In Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, an agreement to open a new immigrant detention facility has drawn backlash from the local community, prompting a lawsuit by the Pennsylvania ACLU. If the facility opens, it will be the largest immigrant detention center in the Northeast.  Immigrant Detention Facilities  In the United States, Immigrant Detention Facilities house individuals while they await legal determinations concerning their immigration status. Many organizations, including the ACLU and Freedom for Immigrants, READ MORE READ MORE

Proposed Increases to Visa Fees for High Skilled Worker and Other Benefits Amendments to a House of Representatives reconciliation bill that have been made public are proposing additional fees for visa petitions for high skilled immigrant workers. If approved, these would add expenses to a process that already costs thousands of dollars for each worker.   The proposal would add a supplemental fee of $500 to file the READ MORE READ MORE

According to recent studies, fewer international students are enrolling in U.S. colleges and universities. These studies highlight growing concerns about the economic consequences of stricter immigration policies in the United States.  Downward Trends in Enrollment of International Students A recent study from opendoorsdata.org highlights the data. Over the last decade, the United States has experienced substantial growth in international student enrollment, sometimes reaching 10% annually. However, from 2019 to READ MORE READ MORE

After Pennsylvania’s York County prison dissolved its contract with Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) in August, it was announced that a new immigration detention center will be opened in Clearfield County. The Clearfield County Board of Commissioners approved and signed a five-year contract with ICE and the GEO Group. Clearfield County Immigration Detention Center The prison, which operates for-profit, will convert the former Clearfield County Prison facility READ MORE READ MORE

N.J. Bergen County Board Votes to End ICE Prison Contract at Local Jail This week, the Bergen County Commissioners Board officially ended its agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that permitted the detention of immigrants at the county jail in Hackensack, New Jersey. The board’s decision was unanimous, and ICE now has 45 days to remove the remaining detainees from the Bergen County Jail. However, READ MORE READ MORE