025/08/10/n...

Asylum-seekers thought they were following the rules. Now some are told to start over NPR has learned that dozens of immigrants across the U.S. have received letters notifying them that their asylum cases have been dismissed because they have not yet received a screening interview.

NPR has learned that dozens of immigrants across the U.S. have received letters notifying them that their asylum cases have been dismissed because they have not yet received a screening interview.

Christian refugees caught in the crosshairs of U.S. immigration policy The Trump administration's overhaul of the U.S. asylum and refugee systems has taken a toll on people fleeing religious persecution, including many Christians.

The Trump administration's overhaul of the U.S. asylum and refugee systems has taken a toll on people fleeing religious persecution, including many Christians.

Bloodied Faces, Sobbing Children: Immigration Officers Smash Car Windows to Speed Up Arrests We’ve documented nearly 50 incidents of immigration officers shattering car windows to make arrests — a tactic experts say was rarely used before Trump took office. ICE claims its officers use a “mini...

NEW: We’ve documented nearly 50 incidents of immigration officers shattering car windows to make arrests — a tactic experts say was rarely used before Trump took office.

ICE claims officers use a “minimum amount of force.”

You can judge for yourself.

By @nicolefoy.bsky.social @mckenziefunk.com

USCIS Issues Plan to Fulfill Trump Birthright Citizenship Order The agency that administers immigration benefits is making plans to carry out President Donald Trump‘s executive order restricting birthright citizenship, even though its currently blocked by the cour...

Trump's executive order upending birthright citizenship is blocked by multiple courts, but USCIS is making plans to carry it out if allowed to go into effect.

It's released an implementation plan defining which groups of immigrant children would lose automatic birthright citizenship.

DHS is urging DACA recipients to self-deport "DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country," said DHS assistant press secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who then encouraged "every person here illegally" to self-deport.

"DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country," said DHS assistant press secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who then encouraged "every person here illegally" to self-deport.

Hi, I'm Ximena, NPR's reporter covering the Homeland Security Dept+immigration policy. Send me tips securely via encrypted messaging on Signal, where my username is ximenabustillo.77. We're committed to protecting your identity, & will keep you anonymous if you fear retribution. Thank you in advance

DHS is urging DACA recipients to self-deport "DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country," said DHS assistant press secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who then encouraged "every person here illegally" to self-deport.

In the past few months the Trump administration moved to strip DACA recipients of healthcare & launched investigations into colleges providing financial aid for them

Now DHS is urging participants to “self deport” marking weakening protections. My latest: www.npr.org/2025/07/29/n...

U.S. probes foreign links to agriculture research to protect food supply While researchers agree food security is important, they say scrutiny of foreign collaboration could hurt U.S. innovation.

While researchers agree food security is important, they say scrutiny of foreign collaboration could hurt U.S. innovation.

U.S. probes foreign links to agriculture research to protect food supply While researchers agree food security is important, they say scrutiny of foreign collaboration could hurt U.S. innovation.

Earlier this month USDA told its employees there would be added scrutiny to research + writing done with “foreign nationals” and added scrutiny depending on the country they’re from.

But the directive sent scientists at universities scrambling.
My latest: www.npr.org/2025/07/23/g...

Military bases in New Jersey, Indiana, to be expanded to detain immigrants NPR has learned that the Pentagon has also approved the expansion of the U.S. Naval Base on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the same purpose.

NPR has learned that the Pentagon has also approved the expansion of the U.S. Naval Base on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the same purpose. By @ximenabustillo.bsky.social and Tom Bowman

Congress eliminated public media funding. At a time of deep division, public media brings us together.

Help keep it strong. Join our monthly donors today: n.pr/458sOhq

More immigration judges are being fired amid Trump's efforts to speed up deportations Several more immigration judges have been fired, even as the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement, and after Congress gave the Department of Justice $3 billion, in part to hire judges...

SCOOP: More firings hit immigration courts. These come after Congress approved $3B in part to hire more. Since the start of the admin, over 80 judges have been fired or took the Fork in the Road.

"I wanted to ride it until the very end," one of the fired judges told me. www.npr.org/2025/07/14/n...

👋Hello! Back from a few weeks away. Clawing out of the inbox but in the meantime…

What did I miss? What should I be tracking?

Drop me a line on signal @ ximenabustillo.77

a lot of people in the agriculture world right now trying to figure out what this is supposed to mean

ICE's novel strategy allows for more arrests from inside immigration courts The Trump administration has a novel strategy to boost arrests and reduce courts' backlog: dismissing people's immigration cases and immediately arresting them.

The Trump administration's strategy to boost arrests and reduce courts' backlog: dismissing people's immigration cases and immediately arresting them.

ICE's novel strategy allows for more arrests from inside immigration courts The Trump administration has a novel strategy to boost arrests and reduce courts' backlog: dismissing people's immigration cases and immediately arresting them.

Immigration judges got an email at the end of May telling them to issue decisions on whether to case dismissals on the spot, knowing the client may be immediately arrested, as a way to clear the backlog leadership said grew in recent months.
www.npr.org/2025/06/12/n...

THE EMAIL: A few things to note about what guidance immigration judges got:
- they need to move faster
- discourage requiring written motions
- discourage 10 day response period

This guidance targets people without lawyers, which is most people in immigration court.