Julia Gelatt
@juliagelatt.bsky.social
Associate Director, US Immigration Policy, Migration Policy Institute. Former Urban Institute. PhD Sociology/Social Policy. Avid data user.
This is why many argue for graduated penalties for immigration violations, with the penalty tailored to the severity of the violation. Under current U.S. law, it's often deportation or nothing.
The Brazilian federal police detained me for an hour as I had once overstayed a visa by accident for two weeks.
After giving me a lecture on immigration policies, they released me.
If I had been a Brazilian in the United States, I'd be in jail.
paydayreport.com/brazilian-fe...
After giving me a lecture on immigration policies, they released me.
If I had been a Brazilian in the United States, I'd be in jail.
paydayreport.com/brazilian-fe...
Brazilian Federal Police Detain Melk, But Release Him After Lecture on Immigration Policies
The Brazilian federal police officer immediately started joking with me, “What do you think, we were gonna throw you in jail? We’re not ICE, we’re Brazilians.”
paydayreport.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:43 PM
This is why many argue for graduated penalties for immigration violations, with the penalty tailored to the severity of the violation. Under current U.S. law, it's often deportation or nothing.
Reposted by Julia Gelatt
In a @kff.org survey from fall '25, nearly half of likely undocumented immigrant adults, and one in seven who are lawfully present, said they had avoided medical care since January '25 due to immigration-related concerns -- recent increases in ICE presence could further exacerbate these challenges
February 3, 2026 at 4:10 PM
In a @kff.org survey from fall '25, nearly half of likely undocumented immigrant adults, and one in seven who are lawfully present, said they had avoided medical care since January '25 due to immigration-related concerns -- recent increases in ICE presence could further exacerbate these challenges
Haitian TPS holders had to wait all day to learn if they would still have protections and work authorization as of tomorrow. This decision keeps their TPS in place for now. Almost guaranteed that the administration will appeal.
Haiti’s TPS continues for now!!!!! And zowie: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.283214/gov.uscourts.dcd.283214.124.0_1.pdf
February 3, 2026 at 1:22 AM
Haitian TPS holders had to wait all day to learn if they would still have protections and work authorization as of tomorrow. This decision keeps their TPS in place for now. Almost guaranteed that the administration will appeal.
Reposted by Julia Gelatt
BREAKING: We're challenging the Trump administration’s sweeping suspension of immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries.
This discriminatory, nationality-based ban on legal immigration strips families and working people of the process guaranteed by law.
This discriminatory, nationality-based ban on legal immigration strips families and working people of the process guaranteed by law.
Breaking News: A group sued Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department, asking a judge to block a ban on 75 countries, saying the Trump administration tried to “eviscerate decades of settled immigration law.”
Trump Administration Sued Over Ban on Immigration From 75 Countries
The Trump administration says these immigrants take welfare intended for Americans, which the lawsuit says is an “unsupported and demonstrably false claim.”
nyti.ms
February 2, 2026 at 4:50 PM
BREAKING: We're challenging the Trump administration’s sweeping suspension of immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries.
This discriminatory, nationality-based ban on legal immigration strips families and working people of the process guaranteed by law.
This discriminatory, nationality-based ban on legal immigration strips families and working people of the process guaranteed by law.
Essential context for discussions about the future of immigration: If the country loses immigrants, on net, this year or next, the U.S. population will begin to shrink for the first time in the nation's history. (1918 may have been an exception.) Gift link below
The US Is Flirting With Its First-Ever Population Decline
America’s population wasn’t expected to start falling until 2081. Trump’s immigration crackdown means it could happen as soon as this year.
www.bloomberg.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Essential context for discussions about the future of immigration: If the country loses immigrants, on net, this year or next, the U.S. population will begin to shrink for the first time in the nation's history. (1918 may have been an exception.) Gift link below
2017 research showed high-profile immigration enforcement actions can increase low-birthweight births. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28115577/ Just one of the ways that indiscriminate enforcement tactics leave indelible effects on children's well-being. For more, see my colleague Valerie Lacarte's piece
January 30, 2026 at 8:01 PM
2017 research showed high-profile immigration enforcement actions can increase low-birthweight births. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28115577/ Just one of the ways that indiscriminate enforcement tactics leave indelible effects on children's well-being. For more, see my colleague Valerie Lacarte's piece
FWIW, immigrants who are not "lawfully present" are already barred from purchasing insurance through ACA exchanges, even at full cost, as well as being barred from subsidies for ACA insurance premiums.
News - Moreno makes ACA subsidy offer to Dems
-1 year extension of credits w option to convert to HSA after
- bars “individuals not lawfully present”
- minimum $5 monthly payments on plans
- extends open enrollment to March 31
-penalties on fraud
- CSRs
- Hyde audits
www.semafor.com/article/01/2...
-1 year extension of credits w option to convert to HSA after
- bars “individuals not lawfully present”
- minimum $5 monthly payments on plans
- extends open enrollment to March 31
-penalties on fraud
- CSRs
- Hyde audits
www.semafor.com/article/01/2...
Exclusive: Moreno makes final health care offer to Democrats
The Ohio Republican is pitching a one-year extension of enhanced premium tax credits that expired last year, with some limits.
www.semafor.com
January 28, 2026 at 8:07 PM
FWIW, immigrants who are not "lawfully present" are already barred from purchasing insurance through ACA exchanges, even at full cost, as well as being barred from subsidies for ACA insurance premiums.
Do any taxpayers think this is a good use of their money? Arresting vetted refugees with no criminal record who have applied for green cards, flying them to TX, putting them in ICE detention, interviewing them, and releasing them with an approved green card?? Why? www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/u...
They ‘Had Done Everything Right.’ ICE Detained Them Anyway.
www.nytimes.com
January 27, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Do any taxpayers think this is a good use of their money? Arresting vetted refugees with no criminal record who have applied for green cards, flying them to TX, putting them in ICE detention, interviewing them, and releasing them with an approved green card?? Why? www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/u...
Reposted by Julia Gelatt
An emerging patchwork of Trump visa policies is blocking entry for students, immigrant talent, and family of American citizens. It's the flipside of a mass deportation campaign in the US interior that's using any available tool to restrict new immigrants or foreign visitors.
Trump’s ‘Maximum Chaos’ in Immigration Leaves Employers Hanging
Employers are struggling to navigate an evolving patchwork of unpredictable Trump administration policies disrupting entry to the US from nearly 100 countries.
news.bloomberglaw.com
January 23, 2026 at 8:41 PM
An emerging patchwork of Trump visa policies is blocking entry for students, immigrant talent, and family of American citizens. It's the flipside of a mass deportation campaign in the US interior that's using any available tool to restrict new immigrants or foreign visitors.
With news of ICE's focus on Maine, recommending my colleagues @colleenputzelkav.bsky.social & Valerie Lacarte's profile of ME's small immigrant population. ME's immigrants are a mix of long-settled, well-integrated folks, and newcomers from diverse origins, bolstering the workforce of an aging state
www.migrationpolicy.org
January 22, 2026 at 4:32 PM
With news of ICE's focus on Maine, recommending my colleagues @colleenputzelkav.bsky.social & Valerie Lacarte's profile of ME's small immigrant population. ME's immigrants are a mix of long-settled, well-integrated folks, and newcomers from diverse origins, bolstering the workforce of an aging state
Reposted by Julia Gelatt
If you missed our @migrationpolicy.bsky.social webinar yesterday on Trump's immigration policies, check out the recording here:
@nickmiroff.bsky.social talked about the administration challenging the value of immigration & the role of immigrants in our society
@nickmiroff.bsky.social talked about the administration challenging the value of immigration & the role of immigrants in our society
Beyond “Shock and Awe”: Immigration Actions in the First Year under Trump 2.0
MPI analysts assess the immigration actions taken during President Trump's first year back in office, detail the legal state of play, and analyze the actual effects on the labor market, U.S. communiti...
www.migrationpolicy.org
January 14, 2026 at 7:37 PM
If you missed our @migrationpolicy.bsky.social webinar yesterday on Trump's immigration policies, check out the recording here:
@nickmiroff.bsky.social talked about the administration challenging the value of immigration & the role of immigrants in our society
@nickmiroff.bsky.social talked about the administration challenging the value of immigration & the role of immigrants in our society
Reposted by Julia Gelatt
TOMORROW: Beyond Shock & Awe: Immigration Actions in the 1st year under Trump 2.0
Join @kathleenbush.bsky.social & @migrationpolicy.bsky.social colleagues Muz Chisti and Doris Meissner as we unravel the sweeping changes to immigration policy this last year
www.migrationpolicy.org/events/immig...
Join @kathleenbush.bsky.social & @migrationpolicy.bsky.social colleagues Muz Chisti and Doris Meissner as we unravel the sweeping changes to immigration policy this last year
www.migrationpolicy.org/events/immig...
Beyond “Shock and Awe”: Immigration Actions in the First Year under Trump 2.0
MPI analysts assess the immigration actions taken during President Trump's first year back in office, detail the legal state of play, and analyze the actual effects on the labor market, U.S. communiti...
www.migrationpolicy.org
January 12, 2026 at 2:26 PM
TOMORROW: Beyond Shock & Awe: Immigration Actions in the 1st year under Trump 2.0
Join @kathleenbush.bsky.social & @migrationpolicy.bsky.social colleagues Muz Chisti and Doris Meissner as we unravel the sweeping changes to immigration policy this last year
www.migrationpolicy.org/events/immig...
Join @kathleenbush.bsky.social & @migrationpolicy.bsky.social colleagues Muz Chisti and Doris Meissner as we unravel the sweeping changes to immigration policy this last year
www.migrationpolicy.org/events/immig...
As the US government expands it's travel ban, USCIS is also expanding its pause on immigration applications and its re-review of green cards, asylum, citizenship, and other benefits it granted since 2021. Applications from all 39 countries are now subject to the pause and re-review.
DHS pauses immigration applications for an additional 20 countries
The Department of Homeland Security is pausing immigration applications from 20 additional countries following increased scrutiny on people who seek legal pathways for immigrating to the U.S.
www.npr.org
January 5, 2026 at 2:30 PM
As the US government expands it's travel ban, USCIS is also expanding its pause on immigration applications and its re-review of green cards, asylum, citizenship, and other benefits it granted since 2021. Applications from all 39 countries are now subject to the pause and re-review.
Reposted by Julia Gelatt
The Trump admin says it aims to file 100-200 denaturalization cases per month, a huge increase. But these cases are hard to file and win, and require a lot of DOJ resources, and the DOJ is incredibly stretched thin already. So we’ll see; I have serious doubts about their ability to do this.
What this will mean, in practice, that if you are deemed an enemy of the administration, they will pore through your citizenship application paperwork looking for some reason to retroactively disqualify you.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/u...
Trump Administration Aims to Strip More Foreign-Born Americans of Citizenship
www.nytimes.com
December 17, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The Trump admin says it aims to file 100-200 denaturalization cases per month, a huge increase. But these cases are hard to file and win, and require a lot of DOJ resources, and the DOJ is incredibly stretched thin already. So we’ll see; I have serious doubts about their ability to do this.
USCIS said yesterday they're shortening the validity period for work permits for asylum & green card applicants + others from 5 yrs to 18 months. Combined with USCIS' slowing processing, & the end of auto-extensions while people renew, this will cause MANY people to churn in & out of the workforce.
USCIS Increases Screening, Vetting of Aliens Working in U.S. | USCIS
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated its Policy Manual to reduce the maximum validity period for Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for certain categories of aliens.
www.uscis.gov
December 5, 2025 at 3:16 PM
USCIS said yesterday they're shortening the validity period for work permits for asylum & green card applicants + others from 5 yrs to 18 months. Combined with USCIS' slowing processing, & the end of auto-extensions while people renew, this will cause MANY people to churn in & out of the workforce.
Heads up: Right before Thanksgiving, a proposed regulation to restrict asylum applicants' access to work authorization cleared a key government review step. That means we could see a proposed regulatory change soon. But no details yet on what it might do. (1/2)
December 3, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Heads up: Right before Thanksgiving, a proposed regulation to restrict asylum applicants' access to work authorization cleared a key government review step. That means we could see a proposed regulatory change soon. But no details yet on what it might do. (1/2)
USCIS published a policy memo declaring (1) a pause on all affirmative asylum decisions, (2) a pause on all applications (green card, citizenship, change of visa, etc) for the 19 travel ban countries, and (3) a re-review of all benefits granted to people from the 19 countries who came since 1/20/21
www.uscis.gov
December 3, 2025 at 1:00 AM
USCIS published a policy memo declaring (1) a pause on all affirmative asylum decisions, (2) a pause on all applications (green card, citizenship, change of visa, etc) for the 19 travel ban countries, and (3) a re-review of all benefits granted to people from the 19 countries who came since 1/20/21
Reposted by Julia Gelatt
The Trump admin has paused all immigration and naturalization processes for people from one of the 19 travel ban countries; including Cuba and Venezuela.
Even people who fully passed the citizenship exam are having their cases put on hold, just inches from the finish line.
Even people who fully passed the citizenship exam are having their cases put on hold, just inches from the finish line.
Scoop: The Trump administration has paused all immigration applications filed by people from 19 countries banned from travel to the United States earlier this year, halting green card and U.S. citizenship processing for broad swaths of people.
More coming soon.
More coming soon.
December 2, 2025 at 9:19 PM
The Trump admin has paused all immigration and naturalization processes for people from one of the 19 travel ban countries; including Cuba and Venezuela.
Even people who fully passed the citizenship exam are having their cases put on hold, just inches from the finish line.
Even people who fully passed the citizenship exam are having their cases put on hold, just inches from the finish line.
Belatedly noticing that the State Dept. updated its refugee resettlement data through October. In February-October 2025, the US resettled just 506 refugees(!) 342 of those (2/3) were South Africans. www.rpc.state.gov/admissions-a...
December 2, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Belatedly noticing that the State Dept. updated its refugee resettlement data through October. In February-October 2025, the US resettled just 506 refugees(!) 342 of those (2/3) were South Africans. www.rpc.state.gov/admissions-a...
Great piece on how immigration and Medicaid policies are making aging care —already tough work —even tougher. Gift link. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/o...
Opinion | The People Holding Everyone Together Are Coming Apart
www.nytimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Great piece on how immigration and Medicaid policies are making aging care —already tough work —even tougher. Gift link. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/o...
Reposted by Julia Gelatt
@kff.org analysis finds that almost half of noncitizen adults living in the U.S. have one of the health conditions that may be grounds for visa denial based on new State Dept. guidance. The analysis also finds that noncitizens are much less likely than U.S. citizens to have one of these conditions.
November 25, 2025 at 5:02 PM
@kff.org analysis finds that almost half of noncitizen adults living in the U.S. have one of the health conditions that may be grounds for visa denial based on new State Dept. guidance. The analysis also finds that noncitizens are much less likely than U.S. citizens to have one of these conditions.
Before this ruling, the Trump admin had said that anyone who originally crossed the border without authorization was to be held in immigrant detention without the chance for release on bond. This had left lawyers scrambling to file habeas petitions for their detained clients.
New: A federal judge in California ruled that Trump's administration cannot impose mandatory detention on thousands of migrants held by U.S. immigration authorities nationally without first giving them an opportunity to seek release on bond. www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
www.reuters.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Before this ruling, the Trump admin had said that anyone who originally crossed the border without authorization was to be held in immigrant detention without the chance for release on bond. This had left lawyers scrambling to file habeas petitions for their detained clients.
Reposted by Julia Gelatt
Yo DC peoples:
Did you love the City Paper?
Did you subscribe to DCist?
Wanna get more of that in your life?
Subscribe to @51st.news!
5 stars. Do recommend.
Link: 51st.news/membership/?...
Did you love the City Paper?
Did you subscribe to DCist?
Wanna get more of that in your life?
Subscribe to @51st.news!
5 stars. Do recommend.
Link: 51st.news/membership/?...
Join The 51st
The 51st is a worker-led nonprofit news source for D.C. Our reporting is rooted in our conviction that local journalism is meant to make people’s lives better — no paywalls, ever. But that's only poss...
51st.news
November 25, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Yo DC peoples:
Did you love the City Paper?
Did you subscribe to DCist?
Wanna get more of that in your life?
Subscribe to @51st.news!
5 stars. Do recommend.
Link: 51st.news/membership/?...
Did you love the City Paper?
Did you subscribe to DCist?
Wanna get more of that in your life?
Subscribe to @51st.news!
5 stars. Do recommend.
Link: 51st.news/membership/?...
Reposted by Julia Gelatt
NEW: Since the start of this year, more than 600 immigrant children have been placed in government shelters by ICE.
That number, which has not been previously reported, is the highest since recordkeeping began a decade ago.
That number, which has not been previously reported, is the highest since recordkeeping began a decade ago.
ICE Sent 600 Immigrant Kids to Detention in Federal Shelters This Year. It’s a New Record.
Under a zero tolerance policy, the first Trump administration separated immigrant children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border. New data suggests separations are happening all over the count...
www.propublica.org
November 24, 2025 at 6:08 PM
NEW: Since the start of this year, more than 600 immigrant children have been placed in government shelters by ICE.
That number, which has not been previously reported, is the highest since recordkeeping began a decade ago.
That number, which has not been previously reported, is the highest since recordkeeping began a decade ago.
Reposted by Julia Gelatt
Trump Admin planning a rule to re-decide whether *every* refugee who entered under Biden meets their criteria for a refugee. That’s 230,000 people! And no appeals!
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Trump Admin planning a rule to re-decide whether *every* refugee who entered under Biden meets their criteria for a refugee. That’s 230,000 people! And no appeals!
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...