Some U.S. Citizens Can Return to the Country with Expired Passports
American citizens outside the country whose passports expired on or after January 1, 2020 may be able to use their expired passports to return to the United States until March 31, 2022.
U.S. citizens can qualify to re-enter the United States under the rule if they fly directly to the U.S., a U.S. territory, or have only a connecting flight through a foreign country on the way back. The expired passport must have been a ten-year passport, unless the traveler was 15 years old or younger when the passport was issued, and must be undamaged, unaltered, and in the traveler’s possession.
Homeland Security Investigators Want to Split from ICE
Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are looking to separate from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the organization’s negative reputation. According to dozens of agents, their affiliation with ICE is impeding their investigative abilities and endangering their personal safety.
Unlike the Enforcement and Removal Operations arm of ICE which detains and deports immigrants, HSI investigates transnational crimes like human trafficking, child exploitation, forced labor, and money laundering by transnational organizations. DHS says there is no plan at this time to separate ICE.
Immigration Court Backlog Hits 1.5 Million
The backlog of pending cases in the U.S. immigration court system has surpassed 1.5 million. The growing backlog, which has increased tenfold over the last 20 years, is expected to continue to grow without changes to both the structure of the court, but also the enforcement priorities being used by ICE. The immigration courts are part of the Department of Justice, while ICE – part of the Department of Homeland Security – originates most of the cases heard in the immigration courts.
Biden Administration Tries Again to End Remain in Mexico
The Biden administration has asked the Supreme Court to hear arguments over ending the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy after a federal judge ordered the program restarted following its rollback last year. Biden has attempted to end the controversial program since the beginning of his presidency but continues to hit legal roadblocks as a group of states sues to keep the highly controversial program in place.
Coast Guard Turns Back 119 Cuban Migrants Trying to Reach U.S. by Sea
The U.S. Coast Guard earlier this week stopped 119 Cuban migrants who were trying to reach the United States by sea and returned them to Cuba’s north shore. Cuban state media said Tuesday’s repatriation was the largest in four years.
Coast Guard numbers show that more migrants are attempting the ocean crossing in recent months as Cuba’s economy is crippled by rising U.S. sanctions coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, which cut off the international tourism and exchange vital to the island.