DEVELOPMENTS IN IMMIGRATION POLICY THIS WEEK
Here, we summarize some of the most important recent developments in immigration policy on the federal, legal, state, and local levels.
Federal
IRS Agrees to Provide Migrant Tax Information to ICE Amid Resignation of Top Officials
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has finalized a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to undocumented immigrants’ taxpayer information to aid in deportation efforts. Signed on April 7, 2025, by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the agreement has sparked widespread criticism and immediate legal challenges from immigrant advocacy groups. According to court filings, ICE will be able to request names, addresses, and tax data for individuals facing final orders of removal or under federal criminal investigation, including the crime of failing to leave the country within 90 days of a deportation order.
While this data-sharing agreement is framed as lawful under existing tax statutes, critics argue that it breaches decades-long taxpayer privacy protections and threatens to dissuade undocumented immigrants from filing taxes. Undocumented immigrants contribute billions annually in taxes, with estimates placing their federal tax contributions in 2023 at nearly $56 billion. Experts worry that the agreement could result in significant revenue losses and push workers into the shadow economy. As legal challenges progress, a federal judge will soon decide whether to impose a temporary restraining order against the IRS to block the agreement’s implementation. The agreement also imposes requirements on ICE to safeguard tax information and report unauthorized disclosures. Despite these measures, advocates fear the data could be mishandled or weaponized. During a recent call, DHS officials told IRS officials they needed access to their data to help them locate up to 7 million suspected undocumented immigrants, and the recently signed agreement suggests that ICE may use artificial intelligence to analyze taxpayer data. Congressional Democrats and numerous immigrant advocacy groups have condemned the deal, warning of its economic and social consequences.
Melanie Krause, the acting IRS commissioner, announced her resignation shortly after the agreement was signed, citing discomfort with the direction the agency is taking under the Trump administration. Her departure comes amid mass resignations from senior IRS officials, including the chief privacy officer and chief risk officer, due to concerns over how the data-sharing arrangement could erode public trust and violate confidentiality laws. Immigrant rights organizations, including Centro de Trabajadores Unidos and Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing that granting ICE access to tax records could expose millions of undocumented taxpayers to aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, undermining the integrity of the tax system and discouraging compliance. A hearing on a preliminary injunction to block information sharing between the IRS and DHS is set for April 16 before Judge Dabney Freidrich, a federal judge Trump appointed in 2017. Friedrich ruled against the plaintiffs last month when they asked for a temporary restraining order pre-emptively, saying, “[a] single news report about future cooperation between the IRS and DHS does not establish that the plaintiffs’ members are facing imminent injury,” according to the March 19 order.
Trump Administration Cancels CBP One Parole Program, Leaving Hundreds of Thousands Vulnerable to Deportation
The Trump administration has revoked parole protections for nearly one million migrants who entered the United States through the Biden-era CBP One app, effectively stripping their legal status and work authorization. These migrants, who had used the app to arrange appointments at border crossings and enter the country legally under humanitarian parole, are now receiving formal notices urging them to self-deport through the rebranded CBP Home app. The CBP One app, launched in January 2023 as part of Biden’s strategy to create legal pathways for asylum seekers, was a cornerstone of federal efforts to streamline southern border crossings. Migrants granted parole through the program were typically authorized to remain in the U.S. for two years, with work permits enabling them to rebuild their lives.
However, the Trump administration halted the CBP One parole program immediately upon taking office in January 2025, citing it as an abuse of parole authority that contributed to the “worst border crisis in U.S. history.” A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told reporters that canceling CBP One parole is “a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security.” However, immigration advocates are warning of devastating impacts on migrants who had used the system in good faith, many of whom sold their possessions and left their jobs abroad, believing their status was lasting.
Arianny Acedo, a Houston resident who entered the U.S. through the CBP One app, expressed fear and uncertainty in response to the administration’s revocation of her legal status. “I’m here legally. I’ve done everything. So, I’m scared. We can’t sleep well because it’s causing us the stress of knowing…What is going to happen to us tomorrow?” she said. Advocates highlight that many migrants affected by these revocations have strong asylum claims but are now losing their ability to work and remain in the U.S. legally while awaiting immigration court hearings. Although parolees under the Uniting for Ukraine and Operation Allies Welcome programs were exempted from this revocation, an administrative error resulted in over 200,000 Ukrainian beneficiaries mistakenly receiving emails falsely informing them of revoked status last week. Beyond CBP One, the administration’s larger rollback of protections includes the attempted termination of parole for 532,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV)—an effort blocked by a federal judge on April 10.
Social Security Revocations, Registry Rule, and Daily Fines Rolled Out in Push for ‘Self-Deportation’
In a series of aggressive steps, the Trump administration has launched new measures aimed at encouraging migrants with final deportation orders to self-deport. On April 8, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans to impose daily fines of up to $998 for individuals failing to leave the United States after a removal order, applying the penalties retroactively for up to five years. Additionally, DHS is exploring asset seizures for migrants who cannot pay these fines and leveraging civil forfeiture mechanisms through the Department of Justice.
The administration has also implemented a controversial effort to revoke Social Security numbers for migrants whose legal status has been rescinded, effectively terminating their access to employment, financial services, and government benefits. Using the Social Security Administration’s “Death Master File,” originally designed to track deceased individuals, more than 6,000 names of migrants were added to the database earlier this week, including minors and individuals flagged as “suspected terrorists” or those with criminal records. Critics warn that this practice risks significant errors and could result in catastrophic repercussions for individuals mistakenly placed on the list.
Meanwhile, DHS is enforcing a separate registry rule, upheld on April 9 by a federal judge in Washington, D.C. The rule requires certain undocumented migrants to register with federal authorities under a World War II-era statute, risking prosecution or additional fines if they fail to comply. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has described these measures as a vehicle to implement President Trump’s “mass deportation” agenda, signaling the administration’s intent to use all available laws to enforce removals and meet expansive quotas.
Student Visa Revocations Proliferate Across U.S. Universities
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has escalated its immigration enforcement efforts, revoking the visas of hundreds of international students, faculty, and researchers at universities across the United States. Inside Higher Ed reports that, as of April 11, over 150 colleges and universities have identified 770-plus international students and recent graduates whose legal status has been changed by the State Department. Universities, including Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Texas, have reported sudden visa terminations, with school officials often not notified in advance. In many instances, students have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and face expedited deportation. The surge in visa revocations is creating widespread uncertainty among international students and researchers, many of whom relied on these visas to complete their studies or academic work.
At Dartmouth College, Ph.D. candidate Xiaotian Liu recently filed a lawsuit seeking to reinstate his F-1 visa, which was terminated without explanation on April 4, jeopardizing his doctoral program and research assistantship. Similarly, Carnegie Mellon University student Jayson Ma, just weeks away from graduating, was informed that his visa had been revoked, potentially over a years-old, expunged DUI case. Advocates warn this unprecedented crackdown could undermine universities’ ability to attract international talent while affected students and institutions scramble to challenge the terminations in court. Notably, during the first Trump administration, international student enrollment was 12% lower than anticipated. Fanta Aw, the executive director and CEO of the Association of International Educators, said that fearful international students and a heightened political climate “is likely to undermine colleges’ ability to attract talent…We should never take for granted that international students will keep coming to the United States.”
Legal
Supreme Court Orders Trump Administration to Facilitate the Return of Maryland Father
The Supreme Court on April 10 instructed the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father who was wrongly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador. The court directed the government to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia and “ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.”
The Supreme Court’s order, which appears to be unanimous, did not go so far as to demand Abrego Garcia’s return, indicating that the term “effectuate” in a lower court’s ruling, according to the Supreme Court, “may exceed the district court’s authority.” The case will now return to that district court, with the Supreme Court directing the court to “clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the executive branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.” The Supreme Court also said that the government “should be prepared to share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps.”
On April 4, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis on April 4 issued a ruling that described Abrego Garcia’s deportation as a “grievous error” and required that the Trump administration “facilitate and effectuate” his return to the United States by the end of April 7. The Trump administration continued to defend the deportation while acknowledging it was made as a mistake. On April 5, a senior immigration lawyer with the Department of Justice (DOJ) was placed on indefinite leave after he questioned the Trump administration’s decision to deport Abrego Garcia while he was representing the government in court before Judge Xinis. The Supreme Court stepped in on April 7 to pause Judge Xinis’s decision until it could issue an emergency order.
Supreme Court Ends Pause on Alien Enemies Act Deportations for Now, Requires Reasonable Notice
The Supreme Court on April 7 ruled by a narrow 5 to 4 margin that the Trump administration can continue to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 but must first provide the detainees with an opportunity to challenge their deportations.
The ruling did not address the underlying legal questions around the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, focusing instead on procedural grounds. The majority ruled that the five Venezuelan individuals who challenged the deportations did so in the wrong district court, noting that “the detainees are confined in Texas, so venue is improper in the District of Columbia” where the lawsuit was first filed. Those targeted for removal could refile their case in Texas or the jurisdictions where they are detained. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the majority’s conclusion was “suspect” because the court failed to mention “the grave harm” that the migrants would face if “erroneously removed to El Salvador.”
All nine justices concurred with the ruling’s finding that the detainees are entitled to notice within a reasonable time frame that they are being removed under the Alien Enemies Act. Detainees must also have a reasonable opportunity to challenge their removal. This provision could restrict the Trump administration’s future use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport individuals quickly.
The court’s decision overturns a lower court’s injunction and likely removes the substantive issues of the case away from District Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. Judge Boasberg is still determining whether there is a “fair likelihood” the Trump administration violated his order to halt deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act.
State and Local
Wrongfully Deported Kansas City DACA Recipient Reunites with Family
Evenezer Cortez Martinez, a Roeland Park, Kansas resident and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, has reunited with his family after being deported under controversial circumstances. Cortez Martinez, who holds valid DACA status through October 2026, traveled to Mexico on March 20, 2025, with an advance parole document, which he was issued to allow his temporary departure and reentry into the U.S. After visiting his grandfather’s grave, he returned to the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on March 23, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers detained him. Officials claimed he had been “ordered removed in absentia” on June 11, 2024, and declared his advance parole document invalid. Cortez Martinez was placed on a flight back to Mexico City the same day without a formal hearing or opportunity to contest the decision.
Cortez Martinez’s attorney, Rekha Sharma-Crawford, filed a federal lawsuit on April 2 in the Northern District of Texas, alleging that DHS and CBP violated federal law by subjecting her client to expedited removal despite his valid advance parole and long-standing DACA protections. She described the removal as “extremely out of the norm,” arguing that regulations explicitly allow DACA recipients with advance parole to reenter the U.S., even with an existing removal order. On April 9, Cortez Martinez was allowed to return to Kansas City, where his wife and three children greeted him at the airport in an emotional reunion. While the lawsuit has since been dismissed, Sharma-Crawford noted that the underlying immigration case will now proceed in Kansas City’s immigration court.
BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED
It is hard to keep up with the constant deluge of proposed legislation in the 119th Congress. So, every week, we round up federal legislative proposals that have recently been introduced and that are relevant to immigration policy.*
H.R. 22
Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act
Sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) (110 cosponsors – 110 Republicans, 0 Democrats)
01/03/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Roy
01/03/2025 Referred to the House Committee on House Administration
04/10/2025 Passed the House after a 220-208 vote
04/10/2025 Received in the Senate
H.R. 2627
Keep STEM Talent Act of 2025
Sponsored by Rep. Bill Foster (D-Illinois) (4 cosponsors – 2 Republicans, 2 Democrats)
04/03/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Foster
04/03/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 2672
To authorize the continuation of lawful nonimmigrant status for certain religious workers affected by the backlog for religious worker immigrant visas
Sponsored by Rep. Mike Carey (R-Ohio) (3 cosponsors – 2 Republicans, 1 Democrat)
04/07/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Carey
04/07/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 2685
To prohibit the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration from accepting warrants for the arrest of aliens as valid proof of identification at aviation security checkpoints
Sponsored by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-New York) (0 cosponsors)
04/07/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Malliotakis
04/07/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 2705
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to make changes related to family-sponsored immigrants and to reduce the number of such immigrants
Sponsored by Rep. Elijah Crane (R-Arizona) (0 cosponsors)
04/08/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Crane
04/08/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 2708
To amend section 236(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to the detention of aliens who commit certain property crimes
Sponsored by Rep. Troy Downing (R-Montana) (16 cosponsors – 16 Republicans, 0 Democrats)
04/08/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Downing
04/08/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 2729
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide nonimmigrant status to mobile entertainment workers
Sponsored by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-California) (1 cosponsors – 1 Republican, 0 Democrats)
04/08/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Lofgren
04/08/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 2775
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to assess drone deployment to improve border security and disrupt maritime or low-altitude drug smuggling along the United States coastline
Sponsored by Resident Commissioner Pablo Hernandez (D-Puerto Rico) (0 cosponsors)
04/09/2025 Introduced in the House by Resident Commissioner Pablo Hernandez
04/09/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security
H.R. 2851
To extend immigration benefits to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other gender-based violence
Sponsored by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-California) (34 cosponsors – 0 Republicans, 34 Democrats)
04/10/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Jayapal
04/10/2025 Referred to the House Committees on the Judiciary, Ways and Means, Agriculture, Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services
H.R. 2866
To direct the Secretary of State to revoke the visas of students who have engaged in antisemitic activities
Sponsored by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-New York) (0 cosponsors)
04/10/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Malliotakis
04/10/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
S. 1328
A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to make changes related to family-sponsored immigrants and to reduce the number of such immigrants
Sponsored by Sen. Jim Banks (R-Indiana) (0 Cosponsors)
04/08/2025 Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Banks
04/08/2025 Referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
S. 1485
A bill to establish a more uniform, transparent, and modern process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and natural gas and the transmission of electricity
Sponsored by Sen. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) (0 cosponsors)
04/10/2025 Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Blackburn
04/10/2025 Referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will be in recess from Monday, April 14, until Friday, April 25.
GOVERNMENT REPORTS
Reports by bodies such as the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General provide invaluable information on immigration policy and practice. Here, we give brief summaries of new immigration-related reports with links to the resources themselves in case you want to learn more.
Government Accountability Office (GAO): Border Security: Additional Actions Needed to Evaluate the Missing Migrant Program; April 7, 2025
This GAO report highlights recommendations to reduce migrant deaths and identifying remains along U.S. borders.
UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
Here, we round up congressional hearings and markups happening in the field or in Washington. However, as both chambers of Congress are in recess, there will be no hearings or markups for the next two weeks.
SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES
The Forum is constantly publishing new policy-focused resources that engage with some of the most topical issues around immigration today. Here are a few that are particularly relevant this week:
“Invasion” & “Influx” in a Time of Falling Border Encounters
Border apprehensions are at their lowest levels since 2000, yet recent policies invoke “invasion” and “influx” rhetoric to justify extraordinary enforcement actions. This explainer examines the administration’s invocation of these terms and their implications for U.S. immigration policy.
Unaccompanied Alien Children (UCs or UACs) 2025 Update
This resource provides a comprehensive overview of unaccompanied children (UACs) in the U.S. immigration system. It covers background information, recent statistics, policy changes, and controversies surrounding UAC tracking and legal representation.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS): Fact Sheet
Our updated resource provides relevant information on TPS, a government protection granted by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to eligible foreign-born individuals who are unable to return home safely due to conditions or circumstances preventing their country from adequately handling their return.
*As of publication (4/11/25 at 3PM ET)
This Bulletin is not intended to be comprehensive. Please contact Nicci Mattey, Senior Policy & Advocacy Associate at the National Immigration Forum, with questions, comments, and suggestions for additional items to be included. Nicci can be reached at nmattey@immigrationforum.org. Thank you.