Immigration
DACA
- Statement by U.S. Conference of Mayors on Fifth Circuit Ruling on DACA, October 6, 2022
- U.S. Conference of Mayors Joins Supreme Court Amicus Brief in United States v. Texas in Support of the United States, September 19, 2022 (brief attached)
- Statement by The U.S. Conference of Mayors on the Issuance of Final DACA Regulations, August 25, 2022
- USCM Celebrates DACA on its 10th Anniversary, June 15, 2022
- Following U.S. District Court Decision Against DACA, Nation’s Mayors Urge Congress to Take Immediate Action to Protect Dreamers, August 3, 2021
Other Immigration Issues
- U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting, Immigration Discussion, January 19, 2022, Video: Speakers included Chris Magnus, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, United States Department of Homeland Security; Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, The Ambassador of Mexico to the United States; and Jen Smyers, Chief of Staff, Office of Refugee Resettlement, United States Department of Health and Human Services.
- USCM Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration Immigration Conditions on DOJ Grants Settled, November 19, 2021
- On July 16, 2018, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the City of Evanston filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions “to stop the federal government’s aggressive and escalating effort to force cities into becoming the deportation arm of the federal government.” Our case, handled by pro bono attorneys at Chicago-based Tabet DiVito & Rothstein LLC (“TDR”), challenged the immigration-related conditions that the Department of Justice imposed on receipt of Byrne JAG public safety grants. We filed the lawsuit at the request of the City of Chicago, which along with several other cities filed their own suits, and to carry out the Conference’s adopted policy.
- At every instance in the legal process that followed our case was successful and as a result, Conference of Mayors members were able to continue to receive Byrne JAG funding without having to comply with the immigration-related conditions.
- Upon taking office, President Biden revoked the Executive Order that established the policies behind the immigration-related conditions, and Justice Department lawyers began to settle the pending lawsuits, including ours. On November 19 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit dismissed the Justice Department’s merits’ appeal, and our case was settled. In addition, the Justice Department reimbursed our attorneys for a portion of the time they spent defending us. We are very grateful to our attorneys, TDR partners Brian Hausmann and Kate O’Brien, for the incredible work they did on behalf of America’s mayors and their cities.
- READOUT: American Mayors Convene with Administration Officials to Discuss Shared Immigration Priorities, March 19, 2021|
- Mayors Send Letter to Congress in Support of H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, March 17, 2021
- Mayors Applaud President Biden’s Executive Orders to Reunify Families Separated at the Border and Establish a Safe, Lawful Immigration System, February 2, 2021
- U.S. Mayors Applaud President Biden’s Day One Action on DACA, Other Immigration Provisions, January 20, 2021
- Fix Our Broken Immigration System, The Mayors’ 2020 Vision: An American Breakthrough, August 16, 2020
Latest News
Bipartisan Group of American Mayors Urges Congressional Leaders to Act on DACA
Washington, DC – A bipartisan group of mayors and U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran have sent a letter to Congressional leaders, calling on them to provide permanent legal status
Statement by U.S. Conference of Mayors on Fifth Circuit Ruling on DACA
Washington, DC—Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a lower court decision that found the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program unlawful. On a bipartisan basis, the U.S. Conference of
Statement by The U.S. Conference of Mayors on the Issuance of Final DACA Regulations
Washington, D.C. – Yesterday the Department of Homeland Security announced a final regulation on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which will be published Tuesday and take effect October 31, 2022. The U.S. Conference of Mayors
Following U.S. District Court Decision Against DACA, Nation’s Mayors Urge Congress to Take Immediate Action to Protect Dreamers
179 Bipartisan Mayors Sign Letter Calling on Congressional Leadership to Provide a Permanent Path to Citizenship for all Dreamers Washington, DC— In a letter, the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is calling on Congress
READOUT: American Mayors Convene with Administration Officials to Discuss Shared Immigration Priorities
Washington, DC—Yesterday, a bipartisan delegation of border mayors, representing the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM), met virtually with officials from the U.S Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to