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ICE is paying 'eye-popping' prices for warehouse detention centers
2 months ago
- ICE is paying significantly high prices for commercial warehouses to convert into detention centers, often above documented appraisal values.
- DHS defends the purchases, stating they pay 'fair market value,' but critics argue the prices are inflated.
- The initiative is funded by Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Act, allocating $38.3 billion to expand ICE’s detention capacity.
- Local communities and officials from both parties oppose the facilities, citing lack of transparency and infrastructure concerns.
- ICE’s rapid expansion has been marked by errors, retractions, and confusion, eroding public trust.
- Experts note the procurement process lacks standard federal procedures, such as local input and bidding processes.
- DHS aims to increase detention space by 92,600 beds, targeting 24 facilities by October, despite widespread local resistance.
He saw an abandoned trailer, he uncovered a surveillance network on CA border
2 months ago
- Hidden license plate readers installed by Border Patrol and other federal agencies in California are raising privacy and civil liberties concerns.
- The surveillance network logs license plates and vehicle details, potentially capturing images of drivers and passengers, raising transparency issues.
- Humanitarian volunteers, like James Cordero, fear being tracked or detained by federal agents while aiding migrants.
- Privacy advocates argue the program bypasses California's 2016 law regulating automated license plate readers (ALPRs).
- Local law enforcement agencies have been found sharing ALPR data with federal immigration authorities, violating state law.
- Border Patrol's use of hidden cameras in traffic safety equipment feeds into a predictive intelligence program monitoring drivers nationwide.
- Residents report being questioned by federal agents based on their driving patterns, leading to concerns over unwarranted surveillance.
My journey from foreign correspondent to Uber driver in Trump's America
2 months ago
- The author, a former foreign correspondent, shares his transition to driving for Uber in Trump's America after losing his job in Canada.
- He reflects on the irony of now living the displacement and desperation he once documented, picking up mostly Latino and South Asian workers.
- The narrative touches on the struggles of immigrants in America, questioning how aggressive immigration policies serve the country.
- After 28 years abroad, the author finds America foreign and darker, with policies targeting immigrants and a shrinking middle class.
- He compares his past life interviewing world leaders to his current reality, measuring his worth in small increments.
- The author recounts his experiences covering deadly migration routes, gaining a deeper understanding of migrants' desperation.
- His dream of settling in Canada unravels due to job loss and immigration hurdles, forcing his family to separate.
- Returning to the U.S., he faces financial instability, housing challenges, and the struggle to reunite his family.
- Despite hardships, the author remains optimistic, valuing his international experiences and the common humanity among people.
- He expresses fear over the economic squeeze and the drift toward further middle-class shrinkage in America.
ICE agents reveal daily arrest quotas and surveillance app in court testimony
2 months ago
- US immigration agents in Oregon used a custom-made app called Elite to identify neighborhoods and people to target for arrests.
- ICE officers had daily arrest quotas, with one team ordered to make eight arrests a day, contradicting DHS claims of no quotas.
- The Elite app, developed by Palantir, provided intelligence on areas with high immigrant populations, though its accuracy was questionable.
- A federal lawsuit revealed ICE's tactics, including warrantless arrests and racial profiling, leading to a judge halting such practices in Oregon.
- Testimony showed ICE agents relied on the Elite app to find 'target-rich' areas, leading to the detention of farm workers and legal residents.
- The judge criticized ICE's methods, noting the app's potential for inaccuracies and the unfounded claims of human trafficking by agents.
- ICE's arrest records contained inaccuracies, including false claims about individuals' immigration status and consensual stops.
- The lawsuit highlighted how arrest quotas and surveillance tools like Elite could lead to rights violations and racial profiling.
- Advocates argue ICE's use of Elite creates an 'electronic dragnet' that bypasses constitutional protections against unreasonable searches.
- The case underscores the broader implications of ICE's opaque strategies and the impact on vulnerable communities.
H-1B Visa employers database goes offline, key public records disappear
2 months ago
- The H-1B Employer Data Hub, a public database tracking companies hiring H-1B visa workers, has gone offline.
- Key search tools and recent datasets from the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub are disabled or missing.
- The database, launched in 2019, helps users review H-1B visa sponsorship data by employers, especially tech companies.
- USCIS apologized for the technical difficulties and is working to resolve the issue.
- The site's search function, interactive map, and downloadable datasets for fiscal years 2024-2026 are unavailable.
- Affected pages are labeled as 'Archived Content,' with unclear reasons for the archiving.
- The missing data impacts transparency in tracking H-1B visa usage and employer trends.
More Americans Will Die Than Be Born in 2030 – Immigration Will Drive Growth
a month ago
- The U.S. is projected to reach a demographic tipping point in 2030 when deaths will exceed births for the first time in modern history.
- Net immigration will become the sole source of population growth starting in 2030, a shift previously seen in aging nations like Italy and Japan.
- The CBO's updated forecast moves this demographic crossover nearly a decade earlier than previous estimates, driven by declining fertility and an aging population.
- The total fertility rate is expected to drop to 1.53 births per woman, far below the 2.1 replacement rate needed for population stability.
- Policy changes, including the 2025 Reconciliation Act, will reduce immigration, leading to 320,000 fewer people in the U.S. by 2035 than previously projected.
- U.S. population growth will slow until it hits zero in 2056, a stark contrast to the 1% annual growth seen in the 20th century.
- The aging population will strain Social Security and Medicare, with the worker-to-retiree ratio dropping from 5:1 in 1960 to 2:1 by the mid-2050s.
- Future economic growth will rely heavily on productivity gains and AI, as labor force expansion stagnates.
Migrant children detained California used as bait to arrest and deport parents
a month ago
- Migrant children detained in Southern California are being used as 'bait' to arrest and deport their undocumented parents.
- A document from a federal case in Texas confirms 'Operation Guardian Trace,' which mandates ICE to interview and detain undocumented relatives of children in federal custody.
- Immigration attorneys report a dramatic reversal in policy, where previously undocumented relatives could claim children regardless of their status.
- Over 100 sponsors have been arrested since July 2025, with roughly one in four sponsors being detained during interviews or ID checks.
- Children whose sponsors are detained remain in government custody, often leading to prolonged stays in shelters or foster care.
- The policy has caused fear among families, with some children asking parents to halt reunification efforts to avoid detention.
- Legal challenges argue that the policy violates the government's obligation to release children promptly and interferes with child welfare mandates.
- Prolonged detention has severe psychological effects on children, leading to feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and depression.
- Some children choose to return to their home countries to reunite with deported parents, which advocates believe is an intended outcome of the policy.
- The Trump administration repealed regulations that previously protected sponsors from being disqualified based solely on immigration status.

Hasty Briefsbeta

#immigration

ICE is paying 'eye-popping' prices for warehouse detention centers

He saw an abandoned trailer, he uncovered a surveillance network on CA border

My journey from foreign correspondent to Uber driver in Trump's America

ICE agents reveal daily arrest quotas and surveillance app in court testimony

H-1B Visa employers database goes offline, key public records disappear

More Americans Will Die Than Be Born in 2030 – Immigration Will Drive Growth

Migrant children detained California used as bait to arrest and deport parents