California Governor Jerry Browns revised budget proposal includes an extra $15 million to expand legal services for people facing deportation, which would increase the total to $33 million for legal services for immigrants. The budget also includes $3 million for unaccompanied minors and $15 million for the One California project, which helps immigrants in the state apply for naturalization and for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. Other states would be wise to follow Californias lead.

The immigration executive order on interior enforcement signed by the President in January instructed the Department of Homeland Security to release a weekly list of jurisdictions that declined immigration detainers. On March 20, the Trump administration released the first Declined Detainer Outcome Report (DDOR). This report and the documentation surrounding it raise serious concerns about its objective, accuracy, and implications.

President Trump stated that he has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to create an office to serve American victims during his Joint Address to congress. The office is called VOICE – Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement, was created by the interior enforcement executive order that was signed in January. Any victim of crime deserves acknowledgement and sympathy, and crime is an issue that must be taken seriously. However, the emphasis on victims of immigrant crimes is problematic. It only serves to scapegoat and demonize immigrants even though the data clearly shows that immigrants, including unauthorized immigrants, are less likely than native-born Americans to commit crimes.

Fact: None of these sanctuary policies conceal or shelter unauthorized immigrants from deportation or prosecution for criminal activities.

They are quickly unraveling Obama efforts to prioritize those for deportation who pose a serious threat over those who do not.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that beginning on January 4, 2017, it has changed how it posts processing times. Rather that listing weeks or months, it now provides specific dates. This is a small initial step toward providing better customer service and giving individuals and employers the information they need about their immigration cases.

This election season, tax returns have become a major campaign issue. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has refused to release his tax returns and admitted that he has not paid federal taxes in many years. In response, billionaire Warren Buffett released detailed information about his tax records.  And unauthorized immigrants in New York pledged to ...