Federal
Reports Find Increase in ICE Detainee Deaths as Watchdog Flags Waste and Unsafe Conditions
In a watchdog report released on June 9, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that Camp East Montana—the largest detention facility in the United States with the capacity to hold over 5,000 detainees—failed to meet numerous standards for the care of individuals in immigration detention. Documented failures included inadequacies in tuberculosis testing, health assessments, food service, cleanliness, supervision, suicide prevention, and reporting incidents involving the “use of force and death.” In particular, they noted that an autopsy determined that a detainee’s death was a homicide caused by asphyxia. Investigators also found that “evidence associated with the incident was missing or destroyed.” Unsafe conditions are not unique to Camp East Montana. A report by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that individuals in detention at the Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana suffered from “insanitary conditions, problems with medical care and the use of excessive force.” Since President Trump returned to office in January 2025, there have been 51 detainee deaths nationwide including 10 suicides. Advocates report that staff in detention facilities are ignoring “signs of distress,” delaying “mental health treatment” and failing to monitor detainees who are “deemed at risk.”
Several days before the report was released on June 4, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced it would eliminate its requirement to report deaths occurring within 30 days of a detainee’s release from custody. The change means that cases like that of Martin Vargas Arellano, who contracted COVID-19 while detained at California’s Adelanto detention center and died three days after his release, would no longer be tracked or disclosed. The policy shift is compounded by ICE’s practice at times of releasing detainees far from their homes with little support. Critics argue the change will weaken transparency and make it significantly harder to identify systemic problems that contribute to detainee deaths.
DACA Anniversary Brings Renewed Push for Legal Status as Advocates Warn of Detention and Deportation Risks
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) marked its 14th anniversary on June 15 amid mounting legal and administrative uncertainty. DACA, first established by executive action in 2012, continues to shield about half a million individuals from deportation and provides work authorization, but the program remains under active legal challenges. There are also increasing reports about delays for DACA renewals, leading to gaps in protection. Recipients report heightened anxiety about travel, workplace raids, and the possibility of arrest even while holding valid DACA status, and advocates underscore that the program’s long-term survival remains deeply uncertain absent congressional action.
In Illinois, lawmakers held a congressional field hearing to examine pathways to citizenship for DACA recipients and undocumented immigrants more broadly, underscoring the push by advocates and some members of Congress to use the anniversary as a moment to renew calls for permanent legislative protection. In Nevada, Democratic officials marked the anniversary by criticizing the administration for significant delays in DACA renewal processing, which have left recipients in legal limbo with expiring work permits and mounting uncertainty about their status. Texas advocates held events highlighting the lived experience of Dreamers navigating the current enforcement climate, with many recipients describing a sense of vulnerability that has grown steadily since the start of the administration’s second term.
Congress has repeatedly failed to pass permanent protections for DACA recipients and Dreamers despite bipartisan support, leaving approximately 3.6 million individuals who arrived in the U.S. as children without a durable path to legal status.
Refugee Advocates Mark World Refugee Day Amid Safety Concerns and Narrow U.S. Resettlement Rules
World Refugee Day on June 20 comes as refugee resettlement to the United States has narrowed to a significant degree under the second Trump administration. A total of 6,668 refugees were resettled in fiscal year 2026 through May 31 — 6,665 of them were white South Africans admitted under the administration’s Afrikaner refugee program, with the remaining three being Afghan refugees who arrived in November 2025. The U.S. has accepted only Afrikaner refugees for six consecutive months. Monthly arrivals of South Africans peaked in April at 1,570 and have since declined, with 599 arriving in May. The administration raised the refugee admissions ceiling from 7,500 to 17,500 on May 21, 2026, though the State Department’s data spreadsheet still reflects the original 7,500 ceiling.
Commemorations of World Refugee Day this year have reflected the chilling effect of the current enforcement climate. In Grand Forks, North Dakota, organizers announced that their World Refugee Day event would proceed without refugee participation, citing safety concerns about public visibility for community members fearful of immigration enforcement. In Boise, the Idaho Office for Refugees held its own celebration, though the event took place against a backdrop of deep uncertainty for resettled communities nationwide. Historically, the U.S. refugee resettlement program has served individuals from dozens of countries fleeing persecution, war, and violence, in contrast to the current program’s near-exclusive focus on a single nationality.
Legal
Haitian Nationals Ask Supreme Court to Reconsider TPS Case After New Evidence Raises Questions About DHS Decision
On June 16, Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders asked the Supreme Court to dismiss their pending TPS case, arguing that recent developments make the case unsuitable for review. The request follows the release of internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) emails that appear to show officials initially recommended automatically extending Haiti’s TPS designation because of deteriorating country conditions and the absence of a completed State Department assessment. That recommendation was later reversed after intervention by administration officials, with DHS moving forward on termination despite the absence of a State Department assessment and documented concerns about violence, instability, and worsening conditions in Haiti.
In their filing, Haitian TPS holders asked the Court to dismiss the case as “improvidently granted”, arguing that the lower court record is still developing and that the newly released evidence raises unresolved questions. The documents are significant because federal law requires DHS to review country conditions and consult with relevant federal agencies before deciding whether to extend or terminate a TPS designation. Haitian TPS holders argue that the emails undermine the government’s claim that it followed the required process and support their broader argument that the termination decision was already predetermined.
The administration has defended its authority to end TPS designations, arguing that such decisions are committed to DHS discretion. The case has major consequences for Haitian nationals living in the United States. The Trump administration’s termination of Haiti’s TPS designation affects approximately 348,000 people, many of whom have lived and worked in the United States for more than a decade.
State and Local
Baltimore School Drop-Off ICE Arrests Draw Backlash After Parents Are Detained in View of Children
On June 11, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained two parents outside a Baltimore elementary school during morning drop-off, sparking widespread backlash after videos of the arrests circulated widely on social media. The incident, which took place in full view of young children being dropped off for the school day, prompted immediate condemnation from parents, educators, and elected officials in Maryland who argued that conducting enforcement operations at school entrances undermines the safety and trust that families depend on to send their children to school. Baltimore City Schools issued a statement reaffirming that schools are meant to be “places of learning, belonging, and opportunity where students and families feel safe, welcomed, and supported.”
Advocates noted that enforcement actions at or near schools, churches, and hospitals had long been treated as sensitive locations where ICE exercised prosecutorial discretion, a policy the Trump administration formally rescinded in early 2025. Maryland officials, including members of the state’s congressional delegation, called for a federal investigation into the incident and demanded answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about the operational decision to conduct the arrests at that location and time.
BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED
S. 4800
Land of the Free Act
This bill would repeal the ground for deportability under section 237(a)(4)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act relating to aliens whose presence or activities in the United States are reasonably believed to have serious adverse foreign policy consequences.
Sponsored by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) (10 cosponsors)
06/16/2026 Introduced by Sen. Padilla
06/16/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
S. 4786
Governor’s Right to Inspect Act
This bill authorizes sitting Governors to conduct health and safety oversight inspections of immigration detention facilities located within their states, and to establish a reporting mechanism to Congress on conditions found therein.
Sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey)
06/15/2026 Introduced by Sen. Booker
Cosponsors: not listed in the provided text
06/15/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
H.R. 9259
Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2026
This bill ensures unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings are provided free legal counsel by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and given access to their immigration files before removal proceedings.
Sponsored by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-California) (15 cosponsors)
06/11/2026 Introduced by Rep. Lofgren
06/11/2026 Referred to the Committees on the Judiciary and the Budget
H.R. 9310
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2027
Sponsored by Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nevada)
06/12/2026 Introduced by Rep. Amodei
06/12/2026 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 605
H.R. 9312
CRAW Act
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include the processing of crawfish as agricultural labor or services, and for other purposes.
Sponsored by Rep. Troy Carter (D-Louisiana) (2 cosponsors)
06/15/2026 Introduced by Rep. Carter
06/15/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to be in session from Monday, June 22, through Friday, June 26. The U.S. House is scheduled to be in session from Tuesday, June 23, through Friday, June 26.
UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
Protecting American Citizenship IV: America 250 and Reclaiming American Citizenship
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET (Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution)
Location: 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Witness(es): TBA
Oversight Hearing – Department of Homeland Security
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET (House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of Homeland Security)
Location: 2358-C Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES
The Forum is constantly publishing new policy-focused resources that engage with some of the most topical issues around immigration today. Here are a few that are particularly relevant this week:
Explainer: Proposed Restrictions on Employment Authorization for Certain Noncitizens
Immigrants and Apprenticeships
Explainer: USCIS Memorandum on Adjustment of Status Within the United States
Reclassifying ‘Applicants for Admission’: How the Second Trump Administration is Reshaping Mandatory Detention
The Consequences of Net Negative Migration in 2025: Implications for the U.S. Economy, Workforce, and Global Competitiveness
*As of publication (6/18/26 at 4:30 PM EST)
This Bulletin is not intended to be comprehensive. Please contact Nicci Mattey, Senior Policy & Advocacy Associate at the Forum, with questions, comments, and suggestions for additional items to be included. Nicci can be reached at nmattey@forumtogether.org. Thank you.