Edited by Steve Volk ([email protected])
Oberlin Community Supporting Immigrants (OCSI) does not endorse or oppose candidates for elected office. We aim to provide information, education, and analysis regarding the U.S. immigration system.
CONTACT OCSI:
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://oberlincommunitysi.org/
Know Your Rights: You can’t protect your rights unless you know what they are. Here’s a 2-page handout prepared by OCSI. If you want a comprehensive resource library of KYR information, updated for 2026, Austin Kocher provides one here.
OCSI Corner
Do you need a speaker on immigration of “know your rights” for your local church, synagogue, or community group? Contact us at the email below. We can help!
ACTION ITEMS
The Ohio Immigrant Hotline run by the Ohio Immigrant Alliance is a one-stop-shop for any Ohioan seeking information and help on immigration matters. Call, text, or email us at 419-777-HELP (4357) and [email protected]. OIA’s Hotline Manager calls it “the heartbeat of the organization” and says it has become a “lifeline” for people impacted by detention and deportation. Now, you can sponsor a day, week, or month on the Hotline!Read about their new sponsorship program here.
No Warehouses for ICE Detention Centers! Sign the MoveOn petition here.
Stop Palantir. The US tech giant Palantir helps immigration authorities target people for deportation and police departments to surveil our communities. Click here to join the campaign and send letters to CEOs of companies that use Palantir.
PICK THREE (No time for all the reporting? Here are three important stories from the past week that you might have overlooked):
Trump Tells White Reporter Immigrants Don’t Have “Your Genetics” (The New Republic, March 13, 2026): Donald Trump is saying the quiet part out loud about immigration.
Shot by Border Patrol, Then Called a “Domestic Terrorist” (Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, March 12, 2026): The case of Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen shot by an officer in Chicago, offers a rare window into the recent spate of D.H.S. shootings—and the smear campaigns that often follow.
When the Power Went Out, This Org Showed Up for Immigrants (The Tennessean, March 8, 2026): As Winter Storm Fern left thousands without power, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition mobilized to protect and support Nashville’s immigrant community.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Drawings created by Hayam El Gamal’s 5-year-old twins and 9-year old daughter. The Egyptian family has been imprisoned at Texas’ Dilley Immigration Processing Center for more than nine months. (Story here)
LOCAL AND OHIO NEWS
Somali Americans Hounded by ICE and Rightwing ‘Influencers’ on Edge in Ohio: ‘I’m Scared to Go Outside’ (Guardian, March 9, 2026): ICE launched ‘Operation Buckeye’ and ‘influencers’ claimed Somalis are running fraudulent businesses after Trump repeatedly used racist language against group in December.
Toledo City Council to Roll Out Immigration Enforcement Legislation (Toledo Blade, March 8, 2026): It comes after council passed a resolution to reaffirm Toledo as a welcoming community.
RESISTING, PROTESTING, AND ORGANIZING FOR CHANGE
Anti-ICE Protesters Accused of Being Part of Antifa Found Guilty of Support for Terrorism in Texas (Guardian, March 13, 2026): Case was seen as major test of the first amendment and whether the US could use broad anti-terrorism statute to prosecute leftwing protesters.
‘Do Not Oppress the Stranger’: 1,000-Plus US Rabbis Sign Letter Backing Immigrant Rights (Times of Israel, March 12, 2026): Jewish clergy from 45 states invoke biblical commandments, say ‘tradition is clear’ in support of refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers.
Allegheny County Passes Bill Banning Cooperation with ICE (Pittsburgh Post Gazette, March 10, 2026): Bill bars county employees from working with federal immigration authorities.
Mayor Wu Announces Millions in Funding for Immigrant Organizations in Boston (Boston Globe, March 10, 2026): Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced millions in funding for organizations serving immigrants with legal assistance, language access, and other resources.
San Antonio Archbishop: Profit, Politics Play Roles in Inhumane Migrant Treatment (OSVNews, March 5, 2026): Interview with Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio.
THE COURTS AND LEGAL ACTIONS
Federal Judge Blocks Order Ending Deportation Protections for Somalis (New York Times, March 13, 2026): The judge said she was staying the order indefinitely in large part because the Trump administration had been unprepared to defend it in court.
Judge Finds ‘Compelling and Troubling’ Evidenceof Racial Profiling by Federal Agents in Minnesota (Minnesota Reformer, March 11, 2026): The 111-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud, an appointee of President Trump, adds weight to claims in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union that the federal government authorized its agents to arrest people based solely on their race or ethnicity to fulfill the Trump administration’s demand for mass deportations.
Federal Judge Criticizes ICE Agents at Denver Hearing for Not Knowing About Earlier Order Limiting Arrests (Denver Post, March 11, 2026): ‘I can’t just assume that all these guys are getting trained or understanding it or getting it,’ judge says.
Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to End Protections for Haitian Immigrants (New York Times, March 11, 2026): In a court filing, Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the justices to block a lower court decision that found the Trump administration had violated the law when it terminated Temporary Protected Status, a program that allows some 350,000 Haitians to live and work legally in the United States.
Judges Say ICE, DOJ Leaders Are Putting Rank-and-File Lawyers in ‘An Impossible Position’ (Politico, March 10, 2026): Federal judges livid over missed deadlines and outright defiance of their orders in a sea of immigration cases are training their ire on the Justice Department’s political leadership, going out of their way to acknowledge that the rank-and-file lawyers arguing in front of them are sometimes powerless to change the administration’s behavior.
Federal Judge Stops DOJ from Automatically Dismissing Immigration Appeals (NOTUS, March 9, 2026): The Department of Justice’s plan to automatically dismiss immigration cases on appeal is unlawful, a federal judge ruled late Sunday.
Trump Administration Criticizes Court Rulings Slowing Immigration Agenda in Supreme Court Appeal (AP, March 9, 2026): The Justice Department wants a broad ruling that would let it move more quickly to end legal protections for migrants from multiple countries, including Haiti and Syria, according to a letter sent to the high court on Monday.
Judge Limits Crowd Control Devices at Portland ICE Building, Says Federal Officers Must Identify Themselves (Oregon Public Broadcasting, March 9, 2026): The decision comes just days after a different federal judge issued a similar order in a case brought by tenants at a nearby apartment building. That order also limited the use of chemical munitions at the ICE facility.
CONCENTRATION CAMPS – WAREHOUSE DETENTION CENTERS
Fort Bliss Detention Center to Get New Operator after Scrutiny (AP, March 12, 2026): DHS is hiring a new contractor to run the troubled Camp East Montana immigrant detention center, the nation’s largest, after three recent deaths and outbreaks of tuberculosis and measles.
ICE Buys Salt Late City Warehouse, Sparking Concern an Immigrant Detention Center Is Coming (KSL.com, March 12, 2026): ICE has purchased a warehouse in an industrial section of Salt Lake City for $145.44 million.
Leavenworth Officials Approve Permit for CoreCivic to Reopen Prison after ‘Agonizing’ Yearlong Fight (Kansas Reflector, March 11, 2026): CoreCivic and the city of Leavenworth have been fighting for a year as the company sought to reopen the prison it closed in 2021. With a $60 million ICE annual contract in hand, the Nashville-based private prison company tried through the courts to reopen without going through the city’s development process.
Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Construction of Proposed ICE Detention Center in Maryland (WUSA9, March 11, 2026): Residents in the area say they are still preparing to help detainees should it eventually open.
ICE Selects Untested firms to Oversee New Warehouse Detention Centers (Washington Post, March 9, 2026): The Trump administration picked newcomers to retrofit and run warehouses in Maryland and Arizona, signaling a shakeup in an industry long dominated by veteran firms Geo Group and CoreCivic.
A Closer Look at ICE’s Enormous People Warehouse Near Hagerstown, Maryland (Austin Kocher Substack, March 9, 2026): Kocher visited the 825,000 square foot warehouse. The building, intended to house 1,500 detainees, currently has four toilets and two water fountains.
Attempted Suicides, Fights, Pain: 911 Calls Reveal Misery at ICE’s Largest Detention Facility (AP, March 6, 2026): Detainees describe a camp where an average of about 3,000 people have lived per day in loud and unsanitary quarters, diseases spread easily and sleep is a luxury.
ICE BUCKET
After ICE Surge, Colleges in Minnesota Saw Enrollment Drop and Disengagement Spike (Chronicle of Higher Education, March 11, 2026): Students skipped classes, switched to remote learning, and avoided campus spaces during the recent federal immigration crackdown.
With Lots of Rumors and Little Information, Other Cities Prepare for ICE (New York Ties, March 9, 2026): After the sprawling and chaotic federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota, jurisdictions in other states have been bracing for a range of scenarios.
EMERGING POLICY AND THREATS TO IMMIGRANTS
Targeting Toddlers and Minors
I Recognize the Look on Liam Ramos’s Face (Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, March 10, 2026): The 5-year-old was briefly held at Dilley, where families are sent after ICE roundups.
ICE Explains Why a 6-Year-Old Deaf Boy from Hayward [CA] Was Deported to Colombia (San Francisco Chronicle, March 9, 2026): “Ms. Rodriguez Gutierrez was never given a choice to be removed, and never agreed to deportation,” her lawyer said in a statement.
Detention and Deportation and Death
An Environmental Activist and Her Family Escaped Death Threats in Honduras. ICE Deported Her Husband Anyway (Guardian, March 13, 2026): Oscar, Ana and their children fled violence for safety in the US. Now Oscar, afraid and alone, is back in Honduras – ‘at the mercy of God and his will.’
Videos of ICE Shooting in Texas Capture a Confused and Fatal Encounter (New York Times, March 12, 2026): Officials said a 23-year-old Texan had intentionally run over an officer, a claim his family and friend denied. Newly released footage leaves the truth murky.
Republicans Concede They Need to Pivot on Immigration Before Midterms (New York Times, March 11, 2026): In public comments and private meetings at a House G.O.P. retreat, top officials allowed that President Trump’s immigration crackdown had hurt the party and that they needed a course correction on the issue.
He Served in the U.S. Army, then ICE Detained Him for 124 Days (King5 News, March 11, 2026): Advocates say some non-citizen service members are being detained despite policies that say immigration officials should take military service into consideration.
Immigration Detention on Track for Deadliest Fiscal Year Since 2024 (NPR, March 10, 2026): 22 people have died in ICE custody so far this FY.
Trump’s ‘Deportation Judges’ Take Over as Begun: Half of L.A. Immigrants Now Miss Court and Get Deported Sight Unseen (LA Taco, March 9, 2026): The Trump administration fired a quarter of the nation’s immigration judges and the Pentagon authorized 600 military lawyers to replace them. They’re recruiting for “deportation judges” on social media. Fewer than 3 in 100 of the people asking for asylum get to stay.
Senators Demand Release of Hundreds of DACA Recipients from ICE Custody (Border Report, March 5, 2026): Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently admitted ICE has been detaining DACA recipients and deporting some of them, something U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla, D-California and Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, want stopped.
‘Good Enough to Perform at the Capitol’: Texas Mariachi Brothers Held by ICE (San Antonio Express News, March 8, 2026): The brothers and their parents, asylum seekers, were detained Feb. 25 after appearing for what relatives describe as a routine ICE appointment in Edinburg, Texas. [And this follow-up: 2 Teen Mariachi Musicians Released from ICE Detention (New York Times, March 9, 2026): Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas led a delegation of Democrats to a South Texas detention center to press for the release of the brothers and their family.]
Authoritarianism, Lawlessness, Racism, and Cruelty
Medicaid Can Share Data with ICE. Here’s How that 180-Degree Change Spreads Fear (NPR, March 13, 2026): For decades Medicaid promised eligible immigrants they wouldn’t share information with immigration authorities. It was even explicitly written on government websites. Those commitments are no longer on the Medicaid website.
Trump’s Immigration Comments May Incite Hate Crimes UN Watchdog Says (BBC, March 13,2026): The portrayal of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers “as criminals or as a burden by politicians and influential public figures at the highest level of the state party, particularly its president” may incite racial discrimination and hate crimes.
Homeland Security Pushes for Access to Restricted Federal Database on Child Support, Employment Information for Millions (CNN, March 11, 2026): It’s the latest in a series of attempts by the Trump administration to use data stored in various federal agencies to potentially find undocumented immigrants residing in the United States.
Nashville Reporter Arrested by ICE Asserts First, Fifth Amendment Violations in New Legal Filings (Ohio Capital Journal, March 11, 2026): Attorneys for Estefany Maria Rodríguez Florez have filed an amended petition in federal court that accuses the federal government of First and Fifth Amendment violations in detaining the Spanish-language news journalist, who has reported critically in recent months about ICE enforcement activities.
Trump Is Using Immigration Policy to Suppress Speech, Lawsuit Claims (NPR, March 9, 2026): The suit accuses the administration of violating the First Amendment with an official policy to deny visas to or deport noncitizens who work on or study social media platforms, fact-checking or other activities the government deems “censorship” of Americans’ speech.
Hegseth Ramps Up Pressure on Defense Civilians to Deploy for Immigration Enforcement (Government Executive, March 9, 2026): All supervisors must encourage employees to volunteer, secretary says, and requests will be accepted absent high-level intervention.
Court Records Reveal Gutting of DHS Oversight: ‘Incredibly Dangerous’ (Guardian, March 8, 2026): White House claims watchdogs perform ‘all required functions’, but number of deaths in custody at 20-year high.
Don’t Turn Banks into Citizenship Police (The Hill, March 7, 2026): President Trump is reportedly considering an order requiring financial institutions to check customers’ citizenship, a curious departure from the administration’s professed concerns about the burden of bureaucracy and debanking.
IMMIGRATION AND THE ECONOMY
America Needs Immigrants as Much as They Need Liberty’s Blessings (George Will, Washington Post, March 13, 2026): As the U.S. population ages, those leaving the workforce enter Social Security and Medicare. The nation’s birth rate is below the replacement rate, so immigration must replenish the workforce whose tax contributions fund the entitlements.
Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Is Backfiring by Hurting the U.S.-Born Workers It Was Meant to Help, Data Show (Fortune, March 10, 2026): More than one year into the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, there’s little to suggest White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has achieved his goal of boosting the U.S.-born workforce by closing borders.
BY THE NUMBERS
Poll Finds Florida Voters Disapprove of ICE, Divided over Trump Handling of Immigration (South Florida Sun Sentinel, March 8, 2026): Less than half of Florida voters support Trump’s handling of immigration issues.
The Drop in International Students Last Year Was Worse Than We Thought (Karin Fischer, Chronicle of Higher Education, March 7, 2026): The drop in issuances ahead of the start of the current academic year is far more severe than previously understood — 97,000 fewer student visas were awarded.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
This Doctor Treated Migrants’ Severe Injuries at the US-Mexico Wall: ‘Political Decisions Made It as Violent as Possible’ (Aaron Nelsen, Guardian, March 14, 2026): Dr Brian Elmore witnessed a public health crisis unfold at the border near El Paso. He reflects on why it was like a ‘perverse Groundhog Day.’Markwayne Mullin: Meet the New Boss, Same as the Noem Boss (Adrian Carrasquillo and Jared Poland, Bulwark, March 11, 2026): The Oklahoma senator tapped to be the new DHS chief is more of the same.