December sees peak in the number of arrests of undocumented immigrants; UC rejects employing dreamers, spurring resistance
The Border Center for Journalists and Bloggers (BCJB) shares a summary of the main news on the border for January 29, 2024.
December sees peak in arrests of undocumented immigrants
In December, illegal border crossings from Mexico hit a record high, marking a significant challenge for President Joe Biden, the Associated Press reported. The Border Patrol reported 249,785 arrests, a 31% increase from November and surpassing the previous record from December 2022. Despite a drop in arrests in early January, this surge signals a persistent issue. Mexicans and Venezuelans led the nationalities of those arrested, with significant numbers also from Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia. Tucson, Arizona, and Del Rio, Texas, were the most active sectors. The total migrant encounters for December, which includes those entering legally, exceeded 300,000 — a first in the records.
UC rejects plan to employ undocumented students, spurring outrage and vows of persistence
By Los Angeles Times’s Teresa Watanabe.- The University of California's decision not to hire students without legal work status has disappointed many, despite legal scholars' arguments challenging the federal law. UC President Michael V. Drake cited high risks to the UC community for rejecting the proposal. Activists, including hunger-striking students, expressed anger and pledged to continue fighting for employment opportunities. The UC system has also postponed a decision on banning opinions from university websites, amid intense debate over free speech, particularly concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict. This controversy follows significant student activism around divestment from companies involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict and calls for Palestinian rights. The UC Board of Regents has faced criticism for perceived attempts to silence pro-Palestinian voices, while also grappling with the complexities of political expression on official university platforms.
Biden threatens border closure, struggles to pass immigration deal amid GOP resistance
President Joe Biden is determined to enforce a bipartisan immigration deal, threatening to close the border if it passes, even as House Speaker Mike Johnson considers it dead on arrival. Biden's assertive stance comes as the deal faces opposition from former President Donald Trump and skepticism within the GOP-led House. The US Senate has not disclosed the content of the bill. However, James Lankford, the senator from Oklahoma and responsible for the negotiations with the Democratic faction in the Senate, affirms that the agreement proposes increasing the number of Border Patrol agents, increasing the capacity of detention centers to expedite the deportation process of undocumented immigrants and the evaluation process of asylum requests. Unconfirmed versions claim that the possible legislation requires the administration to close the border if migrant arrests exceed 5,000 per day. While Biden promises immediate action, Johnson's letter to Republican lawmakers questions the meaning of new laws when current ones do not apply. The debate intensifies as Trump's influence grows, posing a dilemma for Republican supporters of the deal, who link border enforcement with aid to Ukraine. The agreement proposes tighter asylum restrictions, expanded detention facilities, and an expanded visa program, but funding levels remain undecided (With information from AP and The New York Times.)