Immigration Archives · New England News Collaborative

The Immigration Detention Center at the Bristol County Jail in North Dartmouth. Photo by Jesse Costa for WBUR

There’s an ongoing battle over just how much Massachusetts authorities can legally partner with federal immigration officials. A Supreme Judicial Court decision in 2017 appeared to offer some clarity.

Sarah Sherman-Stokes is a clinical teaching fellow at Boston University’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic. Photo by Jesse Costa for WBUR

Local law school instructors said there’s been a rise in the number of students studying immigration law in response to President Trump’s aggressive stance on immigration enforcement.

Maria Merida has been living in “sanctuary” in a Boston-area church for more than a year. She has a final order of removal back to her native Guatemala but is hoping to apply for asylum to stay in the U.S. She says she rarely leaves the confines of the church. Photo by Robin Lubbock for WBUR

It’s been more than a year since Maria Merida moved freely outside, more than a year since she’s gone to the grocery store or gone on a walk.

Bhuwan Sharma, co-owner of Burlington Employment Agency, at his Old North End office. He said his business has plateaued due in large part to Bhutanese-Nepali refugees moving from Vermont to Columbus, Ohio. Photo by Bayla Metzger for VPR

The Burlington area is a hub for refugees and immigrants in Vermont, but area officials and businesses are concerned about this population shrinking. Recent federal restrictions have limited the number of refugees coming to the state and there’s another problem too: some New Americans are choosing to leave Vermont.

It’s a Saturday afternoon at a community center in Dorchester. More than a dozen people sit in metal folding chairs, organized in a circle and leaning forward, listening to the free legal advice being offered.

Mui Mui Hin-McCormick (at left) recruited the Asian Ambassadors a few years ago. They are Laotian elder Howard Phengsomphone, Vietnamese refugee Quyen Truong (center), Laotian refugee Sou Thammavong and Japanese immigrant Mari Merwin (at right). Photo by Ryan Caron King for Connecticut Public Radio

Quyen Truong still gets a cozy feeling when she sees a hand of cards.

John F. Kennedy Federal Building in Boston houses the Boston Immigration Court. Photo by Curt Nickisch for WBUR

As the federal government shutdown continues, the backlog of cases in immigration court continues to increase — drawing mixed reactions from immigration experts.

Will Lambek of Migrant Justice says a state police call to immigration agents after the arrest of a farmworker runs counter to the state's fair and impartial policing policy. Photo by John Dillon for VPR

A recent case shows that when undocumented immigrants encounter local law enforcement, they may still run the risk of being turned over to federal immigration authorities. This happened despite a fair and impartial policing policy that discourages authorities from doing so.

Flower pots and landscaping stones mark the international border between Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vt. Inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, the border is marked by a line on the floor. Photo by Amy Kolb Noyes for VPR

A library that sits on the border between the United States and Canada is offering a solution for families separated by the travel ban. The Haskell Free Library and Opera House, in Derby Line, Vermont, and Stanstead, Quebec, is serving as a space where Iranian families can reunite.

The Mexican government sets up a mobile consulate office twice a year in Vermont to help its citizens renew passports and to provide other services. Photo by John Dillon for VPR

A little bit of Mexico came to Middlebury, Vermont last weekend. Officials from the Mexican government were in town to help its citizens renew passports or obtain other documents.

Immigration

Massachusetts County Sheriffs, State DOC Will Re-Up Contracts With Federal Immigration Officials

Law Schools See ‘Trump Effect,’ With More Students Studying Immigration Law

‘I Would Like To Be Free, Outside, Breathing Fresh Air’: Maria’s Year In ‘Sanctuary’

Vermont Officials, Businesses Concerned About Decline In Refugees

Under Trump Administration, Some Vietnamese Immigrants Face Uncertain Fate

The Lure Of Luck: How Gambling Can Turn Addictive For Southeast Asian Refugees

Shutdown In Immigration Court A Respite For Some, An Injustice For Others

Migrant Activists Question Why Feds Were Called After Farmworker’s Arrest

Families Separated By The Travel Ban Reunite In A Border Library

Amid Increasing Immigration Tensions, Mexicans In Middlebury, Vermont Find Taste Of Home