Insights from Bush Institute immigration expert Laura Collins
The devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country on July 4 are still fresh in our minds. We are grateful to those who are assisting in the recovery, and we continue to keep the grieving families in our thoughts and prayers. For those looking to support relief efforts, The Dallas Morning News has compiled a list of ways you can help.
Figure of the Month
$45 billion
That’s the historic sum Congress allocated for immigration detention over the next four years – more than the last three presidential administrations spent combined, according to The Washington Post.
Data Dive
- Immigration arrests have more than doubled in 38 states, averaging 666 per day nationwide – up from fewer than 300 daily in 2024, according to a report published by The New York Times in late June.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduran and Nicaraguan citizens, removing legal status from nearly 52,000 Hondurans and 3,000 Nicaraguans.
- FWD.us estimates that current and proposed immigration policies could cost American families an additional $2,150 per year on everyday goods and services due to a reduction in the foreign-born workforce and restricting future legal immigration. The steepest price increases would occur in industries heavily dependent on immigrant labor, particularly food (14.5%) and housing (6.1%).
What I’m Reading
- The Department of Labor announced a new Office of Immigration Policy, designed to streamline its role in approving temporary worker visas. The department will work with employers and coordinate with other federal agencies. Ensuring American employers have the workers they need is a good thing, but executive action like this can only go so far. This program doesn’t create a new worker visa or provide additional worker visas, as only Congress can do that.
- The Bush Institute believes America benefits from immigration, and a new Gallop poll shows Americans agree. A record high of 79% of American adults polled said immigration is good for America.
- A federal judge granted a request to certify a nationwide class in the lawsuit over the executive order targeting birthright citizenship.
- NBC News reports that while the arrest and detention of immigrants continues to be very high, actual removals remain slower than the administration planned. ICE detention facilities are subsequently over capacity.
- A grandmother was arrested by ICE. She was released after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise intervened on her behalf.
- Texas Monthly tells the story of Nika Reinecke and her family, Iranian immigrants who have lived in North Texas since the late 1970s. The family was set to reunite with relatives they hadn’t seen in decades – welcome news given the conflict between Iran and Israel. A new travel ban abruptly halted their plans. “With the anxiety of war as the backdrop, reality settled in for Reinecke. `I’m just so sad,’ she told me. `This is someone who waited, went through all the legal processes, followed every rule – and the door was shut in their face,’ she said.”
- The Carnegie Corporation of New York, a supporter of the Bush Institute’s work, announced its annual Great Immigrants, Great Americans list.
Bush Institute Insights
- June marked Immigrant Heritage Month, an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the essential contributions immigrants make to our nation. Immigrants are not only vital drivers of our economy – launching businesses and powering essential sectors such as health care and agriculture – but they also enrich American culture through food, art, sports, and fashion. But they can continue to do so only through a reformed immigration system that meets the needs of a 21st century economy. They deserve it, and America does too.
- Caroline Bergonia, accounting and finance manager at the Bush Center, shared the inspiring story of her grandfather who fled Cuba with his family in the 1960s and ultimately settled in Dallas. Caroline’s grandfather went on to become a pillar of his community and a proud U.S. citizen, a responsibility he upheld by championing the American values of freedom, equal opportunity, and human dignity.
- We are delighted to welcome Theresa Brown as a Fellow for immigration at the Bush Institute. Theresa has extensive experience in immigration and homeland security, from senior roles at DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to policy leadership at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She brings invaluable expertise and a respected voice to our work. I’ve gotten to know Theresa well over the course of my career in immigration policy, and I’m so excited to work more closely with her to advance thoughtful immigration solutions.
