Julia Gelatt

DHS keeps using this 1.6 million estimate as if DHS has actually recorded 1.6 million "self deportations." They have not, that number comes from an estimate from CIS, and it may well be too high (it could also be correct, only time and more data will tell).

October 2025 SEVIS data show that international student enrollment is DOWN 1% from October least year (10,000 fewer active student visa holders). This solves a data puzzle we saw in September, in which student arrivals at U.S. borders were down from last year, but SEVIS enrollment numbers were up.

Unauthorized Immigrant Population Profiles Use this unique data tool to learn about unauthorized immigrant populations in the U.S. and by state and for top counties. Get detailed data profiles for the United States, 43 states (plus the Distric...

Happy to share that MPI has updated its online data tool that profiles the country's unauthorized immigrant population at the national, state, and local level to use 2023 American Community Survey data. Check it out here:

This is so important to know! And also, ICE does report 2x/year on the number of US citizens arrested, detained, and deported, in their detention data. Those are currently updated through April 22, 2025, and very low. www.ice.gov/detain/deten...

Trump Considers Overhaul of Refugee System That Would Favor White People

"The proposals also advise Mr. Trump to prioritize Europeans who have been “targeted for peaceful expression of views online such as opposition to mass migration or support for ‘populist’ political parties.” That appeared to be a reference to the European far-right political party [AfD]."

This is big news for the tens of thousands of spouses of H-1Bs who have permission to work in the U.S. About 70,000 spouses of H-1Bs were approved for new or renewal work authorization documents last fiscal year.

So glad that @tanvi.bsky.social followed up on this group of people; those who were in Border Patrol detention centers on the days Trump took office, people from countries where deportation wasn't easy for the Trump admin, who ended up dumped in Panama to send a message to other migrants.

USCIS processing data for April-June 2025 show a HUGE drop in U visa applications submitted. (Or maybe in U visa applications that USCIS bothered to open & enter in the system?) Just 68(!) applications were received & entered, compared to 12,000 in Oct-Dec, and 11,000 in Jan-Mar.

It's eerie watching Chicago go through what happened to DC two months ago.

Mali to impose reciprocal visa bond requirement for US nationals Mali has announced it will require U.S. nationals to post bonds of up to $10,000 for business and tourist visas, after the Trump administration said the West African nation would be added to its visa bond programme.

The U.S. is entering a visa bond war on top of our tariff war? Mali imposes reciprocal visa bonds on American visitors after the U.S. imposes up to $10,000 bonds on visitors from Mali. www.reuters.com/world/africa...

High school classmates who usually post on FB about their cool hunting dog are now posting about how DHL is holding their mail order outdoor gear hostage for a ~$69% tariff.

22nd Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference Registration hosted by Whova 2025-10-09, Washington, DC

It's the last day to register for MPI / CLINIC / Georgetown Law's Annual Law and Policy Conference. Don't miss out!

Trump Administration’s Expansion of Fast-Track Deportation Powers Is Transforming Immigration Enforcement The Trump administration has expanded its use of expedited removal in unprecedented ways, transforming what previously had been a somewhat limited authority into a potent tool to assist with its mass ...

There's so much going on in immigration news right now, but quick reminder that the DC Appellate Court will hear arguments at 2pm ET today about one of the Trump administration's most potent deportation tools--expanded expedited removal

We wrote about the authority for @migrationpolicy.bsky.social

Trump Administration Is Said to Plan to Cut Refugee Admissions to a Record Low

President Trump is reportedly setting the lowest refugee ceiling ever (since the creation of the refugee program in 1980) for this fiscal year, at 7,500, with most slots going to Afrikaners.

Garcia Ramirez v. ICE case caption. ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND TO ENFORCE FINAL JUDGMENT AND PERMANENT INJUNCTION Upon consideration of Plaintiffs' Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order and to Enforce the Permanent Injunction and accompanying Memorandum of Points and Authorities and Declarations (the "Motion"), and all other materials properly before this Court, it is hereby ORDERED that Plaintiffs' Motion is GRANTED; and it is further ORDERED that Defendants and all persons acting under their direction or in concert with them, are hereby ENJOINED from implementing any new directive regarding age-outs; ORDERED that Defendants and all persons acting under their direction or in concert with them, are hereby ENJOINED from detaining any class member in an adult ICE facility in any manner that contravenes the Permanent Injunction; ORDERED that Defendants immediately rescind any determinations to detain based on this directive; ORDERED that Defendants immediately produce that directive, any related policies regarding that directive, and the Age-Out Review Worksheets of any class members who may have been impacted by that directive, including all AORs issued since October 1, 2025. SO ORDERED this 4th day of October 2025.

BREAKING: Federal judge BLOCKS a new ICE policy that went into effect last week to automatically detain unaccompanied migrant children on their 18th birthday when they “age out” of shelter care.

The TRO enforces a court order in a case brought by @immcouncil.org and @immigrantjustice.bsky.social.

Trump Administration Is Said to Plan to Cut Refugee Admissions to a Record Low

President Trump is reportedly setting the lowest refugee ceiling ever (since the creation of the refugee program in 1980) for this fiscal year, at 7,500, with most slots going to Afrikaners.

How Trump’s Deportation Effort Is Playing Out, in Charts ICE is moving to step up arrests, detentions and deportations. We crunched the numbers.

Highly recommend this deportations data breakdown from @anthonydb.bsky.social @wsj.com J

Importantly, it highlights *missing data*

DHS' statistics office hasn't released broken down info since January, meaning we don't have the complete picture of who is being deported, by which agency & where

Trump’s D.C. crime emergency is over. Immigration officers are still patrolling with D.C. police. The Washington Post reviewed photos and videos of at least half a dozen incidents since Sept. 10. They show D.C. police officers with masked agents in vests labeled HSI for Homeland Security Investiga...

NEW: Trump's 30-day crime emergency in DC is over.

But DHS agents are still joining DC police patrols & roll calls, even though DC law bars police from helping fed immigration agents.

The result? Immigrants are ending up in ICE custody.

w/ Emma Uber

www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

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When we interviewed Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status holders in the DC metro area, access to CDLs was an important pathway to higher-paying jobs. In addition to the broader impacts for U.S. prices, there will be impacts for many immigrant families with lawful presence and work authorization.

That reported multi-million decline in US immigrants just doesn’t add up The recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data showing that there were 2.2 million fewer immigrants in the US in July 2025 than in January is almost certainly wrong.

DHS has just claimed that 1.6 million unauthorized immigrant "self deported" this year. This number seems to come from a Center for Immigration Studies estimate that relies on the Current Population Survey. As @jedkolko.bsky.social writes, such a large decline doesn't line up with other data

And now the White House says the $100,000 doesn’t apply to current H-1b holders!

The folks at Microsoft know what they are talking about. Helpful for sharing with anyone you know on an H-1B

Those on an H1B cannot return to the US from tomorrow (Sunday) unless paying $100K. This is an out-of-the blue presidential action. We’ll see software engineers stranded abroad.

One easy to predict outcome: those on US visas will travel less… for work, for conferences etc.

⬇️August CBP Data Takeaways⬇️

Still at low levels, but migrant encounters at/btwn POEs increased from 8K in Jul to 10K in Aug. Btwn POEs there were 6K encounters, mostly of Mexican migrants.

That's 204 daily BP encounters, higher than the 148 in Jul, but significantly lower than under Biden.

"Los derechos más básicos en riesgo": los ciudadanos también sufren prejuicio racial por redadas migratorias Los ciudadanos estadounidenses, la mayoría de origen hispano, están viendo sus garantías individuales -consagradas en la Constitución- siendo violadas al quedar atrapados en los despliegues federales ...

"Los derechos más básicos en riesgo": los ciudadanos también sufren prejuicio racial por redadas migratorias

I talked to @marcosmtzchacon.bsky.social at Univision about Trump's push for mass deportations and how increased immigration enforcement affects US citizens' rights:

Exclusive: Trump administration plans push at UN to restrict global asylum rights President Donald Trump's administration plans to call for sharply narrowing the right to asylum at the United Nations later this month, documents show, as it seeks to undo the post-World War Two framework around humanitarian protection.

The Trump admin plans to start discussions at the UN on revising 1951 & 1967 global refugee conventions that govern how asylum seekers and refugees are treated. Proposed changes include making migrants seek protection in the 1st safe country they enter, and making asylum only temporary.

What a conversation to have with your kiddo! Was right outside the window on school grounds?

On Chicago's first full day of 'Operation Midway Blitz,' fear, tension and a 'reality show' On an anxiety-filled day for the city, there were sporadic reports of arrests in Chicago’s Latino community as hundreds of federal agents move in — and many residents hunker down.

3 different phenomena:
1) Deployment of National Guard* to city.
2) Takeover of city's local police to force cooperation.
3) Surging federal law enforcement to city for immigration arrests.

LA got 1 and 3. DC got all 3. Chicago may avoid 1 but it ALREADY HAS 3. chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...