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
Reversing Course, President Trump Continues Raids on Farms, Hotels, and Restaurants as Deportation Efforts Expand
The Trump administration has abruptly reversed its initial decision to exempt key industries from immigration enforcement after facing significant internal pressure to adopt a more aggressive stance. Following concerns from business groups about potential economic disruption and labor shortages, the administration had initially provided guidance exempting farms, hotels, and restaurants from large-scale raids. However, this reprieve was short-lived as internal disagreements within the administration led to a complete policy reversal, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials directed to resume enforcement operations across these previously protected sectors on June 16.
The economic consequences of the administration’s intensified enforcement efforts are being felt acutely by small businesses and agricultural producers, who report severe disruptions to their operations. In Los Angeles, small business owners report that immigration raids have created disruptions worse than those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, with significant drops in both customer traffic and workforce availability. Agricultural operations in Texas face critical labor shortages as migrant workers avoid workplaces due to enforcement fears, threatening both local economies and national food supply chains.
Meanwhile, the administration has expanded its enforcement priorities by directing authorities to focus deportation efforts on Democratic-run cities, signaling a broader shift toward more intensive immigration enforcement nationwide. Recent raids have sparked serious concerns about civil rights violations and discriminatory enforcement practices, with reports of U.S. citizens being wrongfully detained during operations.
State Department Releases Social Media Screening Guidance for All Student Visa Applicants
The State Department has announced new guidelines requiring comprehensive social media screening for all foreign nationals applying for student and exchange visitor visas, following a “pilot” screening program focused on Harvard University. Under the new rules, consular officers must review applicants’ complete online presence to identify “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States,” as well as “advocacy for, aid or support for foreign terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security” and “support for unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence.” The screening applies to all F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa classifications and covers both new applicants and those with cases currently in progress, including individuals who have already been interviewed but not yet approved.
These new guidelines follow a suspension of student visa interviews in May 2025, which stakeholders described as “misguided” and creating lasting harm. The State Department acknowledged the increased workload of the new screening policy for consular staff, noting that embassies may need to schedule fewer student visa cases than previously and should prioritize certain categories including physicians applying for J-1 educational exchange visas and students attending universities where international students comprise fifteen percent or less of the total enrollment. It remains unclear how subjective criteria for evaluating “hostility” and “political activism” will be interpreted, which further risks deterring qualified international students from pursuing American higher education and eroding the U.S.’ longstanding competitive advantage in attracting global academic talent.
Trump Administration Considers Major Expansion of Travel Ban to Dozens More Countries
The Trump administration is contemplating a significant expansion of its travel ban policy, potentially adding thirty-six more countries, primarily from Africa, the Caribbean, Central Asia, and some Pacific Islands, to the existing list. This move, outlined in a State Department memo reviewed by The Washington Post, requires the targeted nations to align with new U.S. benchmarks for identity verification and security within sixty days or risk facing restrictions. The administration has already imposed full or partial bans on nineteen countries. International observers argue that the latest move echoes previous controversial travel bans that disproportionately affected Muslim-majority and African nations, highlighting fears that the expansion is about exerting U.S. influence over strategic regions rather than genuine security concerns. Meanwhile, the administration contends that the proposal is essential for “restoring integrity to the U.S. immigration system”, framing it as an extension of efforts to enhance global vetting processes.
Legal
Judge Orders Mahmoud Khalil Released on Bail
U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz on June 20 ordered the release of Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention, ending more than three months of confinement for the Columbia University graduate student and legal permanent resident. The judge determined that Khalil is neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community and described his continued detention as “highly, highly unusual,” suggesting that the government may be using immigration charges to unconstitutionally punish Khalil for his speech. Judge Farbiarz concluded that the remaining allegations against Khalil did not justify continued detention, heralding a new chapter in the first high-profile case in the administration’s broader crackdown on foreign students.
The Trump administration had initially justified Khalil’s detention by invoking a rarely used foreign policy statute, arguing that his pro-Palestinian activism posed threats to U.S. foreign policy objectives, which Judge Farbiarz found to likely be unconstitutional. The Department of Justice then shifted its justification, arguing that Khalil should remain detained based on allegations that he committed fraud on his 2024 green card application by allegedly omitting information about his work history and organizational affiliations. Judge Farbiarz initially accepted this revised reasoning and allowed the detention to continue, noting that such cases could proceed through immigration courts. Khalil’s attorneys had filed renewed motions requesting either his release on bail or his transfer to a facility in New Jersey to be closer to his family, but the Trump administration opposed both requests, citing Department of Homeland Security discretionary authority over detention decisions and claiming capacity issues at New Jersey facilities.
State and Local
Utah College Student and DACA Recipient to Be Released on Bond After Weeks in Immigration Detention
A nineteen-year-old University of Utah nursing student with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, Caroline Dias Goncalves, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near Grand Junction, Colorado, on June 5, 2025. The incident began when Ms. Dias Goncalves was pulled over by a Mesa County sheriff’s deputy for driving near a semi-truck. After a brief traffic stop, she was released by the deputy but was shortly detained by ICE agents and taken to a detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. An investigation by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office found that Ms. Dias Goncalves’ apprehension resulted from information shared through a Signal chat between local officers and federal agents, originally established for drug interdiction efforts. The sheriff’s office stated it was unaware the chat was being used for immigration enforcement and reaffirmed that deputies do not check immigration status during routine stops, consistent with Colorado law.
During a court hearing on June 17, a judge determined that Ms. Dias Goncalves was neither a danger to the community nor a flight risk and granted her release on bond. She is now expected to appear before another judge at a later date, likely in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ms. Dias Goncalves’ situation closely mirrors that of Ximena Arias-Cristobal, another DACA recipient and beneficiary of TheDream.US national scholarship.
Tennessee Infant’s Death Prompts Discussion of Deportation Impacts on Community Trust
The death of a six-month-old infant in La Vergne, Tennessee, in April 2025 has prompted dialogue about the junction between immigration status and public safety. Investigators suspect that the infant’s undocumented caretaker hesitated to contact emergency services due to deportation fears, opting to wait for his girlfriend to call 911. La Vergne Police Chief Christopher Moews acknowledged that the delay may have contributed to the infant’s death and urged immigrant community members to “not be afraid to call the police department due to your legal status,” as everyone is entitled to emergency services.
Chief Moews subsequently organized a town hall meeting in late May to engage and rebuild trust between immigrant residents and local law enforcement. However, attendance was sparse amid reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents operating in the area. Moews noted that the fear of ICE enforcement is real, citing that ICE operations in nearby Murfreesboro and Nashville, which detained more than 200 people in early May, have deepened fears. Committing to “transparency, community trust, and serving all resident of La Vergne with fairness” Moews and police department officials have clarified that they do not coordinate with ICE but are legally required under Tennessee law to report undocumented individuals if their status becomes known during an investigation. Local police do not automatically check individuals’ immigration status during routine interactions and the potentially preventable infant’s death has renewed focus on the role of community policing principles seeking to ensure that deportation fears do not prevent life-saving action.
BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED
It’s challenging to keep up with the 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.
S.2106
Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and Emergency (SECURE) Act
The bill would provide a process for granting lawful permanent resident status to qualified Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients who have been continuously present in the United States for at least three years. The legislation comes as the Trump Administration has revoked TPS for an estimated 563,000 recipients from five countries, putting hundreds of thousands at risk of deportation to their home countries where they would face serious danger.
Sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) (30 cosponsors)
06/18/2025 Introduced by Sen. Van Hollen
06/18/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
S.Res.287
A resolution reaffirming the importance of the United States promoting the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons in the United States and around the world
Sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) (23 cosponsors)
06/18/2025 Introduced by Sen. Shaheen
06/18/2025 Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR
The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives will meet Monday, June 23, through Friday, June 27.
UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
Here, we round up congressional hearings and markups happening in the field or in Washington relevant to immigration policy.
Markup: Fiscal Year 2026 Homeland Security Bill
Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 10:00 AM ET (House Committee on Appropriations)
Location: 2359 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Restoring Integrity and Security to the Visa Process
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET (House Committee on Appropriations)
Location: 2141 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Witnesses: TBA*
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:
Explainer: U.S. Immigration Detention and Custody Standards
Our latest explainer examines how U.S. immigration detention and custody facilities, operated by agencies like ICE, CBP, and ORR are governed by a patchwork of constitutional, statutory, and agency-specific standards. It highlights ongoing challenges such as inadequate oversight, prolonged detentions, and insufficient protections for vulnerable populations, underscoring the need for stronger scrutiny as detention capacity could expand dramatically due to funding included in reconciliation.
Explainer: Revocation of Student Visas and Termination of SEVIS Records
Our explainer finds that, although the U.S. government has broad discretion to revoke a student visa, it cannot terminate a student’s SEVIS record unilaterally without sufficient legal justification. Critically, a SEVIS termination does not automatically terminate a student’s lawful status but does make the student “subject to removal,” exposing them to future legal peril.
Explainer: Halting of Texas’ In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students
Our explainer details the impact of the rescission of Texas’ in-state tuition policy for undocumented students. Texas has the second-highest number of undocumented students in higher education in the country (57,000) and this court decision – which was made despite the Texas legislature refusing to repeal the policy – will have a significant impact on the state’s future workforce.
*As of publication (6/20/25 at 3PM EST)
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.