Austin Kocher, PhD
@austinkocher.com
I study immigration enforcement. Assistant Professor at Syracuse University and Research Fellow at the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University. https://linktr.ee/austinkocher
At 17, Jose Barco was the youngest in his unit in Iraq. After a 2004 car bomb near Fallujah, he saved two fellow soldiers, suffering severe burns and earning a Purple Heart. Now he faces deportation.
Read more here: www.csmonitor.com/World/Americ...
Read more here: www.csmonitor.com/World/Americ...
Should a war hero be deported? The complex dilemma around one convicted vet.
When noncitizen veterans make bad choices after their time in the military, they serve prison sentences and then face deportation. Is that fair?
www.csmonitor.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:18 AM
At 17, Jose Barco was the youngest in his unit in Iraq. After a 2004 car bomb near Fallujah, he saved two fellow soldiers, suffering severe burns and earning a Purple Heart. Now he faces deportation.
Read more here: www.csmonitor.com/World/Americ...
Read more here: www.csmonitor.com/World/Americ...
A look at the agencies involved and how their complicated and often overlapping duties have evolved under the current administration’s deportation policy.
Learn more about it here: edition.cnn.com/2025/11/09/u...
Learn more about it here: edition.cnn.com/2025/11/09/u...
How federal agencies’ roles have shifted in Trump’s immigration battle | CNN
President Donald Trump’s vow to wage the biggest domestic deportation program in American history – expelling a million people a year – is one of his signature goals.
edition.cnn.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:09 AM
A look at the agencies involved and how their complicated and often overlapping duties have evolved under the current administration’s deportation policy.
Learn more about it here: edition.cnn.com/2025/11/09/u...
Learn more about it here: edition.cnn.com/2025/11/09/u...
The United States, once a stable source of income for Central Asians able to obtain a CDL, might no longer be a welcoming destination under the current administration.
Read more here: tribunecontentagency.com/article/the-...
Read more here: tribunecontentagency.com/article/the-...
The US Tightening of Commercial Driver’s License Regulations Hurts Central Asian Migrants - Tribune Content Agency
On September 26, the U.S. Department of Transportation made it significantly harder for non-U.S. citizens to obtain the driver’s license required for work in the country’s commercial long-haul…
tribunecontentagency.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:18 AM
The United States, once a stable source of income for Central Asians able to obtain a CDL, might no longer be a welcoming destination under the current administration.
Read more here: tribunecontentagency.com/article/the-...
Read more here: tribunecontentagency.com/article/the-...
Children were caught up in another ICE arrest in Chicago when an employee of the Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center was detained in front of her students on Wednesday as they were being dropped off.
Read more: time.com/7332405/ice-...
Read more: time.com/7332405/ice-...
Viral Videos Show Toddlers Caught Up in ICE Arrests
Children are increasingly coming into harm’s way as immigration agents step up aggressive arrests and raids across the country.
time.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Children were caught up in another ICE arrest in Chicago when an employee of the Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center was detained in front of her students on Wednesday as they were being dropped off.
Read more: time.com/7332405/ice-...
Read more: time.com/7332405/ice-...
Reposted by Austin Kocher, PhD
Why does U.S. govt steal the phones of deportees?
November 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Why does U.S. govt steal the phones of deportees?
Many people recently deported on flights told Capital & Main that the U.S. government had taken their phones, and they struggled with the little money that they had to find their way out of being stranded in a city they did not know.
Read more here: www.laprogressive.com/immigration-...
Read more here: www.laprogressive.com/immigration-...
www.laprogressive.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Many people recently deported on flights told Capital & Main that the U.S. government had taken their phones, and they struggled with the little money that they had to find their way out of being stranded in a city they did not know.
Read more here: www.laprogressive.com/immigration-...
Read more here: www.laprogressive.com/immigration-...
Members of the mainly Muslim Rohingya minority periodically flee predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, where they are seen as foreign interlopers from South Asia, denied citizenship, and subjected to abuse.
Read more about it here: www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...
Read more about it here: www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...
Eleven dead, hundreds missing after refugee boat sinks off Malaysian coast
Rescue operations under way to locate any survivors, with hundreds of Rohingya still missing.
www.aljazeera.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Members of the mainly Muslim Rohingya minority periodically flee predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, where they are seen as foreign interlopers from South Asia, denied citizenship, and subjected to abuse.
Read more about it here: www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...
Read more about it here: www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...
Is AI making us stupider? Maybe, according to one of the world’s biggest AI companies. The study found people who had higher confidence in AI generally displayed less critical thinking.
theconversation.com/is-ai-making...
theconversation.com/is-ai-making...
Is AI making us stupider? Maybe, according to one of the world’s biggest AI companies
But there are easy steps everybody can take to strengthen their critical thinking skills.
theconversation.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Is AI making us stupider? Maybe, according to one of the world’s biggest AI companies. The study found people who had higher confidence in AI generally displayed less critical thinking.
theconversation.com/is-ai-making...
theconversation.com/is-ai-making...
A federal magistrate is no longer accepting the excuse that the federal government shutdown should delay a lawsuit to stop construction of new walls along the southern border.
Read more about it here: azcapitoltimes.com/news/2025/11...
Read more about it here: azcapitoltimes.com/news/2025/11...
Judge rejects government shutdown delay in border wall lawsuit
Federal magistrate rejects delay of lawsuit to stop border wall construction, citing ongoing work and urging Homeland Security to file legal briefs.
azcapitoltimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:44 AM
A federal magistrate is no longer accepting the excuse that the federal government shutdown should delay a lawsuit to stop construction of new walls along the southern border.
Read more about it here: azcapitoltimes.com/news/2025/11...
Read more about it here: azcapitoltimes.com/news/2025/11...
A new report highlights the potential risks to Social Security and other programs that rely on payroll tax revenues. With America’s baby boomers retiring, the number of U.S.-born workers is expected to significantly decrease.
Read more about it here: www.fox28spokane.com/president-tr...
Read more about it here: www.fox28spokane.com/president-tr...
President Trump’s deportation plan could impact Washington’s economy | FOX 28 Spokane
WASHINGTON STATE – As President Donald Trump acts on his campaign promises to deport immigrants living without proper documentation, concerns are rising about the economic impact on vital programs…
www.fox28spokane.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:57 AM
A new report highlights the potential risks to Social Security and other programs that rely on payroll tax revenues. With America’s baby boomers retiring, the number of U.S.-born workers is expected to significantly decrease.
Read more about it here: www.fox28spokane.com/president-tr...
Read more about it here: www.fox28spokane.com/president-tr...
For the first time since early October, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested and detained an asylum-seeker on Thursday morning following a court hearing at San Francisco immigration court.
Read more about it here: missionlocal.org/2025/11/ice-...
Read more about it here: missionlocal.org/2025/11/ice-...
ICE arrests asylum-seeker at S.F. immigration court after weeks without detentions
After weeks without detentions, ICE arrested one asylum-seeker on Thursday morning at 630 Sansome St. immigration court.
missionlocal.org
November 10, 2025 at 6:09 AM
For the first time since early October, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested and detained an asylum-seeker on Thursday morning following a court hearing at San Francisco immigration court.
Read more about it here: missionlocal.org/2025/11/ice-...
Read more about it here: missionlocal.org/2025/11/ice-...
The ACLU of Nevada has filed a class-action lawsuit challenging a federal policy that denies bond hearings to immigrants who entered without inspection.
Read more about it here: hoodline.com/2025/11/aclu...
Read more about it here: hoodline.com/2025/11/aclu...
ACLU of Nevada Sues Federal Government Over Immigration Policy, Alleging Rights Violations in Las Vegas
ACLU of Nevada files lawsuit against a policy denying bond hearings to immigrants who entered without inspection.
hoodline.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:18 AM
The ACLU of Nevada has filed a class-action lawsuit challenging a federal policy that denies bond hearings to immigrants who entered without inspection.
Read more about it here: hoodline.com/2025/11/aclu...
Read more about it here: hoodline.com/2025/11/aclu...
Trump backs ICE raid tactics, says they 'haven't gone far enough'. Trump tells CBS News he believes 'many' of 25 million people need to be deported from the country.
Read More about it here: www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
Read More about it here: www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
Trump backs ICE raid tactics, says they 'haven't gone far enough'
President Donald Trump said he believes his immigration deportation goals will be achieved when around 25 million people are deported.
www.foxnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Trump backs ICE raid tactics, says they 'haven't gone far enough'. Trump tells CBS News he believes 'many' of 25 million people need to be deported from the country.
Read More about it here: www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
Read More about it here: www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
ICE and EOIR Data Cut Off During Government Shut Down Just as ‘Mass Detention’ Gets $45B Boost
ICE hasn’t produced crucial detention data in over 45 days despite continuing its aggressive enforcement rampage during the partial government shutdown.
austinkocher.substack.com/p/ice-and-eo...
ICE hasn’t produced crucial detention data in over 45 days despite continuing its aggressive enforcement rampage during the partial government shutdown.
austinkocher.substack.com/p/ice-and-eo...
ICE and EOIR Data Cut Off During Government Shut Down Just as ‘Mass Detention’ Gets $45B Boost
ICE hasn’t produced crucial detention data in over 45 days despite continuing its aggressive—and sometimes illegal—enforcement rampage during the partial government shutdown.
austinkocher.substack.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:28 PM
ICE and EOIR Data Cut Off During Government Shut Down Just as ‘Mass Detention’ Gets $45B Boost
ICE hasn’t produced crucial detention data in over 45 days despite continuing its aggressive enforcement rampage during the partial government shutdown.
austinkocher.substack.com/p/ice-and-eo...
ICE hasn’t produced crucial detention data in over 45 days despite continuing its aggressive enforcement rampage during the partial government shutdown.
austinkocher.substack.com/p/ice-and-eo...
"No. I think they haven't gone far enough because we've been held back by the – by the judges, by the liberal judges that were put in by Biden and by Obama," Trump replied.
Read more here: www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
Read more here: www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
Trump backs ICE raid tactics, says they 'haven't gone far enough'
President Donald Trump said he believes his immigration deportation goals will be achieved when around 25 million people are deported.
www.foxnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:03 PM
"No. I think they haven't gone far enough because we've been held back by the – by the judges, by the liberal judges that were put in by Biden and by Obama," Trump replied.
Read more here: www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
Read more here: www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...
ICE is being sued by survivors of human trafficking and domestic abuse, including Merlos, who was detained with her children and her 71-year-old mother, according to the complaint.
Read more at: www.sacbee.com/news/nation-...
Read more at: www.sacbee.com/news/nation-...
www.sacbee.com
November 9, 2025 at 9:44 AM
ICE is being sued by survivors of human trafficking and domestic abuse, including Merlos, who was detained with her children and her 71-year-old mother, according to the complaint.
Read more at: www.sacbee.com/news/nation-...
Read more at: www.sacbee.com/news/nation-...
Rob Medina, the mayor who also serves on the council, said: “We’re all overwhelmed by everything. This nation was founded on immigrants, We are all part of the very fabric of the flag, our banner, the United States of America.”
Read more here: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Read more here: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Florida politician faces backlash over calls for mass deportation of Indians
Chandler Langevin faced censure from Palm Bay council and calls to resign from series of posts condemned as ‘vile’
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Rob Medina, the mayor who also serves on the council, said: “We’re all overwhelmed by everything. This nation was founded on immigrants, We are all part of the very fabric of the flag, our banner, the United States of America.”
Read more here: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Read more here: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
“We do not need more policing, we do not need ICE, we do not need military in our communities to keep us safe,” Dana Vickers Shelley, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, said.
Read more: thetowerlight.com/protesters-d...
Read more: thetowerlight.com/protesters-d...
Protesters denounce Baltimore County, federal immigration authority agreement
By Morgan Lane, Staff Writer A group of protesters gathered in Towson Wednesday to protest an agreement between local and federal authorities about immigration enforcement. Some 100 people ra…
thetowerlight.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:25 PM
“We do not need more policing, we do not need ICE, we do not need military in our communities to keep us safe,” Dana Vickers Shelley, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, said.
Read more: thetowerlight.com/protesters-d...
Read more: thetowerlight.com/protesters-d...
Parents and local officials are outraged after two agents were filmed grabbing a preschool teacher in an ‘escalation’ of Trump’s immigration enforcement operations in the city
Read more about it here: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Read more about it here: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Video shows ICE agents grabbing childcare worker from inside Chicago preschool
Parents and local officials are outraged after two agents were filmed grabbing a preschool teacher in an ‘escalation’ of Trump’s immigration enforcement operations in the city
www.independent.co.uk
November 8, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Parents and local officials are outraged after two agents were filmed grabbing a preschool teacher in an ‘escalation’ of Trump’s immigration enforcement operations in the city
Read more about it here: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Read more about it here: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Important new report from Acacia -- "Dismantling Protections: How ORR Policy Changes Trap Children in Extended Detention." Children should not be detained in the first place, but under Trump they are being detained much longer.
acaciajustice.org/wp-content/u...
acaciajustice.org/wp-content/u...
November 8, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Important new report from Acacia -- "Dismantling Protections: How ORR Policy Changes Trap Children in Extended Detention." Children should not be detained in the first place, but under Trump they are being detained much longer.
acaciajustice.org/wp-content/u...
acaciajustice.org/wp-content/u...
From Greg Sargent: Trump Boat Bombings Worsen as New Horror Shakes Experts: “Alarm Bells” - Remember the Southern Command admiral who resigned two weeks ago? Hill Republicans haven’t heard from him—and they don’t apparently want to.
newrepublic.com/article/2025...
newrepublic.com/article/2025...
Trump Boat Bombings Worsen as New Horror Shakes Experts: “Alarm Bells”
Remember the Southern Command admiral who resigned two weeks ago? Hill Republicans haven’t heard from him—and they don’t apparently want to.
newrepublic.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:09 AM
From Greg Sargent: Trump Boat Bombings Worsen as New Horror Shakes Experts: “Alarm Bells” - Remember the Southern Command admiral who resigned two weeks ago? Hill Republicans haven’t heard from him—and they don’t apparently want to.
newrepublic.com/article/2025...
newrepublic.com/article/2025...
Bad sign for what could be coming to other FOIA offices: Dept of Energy issues notice that it will close pending FOIA requests UNLESS the requester affirmatively emails the agency to confirm interest. Absolutely unlawful. AO sued.
americanoversight.org/american-ove...
americanoversight.org/american-ove...
American Oversight Sues Trump Administration Over Unlawful Effort to Shut Down FOIA Requests - American Oversight
A new DOE policy burdens requesters by demanding proactive, duplicative confirmation of FOIA requests without notice.
americanoversight.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Bad sign for what could be coming to other FOIA offices: Dept of Energy issues notice that it will close pending FOIA requests UNLESS the requester affirmatively emails the agency to confirm interest. Absolutely unlawful. AO sued.
americanoversight.org/american-ove...
americanoversight.org/american-ove...
EOIR *still* has no general counsel. The agency is in charge of millions of active deportation cases. (ht Dan Kowalski for catching this)
www.justice.gov/eoir/office-...
www.justice.gov/eoir/office-...
November 7, 2025 at 4:05 PM
EOIR *still* has no general counsel. The agency is in charge of millions of active deportation cases. (ht Dan Kowalski for catching this)
www.justice.gov/eoir/office-...
www.justice.gov/eoir/office-...
This is why government transparency litigation matters. Democracy Forward Secures Public Release of Key Details Related to Scheme to Disappear People, “Black Site” Agreement Between the United States and El Salvador.
democracyforward.org/updates/us-s...
democracyforward.org/updates/us-s...
Democracy Forward Secures Public Release of Key Details Related to Scheme to Disappear People, “Black Site” Agreement Between the United States and El Salvador - Democracy Forward
BREAKING: Federal Court Blocks Trump-Vance Administration’s Attempt to Cut Off Food Assistance for 42 Million People in America →
democracyforward.org
November 7, 2025 at 1:32 PM
This is why government transparency litigation matters. Democracy Forward Secures Public Release of Key Details Related to Scheme to Disappear People, “Black Site” Agreement Between the United States and El Salvador.
democracyforward.org/updates/us-s...
democracyforward.org/updates/us-s...
Documents offer rare insight on Ice’s close relationship with Palantir. A cache of emails, training documents and reports sheds light on how Palantir helps ICE with investigations and on-the-ground enforcement.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
Documents offer rare insight on Ice’s close relationship with Palantir
For years, little was known about the multibillion-dollar company that handles data for the US immigration enforcement agency. Now, a cache of emails, training documents and reports sheds light on…
www.theguardian.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Documents offer rare insight on Ice’s close relationship with Palantir. A cache of emails, training documents and reports sheds light on how Palantir helps ICE with investigations and on-the-ground enforcement.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...