Daily Immigration Briefing

• National Immigration Rally set for January 14th. Activists and immigrants around the country are planning a nationwide protest of the Trump administration one week before the inauguration. The Chicago Tribune details the press conference of one non-profit leading the Illinois march, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, who said they want to stand in solidarity against the planned immigration overhaul. The organizers of the Illinois board, representing the broader consensus, will fight deportations and DACA repeal. The Rev. Al Sharpton also plans to march on Washington DC, and more information about his protest including registration can be found here. 
• A profile of Sen. Jeff Sessions, one of the most outspoken anti-immigrant voices in the Trump administration, by the HuffPo. Sen. Sessions will be the incoming Attorney General, the nation's chief law enforcement officer. He will oversee the FBI, Justice Department, and other agencies that handle cases related to immigrants. The HuffPo is concerned he will sway immigration policy by influencing the courts, increase deportations of asylum-qualifying immigrants, and even reduce access to legal counsel.

Our verdict: Sessions is certainly anti-immigrant, but he's not his own boss. It is up to President-elect Trump to decide how strict he wants to be on immigration. We anticipate a softening stance to immigrants already in this country--given Trump's own wife is an immigrant--but a harsh stance to new arrivals. So Sessions may use his power to overrrule Board of Immigration Appeals decisions and prevent immigrants from entering the country. In addition, he may restrict immigrants' access to legal counsel during proceedings, making our app Arrived much more useful than ever before. It provides guidance for immigrants facing legal problems and deportation cases, including a "Know Your Rights" section.​

To submit new articles, please send an email to william@arrived.us. If you like sunshine, you should download our Android app  here.