Annotated I-247G
ICE’s form for requesting advance notice when someone will be released from custody. ICE uses this when they lack probable cause to issue a detainer, but want the jail to transfer the person to ICE custody anyway.
A Closer Look at Immigration Enforcement in Texas
This resource compares immigration enforcement in Texas before Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025 with the policies Trump has instituted since he has taken office. Our analysis shows that Governor Abbott’s immigration enforcement policies led the way for Trump’s actions. Texas has served as experimentation grounds for hateful and sweeping immigration enforcement policies which were quickly adopted by Trump 2.0 for the national level and have also infected other states who have enacted Texas copycat laws and policies. Our analysis below is a mere snapshot of the Texas and federal
Resisting Authoritarianism: Our Collective Struggle Against Trump’s Escalating Attacks on Immigrant Communities
Tracking all the tactics this administration is deploying to target immigrants is overwhelming. In this document, we attempt to summarize some of the key ways the Trump administration is shifting policies and practices to surveil, arrest, detain, deport, and silence immigrants and the people who support them. We do not name every shift; rather, we focus on the weaponization of the criminal legal system, the increasingly authoritarian approach, and the role of the federal budget, which are key tools of the Trump administration’s brutality and also vital sites of advocacy needed to stem the tide
ICE Use Of Subpoenas To Circumvent State and Local Laws
A primer on how ICE uses administrative subpoenas to circumvent local sanctuary laws, from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and ILRC. This brief explainer discusses the nature of ICE subpoenas, how they are used, and the legal issues involved.
287(g)
287(g) is a program for allowing state and local agencies to act as immigration enforcement agents. Under 287(g), ICE forms an agreement with a state or local agency - most often a county sheriff that runs a local jail - and this agreement delegates specific immigration enforcement authority to designated officers within the local agency. These agreements are also known as “287(g) contracts” or “MOAs” (Memorandum of Agreement). The program gets its name from section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The Rights of Lawful Permanent Residents
Your green card is proof of your status. If you lose it or it expires, you are still a permanent resident. Permanent Residence is a status—only an immigration judge can take away your permanent residence. Permanent residents should carry their green card (or at a minimum a copy of it).
The New Registration Requirement: Frequently Asked Questions
The Trump administration’s Registration requirement for most undocumented immigrants is another hateful tactic in its campaign to cause panic and fear throughout the country. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been clear that the central purpose of Registration is to gather information about all noncitizens and use this information to locate, apprehend and remove them as quickly as possible. The new registration requirement took effect April 11, 2025.
Annotated Detainer Form
This sample ICE detainer is annotated to highlight what advocates should look for, and explains some of the legal problems with detainers.
What to Understand About the 287(g) Program
The Trump Administration is rapidly expanding the 287(g) immigration enforcement program. This program worsens police discrimination and increases the risk of arrest, detention, and deportation for immigrants living in or traveling in places that participate in the 287(g) program.
Fact Sheet on Sanctuary Policies and 8 USC 1373
This brief fact sheet explains the federal statute of 8 USC § 1373 and its relation to policies limiting compliance with immigration detainers or other immigration enforcement assistance by local law enforcement agencies, also called “Sanctuary Jurisdictions.” These policies do not generally conflict with 8 USC § 1373 and therefore do not put localities in jeopardy of losing federal funds.
The Untenable Costs of Operation Lone Star (OLS)
Operation Lone Star (OLS) is an unconstitutional and deadly Texas law enforcement scheme that wastes vital state resources to target migrants for arrest, jail, and deportation. To date, nearly $11 billion has been spent on OLS. This policy brief delves into how misguided OLS has been for Texans from a financial perspective and provides recommendations for how OLS funds could be reinvested to support the everyday lives of Texans who need strengthened public services and infrastructure.
Texas National Guard's MOU with CBP for Immigration Enforcement Authority
CBP has signed an agreement delegating immigration enforcement authority to the Texas National Guard. Under the President's "mass influx" declaration, local and state law enforcement agencies may take on civil immigration enforcement authority that they wouldn't otherwise have. These specific powers are designated in a Memorandum of Understanding signed with CBP. This quick explainer highlights what this MOU says, what this means for Texas, and how it relates to Operation Lone Star.
Immigration Enforcement Takeover at the Department of Justice
Following the new administration’s dramatic reorientation of all federal agencies into immigration enforcers, on January 21st, 2025, the DOJ issued a directive requiring all federal prosecutors to prioritize immigration prosecutions. The memorandum also threatens prosecutions and civil lawsuits to sanctuary jurisdictions and entities that seek to protect immigrants. In this analysis, we explain the different sections of the DOJ’s memo and what they mean for immigrants and federal courts nationwide.
Seeking Administrative Closure and Termination: Using New EOIR Regulations in a Hostile Enforcement Environment
New EOIR regulations published in 2024 now allow immigration judges and the BIA to administratively close or terminate removal proceedings in a variety of scenarios. These regulations permit—and sometimes require—administrative closure or termination even where the Department of Homeland Security does not agree. In the current hostile enforcement environment, and in light of the rescission of formal guidance regarding prosecutorial discretion, these regulations are an important tool for advocates seeking to get clients out of removal proceedings.
Immigration In the Age of A Second Trump Term: Taking a Page out of Texas’ Playbook
Since Donald Trump was re-elected, headlines on immigration have sounded the alarm about his administration’s plans to effectuate mass deportations, increased detentions, and indiscriminate raids. For the past three years, Governor Greg Abbott has used Texas as a laboratory for these types of policies through Operation Lone Star (OLS). This resource aims to parallel the national moves on enforcement to what has already taken place in Texas, in hopes to better equip community members and advocates with the framework to fight back.
Timeline of Adelanto’s Immigration Detention Contract
This timeline provides an overview of ICE’s contracts with the City of Adelanto and GEO Group for immigration detention services at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center and how those contracts have evolved over time.
Prosecutorial Discretion in Removal Proceedings Part 2: Navigating Unfavorable Exercises of Discretion in Removal Proceedings
Part 2 of this 2-part advisory explores some of the unexpected consequences of PD policies adopted by the ICE Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) that can prejudice noncitizens in removal proceedings, including the practice of moving to dismiss proceedings over respondents’ objections and failing to appear at hearings.
Prosecutorial Discretion in Removal Proceedings Part 1: Strategies for Seeking Prosecutorial Discretion During Uncertain Times
Part 1 of this 2-part advisory provides updates on DHS’s prosecutorial discretion in removal proceedings and explores the various factors that advocates should consider when deciding whether to seek a favorable exercise of discretion from the ICE Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA). Part 1 also highlights new regulations and discusses how the upcoming presidential election may impact prosecutorial discretion.
Expose and Disrupt
The “Expose and Disrupt” guide illustrates how immigrant rights advocates can use state Public Records Act (PRA) requests to fight back against immigration enforcement. Strategic PRA requests can peel back the curtain on ways state and local agencies work together with immigration authorities to reinforce the deportation machinery and traumatize our communities. The guide explains the mechanics of requesting public records, strategies on what information can be useful for campaigns to stop or limit immigration enforcement, and includes examples of what kinds of records exist.
Proposition 36 Is Bad for Immigrants. This is Why.
Prop 47 (2014) reclassified six felony offenses to misdemeanors, including shoplifting and simple drug possession, and funneled costs savings into safety measures like drug and mental health treatment and victim services centers. Proposed Prop 36 (November 2024) would roll back those reforms and add new criminal penalties and sentencing enhancements. Prop 36 will also impose severe immigration consequences on immigrants and their families. It will result in more Californians being deported and more families being separated. This resource provides some of the specific examples of the ways in
ILRC Comments on Proposed Marijuana Rescheduling
On July 23, 2024, the ILRC provide comment on the Biden Administration’s proposed re-scheduling of marijuana. The ILRC advocated for the complete de-scheduling of marijuana instead of rescheduling. The comment highlighted the racist impacts of maintaining marijuana on the schedule of controlled substances and the lack of any mitigating effect that rescheduling will have on immigration consequences of marijuana-related crimes
Driver Prosecutions, Immigrants, and "Smuggling" in Texas
Texas authorities have expansively interpreted a 2024 law that imposes a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence on people convicted under the state's smuggling law to include giving rides to undocumented people, The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Detention Watch Network (DWN), and AJA Advocacy Solutions said this report highlighting the law’s harm. The brief states that most people prosecuted for smuggling in Texas are young US citizens. Texas law enforcement officers have a troubled track record with identifying alleged smugglers, and now the state has raised
California’s AB 1261 and Immigration Relief for Survivors of Crime and Trafficking
If you are undocumented and have been a victim of a crime, served as a witness for law enforcement, or have been subject to human trafficking, you may be eligible to apply for certain forms of immigration status. These are known as U, T, and S visas. In most cases, the application process for these visas will require help from a law enforcement agency. This Community Explainer details how a new California law, AB 1261, aims to better protect immigrants who are applying for these forms of relief and ensure that California law enforcement agencies help them when needed.
A Report From the Texas Border: Survey on What Residents of Webb County Need and Want from Elected Officials
While politicians enact and reenact their reckless border theatrics, the ILRC surveyed border residents about their actual needs and how the influx of law enforcement efforts has affected them. We found that while the state of Texas spends more and more money on police and prisons, local governments are starved of funding and communities lack the most basic services, including clean water, paved roads, and street lights.
SB 4/HB4 Know Your Rights Community Presentation
This slide deck was created by a coalition of organizers, activists, and attorneys in Texas to be publicly available for use as a resource when conducting know-your-rights presentations on Texas SB 4/ HB 4.
Community leaders, organizers, and activists are welcome to use this full slide deck as provided, or select the slides that are applicable to your presentation needs.
ILRC Comment on Proposed Changes to Form I-485
On November 7, 2023, the ILRC submitted this comment on USCIS’s proposed changes to Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. The comment provides detailed suggestions for alterations to the proposed form as well as suggested language the agency should include. ILRC urged the agency to revise the form to reduce barriers to permanent residence for applicants and adjudicators and to focus on ensuring that the form is accessible for pro se applicants.
Operation Lone Star: The Cost of Funding Hate
In Texas, Black and Latinx migrants are being harmed by Operation Lone Star- an unconstitutional and racist law enforcement operation that is criminalizing migrants who are seeking safety in the U.S. border. Operation Lone Star is a complex scheme involving multiple law enforcement agencies in the state. This comprehensive resource explains how Operation Lonestar is being implemented and funded, explains why this operation is illegal and unconstitutional, highlights how this scheme expands the carceral and enforcement systems, and how it’s harming entire border communities.
Concept Note: Dismantling Detention, Enforcement, and Criminalization
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) builds a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through the ILRC’s policy and advocacy efforts, we promote a vision of racial justice that advances the rights of all immigrants, including those who have had contact with the criminal legal system.
The ILRC is dedicated to the long-term goal of dismantling systems undergirded in racial inequities and investing in the power of local communities to organize and create solutions. To achieve our goals, we focus on disrupting the arrest to deportation pipeline that has led to
ILRC Comments on ICE Tip Form
On August 23, 2023, ILRC submitted a comment on the proposed form that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will use to collect information from the public about suspected violations. ILRC opposes the use of this form as it allows for anonymous, un-vetted information to be the basis of investigations and has a high likelihood of being used by abusers, unscrupulous employers and landlords, and others to harass and target immigrant communities.
A Closer Look at DHS Interior Enforcement Practices
In the Spring of 2023, the ILRC surveyed partner organizations and immigration practioners to get a sense of how the Biden Administration’s enforcement priorities were impacting interior enforcement. Unsurprisingly, our analysis of the data showed that federal guidance does not prevent ICE from targeting and detaining people who do not meet agency priorities.