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!
Save The Date: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS/KNOW YOUR RISKS: What to Do When ICE Shows Up: Training with updates for newcomers and experienced folks. Oberlin Public Library (65 S. Main Street, Oberlin). Thursday, Feb. 12, 7:00PM. Co-sponsored by OCSI and Lorain County Rising. [Flyer attached]
ACTION ITEMS
Contact your lawmakers in Congress and demand that they stop funding ICE. Tongue-tied when it comes to these calls? Here’s a script for you to use and here is a list of 10 specific demands:
Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP CODE].
I’m calling to demand Senator/Rep [LAST NAME] DEFUND ICE by opposing any DHS appropriations bill that maintains funding for ICE. My hard-earned tax dollars should fund healthcare, education, and public safety, not a war against the American people. The existence of ICE puts all of us at risk, regardless of what we look like or where we come from. It has no place in a country that values freedom.
I would like to know where the Senator/Rep stands on this issue. My number is [YOUR PHONE NUMBER]. Thank you for your time.”
PICK THREE (No time for all the reporting? Here are three important stories from the past week that you might have overlooked):
Trump Administration to Curtail Immigration Appeals of Deportation Decisions (Wall Street Journal, February 5, 2026): Immigrants will now be given 10 days, rather than the current 30 days, to appeal a deportation order. And their appeals will be automatically dismissed after 15 days unless a majority of immigration appeals judges, who are handpicked by the Trump administration, vote to hear them.
In Ohio, I Caught a Glimpse of the New Resistance (Michelle Goldberg, New York Times, February 3, 2025): In Springfield, the resistance isn’t organized by neighborhood, as in Minneapolis, but through a network of Black, white and Hispanic churches. They call themselves the G92 Coalition, after the ancient Hebrew word “ger,” for stranger or foreigner, that appears 92 times in the Hebrew Bible.
Echoes of the ‘80s in Attempts to Denigrate Protesters Who Bravely Step Forward (Gina Pérez, cleveland.com, February 1, 2026): Sacred resistance connects the present to the past.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Students walk out of classes to protest ICE at Lorain (OH) High School on February 5 (Story here)
LOCAL AND OHIO NEWS
Oberlin Community Supporting Immigrants Prepared for Possibility of ICE Activity (James Foster and Layla Wallerstein, The Oberlin Review, February 6, 2026): For over an hour, attendees from multiple towns across Northeast Ohio convened at the Oberlin Public Library for “Know Your Rights, Know Your Risks,” a training aimed at preparing community members for the growing possibility that immigration enforcement agents might turn their attention to the region.
Students, Community Take Stand Against ICE in Aftermath of Minneapolis Escalation (Sophie Brown, The Oberlin Review, February 6, 2026): In response to escalated Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids in Minneapolis, MN, Oberlin student groups and community organizations are engaging in phone banking, protests, and trainings aimed at the removal of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents stationed in the Twin Cities.
The Original ‘Wine Moms’ Are in Ohio. They’re Mobilizing to Support Haitians in Springfield (19thNews, February 5, 2026): Katie Paris founded Red, Wine & Blue to harness suburban women’s political power — now more than 600,000 members are deploying it to oppose ICE in their communities.
Lorain High Students Walk Out of Class to Protest Immigration Enforcement (Chronicle Telegram, February 5, 2026): Hundreds of Lorain High School students walked out of class Thursday afternoon to protest President Donald Trump and an ongoing national immigration crackdown.
Immigration Slowdown Threatens Ohio’s Future (Rob Moore, Ohio Capital Journal, February 4, 2026): This means that three out of every five people added to Ohio’s population over the last 10 years was born in another country.
Hundreds of Ohioans Show Support for Haitians, Federal Judge Blocks TPS Ending for Haitians (Ohio Capital Journal, February 2, 2026): “This 11th hour reprieve is, of course, welcome,” Lynn Tramonte, executive director for Ohio Immigrant Alliance, said in a statement. “But people can’t live their lives like this, pegging their families’ futures to a court case.”
‘We Are Next’: Lorain Anti-ICE Protest Draws Hundreds in Wake of Minnesota Killings (Chronicle-Telegram, February 1, 2026): More than 250 protesters braved a historically cold weekend to make their voices heard at Lorain’s Lakeview Beach, as they called for accountability for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, after federal agents killed two in Minneapolis amid the enforcement surge.
SPRINGFIELD, OH: HAITIANS AND TPS
‘This Fight Is Far from Over,’ Ohioans React to Federal Judge Blocking TPS Ending for Haitians (Ohio Capital Journal, February 4, 2026): “Let the verdict of the judge be an invitation to lean forward and not lean back in complacency.” [Read full court ruling here.]
Springfield on Edge as Federal Judge Decides Fate of Haitian Immigrants (Cleveland.com, Feb. 1, 2026): If TPS expires on Feb. 3, more than 300,000 Haitians nationwide would immediately lose their legal status and work authorization. About 15,000 live in Springfield, with another 30,000 across Central Ohio.
Ethnic Cleansing in Ohio? (Timothy Snyder, Substack, February 1, 2026): Nazi Lies in Vance’s America.
MINNEAPOLIS: MURDER AND OCCUPATION
Trump Touts ‘Softer Touch’ on Immigration as Federal Force Is Reduced in Minnesota (BBC, February 4, 2026): US President Donald Trump has said immigration agents could use a “softer touch” as his administration began pulling about a quarter of its force out of Minnesota, where two American citizens died last month in confrontations with federal officers.
ICE Attorney to Judge: ‘This Job Sucks’ (MPR News, February 3, 2026): A federal judge and two government lawyers expressed exasperation Tuesday with the Department of Homeland Security’s repeated failure to comply with court orders to release people whom federal agents arrested during the Trump Administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.
A Minneapolis Winter Like No Other (Emily Witt, Photography by Philip Cheung, New Yorker, February 3, 2026): A new series of photographs documents residents’ evolving resistance to the surge of ICE agents in their city.
After 9 Days, Hennepin County Medical Examiner Classifies Alex Pretti’s Death as ‘Homicide’ (Minneapolis Star Tribune, February 2, 2026): Homicide means the death came at the hands of another person and does not necessarily mean the person died from a criminal act.
RESISTING, PROTESTING, AND ORGANIZING FOR CHANGE
Google Workers Demand End to Cloud Services for Immigration Agencies (New York Times, February 6, 2026): More than 800 employees delivered a petition to management, condemning the Trump administration’s use of Google technology in immigration enforcement.
Spanberger Orders State Law Enforcement to Exit Federal Immigration Agreements (VPM.org, February 4, 2026): Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed an executive directive Wednesday instructing the state’s law enforcement agencies to terminate agreements that allowed them to be deputized to conduct federal immigration enforcement activities.
Dispatch from Minneapolis: Fellow Catholics, Don’t Look Away (National Catholic Reporter, February 4, 2026): In Minneapolis, I learned the importance of witness, training and sustained resistance when it comes to facing injustice. Whether ICE comes to occupy another of our cities or not, faithful Catholics ought to take a cue from the work of faith leaders and community organizers in Minneapolis.
Several States Move to Ban Local Cooperation in Immigration Arrests (Washington Post, February 4, 2026): Democrats are pursuing bills to prohibit 287(g) agreements as Trump administration officials argue that such cooperation could help reduce arrests on neighborhood streets.
‘No Freedom, No Peace until ICE Is Off the Streets’: Alabama Students Protest Immigration Crackdowns (AL.com, February 4, 2026): Between 75 and 100 students and a few parents staged the protest march after school, letting their voices be heard about their opinions about U.S. Immigration and Enforcement activities around the country.
Grand Rapids Students Walk Out to Protest ICE Immigration Crackdowns (MILive, February 4, 2026): Around 100 students walked out of classes around 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4, from the Grand Rapids Public Museum High School.
After Liam Ramos’ Release, Dems Turn Focus to Other ICE-Detained Kids (Axios, February 2, 2026): A Marshall Project’s analysis in December found at least 3,800 children under age 18 had been detained in 2025 after President Trump took office for a second time.
Amid Immigration Raids, a Coalition of U.S. Leaders Gather in L.A. to Share Resistance Strategies (Los Angeles Times, February 1, 2026): Includes the leadership circle of Mijente.
Mayor of Portland, Oregon, Demands ICE Leave the City after Federal Agents Tear Gas Protesters (CBS News, February 1, 2026): Federal agents launched tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators — including young children — outside an ICE facility during a weekend protest that the mayor and others characterized as peaceful.
Grammys 2026: Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish and More Winners Share Pro-Immigration Message (ABC News, February 1, 2026): “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE OUT,” Bad Bunny said. “We’re not savages, we’re not animals. We are humans, and we are Americans.”
Anti-ICE Protests Spread Across the US This Weekend as Court Battles Deliver Wins and Losses for the Trump Administration (CNN, February 1, 2026): The phrase “ICE Out” reverberated around the nation this weekend as protesters took to the streets, holding up signs and chanting in unison as they called for an end to the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
Chicago Mayor Orders Police to Investigate Alleged Illegal ICE Activity in City (Guardian, January 31, 2026): Brandon Johnson gives police ‘clear procedure’ to follow if they witness or get reports of agents involved in illegal activity.
Milan Protesters Call for U.S. ICE Agents to Leave Italy as Winter Games Approach (NPR, January 31, 2026): Hundreds of protesters gathered in a central square in Milan on Saturday, demanding that U.S. ICE agents assisting with security at the Winter Olympics leave Italy.
A Catholic Guide to Resisting the ICE Crackdown (Kevin Clarke, America, January 29, 2026): Catholic peacemaking in our time “starts with naming the heaviness of the space we’re in and then refusing to let despair have the last word,” says Jon Gromek, the director of justice formation and action for the Ignatian Solidarity Network.
As a Rabbi, I Couldn’t Stand Idly by while Minnesota Bled (Rabbi David J. Cooper, The Jewish News of Northern California, January 28, 2026): With only five days’ notice, a national call went out for clergy to assemble in Minneapolis to support the local community, which had declared a general strike on Friday, “ICE Out Day.”
THE COURTS
Appeals Court Backs Trump’s Mass Detention Policy (Politico, February 6, 2026): The ruling from the very conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals contradicts thousands of lower-court rulings and backs the Trump administration’s policy to lock up the vast majority of people it is seeking to deport without offering a chance for bond, even if they have no criminal records and have resided in the country for decades.
ICE Sued Over Policy That Allows Immigration Enforcement on Campus (Inside Higher Ed, February 5, 2026): A collection of public school districts and university faculty members are challenging Department of Homeland Security policies that allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to conduct detainment activities on or near public education campuses.
Trump Administration Names 33 New Immigration Judges, Most with Military Backgrounds (Reuters, February 5, 2026): Half of the new permanent judges have a military background, as do 100% of the temporary judges who can serve up to six months.
ICE Agents Can’t Make Warrantless Arrests in Oregon Unless There’s a Risk of Escape, US Judge Rules (AP, February 4, 2026): U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai issued a preliminary injunction in a proposed class-action lawsuit targeting the Department of Homeland Security’s practice of arresting immigrants they happen to come across while conducting ramped-up enforcement operations — which critics have described as “arrest first, justify later.”
Judge Restricts Federal Use of Tear Gas, Munitions at Portland ICE Protest (OregonLive.com, February 3, 2026): The judge noted that the “violence” by federal officers “is in no way isolated.”
Is ICE Leading Us into a Constitutional Crisis (Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, February 3, 2026): A look at the agency’s astonishing record of defying court orders, and what the judiciary might do to respond.
Judge Blocks DHS from Ending Deportation Protections for 350,000 Haitians One Day before They Were Set to Lapse (CBS News, February 2, 2026): U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes indefinitely paused the planned termination of Haiti’s TPS program, explicitly barring the federal government from invalidating the legal status and work permits of active enrollees and from arresting and deporting them.
Judge Says Trump Administration Must Let Lawmakers Make Unannounced Visits to ICE Detention Facilities (Politico, February 2, 2026): The Department of Homeland Security had implemented a one-week notice for lawmakers’ visits.
Trump Administration Sued over Ban on Immigration from 75 Countries (New York Times, February 2, 2026): The Trump administration says these immigrants take welfare intended for Americans, which the lawsuit says is an “unsupported and demonstrably false claim.”
Federal Courts Undercut Trump’s Mass Deportation Campaign (New York Times, February 1, 2026): A policy intended to keep immigrants detained indefinitely has led to a deluge of lawsuits, overwhelming some federal courts and resulting in many releases.
Judge Orders Release of 5-Year-Old Detained by ICE in Minneapolis (Washington Post, January 31, 2026): Below his signature on the order, the judge included a photo of Liam Ramos as he was taken into custody wearing a Spider-Man backpack and bright blue hat.
Judge Denies Minnesota’s Request to End ICE Surge in Minneapolis (Guardian, January 31, 2026): Federal immigration operation has resulted in government agents killing two people, sparking weeks of protests.
REFORMING ICE?
Democrats’ 10 Demands to ‘Rein in’ ICE – the Full List of Proposed Reforms (Guardian, February 5, 2026): Party says it will not back funding bill without reforms on – among other things – masks, ID and judicial warrants.
Poll: Two-Thirds of Americans Say ICE Has ‘Gone Too Far’ in Immigration Enforcement (NPR, February 5, 2026): 65% say ICE has gone too far, an 11-point increase since last summer.
Democrats Aren’t Reining in ICE. Here’s How They Could (Branko Marcetic, Jacobin, February 2, 2026): Democrats have numerous ways to restrain the agency, from barring ICE from domestic spying and terminating its contracts with tech companies to creating and fully funding an independent body to investigate its many abuses.
EMERGING POLICY AND THREATS TO IMMIGRANTS
Targeting Toddlers and Minors
In Minnesota, Sending a Child to School Is an Act of Faith for Immigrant Families (AP, February 6, 2026): Thousands of children are staying home, often for lack of door-to-door transportation — or simply trust.
School Officials Say Missing Minneapolis Girl Seen in ICE Detention in Texas (Washington Post, February 5, 2026): The fifth-grader was spotted by other students from the same school who had been detained in the same facility.
Minnesota Girl, 10, Released from ICE Custody after a Month in Detention (Guardian, February 4, 2026): Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano and her mother released from Texas facility to head back home to reunite with her father.
Liam Ramos Is Just One of Hundreds of Children at This Detention Center. Release Them All (Elora Mukherjee, New York Times, February 1, 2026): In March 2025, the Trump administration resumed the long-term detention of families, holding them for weeks or months, a practice that the Biden administration had halted in December 2021.
‘Why Is This Happening to Us? Daily Number of Kids in ICE Detention Jumps 6x Under Trump (Marshall Project, January 29, 2026): As the Trump administration detains large numbers of kids, advocates worry ‘it’s only a matter of time before we see a child die.’
Detention and Deportation and Death
DHS Has Requested Expedited Deportation Proceedings against Family of Liam Conejo Ramos (MPR News, February 5, 2026): The federal government has filed a motion seeking to end asylum claims for the family of Liam Conejo Ramos, according to the lawyer representing the family.
Immigration Detention Passed 70,000 in January (Stateline, February 5, 2026): An increasing percentage of detainees, 74%, have no criminal history, data shows.
Trump’s Migrant Detention Pipeline Extends from Minnesota to El Paso (New York Times, February 5, 2026): Immigrants apprehended in Minnesota are being sent to a gigantic West Texas detention center where lawyers and detainees say conditions are deplorable, then released in El Paso to find their way home.
Despite Judge’s Order, ICE Sent an Immigrant to Mexico Instead of Back to Minnesota (Minnesota Star Tribune, February 5, 2026): The government says the undocumented immigrant voluntarily left the U.S. His attorney is seeking a contempt of court finding as the federal courts remain overwhelmed by immigration cases.
Brazilian Influencer Who Defended US Immigration Crackdown Arrested by ICE (Guardian, February 2, 2026): Trump supporter Júnior Pena falsely claimed migrants being rounded up, including Brazilians, were ‘all crooks.’
Over 1 Million Immigrants with TPS at Risk for Deportation in 2026 (The Columbus Dispatch, February 2, 2026): Individuals with TPS contribute billions to the U.S. economy and fill essential jobs in critical industries.
ICE Begins Buying ‘Mega’ Warehouse Detention Centers Across US (Bloomberg, January 29, 2026): Plans for such centers and jails in nearly two dozen communities have sparked protests over suitability, proximity to homes and schools.
Calls to Shut Down Texas ICE Facility for Children Grow Amid Measles Outbreak (Guardian, February 5, 2026): At least two cases confirmed at detention center for children and their parents in Texas.
‘I Am Not Afraid’: Disabled Woman Violently Detained by ICE Vows to Keep Speaking Out (CNN, February 4, 2026): Aliya Rahman, a woman who was dragged from her car by ICE agents, speaks with CNN after testifying on Capitol Hill.
Targeted Cities
Emails Reveal Possible Command Structure for Immigration Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago (ABC News, February 4, 2026): Bovino didn’t report to the head of Customs and Border Protection, rather he reported to the Department of Homeland Security and Corey Lewandowski, a special government employee with no known law enforcement experience.
Federal Officers in Minneapolis to Start Wearing Body Cams, DHS Says (Washington Post, February 2, 2026): The decision to equip federal agents in Minneapolis with body cameras comes after federal agents in the metropolitan area shot and killed two people.
Authoritarianism, Lawlessness, Racism, and Cruelty
Immigrant Whose Skull Was Broken in Eight Places During ICE Arrest Says Beating Was Unprovoked (ABC News, February 7, 2026): A Mexican immigrant whose skull was broken during his arrest by immigration officers last month in Minnesota says the beating was unprovoked.
Terror at a House of God (CLUE Justice email – no link available, February 6, 2026): A few days ago, federal immigration authorities, wearing masks and carrying weapons, entered the North Hills United Methodist Church ministry space in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles) during the church’s food distribution. According to Pastor Ervin Aguilon, “Upon entry they ran through the parking lot all while the food ministry was taking place, terrorizing families and children.”
The Chilling Effect of Student-Visa Vetting (Maëline Eray, Chronicle of Higher Education, February 6, 2026): The government’s scrutiny of social media is at odds with our commitment to free speech.
Trump Attacks Immigrants in Wild Rant at National Prayer Breakfast (The New Republic, February 5, 2026): As Jesus said, kick out all the people you don’t like.
When Local Police Collaborate with ICE, Children Pay the Price (Texas Observer, February 4, 2025): I know exactly what message the recent deportation of an Austin mom and her 5-year-old sends to kids. They learn that calling 911 is dangerous.
Steve Bannon Calls for Trump to Deploy ICE and Military Troops to Polling Sites (Politico, February 4, 2026): The Trump ally was one of few GOP voices to support the president’s push to nationalize voting.
Democracy Dies by Database (Tressie McMillan Cottom, New York Times, February 3, 2026): ICE knows that it cannot shoot us all. But the Department of Homeland Security is close to being able to track us all.
Federal Agents Left Behind ‘Death Cards’ After Capturing Immigrants (The Intercept, February 3, 2026): ICE agents dropped customized ace of spades playing cards, recalling a practice by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War.
Marimar Martinez, Shot by Border Patrol in Chicago, Speaks Out after Good, Pretti Deaths: ‘I Am Their Voice’ (Chicago Sun Times, February 3, 2026): In a wide-ranging interview, Martinez discusses her shooting, the federal government’s failed attempt to prosecute her and the role she now sees for herself in a fight for accountability.
Homeland Security Is Targeting Americans with This Secretive Legal Weapon (Washington Post, February 3, 2026): In October, a retiree emailed a DHS attorney to urge mercy for an asylum seeker. Then DHS subpoenaed his Google account and sent investigators to his home.
DHS’s Account of Two Venezuelans Shot by Border Patrol Falls Apart in Court: “A Smear Campaign’ (Guardian, February 2, 2026): Immigration officials said agent shot two ‘vicious gang members’ in Portland, but records obtained by the Guardian reveal US prosecutor contradicted claims.
Technology and Immigration Enforcement
DHS Awarded a $30 Million Contract with only One Bidder (Lisa Gonzalez, Substack, February 7, 2026): The software tracks user behavior inside government systems, but the public can’t see the rules.
French Firm to Sell Division that Helps ICE Trace Immigrants (Wall Street Journal, February 1, 2026): Capgemini announces move after criticism of contract to identify and find immigrants in U.S.
BY THE NUMBERS
ICE Gets Even Worse Ratings in Polling after Pretti’s Fatal Shooting; Majority Calling for Noem’s Removal (ABC News, February 4, 2026): Nearly half know someone living in fear because of Trump deportation policies.
Immigrants’ Recent Effects on Government Budgets: 1994-2023 (David J. Bier, Michael Howard, and Julián Salazar, CATO Institute, February 3, 2026): Over that period, immigrants created a cumulative fiscal surplus of $14.5 trillion in real 2024 US dollars, including $3.9 trillion in savings on interest on the debt.
Support for Immigration Is Rising and a Majority of Americans Say Alex Pretti Shooting Was Not Justified (YouGov.com, February 3, 2026): A growing share of Americans say immigration makes the U.S. better off.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Fact Checking the “Success” of Trump Border Patrol Policies (Adam Cox, David Hausman and Mary S. Hoopes, Just Security, February 3, 2026): The Biden-era spike in border crossings started before Biden took office and ended before he left office.
Immigration Crackdown’s Under-the-Radar Impact (Karin Fischer, Chronicle of Higher Education, February 4, 2026): Half of all undocumented graduates of American high schools could be affected by efforts, some successful, to rescind policies that allow such students to qualify for lower in-state tuition rates.
In Under 500 Words, a Judge Weaponized Wit to Free the Child Detained by ICE (A.O. Scott, New York Times, February 3, 2026): Our critic annotates the barbed wordplay of a decision challenging the Trump administration’s theory of executive power.
A Theology of Immigration (Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, February 3, 2026): “None of us have a permanent residence here in this world,” the Reverend Dan Groody says.
Why the D.H.S. Disaster in Minneapolis Was a Predictable (Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, February 1, 2026): For decades, ICE and Border Patrol have operated with fewer constraints than typical law-enforcement agencies.What ICE Should Have Learned from the Fugitive Slave Act (Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, January 30, 2026): Americans took to the streets to defend their neighbors in the nineteenth century, too.