Report: Immigrants held in detention centers nationwide lack ability to make phone calls

Border Patrol agents escort a group of undocumented immigrants into custody on May 20, 2013 near the U.S.-Mexico border in Havana, Texas [AFP] Many Americans are worried about the fate of immigrants under President-elect Donald Trump. However, thousands of lawful permanent residents and undocumented immigrants are rounded up each day under the current administration and locked up in detention centers across the country.

The superego and the ID

Time will tell whether the next President initiates what would be cruel and disastrous mass deportations of undocumented immigrants - including by denying federal funding to cities that refuse to hand over names and addresses of those in their midst. In the meantime, Mayor de Blasio, proud to lead what others smear as a sanctuary city, is holding a match and threatening to destroy the records of nearly a million holders of the local ID card he created just for New Yorkers.

Churches vow to offer sanctuary to undocumented immigrants

SANCTUARY: The Rev. Annie Steinberg-Behrman, right, provisional pastor with Metropolitan Community Church, holds a sign while listening to speakers at a meeting at City Hall in San Francisco by city leaders and community activists to reaffirm the city's commitment to being a sanctuary city in response to Donald Trump's support of deportations and other measures against immigrants Monday, Nov. 14. BROCKTON, Mass.

Trump puts new spotlight on Long Island gang killings

As he sat down for an interview with Time magazine for his "person of the year" profile, Donald Trump explained his tough view on illegal immigration by retrieving a copy of the Long Island newspaper Newsday and pointing to a blaring headline: "Extremely Violent Gang Faction." The article focused on the killings of five teenagers from the same New York City suburb and suspicions that the slayings were the work of a street gang, MS-13, that has roots in El Salvador and has been linked to at least 30 killings on Long Island since 2010.

Los Angeles County officials push back against threats of deportation

The reconstituted Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to explore strategies to protect county residents from any potential changes in federal immigration policy. Supervisor Hilda Solis recommended the analysis, saying many of her constituents are worried about President-elect Donald Trump's statements about illegal immigration.

U of Illinois won’t be designated ‘sanctuary’ for immigrants

The University of Illinois will not label its three campuses as sanctuaries for immigrant students illegally living in the U.S., school leaders said Tuesday as they pushed aside pressure from faculty and others to make the designation. Petitions from students and faculty at campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield were among efforts by students and others at more than 100 colleges and universities around the country to make the schools sanctuaries for immigrants following President-elect Donald Trump 's promises to crack down on illegal immigration.

Paul Ryan says wall on US-Mexico border may be part fence or barrier

President-elect Donald Trump's much-discussed Mexican wall may be a fence in places, or a barrier, or something else that secures the border, said House Speaker Paul Ryan, who also rejected the idea of a deportation force to move undocumented immigrants out of the US. As Trump himself has dialed back some of his fiercest campaign rhetoric on immigration policies, Ryan - who said he now speaks to the president-elect almost every day - will focus on securing the border in whichever way makes sense, he said in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview broadcast on Sunday.

Mexican ambassador does victory lap following defeat of Arizona Sheriff Arpaio

The Mexican ambassador to the United States, Carlos Sada Solana, told reporters in Phoenix that Mexico shall remain firm in refusing to provide funds for President-elect Donald Trump proposed border wall to address illegal immigration emanating from Mexico. Speaking to reporters at the Arizona Republic , Sada said "We have said time and again Mexico is not paying for the wall," and added, "That is something that has been said several times by the president of Mexico, the secretary of foreign affairs, secretary of economy, the secretary of finance.