What Started a Mississippi Prison Riot? Depends on Who You Ask

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 22 2012, 9:37AM

A for-profit, Corrections Corporation of America facility holding non-citizen inmates is on lockdown after a weekend riot. Officials insist it was a gang feud. But reports from inside suggest a pattern of abuse and neglect that has recurred at privately run prisons.

Topics: Criminal Justice, Immigration

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Alabama Passes Revision to Anti-Immigrant Bill, Waits for Gov.’s Decision

by Julianne Hing on May 17 2012, 9:33AM

Alabama doubles down on anti-immigrant hate and passes a beefed up version of last year’s HB 56.

Topics: Immigration

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Feds Use Counter-Terrorism Laws to Fuel Deportation Machine

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 15 2012, 8:41AM

A decade after September 11, 2001, the government is wielding it’s broad counterterrorism powers against non-citizens who pose no threat and who face deportation as a result.

Topics: Immigration, National Security

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ICE Announces Minor Deportation Policy Shift for Secure Communities

by Julianne Hing on May 3 2012, 9:05AM

Those with an otherwise clean criminal record who are arrested for minor traffic violations won’t be flagged for deportation unless they’re convicted first, ICE announced.

Topics: Immigration

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A Colorblind Supreme Court Hearing on Arizona’s Anti-Immigrant SB 1070

by Seth Freed Wessler on April 26 2012, 10:10AM

Supreme Court Justices seemed to be unconvinced that states like Arizona are breaking the law when they allow police officers to ask people’s immigration statuses if they suspect they’re undocumented.

Topics: Arizona's SB 1070, Immigration

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The U.S. vs. Arizona: A Primer for the High Court’s Big Day on Immigration

by Hatty Lee, Julianne Hing on April 25 2012, 9:00AM

Who gets to regulate the lives of immigrants? The Supreme Court will attempt to settle the debate. Today, both sides make their case before the High Court.

Topics: Arizona's SB 1070, Immigration

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As SB 1070 Heads to Court, a Father’s Case Reveals the Larger Problem

by Julianne Hing on April 24 2012, 10:29AM

An Argentinian father of three faces deportation because police officers arrested him when he went into a diabetic shock. Is this what Obama meant when he said he wanted more humane deportation policies?

Topics: Deportation Dragnet, Immigration

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California Pols Move to Keep Immigrant Families Unified During Deportation

by Seth Freed Wessler on April 24 2012, 9:36AM

In reaction to Colorlines.com’s investigation, a state Assembly bill seeks to strengthen parents’ rights to stay in contact with children and child welfare case workers while detained.

Topics: Immigration, Shattered Families

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UndocuMemes Show What’s So Funny About Today’s Immigration Battle

by Mónica Novoa on April 17 2012, 9:01AM

The big message here from activists? We’re human, and we can laugh, too.

Topics: Immigration

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Justice Delayed in Deported Dad’s Fight to Regain Custody of Kids

by Seth Freed Wessler on April 13 2012, 8:50AM

Weeks after his case gained national media attention, Felipe Montes says that the North Carolina’s family reunification system is actually set up to work against him.

Topics: Immigration, Shattered Families

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Less Than Half of 3K Detained in ICE Sweeps Convicted of Felonies

by Seth Freed Wessler on April 6 2012, 10:01AM

Federal immigration authorities launched massive raids that netted over 3,100 detentions. But the Obama administration isn’t only focused on deporting so-called ‘violent criminals.’

Topics: Immigration

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Young Undocumented Activists Stand Up for Their Parents’ Dreams

by Mónica Novoa on April 5 2012, 9:27AM

When it comes to the DREAM Act, it’s been far too easy for some politicians to play the parent blame game. But activists refuse to throw their parents under the bus. We talked to both young people and their parents about their visions of justice.

Topics: Drop the I-Word, Immigration

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Marco Rubio Pushes Nightmarish DREAM Act in Run for GOP’s VP Nod

by Julianne Hing on April 4 2012, 8:58AM

Marco Rubio’s carefully maneuvering his way into the next tier of Republican politics.

Topics: Immigration, Politics

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California Senate Moves To Protect Immigrant Families in Deportation

by Seth Freed Wessler on March 28 2012, 9:47AM

Nearly a quarter of the U.S. citizen children that Colorlines.com found stuck in foster care as parents moved through detention and deportation are in California. The state Senate is moving forward with a bill that would keep their families together.

Topics: Immigration, Shattered Families

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The Plight of Transnational Women and How You Can Help Them

by Mónica Novoa on March 27 2012, 10:58AM

Monica Novoa speaks with Leilani Montes, a transnational mujer who celebrates and weaves the roles of organizer and advocate across her professional, activist and personal life.

Topics: Drop the I-Word, Gender & Sexuality, Immigration

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Local Fight Against Deportation Pipeline Moves From Money to Rights

by Julianne Hing on March 16 2012, 10:29AM

The Obama administration is willing to pay big money to make sure the politically symbolic Cook County doesn’t ditch its marquee immigration enforcement program. Key lessons? Fighting unjust policy with a fiscal argument has its limitations.

Topics: Immigration

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Activist’s Criminal Record Forces Tough Questions Among DREAMers

by Julianne Hing on March 13 2012, 10:54AM

Uriel Alberto is a young undocumented father who doesn’t have a squeaky clean criminal record. His case is forcing activists and lawmakers alike to reconsider who they think should be able to pursue the American Dream.

Topics: Immigration

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Alabama and Georgia’s Anti-Immigrant Laws Head Back to Court

by Julianne Hing on March 1 2012, 9:14AM

The federal government and civil rights groups want Alabama’s immigration crackdown blocked in full.

Topics: Immigration

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Have You Fought to Help Felipe Montes Reunite With His Kids? [Reader Forum]

by Channing Kennedy on February 20 2012, 9:08AM

Last week Colorlines.com com reported a stunning story about a North Carolina family being ripped apart by deportation. The campaign that followed that story has already made a difference.

Topics: Immigration, Shattered Families

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Deported Dad Begs North Carolina To Give Him Back His Children

by Seth Freed Wessler on February 14 2012, 10:38AM

Nobody argues whether Felipe Montes is a great dad. But the state doesn’t want to send his U.S. citizen kids to Mexico, so he may lose them forever. The Montes are among a growing number of families facing similar crises.

Topics: Immigration, Shattered Families

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