On Thursday, January 21, 2021, the President issued his National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness. The 200-page document outlines new and future executive orders and steps the Administration intends to take regarding COVID-19. Of particular interest for the child welfare community will be actions on Goal Five: Safely reopen schools, businesses, and travel
CWLA has published its transition paper for the new Administration and new Congress. The report has been circulated with key staff over the past several weeks. It reflects a look forward to improving child welfare services and more broadly strengthening families across the country. This A Stronger Foundation for America’s Families reflects the collective wisdom, insights, and concerns
At the end of last month, President Donald J Trump signed into law a $908 billion relief package in the larger omnibus budget legislation. Still, the President-elect has indicated they would be seeking additional help for a country devastated by a pandemic that is trending toward more than 400,000 to over a half million fatalities
According to an October 7, 2020 report in the New York Times, an upcoming Inspector General (IG)’s report will show that top Justice Department Officials, in May 2018, including the Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, pressed local U.S. Attorneys to prosecute and separate families for prosecution no matter how young the
On Wednesday, September 16, 2020, several publications printed reports of immigrant detainee abuse at Homeland Security facilities including the possibility of unapproved hysterectomies on women being held at the facility. The reports and recent court actions highlight the difficulty many immigrant families are facing during the pandemic. Immigrants with proper documentation and status are being
On Monday, September 14, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled by a 2-1 margin in favor of the Trump Administration to strip legal immigration status from some 400,000 people, rendering them deportable if they do not voluntarily leave the country. The ruling deals specifically with Temporary Protected Status
On Wednesday, July 29, 2020, New York U.S. District Judge George Daniels blocked the Trump Administration's new "public charge" immigration restriction. The Judge's ruling was based on how the Administration's new rule prevents some immigrants access to critical COVID-19 services. Public charge is a test applied to immigrants who the government believes will rely
On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, the Trump Administration announced a plan to limit the use of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Faced with a rejection by the U.S. Supreme Court to end the program, they are now attempting to restrict it. The Tuesday announcement said they would reject any new applicants and limit
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights released report on family separation under the Trump Administration titled, Family Separation is Not Over. The report shared how even after the Zero Tolerance Policy ended, children have continued being separated from their parents. During the administration’s Zero Tolerance policy, the government separated nearly 4,500 children from their
On Thursday, June 18, 2020, by a vote of 5 to 4, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Trump Administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Court case joined cases that originated in New York, California, and Washington, D.C. The Court decision focused on how the Administration applied the
