Immigration

North Carolina judge said Levi Mendez-Maldonado failed to show up in court – even after being told he had died in 2024An immigration judge in Charlotte, North Carolina, recently ordered the deportation of a young man who was killed in 2024, citing his failure to appear in court.Judge Amy Lee ordered the removal of Levi Mendez-Maldonado in absentia on 21 May. Mendez-Maldonado, originally from Honduras, came to the United States as an unaccompanied minor at age 17 and was murdered in a shooting in November 2024. Continue reading...

Officials say law will improve migration management by allowing more deportations of undocumented people EU politicians have promised to increase deportations of undocumented migrants, under a new law that critics say mimics elements of the Trump administration’s brutal immigration crackdown.Finalising a key element of an overhauled EU asylum and migration system, politicians have agreed a regulation that will enable national authorities to raid people’s homes to enforce deportation orders. Continue reading...

Labour’s Makerfield byelection candidate understood to have changed stance on no recourse to public funds policyUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has rolled back from his previous calls for ministers to scrap a restriction on immigrants claiming benefits as the Makerfield byelection places greater scrutiny on his policy positions.As Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham has called several times for an end to the rule known as no recourse to public funds (NRPF), which since 1999 has prevented new arrivals getting access to benefits or public housing before they are granted settled status. Continue reading...

Gavan Reynolds cites ‘commercial-in-confidence nature of the contract’ in declining to answer Greens senator’s question in parliamentFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe US private prison company running Australian immigration detention centres was slapped with penalties by the Australian government after allowing a dozen escapes, but the head of the Australian Border Force has declined to reveal the cost of the punishment.Greens senator David Shoebridge was scathing of what he called “a disturbing set of reports” about private prison company MTC and its local subsidiary Secure Journeys, revealed in a Guardian Australia investigation this week. Continue reading...

Local authorities deem UK arrivals to be children more than twice as often as border forces, Home Office data showsYoung asylum seekers in the UK are more than twice as likely to be assessed as adults by immigration officers than by social workers, according to home office data.Between July 2025 and March 2026, 4,320 initial age decisions made by immigration officials found just 1,363 new arrivals (32%) to be children. Continue reading...

Trump’s mass deportation campaign is accelerating the climate crisis. Plus, US students on why they booed their pro-AI graduation speakersGood morning.Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign has spurred at least an 80% increase in immigration flights year over year, accelerating the climate crisis by emitting massive amounts of carbon dioxide, according to data analysis shared exclusively with the Guardian.How much carbon is ICE emitting through deportation flights? US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) air operations pumped out an estimated 335,876 tonnes (37,0240 US tons) of carbon emissions in 2025, up 88% from the year before. The first four months of 2026 show the federal agency is on track to contribute even more to global heating this year from such flights, the Guardian can reveal.Why is Trump facing criticism from his own party over Iran? Loyalists are concerned over reports that billions of dollars in frozen assets could be made available to Tehran, with senior Republican saying the reported details of the peace deal appear too close to the nuclear deal negotiated in 2015 by the Obama administration, which Trump scrapped. Continue reading...

Trump campaign accelerating climate crisis as officials move migrants to detention jails and deport them from USUS immigration enforcement flights are producing hundreds of thousands of metric tonnes of climate-damaging carbon emissions as officials shuttle unprecedented numbers of people to detention centers far from home and deport them to countries across the world.Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign has spurred at least an 80% increase in such flights year over year, accelerating the climate crisis by emitting massive amounts of carbon dioxide, according to data analysis shared exclusively with the Guardian. Continue reading...

• Security failures at immigration detention centers managed by a prison multinational have been revealed, with warnings that current conditions are putting both staff and detainees at risk. • Concerns are rising over the emergence of "prediction markets," with experts fearing these platforms could trigger a new wave of gambling harm. • In sports, Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) have successfully secured their survival in their current competition.

Exclusive: prison multinational MTC uses a ‘minimalist staffing model’ that critics say is putting detainees and staff in serious dangerGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA series of catastrophic security failures involving the US private prison company running Australia’s immigration detention centres has allowed the escape of high-risk detainees, caused ill-equipped staff to be stabbed and hospitalised, and triggered multiple investigations, one of which warned its “minimalist staffing model” was putting workers and detainees at risk.Guardian Australia can reveal that in September 2025, just six months after Management and Training Corporation assumed control of onshore detention, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, was forced to haul in the company’s president from the US to dress him down in a secret face-to-face meeting.Seriously ill detainees are missing medical appointments because MTC lacks the staff to escort them to health centres, a situation that has infuriated the home affairs department.Two MTC staff members were admitted to hospital with smoke inhalation after trying to rescue an unconscious detainee from a fire. Investigators found MTC had not given the staff basic respiratory equipment and fire-response training six months after assuming control of the centre.More than 12 escapes or attempted escapes have occurred in the 14 months MTC has had control of the system. A significant number took place during transport and escort operations to hospitals, airports or detention centres.A child sexual abuse offender deemed high-risk escaped MTC custody during an escort to Sydney’s Bankstown hospital despite being handcuffed and supposedly under close watch.In September a detainee absconded by shimmying up a light pole next to a boundary fence at Brisbane immigration detention centre. His disappearance was not discovered for 12 hours.Late last year two detainees were able to flee a guarded MTC vehicle travelling less than 500m in Melbourne. One managed to evade capture for four days.The risk assessment system MTC uses to classify detainees is so broken that Comcare, the federal work safety regulator, has warned the home affairs department it is putting staff at serious risk of violence. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Greater Manchester understood to support home secretary’s push to limit legal and illegal migrationAndy Burnham is backing Shabana Mahmood’s controversial changes to the immigration system, his allies have said, in a blow to those in Labour who hope to soften them.The Greater Manchester mayor is understood to be keen to reframe the changes but supportive of the home secretary’s attempts to limit legal and illegal migration, which have been criticised by some senior Labour MPs as un-British and mimicking Trump. Continue reading...

US vice-president appeared to align with attendees of Tommy Robinson’s ‘unite the kingdom’ rally in LondonUS vice-president, JD Vance, has urged anti-immigration activists in the UK to “keep on going” after tens of thousands gathered for a rally in London.Vance appeared to align himself with those who attended a march on Saturday where the far-right activist Tommy Robinson told supporters to prepare for the “battle of Britain”. Continue reading...

Ruling blocks detentions at three federal courthouses except in rare cases amid protests over tacticsA federal judge in New York has banned US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting immigrants in or around three federal courthouses in lower Manhattan, where vigorous confrontations have played out since the start of Donald Trump’s second presidency.Under an order issued on Monday by P Kevin Castel, a US district judge, federal agents are no longer allowed to make arrests of immigrants except under exceptional circumstances at the sites where hearings are held before immigration judges. Continue reading...

‘We cannot continue to blame migrants for the problems of our economy,’ backbencher Andrew McLachlan says A Liberal senator has broken ranks to criticise Angus Taylor’s plan to bar non-citizens from accessing welfare, warning it will create “two types of members of the community” and is “not the Australian way”.The outspoken backbencher Andrew McLachlan said migrants should not be blamed for economic problems including the housing crisis, and warned his party’s immigration rhetoric was alienating diaspora communities. Continue reading...

Proposed IRS data sharing with immigration authorities and ICE raids have made filing risky for those who are undocumentedThe Trump administration’s immigration crackdown could cause the US to potentially lose up to $479bn in lost tax revenue over the the next 10 years, with enforcement deterring undocumented workers from filing their taxes this year, according to tax experts.Tax advisers say major changes, including proposed data sharing with immigration enforcement, have made filing taxes risky for undocumented immigrants. Tax benefits for immigrant parents have also been removed, further removing incentive to file taxes at all. Continue reading...

Exclusive: several Liberals say they now believe Pauline Hanson’s party was in control of the Liberal agendaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiberal MPs have expressed concern over Angus Taylor’s immigration policy, with one claiming the party’s soul is being “corroded by hate”.Several Liberal MPs have said they now believe Pauline Hanson’s party was in control of the Liberal agenda. Continue reading...

Officials of Social Circle, population 5,000, file lawsuit over plan to turn warehouse into 10,000-capacity facilityOfficials in the small Georgia town of Social Circle have filed a lawsuit against federal immigration agencies over plans for a huge immigration detention facility, arguing the project threatens to overburden local services and damage the environment.The complaint, filed on Wednesday in US district court for the middle district of Georgia, accuses US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of moving ahead with the project without completing mandatory environmental assessments. Continue reading...

• The Department of Homeland Security appointed a new acting director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, marking a leadership change during the administration's ongoing immigration policy overhaul. • The appointment comes as the administration pursues significant changes to immigration enforcement and detention practices, including closure of the 'Alligator Alcatraz' migrant detention center. • The move reflects broader reorganization at DHS as the agency implements new detention and deportation protocols.

State officials told vendors at the facility to prepare for a breakdown of the tented camp beginning next monthSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailAn alliance of environmental groups and immigration advocates has welcomed what looks to be the imminent closure of Alligator Alcatraz, the notorious immigration jail in the remote Florida Everglades celebrated by Donald Trump for its harsh conditions.State officials told vendors at the facility on Tuesday to prepare for a breakdown of the tented camp beginning next month, the New York Times reported, citing its ongoing cost. Continue reading...

Opposition leader to unveil plan to dramatically cut number of migrants in budget reply speech on ThursdayExplore all of our 2026 Australia federal budget coverageGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition will directly link Australia’s temporary immigration intake to the number of new homes built around the country, using housing completion figures as a hard ceiling for overseas arrivals.The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, will outline the plan to dramatically cut the number of migrants arriving into the country in his budget reply speech on Thursday night, while also promising a new $5bn housing infrastructure fund and a weakening of the national construction code to speed up building and reduce cost. Continue reading...

Rising cost of living such as high gas prices also a concern in election that will have record number of votersVoters in the Bahamas head to the polls on Tuesday in a hotly contested general election featuring high-profile candidates such as the former basketball champion Rick Fox.Voters in the Caribbean archipelago are divided over concerns about immigration, especially from neighbouring Haiti, and the rising cost of living, with significant spikes in gas prices caused by war in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Palestinian activist is awaiting another legal decision on a separate track in a narrowing effort to stay in the USSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA lawyer for Mahmoud Khalil, the first noncitizen activist arrested in the Trump administration crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech, called his client’s immigration proceedings “preordained and a complete sham” after it was revealed that the case was prioritized to be fast-tracked.“These revelations make clear that this case has been controlled from day one by higher-ups in the administration,” said Marc Van Der Hout, an attorney on Khalil’s legal team, in a statement. “The immigration judge was hand-picked and the Board of Immigration Appeals decision was predetermined. We will continue to fight for Mahmoud in every court we can.” Continue reading...

Judges have been fired or taken buyouts, and those remaining say they toe the government lineDavid Koelsch, a former immigration judge based in Maryland, was in Minneapolis visiting his mother and sister the day Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents. He drove to Nicollet Avenue, parked a few blocks away, and walked toward the scene.“I didn’t go there to protest. I didn’t bring a sign. I didn’t bring anything. I just went to stand and bear witness,” Koelsch said. Continue reading...

The Guardian wanted to know who, exactly, would be pulled into the mass-deportation dragnet of Trump’s second termDonald Trump entered his second term promising “mass deportations”. He also promised he’d target the “worst of the worst”. The Guardian wanted to know who, exactly, would be pulled into this deportation dragnet.That question led us to “Record of Deportable/Inadmissible Alien” forms, also known as I-213 forms. Immigration agents fill out these forms each time they make an arrest, alleging that the person is in the country without authorization. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) then uses these forms in court to prove that a person is in the country illegally. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Taskforce to mull options to cut level to 150,000-200,000, higher than One Nation’s hard 130,000 cap and Howard-era’s 100,000 targetGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition is planing to cut Australia’s annual net overseas immigration levels to 150,000-200,000, according to a confidential policy roadmap that reveals Angus Taylor is preparing to fight a possible early election.An internal document circulated to senior Coalition MPs details the key policies the opposition wants to build its election platform on, as it rebuilds from its catastrophic 2025 loss. Continue reading...

David Farley says net overseas migration of 306,000 ‘probably not’ too much despite party policy to cap migrants at 130,000 per yearFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce has blamed “the pressure of a campaign” for One Nation’s Farrer candidate contradicting party policy on immigration and appearing to endorse Labor’s current intake.The One Nation MP also claimed voters won’t worry about Gina Rinehart’s million-dollar donation of a private plane to Pauline Hanson’s party, claiming journalists were more interested than ordinary people in the lucrative gift from Rinehart’s company. Continue reading...

Buffalo’s Rohingya community pushes for NY state law to protect immigrants after Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s deathSince Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s death in February, the fear across Buffalo’s East Side has been palpable.Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, who spoke no English and had mental health issues, was dropped by federal immigration officers outside a closed coffee shop in the middle of a brutal winter. He had spent months in custody following a confusing encounter with local law enforcement, then was released – alone, in the cold – far from the Rohingya community hub where he might have found help. Days later, he died. Continue reading...

Booing by right-wing groups of Indigenous leaders giving speeches marred Anzac Day ceremonies for a second year runningGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn anti-immigration group asked followers how loud they would be booing welcome to country ceremonies at Anzac Day dawn services before multiple events were disrupted on Saturday. But the group has denied orchestrating a campaign, despite doubling down on its criticism of what it called “woke rituals”.Booing by right-wing groups of Indigenous elders giving welcome to country speeches marred Anzac Day ceremonies for a second year running, and sparked another public debate about their role at public events. Uncle Ray Minniecon, who served in the armed forces nd was booed while giving a welcome at Sydney’s dawn service, said the mocking was “unexpected and unnecessary, but it happens”. Continue reading...