America’s Immigration Crisis Is a Moral Crisis — And Trump’s Policies Are Making It Worse
I hate writing this. I would not recommend it, but I watched the video of an ICE agent fatally shooting an American civilian who posed no threat to him. She was actively complying with officers’ instructions when she was shot. On January 7, 2026, 37-year-old Renee Good was killed by an ICE agent during a Minneapolis operation, a shooting later defended by former President Trump and Department of Homeland Security officials as “self-defense.” Eyewitness accounts and video footage, however, show an unnecessary and reckless use of deadly force. This was not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader and deeply troubling pattern in which immigration enforcement operations have resulted in shootings and deaths amid intensified raids and aggressive enforcement tactics. Meanwhile, political leadership—up to and including Trump—simply rewrites the narrative, denying what plainly occurred. These deaths are not tragic accidents or unavoidable anomalies. They are the predictable outcomes of immigration policies that prioritize arrests, detention, and deportation over human safety and dignity. Under Trump’s leadership, the immigration system became increasingly punitive, relying on mass detention and militarized enforcement rather than humane, evidence-based practices that protect life and preserve families. The Trump administration has repeatedly framed these deaths as unfortunate but inevitable consequences of enforcing immigration law. That framing is false. Policy choices matter. Decisions to expand detention capacity, escalate armed enforcement operations, and treat nearly any perceived resistance as justification for lethal force have transformed immigration enforcement into a crisis of state violence. These are not statistics or abstractions. They are people killed, families devastated, and communities left searching for accountability. If the past year has made anything unmistakably clear, it is this: an immigration system without compassion is not merely unjust—it is deadly.
ICE Facilities: Negligently Killing Our Neighbors
ICE FACILITIES RANK 5th GLOBALLY IN KILLING RESIDENTS The Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement has produced a grim and largely hidden toll: in 2025 alone, at least 32 people died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, making it the deadliest year for the agency. ICE has about 68,000 human beings detained, 75% of which have NO CRIMINAL RECORD, and 32 of them died from completely preventable causes. That makes ICE’s current death rate at 46.8 per 100,000 people. To put this in perspective, if ICE was a country, they would have the 5th highest murder rate in the world. I understand that they didn’t intentionally shoot them all, but they are purposely overcrowding facilities (at 140% capacity in Dec 2025), withholding medical care and other basic services. The intent has always been to traumatize a class of “others” and this behavior has been intentionally malicious resulting in a high death toll. HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT JUST STATISTICS The people who died were not statistics; they were asylum seekers, longtime lawful residents, DACA recipients, parents, workers, and community members. Many reported severe medical symptoms—seizures, chest pain, respiratory distress—only to have their pleas for care ignored or delayed. The administration insists that detention conditions meet medical standards, yet advocates, lawyers, and families paint a starkly different picture of overcrowded facilities, inadequate care, and systemic neglect driven by a policy choice to detain as many people as possible, regardless of risk or humanity. ALL OF THIS WAS/IS PREVENTABLE What makes these deaths especially troubling is that they were foreseeable and preventable. For many MAGA believes, the anger against the “others” is real, but most would stop before wanting those “others” to actually die. That is a bridge too far for most Americans, which makes this approach particularly troubling for an administration, for as much as they refuse to accept this, that MUST represent all of America and not just the MAGA maralagoites. As detention expanded under Trump-era policies, warnings from human rights groups went unheeded, even as people died of untreated illness, suicide, or medical emergencies during transport or shortly after detention. The stories from 2025—from asylum seekers who had been in the country only days to immigrants who had lived in the U.S. for decades—underscore a fundamental failure of policy and oversight. Detention became the default, not the last resort, and the human cost was borne by those with the least power to protect themselves. These deaths are not isolated tragedies; they are the predictable outcome of an enforcement-first agenda that prioritized numbers over lives, and they demand accountability, transparency, and a fundamental rethinking of U.S. immigration policy.
Reasons for Hope in 2026…
As immigration law moves into 2026, there are real reasons for cautious optimism despite ongoing challenges. Courts continue to reinforce due process and statutory limits on executive action, providing meaningful checks on blanket policies and arbitrary delays. Increased attention to USCIS backlogs has led to renewed pressure for efficiency, modernization, and accountability, while humanitarian protections—particularly for asylum seekers, VAWA self-petitioners, and other vulnerable populations—remain grounded in strong statutory and case law foundations. These developments signal a growing recognition that fairness and efficiency are essential to a functioning immigration system. At the same time, immigrants, advocates, and institutions across the country are shaping progress from the ground up. State and local governments, employers, universities, and community organizations are increasingly vocal in defending stable immigration pathways because they see firsthand the economic and human costs of uncertainty. The immigration bar is more organized, strategic, and collaborative than ever, enabling faster responses to harmful policies and stronger representation for clients. Most importantly, immigrants themselves continue to contribute, lead, and build resilient communities—reminding us that even in uncertain times, the law and those it serves are moving steadily toward a more just future.
What You Should Know Before a USCIS Interview: Understanding Detention Risks
For many immigrants, a USCIS interview is an important step toward lawful status—but recent reports show that some interviews now carry increased enforcement risks. In certain situations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may detain an applicant during or immediately after an interview. This risk is higher for individuals with prior removal orders, past criminal issues (including older or minor offenses), previous immigration denials, allegations of fraud or misrepresentation, or immigration violations such as entering without inspection or being out of status. Importantly, being eligible for a green card or adjustment of status does not automatically protect someone from detention, even when their case is otherwise strong. Because of these trends, preparation matters more than ever. A knowledgeable attorney will carefully review your immigration and criminal history, explain any potential risks before the interview, and help you prepare documents that may support release if detention occurs. You should also understand what could happen next—such as bond hearings, immigration court proceedings, or further legal action—and have an emergency plan in place. While no attorney can prevent ICE from taking action, proper preparation can protect your rights, preserve your case, and give you the best chance to move forward safely. If you have concerns about an upcoming USCIS interview, speaking with an experienced immigration attorney in advance is critical.
How Corporations Cash In on Immigrant Suffering
Under Trump, immigration detention profits skyrocketed, turning a human crisis into big business. Families were separated, asylum seekers trapped, and corporations like CoreCivic and GEO Group cashed in on the suffering. This is the harsh reality of the asylum industrial complex. Who’s Profiting from Immigrant Detention? Private Prisons: CoreCivic and GEO Group dominate the market, running most private immigration detention centers. They earn more revenue for every immigrant detained, fueling corporate profit from immigrants. Tech Companies: Firms like Palantir provide software and data analysis to make immigration enforcement more efficient, turning human lives into dashboards. Construction & Logistics: Companies build massive tent camps and detention facilities through lucrative government contracts for immigrant detention, expanding the network of corporate profiteering. Healthcare & Support Services: Outsourced medical care, food services, and deportation flights generate profit while detainees often work for $1/day, a stark example of immigration detention labor exploitation. Local Governments: Some municipalities fill budget gaps with revenue from detention centers, creating financial incentives for immigration enforcement. How the Money Flows Government Contracts: ICE and DHS award billions in contracts, often no-bid, directly funding private corporations. Reduced Costs, Higher Profits: Companies maximize earnings by using low-paid or unpaid detainee labor, and charging inflated fees for basic services. Lobbying: These corporations push for harsher policies, ensuring a steady stream of immigrants in detention, expanding private prison immigration profits. The Human Cost This is not just policy—it’s a systemic exploitation of human lives. Immigration enforcement has become a profit center, where corporate interests and government incentives intersect to perpetuate detention and deportation. The result? Families torn apart, asylum seekers trapped in unsafe conditions, and a human rights crisis driven by corporate greed. Breaking the Cycle of Corporate Profit from Immigrants We must expose the asylum industrial complex and advocate for humane immigration policies. Immigrants are not commodities—they are people with rights, families, and futures. Holding corporations and government accountable is essential to dismantle the cycle of profit from immigration enforcement policies. Fight Back Expose the profit chain. Demand humane immigration policies. Treat immigrants as people, not profit centers.
How Trump-Era Immigration Policies Threaten Families, Fairness, and the Rule of Law
As 2026 approaches, Trump-style immigration policies are making a comeback—and so are the worst consequences of his first term. Expanded travel bans, tighter green card pathways, and an enforcement-first mindset are once again being sold as “security,” when in reality they amount to discrimination dressed up as policy. The revived travel bans disproportionately target Black and Muslim-majority countries, separating families and blocking students and workers with no legitimate security risk. These bans don’t make America safer—they make it smaller, meaner, and less credible. At the same time, legal immigration is under attack. Programs designed to promote fairness, like the Diversity Visa Lottery, are being weakened or eliminated, while immigration officers are given broader discretion to deny lawful applications. Even those who follow every rule are left in limbo. This isn’t border control—it’s exclusion by design. The goal is not safety, but reshaping who gets to become American. The human cost is the point. Families are separated, refugees are turned away, and communities live with constant uncertainty—all for political gain. America has a choice: govern with fear, or lead with fairness. History won’t be kind to policies built on cruelty.
Call Your Congressman Today: Oppose Trump’s Xenophobic Attacks on Immigrants
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has ordered an indefinite pause on immigration processing for individuals from designated “high-risk” countries. This sweeping directive affects critical benefits across the immigration system, including naturalization applications, adjustment of status (green card) processing, and other immigration benefits. Even more troubling, USCIS has instructed adjudicators to re-review every immigration benefit granted since January 20, 2021 to individuals from these countries—placing thousands of lawfully approved immigrants back into legal uncertainty. At the same time, the Trump Administration has halted adjudication of all asylum applications nationwide, effectively freezing protection for individuals fleeing persecution, violence, and human rights abuses. This nationwide asylum shutdown compounds existing backlogs and leaves asylum seekers in prolonged limbo without work authorization or permanent protection. Take Action: Contact Congress Today Advocacy is critical. AILA is urging members, advocates, and the public to contact their members of Congress immediately to oppose these policies and demand fair, evidence-based immigration enforcement. Step 1: Find Your Members of Congress You can find contact information for your U.S. Senators and Representative using the official congressional websites: House of Representatives: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative U.S. Senate: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm These pages allow you to search by ZIP code and provide phone numbers, email forms, and office addresses. Step 2: Call Using AILA’s Script AILA has prepared a call script to help you clearly and effectively urge your representatives to oppose the USCIS processing freeze and asylum halt. Calling congressional offices remains one of the most effective advocacy tools. 👉 Access AILA advocacy tools and scripts: https://www.aila.org/advocate
Why the $1 Million Visa is a Bad Investment in More Ways Than One
The new “$1 million visa” is being sold as some kind of brilliant immigration innovation, but in reality it’s a tone-deaf, economically incoherent gimmick that mistakes wealth for merit. Instead of modernizing employment-based immigration or addressing decades-long visa backlogs, the policy doubles down on the fantasy that America’s future hinges on attracting a handful of rich applicants willing to wire seven figures to the government. It ignores the obvious: people who can casually part with $1 million are rarely the ones driving innovation, filling chronic labor shortages, or building the kinds of small businesses that actually anchor communities. And if the goal were truly investment, the country already has established investment visas with guardrails, job-creation requirements, and congressional oversight. This new scheme has none of that. It’s performative policy making dressed up as economic strategy. More troubling is the message it sends: that the U.S. immigration system is effectively closed to families, workers, and long-settled residents navigating the gauntlet of USCIS delays, but wide open to anyone who can pay a premium. After years of clogged adjudications, arbitrary denials, and rising fees, offering a “fast lane for millionaires” isn’t just misguided—it’s an insult to every immigrant who has played by the rules while waiting years or decades for a fair decision. Instead of fixing the system, the $1 million visa treats immigration like an auction, undermines public trust, and reinforces the worst caricatures of how policy is made. America deserves an immigration framework grounded in fairness, evidence, and economic reality, not a headline-friendly shortcut masquerading as reform.
A Dangerous Overreach: How New Immigration Restrictions Punish Entire Communities
Following the tragic November 26 shooting of two National Guard members, the Administration has announced sweeping immigration restrictions that effectively shut down large parts of the system. The new measures freeze asylum decisions for all nationalities, halt immigration benefits for people from nineteen “travel ban” countries, pause visa issuance for Afghan passport holders, and order mass re-reviews of hundreds of thousands of already-vetted cases. These actions rely on the baseless premise that entire nationalities pose a threat—even though the accused shooter had already passed the government’s extensive vetting process before receiving asylum. By treating a person’s origin as a “significant negative factor,” the Administration is punishing families who have lived here peacefully for years, served alongside U.S. forces, built careers, raised children, and contributed to their communities. This is not sound security policy; it is unlawful, discriminatory, and directly contradicts Congress’s mandate for fair, individualized immigration adjudication. The fallout is already severe: USCIS has cancelled naturalization oaths, green card interviews, religious worker processing, and even approvals for survivors of domestic violence—despite no specific security concerns. Refugees and SIV allies who helped U.S. troops are being retraumatized, Afghan nationals are being detained at routine ICE check-ins, and Canadian citizens born in Iran report being turned away at ports of entry. These blanket restrictions waste taxpayer money, erode USCIS’s mission, and deepen the backlogs that burden families, businesses, and faith communities across the country. Congress must step in, demand accountability from DHS, DOS, and USCIS, and insist on the immediate reversal of these arbitrary policies. America is safest when our immigration system operates fairly, efficiently, and according to the law—not when we abandon those principles in moments of fear.
“First, Let’s Kill All the Lawyers”: Shakespeare’s Warning and the Modern Fight for Immigrant Justice
When I first decided I wanted to go to law school in early 2000, friends used to send me this quote as a joke. I actually had never read Shakespeare’s Henry VI, so I didn’t have the context. I just laughed it off and moved on. When I started law school at Penn State Dickinson in 2002, the Dean gave a welcome speech to all the students. He started it with Shakespeare’s famous line —“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers”. It got lots of nervous laughter. But he didn’t laugh. He continued and gave the context. It was never a jab at the profession. It was a warning. The rebel who speaks it dreams of dismantling order and seizing power, and knows that the quickest path to tyranny is to eliminate the people who understand and defend the law. Today, immigration lawyers stand exactly in that crucible. As due process is eroded through rushed dockets, expedited removals, chronic under-funding of courts, and policies that turn life-or-death asylum claims into administrative shortcuts and political games, the work of immigration attorneys has become one of the last safeguards against injustice. Every time an attorney stops an unlawful removal, forces DHS to follow the statute, or helps an asylum seeker tell their story despite trauma, language barriers, or misinformation, they are fulfilling the role Shakespeare celebrated: defenders of fairness, clarity, and accountability. In a system strained by political rhetoric and structural imbalance, immigration lawyers are the ones who keep the rule of law tethered to real human beings. Shakespeare understood that if you want disorder, you get rid of the lawyers. But if you want justice, even when the system feels hostile to it, you stand with the lawyers who protect it every day.