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Employment Authorization Assistance. In response to Resolution No. 20231214-100, the City developed a policy to assist employees in seeking employment reauthorization or help with adjusting their immigration status, as well as provide resources for employees to naturalize, provide legal support or other resources, and connect employees with community resources to assist in navigating the U.S. immigration system. If you are a City employee and would like information about this new policy, please contact Rocío Villalobos - rocio.villalobos @ austintexas.gov
Naturalization Ceremony at City Hall. We started the month of December with another naturalization ceremony at City Hall! 50 immigrants from over two dozen countries were sworn in as U.S. citizens in the presence of their loved ones and got registered to vote after the ceremony by the League of Women Voters of Austin. A huge thank you to Council Member Fuentes for her remarks welcoming these new citizens! |
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Cities for Action and National Immigrant Inclusion Conference. In early December, the City of Austin was represented at two national gatherings that convene people who are working on immigrant affairs in different capacities, from nonprofits to local government. During my time in New York and Houston, I had the opportunity to speak on panels about some of the work happening in Austin and the unique challenges we face in Texas. The Cities for Action convening and National Immigrant Inclusion Conference provided the space to strategize for the years ahead and to learn from other cities that are committed to supporting our immigrant communities. |
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- The Texas General Land Office says incoming border czar Tom Homan has verbally agreed to lease a parcel of rural Texas ranchland in Starr County for upcoming federal border security operations.
- An investigation by The Washington Post and others found that hundreds more people have drowned than the U.S. and Mexican governments have reported. Most people have died in the Eagle Pass area, where Gov. Greg Abbott’s $11 billion border security initiative, Operation Lone Star, is concentrated. The data shows that at least 1,107 people drowned trying to cross the river in the seven years from 2017-2023. The deaths peaked in 2022 as more people tried to enter the U.S. A growing number of women were among the dead and in 2023, more than 1 in 10 drownings involved a child.
- A Houston man is fighting back after Immigration and Customs Enforcement unexpectedly deported his wife and four children, including newborn twins who are U.S. citizens.
- In late November, a settlement was finalized in
J.O.P. v. DHS, a case that will give many people who were denied their right to seek asylum an opportunity to file their applications. The agreement took effect on November 25th, starting a 90-day window for some people who were previously determined to be unaccompanied children to file their asylum applications with USCIS. J.O.P. v. DHS, No. 19-1944, was a nationwide class action filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland that challenged a 2019 policy that limited the ability to seek asylum for certain children who arrived in the country alone.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced the permanent increase of the automatic extension period for certain employment authorization document renewal applicants, from 180 days to 540 days. This permanent extension of work permits will help hundreds of thousands of immigrants – asylum seekers, refugees, green card applicants, and others – who were at risk of falling out of the workforce and facing economic hardship because of processing delays.
- A federal judge recently issued a court order temporarily blocking a Biden administration rule that would have granted some people brought into the country without authorization as children access to health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, a decision that could affect tens of thousands of Texans. Immigration advocacy groups say access to health care will help alleviate the disparities DACA recipients face, such as high uninsured rates and unmet medical needs after years of delaying care.
- President-elect Donald Trump has promised to declare unauthorized immigration a national emergency on the first day of his new presidential administration in order to use emergency powers that Trump says will allow him to use the military to carry out mass deportations.
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The U.S. Census Bureau is changing how it counts immigrants in annual estimates by including more people who were admitted for humanitarian, and often temporary, reasons. The change is being made in an effort to better reflect population shifts this decade.
- A labor market boosted by immigration after the Covid pandemic faces a threat from President-elect Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. In a recent Brookings Institution study, researchers weighed the potential effects on the labor market and U.S. gross domestic product in 2025 in high- and low-immigration scenarios. The researchers estimated Trump’s immigration policy could reduce 2025 GDP growth by 0.1 to 0.4 percentage points, or by $30 billion to $110 billion.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule that modernizes the H-1B program by streamlining the approval process, increasing its flexibility to better allow employers to retain talented workers, and improving the integrity and oversight of the program.
- DHS announced a final rule amending regulations affecting the H-2A temporary agricultural and H-2B temporary nonagricultural programs. The final rule significantly strengthens worker protections by, among other things, imposing new consequences on companies that charge prohibited fees or violate our labor laws, and provides greater flexibility for H-2A and H-2B workers.
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Wednesday, December 18 @ 1:00 PM CST
Report from the Border: What to expect from the Trump Administration on Border Militarization and Immigration Enforcement
Join Fernando Garcia, Executive Director and Founder of the Border Network for Human Rights, for a critical webinar that dissects the Trump administration's border and immigration agenda. Gain insights into anticipated policies, including the expansion of enforcement infrastructure, mass deportations, and other processes designed to affect communities across the border and interior. Register here. |
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Saturday, January 25 @ 10:30 AM CST
Equity Action Team meeting
Ruiz Library - 1600 Grove Blvd, Austin, TX 78741
Save the date for our next EAT meeting - the agenda and more details will be shared in the new year. Brunch will be provided. |
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Monday, January 27 @ 11:00 AM CST
ISNA Monthly Meeting
Carver Library - 1161 Angelina Street, Austin, TX 78702
This will be a hybrid meeting, so we will meet in person in one of the meeting rooms at the Carver branch of the Austin Public Library, but participants who are unable to make it in person may join remotely using the Zoom link and passcode below:
https://childrensdefense-org.zoom.us/j/97880635557?pwd=xGwuKueywbi7OWyctqML4Ec1yhiUMK.1
Meeting ID: 978 8063 5557
Passcode: 937275
ISNA is actively looking for 1-2 additional steering committee members to help provide leadership and strategic direction to ISNA, support the planning and facilitation of our monthly meetings, help create the infrastructure for our collective work (such as our by-laws and internal directory), and keep us organized.
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Volunteer With iACT!
Looking to make a difference in your community? Join iACT’s volunteer team and help support refugees, low-income families, and elderly homeowners through their impactful programs. Opportunities exist with English language instruction, the Refugee Youth Mentorship program, Hands on Housing, and more. For all volunteer opportunities, complete the Volunteer Interest Form. |
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Texans United for Justice Coalition has compiled important Family Preparedness resources. You can find family preparedness plans in multiple languages and power of attorneys for child custody, vehicles, property, and other financial decisions, available in English in Spanish. |
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Children's Defense Fund of Texas created this policy overview of recently released bills targeting access to public education for immigrant children and youth in our state. Please share this document widely within your network of advocates, service providers, allies, and stakeholders in education across Texas to raise awareness about these legislative attempts to block or restrict access to education at all levels based on immigration status. |
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No matter who is president, everyone living in the U.S. has certain basic rights under the U.S. Constitution. Undocumented immigrants have these rights, too. It is important that we all assert and protect our basic rights.
If you find you have to deal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other law enforcement officers at home, on the street, or anywhere else, remember that you have the rights described in this factsheet from the National Immigration Law Center. The factsheet also provides suggestions for what you should do to assert your rights.
The factsheet is available in English, Spanish, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean and Arabic.
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ICYMI: Fighting Against Mass Raids Operations - Lessons Across Administrations
Just Futures Law, Mijente and Surveillance Research Lab hosted a webinar to talk about the lessons learned from raids in past administrations, from Operation Cross Check during the Obama administration, to the Trump administration’s most infamous raids. The recordings of the webinar are available on Mijente's YouTube channel in both English and Spanish. |
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