A report released today by the Immigrant Rights Clinic at the UC Irvine School of Law finds that, despite the Obama Administration's recent announcements that is prioritizing deportation of serious criminals, Secure Communities continues to ensare crime victims, traffic offenders, and others who have committed no criminal offense.

Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding ICE’s Secure Communities program, there have been some recent positive developments on the issue of immigration detainers—a tool used by ICE and other DHS officials to identify potentially deportable individuals who are housed in jails or prisons nationwide. Local governments in New York, Illinois, California and now Washington D.C. have taken steps to limit their compliance with ICE detainers. Additionally, ICE has recently issued a new detainer form which provides more clarity to local law enforcement agencies. 

A recap of the 2011 National Immigrant Integration Conference held in Seattle, WA by director of advocacy, Michele Garnett McKenzie. 

NAVIGATE will host a Conference for Undocumented and Immigrant High School Students on Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at University of Minnesota. Free and open to undocumented and immigrant high school students. 

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of Nicaragua for an additional 18 months, beginning Jan. 6, 2012, and ending July 5, 2013. Current Nicaraguan TPS beneficiaries seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period that runs from Nov. 4, 2011, through Jan. 5, 2012. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages beneficiaries to register as soon as possible when the 60-day re-registration period begins. Applications will not be accepted before Nov. 4, 2011.

As part of its increased effort to provide a forum for government and non-government stakeholders to collaborate on sometimes challenging issues, the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (Ombudsman’s Office) hosted its First Annual Conference on October 20th at the U.S. National Archives, a fitting location given that it is home to millions of U.S. immigration records and information. 

The Advocates for Human Rights joins call for "Dignity, Not Detention" on 15-year anniversary of controversial immigration law. Join The Advocates for a faith action vigil this Sunday, October 2, 2011 2:30-3:00pm at the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center. We will reflect on IIRIRA and stand together against the detention of immigrants. 

The Advocates for Human Rights welcomes the August 16, 2011, announcement by President Obama of an 18-month extension of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians living in the United States. 

The U.S. House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee approved a bill today requiring state and federal authorities to promptly report all deaths of individuals in law enforcement custody to the U.S. Attorney General. The bill proposes to penalize states for failing to report deaths of detainees, including immigrants, in law enforcement custody. Click here to learn more about H.R. 2189, the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2011.

The film documentary, Welcome to Shelbyville, debuted at community events in Rochester, Lino Lakes, and St. Paul, MN. The discussions were facilitated by our One Voice Minnesota network partners and The Advocates’ Madeline Lohman and Ahmed Sirleaf, who also served as panel participants

The Advocates has created Spanish-language materials on the Rights of Migrants in the United States.  Download "Los Derechos de los Migrantes en Estados Unidos" today!

Read the latest news on the DREAM Act, learn about a successful interpreter workshop in Windom, catch up on local events, and register for a free webinar on state and local immigration laws.  Click here for the newsletter.