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Bardella-Farage immigration deal faces backlash across French political spectrum
The agreement was blasted as a capitulation to British interests by much of the political class in France.
Will the Trump administration send federal officers or troops to the polls? Here’s what we know
With less than two months to go until this year’s midterm elections, Democrats are becoming increasingly unnerved about the possibility of President Donald Trump deploying federal immigration officers or troops to polling places.
Doubts damp demand for business courses in the ‘Anglosphere’
Immigration policies, inflation and uncertain job markets have reduced appetite for study in the UK, US and Canada
ICE raids spark division in Indianapolis as federal policies change
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents launched a series of raids across Indianapolis, sparking intense political debate between local leaders who condemned the actions as cruel and federal supporters who defended them as a constitutional responsibility.
Power & Politics: Immigration arrests; Trump administration targets CT for 'criminal voter fraud surge'
Susan Cockfield, of Stamford-Norwalk United With Immigrants, Juliana Soares, of Danbury Unites for Immigrants, and Dr. Mohammaad Elahee, of Quinnipiac University, join the show this week.
Power & Politics: Immigration arrests; Trump administration targets CT for 'criminal voter fraud surge'
Susan Cockfield, of Stamford-Norwalk United With Immigrants, Juliana Soares, of Danbury Unites for Immigrants, and Dr. Mohammaad Elahee, of Quinnipiac University, join the show this week.
Critical Public Health: Fiscal Reform Under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and It’s Public Health Implications
The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ is framed by its proponents as the largest middle-class tax cut in U.S. history and a catalyst for economic growth. Yet, beneath the marketing of ‘jobs, tax cuts, and American prosperity’, the legislation conceals sweeping rollbacks of Medicaid, food assistance, education, reproductive care, and expanded immigration enforcement, alongside tax windfalls for venture capital and immigration enforcement.
TN Politics: Will Memphis leaders take tougher stance against federal agencies?
The National Guard and ICE are operating in legal gray areas with little to no accountability. Otis Sanford says its time for mayors to speak out.
Medicaid changes to restrict Husky Health eligibility for non-citizens based on immigration status
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — New federal rules will restrict Medicaid eligibility for certain Connecticut residents who are not United States citizens starting Oct. 1. The Connecticut Department of Soc…
D.C. area nurses join nationwide protests over sharing of health data with Palantir
Registered nurses in D.C. and other cities nationwide protested the company Palantir last week, arguing the firm's technology is helping ICE track down immigrants using Medicaid records. Court filings show ICE shared Medicaid data with Palantir even after a federal judge limited what information could be passed to immigration officials.
Immigration activity is taking a toll on children’s health, doctors say
Many healthcare providers report that since January 2025, they’ve seen a surge in missed pediatric appointments, delayed preventive care, and sick or injured kids going without treatment. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests have continued to climb — with a record 51,000 arrests in July — and experts predict continued unhealthy outcomes among children, causing collateral damage that could extend for years.
Osborn, Ricketts spar on health care, immigration, beef imports at Nebraska State Fair
Candidates questioned on Medicaid, ICE funding and foreign beef imports.
All ICE agents in the field expected to have body cameras by the end of September, Mullin says
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the field are expected to have body cameras by the end of September, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said at a press conference in New York Tuesday.
9/11 and Immigration: Twenty-Five Years of Lessons and Unfinished Business
The Center for Immigration Studies will convene a panel discussing the role immigration and border security played in the attacks, the major policy changes that followed, and the national-security challenges that remain.
Former detainees with medical conditions detail fear of getting tuberculosis in Colorado ICE facility
Colorado health officials have sued to get more access to information around a confirmed tuberculosis case at the Aurora Immigration Processing Center.
Local nurses protest against company that works with ICE
National Nurses United organized a protest against Palantir, a software company associated with immigration enforcement
The Politics Hour: Maryland redistricting in limbo and reactions to accusations of ICE agent brutality
WAMU's Jenny Abamu on what's next in the Maryland redistricting fight, Arlington County's Maureen Coffey on increased federal immigration enforcement, and Prince George's County's Krystal Oriadha discusses the latest with the FBI Headquarters' move to Greenbelt.
Trump administration plans to target business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 asylum seekers
It is the latest crackdown by an administration that has pushed for restrictive immigration policies.
Fentanyl investigations and seizures dropped during Trump’s immigration crackdown, federal watchdog says
The Department of Homeland Security’s decision last year to pull additional federal agents for immigration enforcement resulted in a dramatic drop in fentanyl investigations and seizures by the department’s investigations division, according to a federal watchdog report.
Report: Jared Kushner and Democratic leader Jeffries meet with House control at stake in November
The meeting, first reported Sunday by The New York Times, touched on issues ranging from housing, immigration to the high costs of living.
Federal judge vacates Trump policy that suspended processing of immigration visas from 75 countries
The judge ruled that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his authority by issuing the policy, which “runs afoul” of the Immigration and Nationality Act by mandating "the refusal of visas to eligible applicants without any basis in law.”
Trump fatigue and immigration crackdowns test Republican hold on Miami-Dade
A recent poll of Hispanic voters in Florida shows that Trump’s popularity has waned over the past two years.
Immigration policies put stress on the health care of immigrants; new study finds their doctors feel it too.
Despite the challenges, physicians and health systems adapted to support patients and staff, which has helped .
State health department asks judge to force GEO Group to allow a TB investigation while lawsuit moves ahead
A judge in anther case ruled in GEO’s favor over part of new Colorado law on detention facilities.
Healthcare Access Out of Reach for Many Older, Noncitizen Immigrants | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Federal policies will narrow options for many who already report lacking insurance, access to care, and concerns about paying medical bills.
Protecting Science from Government Intimidation
In an era where people can easily publish ideas and find an audience online, how much damage can a travel and immigration policy actually do to the integrity of science and industry? Lots.
State health inspections of ICE detention facilities halted by Legislature
The Masuma Khan Justice Act would have allowed the California Department of Public Health to conduct inspections of detention facilities.
Democrats disagree over abolishing or reforming ICE at DNC meeting
Democrats have approved dueling messages on immigration enforcement, disagreeing on whether ICE should be abolished or reformed.
Democrats disagree over abolishing or reforming ICE at DNC meeting
Democrats have approved dueling messages on immigration enforcement, disagreeing on whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be abolished or reformed.
Collins vows to push for ICE reforms
In recent weeks, Democrats and Democrat-aligned groups have been critical of Collins, a Republican running for her sixth term, for supporting increased funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Beshear criticizes plan giving ICE officers Kentucky-made electric shock gloves
Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., says the gloves, which are made in Kentucky, would be going onto the wrong hands if they are used by federal immigration officers
Trump’s immigration crackdown is killing small business as patrons avoid ICE deployments
Angelenos stopped going out in places where ICE was in their city, and small businesses lost millions in revenue. Experts warn that it’s a national trend.
Opinion: Cleveland’s enrollment cliff is becoming a talent cliff
"Demography created the enrollment cliff. Immigration policy should not turn it into a talent cliff," attorney Richard T. Herman writes.
Nigel Farage beats Count Binface to win back seat in Parliament in widely mocked election
Farage, leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party who some see as a possible next prime minister, abruptly quit his seat in July amid an investigation into whether he failed to report a 5 million pound ($6.7 million) gift from a crypto billionaire overseas.
Community calls for restrictions on warrantless immigration arrests in SoCal
Advocacy groups pushed back against what they call unlawful, warrantless arrests
Community calls for restrictions on warrantless immigration arrests in SoCal
Advocacy groups pushed back against what they call unlawful, warrantless arrests
U.S. Investigated Left-Leaning Groups During Minnesota Immigration Crackdown
The government conducted expansive surveillance, infiltrated group chats and obtained financial records of organizations never accused of crimes.
Nigel Farage faces off against Count Binface in special election that's been denounced as a stunt
Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-immigration party Reform UK, had hoped a special election Thursday for his Parliament seat would help quell awkward questions about his finances.
Fear as Policy: The Growing Mental Health Toll of Mass Deportation Policies
Immigration policies have created a climate of uncertainty that affects daily life and carries long-term mental health consequences.
Law firm declines offer to represent migrant children
The administration last week announced plans to award the contract to the Burke Law Group, a Houston-based firm with little experience in immigration.
One Year In, Pope Leo XIV Reveals Political Divides Among U.S. Catholics
In his first year as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV has taken clear stances on many issues, including the U.S. immigration system and the war in Iran.
Minnesota’s Democratic Senate Primary Pits Angie Craig Against Peggy Flanagan
The Senate primary race in Minnesota will be the latest test of left-wing energy in the party, in a state that was convulsed by the Trump administration’s deadly immigration crackdown this winter.
At CoreCivic, immigration crackdowns are good for business
Revenue grew more than 27% for private prison operator CoreCivic due to contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Trump's immigration crackdown looms over Minnesota's bruising Senate primary
Months later, confrontations between immigration agents and protestors in Minneapolis remain the backdrop to Minnesota's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, which features establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and the more progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
Trump's immigration crackdown looms over Minnesota's bruising Senate primary
The Democratic Senate primary in Minnesota is heating up and immigration has become a central issue
‘It’s been chaotic’: Trump’s immigration crackdown prompts worries from industry groups
Industry groups ranging from construction to agriculture are raising concerns with the Trump administration over its ongoing immigration crackdown, arguing it is undercutting President Donald Trump’s agenda and weakening the economy, according to multiple groups who spoke with CNN and sources close to the White House.
The Business of Immigration: Ethics, Economics, and the Future of Our Region
About this Program: Immigration has long shaped the identity, economy, and culture of the San Diego–Baja California region. Today, it remains one of the most significant—and often most debated—public policy issues facing our communities. As employers grapple with workforce shortages, governments respond to evolving immigration policies, and families pursue opportunity and security, important questions arise about the economic, ethical, and practical implications of immigration for our region's future. As part of the Engage San Diego: Tough Topics, Real Discussion series, moderator Andrew Blum will lead a thoughtful conversation with community leaders to examine these issues from multiple perspectives. Together, the panel will explore how immigration and immigration policy influence regional economic growth, workforce development, cross-border commerce, public services, and community well-being. The discussion will consider both the opportunities and the challenges immigration presents for employers, policymakers, and the broader San Diego economy, while also examining the ethical considerations that inform business and public policy decisions. Rather than advocating for a single viewpoint, this program is designed to foster informed, respectful dialogue and deepen public understanding of one of the defining issues of our time. Through a balanced exchange of ideas, panelists will explore practical approaches to strengthening our region while recognizing the diverse perspectives that shape this complex conversation. Join us for an engaging discussion that reflects the spirit of the Engage San Diego series—bringing together diverse voices to tackle difficult topics through civil discourse, informed analysis, and constructive community engagement. What We’ll Explore Immigration and the Regional Economy How does immigration influence San Diego's workforce, economic growth, business competitiveness, and cross-border prosperity? Ethics, Policy, and Public Responsibility How can communities balance economic needs, humanitarian values, public safety, and the rule of law in shaping immigration policy? The Business and Government Perspective What roles do employers, local government, and community leaders play in addressing workforce challenges and creating opportunities for shared prosperity? The Future of Our Region As immigration policy continues to evolve, what practical solutions can help strengthen our economy, support our communities, and ensure the long-term success of the San Diego–Baja California region?
Fact-Checking 3 Competitive Senate Races in Maine, Michigan and Ohio
Republican attacks have focused on terrorism and illegal immigration, while Democrats have sought to capitalize on the unpopularity of President Trump’s cuts to Medicaid.
Public health officials field community questions about TB case at detention facility as ICE's silence continues
Active TB case confirmed in June, since then ICE has stopped complying with any local public health investigation.
Trump unbound: the making of an imperial presidency
Donald Trump’s second term is unlike his first. The politicians who challenged him are gone. The lawyers who once pushed back now choose their battles. What remains is an imperial president with almost no internal checks - using executive power to reshape everything from the economy to immigration and even the presidency itself.
Thousands of Haitians lose immigration status, face deportation
The temporary protected status many Haitians had has been cancelled as the country remains unstable
Details of latest ICE detention center death mirror that of Chicago business owner
The circumstances surrounding the latest death at a privately run immigration detention center mirrors that of a Chicago business owner who died under similar circumstances at an ICE facility, the ABC7 I-Team found.
Trump signs 2 immigration actions to limit birthright citizenship
Trump said he thought his latest actions would be constitutional
Trump signs 2 immigration actions to limit birthright citizenship
Trump said he thought his latest actions would be constitutional
Trump signs 2 immigration actions to limit birthright citizenship
Trump said he thought his latest actions would be constitutional
US Stand Up for Science movement expands to Europe
A grassroots movement by scientists in the US pushing back against threats to academic freedom is setting up a Swiss outpost to take the movement global. Stand Up for Science started in February 2025 to protest against politically-motivated grant cancellations by the Trump administration. Since then, it has organised numerous rallies by scientists and turned into a broader campaigning organisation, supporting “pro-science” political candidates and attempting to impeach Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the health and human services secretary the group accuses of advancing “quack” science. Now, Stand Up for Science is establishing a Swiss office to take some of its campaigning beyond the US, and its leader is urging European academics to organise similar pro-science groups in case they face similar threats in Europe. There will likely be “spillover” to Europe from what the Trump administration is attempting in the US, said Colette Delawalla, chief executive of Stand Up for Science, who last month returned from a tour of Europe. “Are we going to see a Trump-style scientific [. . .] take over in the same way?” she asked.Delawalla, who is doing a PhD in clinical psychology, said she was driven to help found the organisation after the Trump administration started cancelling health research grants in politically taboo topics, such as transgender people, diversity and HIV, in early 2025. Since then, the administration has introduced several other measures that infringe academic and institutional autonomy.It threatened to cut Harvard University’s federal funding unless the university accepted a “critical mass” of new faculty and students to create “viewpoint diversity.” And this year, it proposed explosive new rules that would allow political appointees at research funders to screen grants to make sure they “advance the president's policy priorities.”US scientists have been at times stunned by the volume of announcements, and the country’s researchers were relatively unprepared. “We sit in front of the fire hose every day,” said Delawalla. For this reason, European scientists need to prepare now for similar assaults. “If you've got a little bit of extra time to start thinking through, and making those preparations and building community and solidarity,” then European researchers will “start five steps ahead of where we were.” She plans to return to Paris in September to share experiences with concerned French academics. Is Le Pen the same?During her European tour, Delawalla said that French academics were beginning to worry about a National Rally (RN) victory in presidential elections next year. She said there were “chilling similarities” between Trump and Marine Le Pen, the RN’s likely candidate. However, so far, the RN hasn’t proposed anything nearly as radical as the Trump administration has carried out. Its current manifesto is all but silent on university and research policy. Le Pen’s 2022 manifesto bemoaned a lack of French R&D spending, including in fundamental research, and promised to modernise labs and strip away grant bureaucracy. The party’s 2024 European election manifesto explicitly supported the Erasmus+ student exchange programme, scientific exchange and joint European technology projects. However, a Le Pen victory next year could see France drastically cut its contribution to the EU, which would hit the budget for science and innovation. Meanwhile, more restrictive immigration policies could hit university recruitment of faculty and students. Climate science denial?As heatwaves and wildfires have ravaged France, the RN has sought to distance itself from previous comments casting doubt on climate science.In the UK, the radical-right party Reform UK, now second in the polls, denied climate research in a draft of its 2024 election manifesto, but its leader, Nigel Farage, then appeared to quietly U-turn and said he was “not arguing the science.” By contrast, Trump has repeatedly and explicitly denied climate change science, in 2025 calling it “the greatest con job.” Like the RN, Reform UK has been light on research and university policy. However, it did say in its 2024 manifesto that universities should suffer “heavy financial penalties” for allowing “political bias or cancel culture” on campus, building on laws brought in by a previous Conservative government. Ahead of September state elections in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, the poll-leading Alternative for Germany has proposed abolishing gender studies and postcolonial studies, and promised money for “critical” climate research and studies of Islam. Starts with rhetoricEven if European radical right parties aren’t currently planning the draconian policy measures of the Trump administration, Delawalla said that academics should not be complacent, and fight even small funding restrictions or anti-science talk from the start. “It starts off with sowing distrust about institutions,” she said. “It starts off with these small things, and then all of a sudden it's there.” There are other, more established science and university advocacy groups in the US aside from Stand Up for Science. But the group stands out because of Delawalla’s refusal to attempt to appear politically bipartisan or conciliatory. “I firmly believe that the US is experiencing fascism,” she said. “We’re not trying to win over the super Maga people,” she said, “and we never have been.” The lesson of the US is that even if universities or other institutions capitulate to government demands, this doesn’t save them from cuts and restrictions. “It doesn’t matter what people do,” she said. Global “pseudoscience”Another aim of Stand Up for Science’s push into Europe is to better coordinate a campaign to protect people in poorer countries from what the group describes as “pseudoscientific exploitation,” trials outside the US used to build a case against things like vaccines. Earlier this year, the group sent an investigator to Guinea-Bissau to investigate a controversial, Danish-run Hepatitis B vaccine project funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The study would have withheld a proven vaccine from newborns, Stand Up for Science argued in a briefing it presented to Congress, risking their health. Significantly, the research group based in Guinea-Bissau, known as Bandim, focuses on the “non-specific effects” of vaccines: impacts on health beyond preventing the target disease. Related articlesEuropean researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationData corner: which fields of health science is the US curbing? The US ‘golden age’ science strategy: what Europeans need to know The suspicion is that the study was funded as part of an attempt to shop around for results that could help build a case against vaccines in the US, said Delawalla. “This is just code for vaccines cause autism,” she said.Bandim has put out a rebuttal of Stand Up for Science’s criticisms, arguing its work has uncovered a number of vaccine side effects, both positive and negative, which need to be taken into account in public health. However, Congressional Democrats took up the Stand Up for Science cause, and in February, Guinea-Bissau said it had permanently halted the study. WatchdogBut for Delawalla, this is not the end of the fight. Kennedy has made a number of health claims that scientists think lack evidence, such as the idea that seed oils cause inflammation, for example. Delawalla worries that more studies could be launched in poorer countries to fish around for evidence to support this agenda. Stand Up for Science is talking to African science organisations to create a kind of “watchdog” to scrutinise any further trials. “Outsourcing the investigation to some of the most vulnerable children in the world who are desperate [. . .] is fundamentally wrong,” she said.
‘Performative reductions’: Labor MPs and business groups urge Burke against sweeping immigration changes
MPs say they are anxious for the government to avoid cuts to family and humanitarian visa categories
Movies to help understand the politics of immigration
Explore powerful films that illuminate the challenges of immigration, examining policy impacts and sociopolitical drivers for migration.
OpenAI pays $3.2 million to settle US worker bias claim
OpenAI disputes the Justice Department's view, but said it wanted to move forward with a program to support employees "requiring immigration support."
Volunteer network born during immigration crackdown becomes DFL organizing force
Minnesotans who organized bus stop escorts and grocery deliveries during the immigration crackdown are now becoming party delegates, campaign volunteers and even candidates for office.
Judge allows N.Y. bans of local agreements with ICE, blocks mask ban for agents
The laws at hand were part of legislation signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul in May in response to the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
California sues Trump to block latest tariffs, sharing of needy families' data with ICE
California sued the Trump administration twice Monday, to block President Trump’s latest round of tariffs and to block his administration from sharing needy families’ personal data with immigration officials.
Liberal court stuns with ruling that hands Trump major immigration win
A liberal-leaning First Circuit panel reversed two district court orders blocking Trump's TPS termination for South Sudan and Ethiopia migrants.
Trump’s Immigration Push Keeps Expanding With New $100,000 Fee Idea | WSJ Politics Newsletter for July 31
Plus, inside Trump’s unprecedented fundraising operation and the rise and fall of Anthony Fauci
Johns Hopkins public health researcher detained by ICE amid increased airport enforcement
A public health researcher at Johns Hopkins University was detained by immigration officers while boarding a domestic flight this week.
ICE detains Hopkins public health researcher as agency expands airport arrests
A Johns Hopkins public health researcher and former Fulbright scholar was detained by immigration agents while boarding a domestic flight this week, the university confirmed, as the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement efforts at airports.
DHS agent calls raid outside Newsom event a 'stunt' in court documents
A federal immigration agent said in newly publicized court documents that an immigration raid outside a political rally hosted by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year was a “stunt.”
DHS testimony confirms raid of Newsom press conference was ‘political,’ ‘a stunt’
A year ago, when immigration agents raided a gubernatorial event, DHS said the agents were “focused on enforcing the law.” We now know that wasn’t true.
How I Got My Career in Foreign Policy: Andrea R. Flores
Andrea Flores has spent more than fifteen years working on immigration policy, including at DHS, the White House, and the ACLU. She spoke with CFR about how her 360-degree perspective has shaped her understanding of the issue and the challenges of advancing immigration reform.
Judge orders immigration officials to release key witness in Texas ICE shooting
The witness was one of three passengers in a van driven by Lorenzo Araujo Salgado when he was shot by an ICE officer during a traffic stop.
Minneapolis starts Black Business Week with focus on investment, entrepreneurship
The kickoff comes as small businesses across the Twin Cities continue to navigate economic uncertainty. Some business owners have reported challenges tied to the recent increase in federal immigration enforcement activity, including fewer customers, staffing concerns and financial strain.
Bombshell memo shows Biden planned to leave Trump with even more massive immigration crisis
Sen. Eric Schmitt obtained a Biden White House memo revealing plans to expand TPS to over 3.1 million noncitizens in the administration's final days.
25 states, DC sue Trump administration over FEMA funding conditions
The suit argues that the administration is requiring states to transmit lists of registered voters to DHS and help it with immigration enforcement
Ranking Members Markey, Velázquez Push to Roll Back Trump Administration’s Discriminatory SBA Lending Policy that Blocks Immigrant Entrepreneurs from Pursuing the American Dream
Bicameral resolution would rescind Trump administration policy banning green card holders from accessing SBA loans Resolution Text (PDF) | One-Pager (PDF) (Washington, July 23) – Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7) today introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind the Trump administration’s policy that bans green card holders from accessing essential Small Business Administration (SBA) loans to start and grow their businesses and invest in Main Streets nationwide. Trump’s SBA restrictions buck decades of precedent, attacking immigrant small business owners who are lawfully in the U.S. with no justification. The Trump administration’s green card holder ban is the most recent escalation of SBA’s draconian citizenship restrictions that are killing jobs and putting the American Dream further out of reach for entrepreneurs. In Fiscal Year 2025, the SBA made an estimated $5.7 billion in loans to green card holders, which supported more than 80,000 American jobs. Ranking Member Markey’s introduction of the CRA resolution follows his introduction of the Investing in the American Dream Act alongside Ranking Member Velázquez earlier this year. The Investing in the American Dream Act would roll back the SBA’s draconian lending restrictions and restore previous SBA lending policies for immigrant entrepreneurs lawfully in the U.S., including green card holders, refugees, and asylees. More than 100 organizations have called for the passage of the legislation and over 60 Massachusetts state legislators have raised concerns about the impact of the citizenship restrictions in their local communities. “Once again, Donald Trump is shutting hardworking immigrants out of the American Dream with his discriminatory and dangerous policies, fear tactics, and violent rhetoric. The anti-small business lending requirements implemented by Trump’s SBA won’t Make America Great Again—they are Making America Hate Again,” said Ranking Member Markey. “I am fighting every single day to roll back Trump’s brazen attempt to steal the American Dream from entrepreneurs in Massachusetts and across the country who enrich our communities, strengthen our Main Streets, and create jobs in the United States.” “Starting and owning your own business is one of the pillars of the American Dream. Under the Trump Administration, the SBA has sought to deny immigrant small business owners and entrepreneurs that dream by preventing them from accessing the capital they need to grow and scale their businesses. Not only is this policy cruel, but it is also self-defeating and holds our country back economically. As Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, I will do everything in my power to reverse this terrible policy,” said Ranking Member Velázquez. Massachusetts state legislators applauded Ranking Member Markey’s actions and emphasized the critical contributions of green card holders to Bay State communities and the Commonwealth’s economy. "Green card holders are our neighbors, workers, entrepreneurs, and taxpayers,” said Massachusetts State Senator Adam Gómez (D-Springfield), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses. “They open restaurants, launch small businesses, create jobs, and contribute every day to the economic strength of Massachusetts. Denying lawful permanent residents access to SBA loan programs doesn't make our economy stronger—it makes it harder for small businesses to succeed. I support this resolution because opportunity should never be limited by unnecessary barriers that prevent hardworking people from investing in their communities and pursuing the American dream." “Senator Markey’s CRA Resolution provides a valuable moment for our federal leaders to show their commitment to small businesses and the American Dream,” said Massachusetts State Representative Andy X. Vargas (D-Haverhill), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses. “The SBA’s recent policy restricting lawful residents from accessing the popular 7(a) and 504 programs has shut out some of the most entrepreneurial and hard-working members of our community from much-need capital. In Massachusetts, these programs have invested millions of dollars into small businesses owned by green card holders, supporting thousands of jobs. This should not be a partisan issue. People who worked hard, have legal status, and contribute so much to their communities via employment and economic impact don’t deserve to be in the crosshairs for political purposes. The Senator’s resolution is a step forward in restoring access to the American Dream that small business owners across the country deserve.” Several small business advocates and stakeholders voiced their support for Ranking Member Markey’s efforts to roll back Trump SBA’s discriminatory lending rules. “Immigrant-owned businesses are the foundation of the American economy. They power our neighborhoods, provide essential services, and employ our loved ones. Yet, systemic hurdles like the Small Business Administration’s citizenship restrictions unfairly block their path to prosperity," said Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition. "We applaud Senator Markey’s continued leadership and look forward to a future where immigrant entrepreneurs can share their ingenuity without arbitrary restrictions that hold us all back.” “Independent restaurants have always been built by people willing to work hard, take risks, and invest in their communities. When lawfully authorized entrepreneurs lose access to the financing they need to start or grow a business, we all lose. These are the businesses creating jobs, filling storefronts, and strengthening our neighborhoods. Access to capital should help good businesses succeed, and that’s exactly what restoring these SBA loan programs would do,” said Jen Ziskin, Executive Director of Massachusetts Restaurants United. “At the Latino Economic Development Corporation, we see firsthand that access to capital transforms lives, creates jobs, and strengthens neighborhoods. Many of the entrepreneurs we serve are lawful permanent residents who have invested their savings, opened businesses, and employ local residents. Restricting access to SBA financing doesn’t just impact business owners, it limits economic opportunity for entire communities. Main Street succeeds when every qualified entrepreneur has a fair chance to grow,” said Andrew Melendez, CEO and Founder of the Latino Economic Development Corporation. "Immigrants and immigrant-owned businesses are the heart and soul of small business communities in cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth, and across America. Limiting access to these SBA loans not only sends the wrong message about immigration, it will have significant negative economic impact on our small business ecosystem,” said Keith Mahoney, Vice President of Public Affairs at the Boston Foundation. “The SBA’s recent policy changes that prevent Legal Permanent Residents, and other non-citizens from participating in any of the SBA’s valuable programs are changes that are unwelcome, immoral, and antithetical to our purpose, our mission, and our vision for Massachusetts communities and businesses. Immigrant entrepreneurs and others have expressed concern that Common Capital will ‘report them to ICE,’ so loan demand has decreased. There is no valid reason for excluding Legal Permanent Residents and other noncitizens who are lawfully present in the U.S. from accessing the SBA’s programs. Immigrant entrepreneurs start businesses, they create jobs, they support their families and their communities. Our government should be in the business of encouraging their full participation in our economy,” said Raymond Lanza-Weil, President of Common Capital. "ECCHO-Latino now represents over 400 educators and 300 microbusinesses across Massachusetts, where immigrants make up 60% of the childcare workforce. When a green card holder is ready to grow her business—from expanding her home child care to opening a center—she shouldn't be turned away by local banks simply because of federal citizenship rules. Blocking access to SBA loans kills opportunity and deepens our state's childcare crisis. ECCHO-Latino strongly supports Senator Markey and Representative Velázquez in passing this resolution to put Main Street first," said Harold Antonio Blanco, Co-Founder & Executive Director of ECCHO-Latino Inc. "This is exactly how political ideology ruins an economy. Washington has taken lawful, tax-paying entrepreneurs who live in our communities, invest in America, and hire American workers, and declared their businesses ineligible for critical financing simply because a green card holder owns even a fraction of the company. Using policies ostensibly aimed at illegal immigration to punish lawful permanent residents is nothing short of ideological overreach and economic self-sabotage. The SBA exists to help viable small businesses grow, rather than imposing nativist tests that ignore an entrepreneur’s credit history, business plan, or ability to create jobs. When the federal government closes the door on qualified entrepreneurs, they’re also closing the door on American entrepreneurship and on American workers, while handing future companies, jobs, innovation, and investment to our competitors. America should be competing to attract people who want to invest and build here, not creating arbitrary barriers that drive their talent and capital elsewhere,” said Javier Palomarez, President and CEO of the United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC). "The U.S. Small Business Administration's decision to prohibit legal permanent residents, including green card holders, from accessing SBA-backed loans has the potential for disastrous consequences that could reverberate throughout America's economy for years to come. After all, immigrants are twice as likely to start small businesses as U.S.-born individuals. Congress must overturn rules requiring the SBA to block legal permanent residents from accessing lending resources because so many of the entrepreneurs who drive job creation in this country were born outside the United States," said John Arensemeyer, Founder and CEO of Small Business Majority. “NCRC supports the Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn SBA’s citizenship restrictions that bar green-card holders from receiving the 7(a) and 504 loans. When qualified entrepreneurs are denied access to SBA loans, all of Main Street gets hurt. Communities lose jobs. Neighborhoods lose services. Local economies lose the opportunity to build wealth and shrink disparities,” said Jesse Van Tol, President & CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). “We cannot afford to have the American Dream out of reach for hard-working, immigrant small business owners.” “Asian Americans and Asian immigrants have been integral in building local economies. They create businesses, jobs, and opportunities in communities across the country that benefit everyone. Lawful permanent residents pay taxes, invest in their communities, and strengthen Main Street, yet the SBA's discriminatory citizenship restrictions unfairly deny them access to the same tools that help small businesses grow and succeed. We applaud congressional leaders for advancing this resolution to overturn the latest restrictions on SBA lending for green card holders, and we urge lawmakers to also pass the Investing in the American Dream Act to fully restore access to SBA loan programs for all eligible people in the United States. Ensuring that immigrant-owned small businesses have a fair opportunity to access capital is essential to building a stronger, more inclusive economy that works for all,” said Joanna Derman, Director of Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights and National Security at Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC). "Immigrant-owned businesses often turn to SBA 7(a) and 504 loans because they face higher denial rates from traditional lenders,” said Imani Augustus, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunity. "These programs provide the capital they need to expand operations, hire workers, and invest in their businesses. Reversing the ban on lawful permanent residents is a critical first step toward ensuring these financing tools are accessible to everyone strengthening their communities through entrepreneurship. We applaud this action and urge Congress to fully restore access by passing the Investing in the American Dream Act.” "Last year, nearly 5,700 SBA loans worth $5.7 billion went to businesses owned by green card holders, supporting more than 80,000 jobs. These are entrepreneurs who have put down roots here, hired their neighbors, and invested in the communities they call home. Barring them from capital doesn't protect Main Street—it starves it. What should matter is the strength of a business and its potential to grow, not the immigration status of its owner. This resolution doesn’t eliminate all the citizenship restrictions in SBA’s policy change, but it’s a step toward restoring a commonsense principle that stood for more than 30 years," said Howard Wial, Director of Research at ICIC. "I'm encouraged to see Congress moving to reopen access to capital for green card holders, a key tool for small business survival. Green card holders accounted for an estimated 5,700 SBA loans in Fiscal Year 2025, worth $5.7 billion and supporting more than 80,000 jobs across the country. That capital is often what keeps a business operating through its toughest stretches when cash flow gets tight. When qualified entrepreneurs lose access to that capital over their immigration status rather than their ability to repay a loan, it's the local economy that pays the price,” said Small Business for America's Future Co-Chair Shaundell Newsome, Founder of Sumnu Marketing. “Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and entrepreneurs —including green card holders — take risks every day to build businesses, create jobs, and strengthen communities. SBA loan programs should be administered with clear, consistent standards that safeguard public resources while ensuring these programs remain focused on supporting eligible entrepreneurs and job creators. This resolution responds to the opportunity to support all entrepreneurs and preserve the integrity of federally supported lending programs. We applaud the introduction of this resolution and remain committed to policies that strengthen small businesses, promote economic growth, and maintain confidence in these vital lending programs,” said Carolina Martinez, CEO of CAMEO Network. “National CAPACD wholeheartedly supports the introduction of this resolution aimed at overturning the SBA's misguided policy prohibiting immigrants from accessing the 7(a) and 504 loan programs. As a coalition, we are committed to creating systems, organizations, and societies that are fair and just. We believe we and our economy are stronger when we uplift our rich and diverse communities. Access to capital helps small businesses create jobs, build wealth, and strengthen neighborhoods. Restoring this pathway is an important first step toward ensuring immigrant entrepreneurs can continue to grow their businesses and contribute positively to our economy as a whole. We urge Congress to build on this momentum by passing the Investing in the American Dream Act, which would fully restore fair access to safe and affordable credit and uphold our commitment to a fair economy that works for everyone,” said Seema Agnani, CEO of National CAPACD. Ranking Member Markey is fighting for small business owners and immigrants that rely on SBA loans to start and run their businesses, create jobs, and contribute to their communities. In May, Ranking Member Markey highlighted the significant contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs in Massachusetts and across the country and condemned the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on immigrant communities at a Small Business Committee hearing. MIRA’s Elizabeth Sweet, who participated in Ranking Member Markey’s listening session earlier in May, provided testimony at the hearing. Also in May, Ranking Member Markey hosted a listening session at the Urban College of Boston to hear directly from several Massachusetts immigrant small business owners, lenders, and chambers of commerce how President Trump’s cruel and callous anti-immigrant policies are hurting Main Streets in the Bay State. Earlier in May, Ranking Member Markey hosted a press conference alongside Ranking Member Velázquez, Democratic lawmakers, and stakeholders to condemn the Trump administration’s harmful anti-immigrant lending policies and to introduce the Investing in the American Dream Act. In March, Ranking Member Markey released a comprehensive report detailing the harms to small business owners, workers, and consumers caused by the Trump administration’s ICE raids in communities across the country. In February, Ranking Member Markey introduced the Small Business ICE Disruption Fund Act, which would provide grants to small businesses that have been impacted by the Trump administration’s violent immigration enforcement actions on Main Streets across the United States. Earlier in February, Ranking Member Markey, Ranking Member Velázquez, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) sent a letter urging the SBA to rescind their lending rule change that bars legal permanent residents from receiving SBA loans. Previously, Ranking Members Markey and Velázquez released a statement condemning the actions of the SBA after it announced that small businesses with legal permanent residents will be barred from receiving SBA loans. In December 2025, Ranking Member Markey and all Democratic members of the Senate Small Business Committee sent a letter to the SBA reiterating concerns with the SBA’s citizenship requirements and highlighting a drop in SBA lending volume. In September 2025, Ranking Member Markey heard directly from SBA lenders about the issues with the citizenship verification requirements. In July 2025, Ranking Members Markey and Velázquez sent a letter to the SBA expressing serious concerns with the agency’s new, draconian citizenship verification requirements that require small businesses seeking SBA loans to be 100% owned by U.S. citizens, nationals, and legal permanent residents. SBA has not responded to the letter. ###
The Mental Health Cost of Harsh Immigration Policy
Since January 2025, a wave of new policies has reshaped daily life for refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrant families across the country: the suspension of refugee resettlement, the possible return of "Remain in Mexico,” the end of humanitarian parole for thousands, temporary protected status at risk, and more. Each of these sounds like a policy headline, but in practice, these changes
White House Report Criticizes The Immigration Of Scientists To America
A new White House report criticizes the immigration of scientists to America, arguing it’s bad whether international students stay or leave.
LA businesses near ICE raid sites lose over $3M during 2-week period in June 2025, a study says
The UCLA report measured the financial impact of immigration enforcement activity when it initially began in Los Angeles back in June 2025.
Immigration sweeps in L.A. cost businesses millions in revenue, UCLA study finds
Researchers found there were 46,000 fewer customer visits among formal businesses within half a mile of nine documented enforcement sites and an estimated $3.16 million in accumulated revenue losses during the two weeks after enforcement activity.
Colorado health officials still unable to investigate tuberculosis case at ICE detention facility
Colorado public health officials are still unable to investigate at least one tuberculosis case at an immigration detention center in Aurora, as the private company that runs the facility missed a dea...
WATCH LIVE: House panel examines Delaney Hall ICE detention center conditions and protests
Immigration Enforcement Surge Triggered Immediate and Lasting Economic Disruption Across Los Angeles County’s Latino Business Corridors
Analysis shows 46,000 fewer business visits and an estimated $3.16 million in accumulated losses near nine enforcement sites within two weeks. Latino entrepreneurs reported continuing financial…
Gov. Greg Abbott orders state health agencies to crack down on ‘birth tourism’
Immigration attorneys have expressed concerns the executive order could force health providers to determine the legal status of pregnant women before providing care, potentially endangering their lives and those of their unborn children.
The Education of Markwayne Mullin
How Markwayne Mullin went from Indian Country to Trump’s immigration enforcer
THE WEEK OF JULY 20, 2026
- US caps student visa duration - Congress looks at tightening research security - AI leaders call for regulatory body
Senators demand ICE answers and body cameras
Dozens of Democratic senators and Maine’s Independent Sen. Angus King want more details on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s vetting practices and vehicle pursuit policies following more deaths in ICE shootings.
Senators want answers on ICE policies
Dozens of Democratic senators and Maine’s Independent Sen. Angus King want more details on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s vetting practices and vehicle pursuit policies following more deaths in ICE shootings.
Politics Unplugged (Full Episode) July 19, 2026
On this episode of Politics Unplugged, political editor Dennis Welch sits down with Joana Mendoza — a former Marine Corps drill instructor and Democratic candidate — who is challenging incumbent Republican Juan Ciscomani in Arizona's Congressional District 6, discussing affordability, immigration, and ICE reform. Then, with Arizona's primary election just days away, Welch brings in Republican consultant Chip Scutari and Democrat Stacy Pearson to break down the most competitive races, including the GOP governor's primary between Andy Biggs and David Schweikert, the attorney general's race, and a crowded CD1 field. The panel also weighs in on what the early ballot returns and independent voter enthusiasm could signal heading into the general election this fall.
Trump immigration officials seek to mend frayed ties with business as arrests spike
Under new DHS chief Markwayne Mullin, officials met for the first time with trade groups concerned about losing workers to the president’s deportation campaign.
Whole Hog Politics: Trump’s election obsession is a midterm loser
It isn’t that Republicans couldn’t pass a single major piece of immigration legislation in the 18 months that their party has had unified control of Washington. It’s that they wouldn’t. None other than the late Sen. Lindsey...
Sports without politics is a fantasy and the World Cup proves it
From ancient Greece to Nazi Germany, sport and politics have long been intertwined. Nevertheless, we still imagine that international sport can be kept above the fray and serve as a neutral arena where nations compete on merit alone. In this article, diplomacy scholar Geoffrey Allen Pigman argues the 2026 FIFA World Cup shows this is a dangerous illusion. When international sport is left entirely to revenue-maximizing private bodies like FIFA, it doesn't escape politics, but rather surrenders to its worst expressions. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics fast approaching, the IOC must decide whether to learn that lesson or repeat the same mistakes. The largest and most lucrative FIFA World Cup ever draws toward its climactic conclusion amidst a swirl of controversy. Team members, staff, fans, and spectators have been denied their right to enter the United States to participate, and US President Donald Trump intervened with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to overturn a referee’s call that Trump believed disadvantaged the US national team. It is a moment to step back and reflect on what the purposes of international sport mega-events like the World Cup, and international sport more broadly, are, and what they should be. Does international sport serve public purposes? Is there a public interest? Or is it primarily a private endeavor organized by commercial enterprises to entertain the global public (and generate profit in the process), which is occasionally used by governments and leaders for raisons d’etat? Central to the idea of sport is the principle of fair play, which in the international context demands that games be free from political interference. However, it is impossible to separate sport from politics, all claims to the contrary notwithstanding. The most positive political use of international sport through the millennia has been to facilitate diplomacy. The use of international sport for diplomatic objectives has existed since at least the time of the ancient Olympic Games, around which was instituted the custom of the Ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, between participating states to facilitate fair competition and diplomatic achievements by ensuring that participants could travel safely to the Olympiad. In his seminal work On Diplomacy (1987), diplomacy scholar James Der Derian characterized the objectives of diplomacy as overcoming alienation and mediating estrangement between governments and between peoples. One increasingly important diplomatic tool in the technology-infused media environment over the past century has been public diplomacy, under which governments and non-state diplomatic actors (e.g. transnational corporations) communicate to global publics about their international policy objectives and to shape their global brand image. Political scientist Michał Kobierecki, in his important book Sports Diplomacy (2020), views sports diplomacy as falling broadly within the ambit of public diplomacy, as international sport intimately involves the participation of global publics as spectators and consumers of global media. Diplomacy scholar Stuart Murray and this author, in a 2013 article, distinguish between international sport used for diplomatic purposes and international sport-as-diplomacy, which encompasses the range of diplomacy that occurs as teams and competitors, spectators and fans, and government officials all converge for international sporting events like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Diplomacy scholar H.E. Chehabi, in a 2001 article on US-Iran sports diplomacy, describes the interaction between spectators and fans at international sporting events as “people-to-people diplomacy,” in which relationships develop independently of governments and their objectives. Diplomacy by the aforementioned definitions is often unsuccessful. Moreover, all too often the tools of diplomacy may be employed by governments and other actors to thwart or oppose the objectives of diplomacy as characterized by Der Derian. Governments routinely use the tools of public diplomacy to disseminate propaganda, spreading misinformation in the attempt to deceive global publics about their objectives and to create misleading impressions about their brand identity. Within sports diplomacy, the term “sportswashing” has been coined recently to describe how governments invest in and promote international sport to create positive global public impressions of their nations and, in doing so, to distract the global public from their deficient records in areas such as human rights and democratic governance. Murray, in his 2018 book Sports Diplomacy: Origins, Theory and Practice, introduces the concept of sports anti-diplomacy, wherein governments intentionally use international sport to advance aggressive and nationalistic objectives. Obvious historical examples include Hitler’s use of the 1936 Berlin Olympics to glorify his Third Reich and the 1969 El Salvador-Honduras football “war.” SUGGESTED READING The beautiful game made ugly By Emily Ryall FIFA argues that it is and seeks to be apolitical in its stewardship of international Association Football (soccer). FIFA policies governing bids to host the World Cup require uninhibited and non-discriminatory access for players, team staff, and spectators of all participating countries to host nations and venues. It became clear soon after Trump returned to power in the United States in January 2025 that Trump’s political intentions and objectives to limit non-US citizens from living and working in the United States and, in numerous cases, even visiting the country, would collide with FIFA’s host nation policies. Beginning soon after the start of the second Trump administration, US federal authorities imposed restrictions on entry to the United States of citizens of between 20 and 40 countries for any purpose, with only limited exceptions. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began arresting non-US citizens in the United States, including persons with and without legal status, holding them in jails, concentration camps, and other detention facilities until they were deported to their home or third countries, where they faced substantive risks to their personal safety. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, in an effort to ensure the most successful and lucrative World Cup in history, engaged diplomatically with President Trump in an attempt to facilitate entry to the US for World Cup participants. Infantino did all in his power to ingratiate himself with Trump, to the extent of creating a FIFA “Peace Prize,” which he awarded to Trump in December 2025 at a ceremony in the then Trump-controlled John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the World Cup draw. The prize was an ersatz consolation for someone who aspired in vain to win the rather more prestigious and well-known Nobel Peace Prize. And in the run-up to the World Cup, conditions became worse. In February 2026, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a war of aggression against Iran, illegal under international law, under the false pretence that Iran’s government was preparing to attack the United States and Israel. During the US aerial bombardment of Iran, US planes bombed Azadi Stadium, the facility where Iran’s national football team trained. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup began, it was clear that Infantino’s efforts had been for naught: the Trump administration would not adhere to FIFA policies governing access to World Cup host nations. World Cup referee Omar Artan, a citizen of Somalia, was denied a US visa to enter the United States to participate in the World Cup. Trump’s government only granted US visas to Iran’s football team ten days before they were scheduled to arrive for the tournament. Numerous members of the support staff for Iran’s team were denied US visas. Iran’s team, which had been scheduled to train in Arizona, was directed to shift its training site to Tijuana, Mexico, notwithstanding that all three of their group stage matches took place at US venues. The US Department of Homeland Security only permitted the Iranian team to enter the US on the day before each scheduled match and then to return to Mexico immediately after playing. Members of Iraq’s and Switzerland’s football teams were delayed for hours by US officials at the US border, and an Iraqi team photographer was refused entry. Spectators and fans from Haïti and Iran were denied entry to the United States altogether. A large number of fans from a range of countries had their applications for US visas rejected. There were multiple off-ramps through which participants could have avoided the negative consequences of Trump’s decisions for the 2026 World Cup. Once it was clear that the Trump government intended to violate the established expectations for World Cup hosts, FIFA could have shifted the matches scheduled to take place in the United States to Mexico and Canada. The three nations were already designated as co-hosts, and host cities and venues had been selected. Once it was clear that FIFA, governed by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s dependent and dysfunctional relationship with Trump, would never consider this option on its own, it fell to the national football federations to act. The national federations, particularly some combination of federations of the leading contenders (France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, England, Germany, etc.), could have refused to participate under the US-imposed conditions or, at the least, demanded an ironclad agreement with the Trump government that FIFA policies on access would be respected. ___ International sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. ___ Why did neither FIFA nor the national football federations act to protect the interests of players, team staff, referees, fans, and spectators? In essence, the relentless engines of capitalism prevailed over norm observance, ethics, and fair play. The revenue interests of FIFA, sponsors, global media, and host cities won out. FIFA’s managers viewed hosting another World Cup principally in the United States as a veritable pot of gold for FIFA and its collaborators. FIFA has estimated its own revenue over the 2023-26 budget cycle, which includes the 2026 World Cup, at $13 billion, revised up from an initial projection of $11 billion, and 72% higher than the previous revenue cycle. Of that total, FIFA is estimated to have generated $8.9 billion from the Cup itself in revenue from TV rights ($3.92 billion), sponsorships ($2.69 billion), ticket sales ($3.1 billion), licensing rights, and other sources. A joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization estimates that the World Cup will contribute over $40 billion to global GDP, including nearly $14 billion in direct visitor spending in the three host countries (but principally in the United States, which hosted the lion’s share of the matches). The FIFA World Cup is now reportedly “the single most lucrative recurring commercial property in global sport.” And yet, notwithstanding the Trump government’s uses of the World Cup for sports anti-diplomacy, and the climate of anxiety that this created for participants and spectators, diplomacy that did not depend upon governments was able to thrive at the World Cup. Examples of successful people-to-people diplomacy were legion, as citizens of towns and cities across the States, as well as in Mexico and Canada, welcomed team members, their families and supporters, to training sites across North America. Fans of different teams joined together in person in stadiums for matches, at watch parties and bars, and at welcome events sponsored by host cities. The joy and camaraderie shared between the citizenry of Boston and Scotland’s “Tartan Army” of fans is but one example of how the “Beautiful Game” brings people together. Friendships forged across continents are likely to endure well beyond the Cup final. Even those achievements cannot be seen as unalloyed, however. As South African football fan Byron Pillay commented to Al Jazeera, “Football is called the Beautiful Game for a reason, for its ability to unite people. But it’s hard to believe in that magic with the politics and war rhetoric off the field of play, especially when one of the tournament hosts is central to that.” Ultimately, the experience of the 2026 FIFA World Cup illustrates that, as international sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. As long as there is the possibility of diplomatic progress in mediating estrangement between governments or between peoples, there is a broad and overarching public interest in international sport. Likewise, as it would be difficult to put on an international sport mega-event without international sporting organizations like FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), global media firms, and companies purchasing sponsorships, public and private interests in international sport must coexist, most likely somewhere on a shifting spectrum between partnership and rivalry or cross purposes. As the World Cup wraps up, the IOC needs to consider its lessons before the scheduled 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they want to avoid a media-hyped Trump version of the 1936 Berlin Olympiad. The IOC and the National Olympic Committees need to set conditions on and make demands of Trump’s government with clearly articulated consequences for non-compliance, up to and including cancellation of the Games. Time is running out for the IOC, as unlike with the FIFA World Cup, there is no at-the-ready alternate venue for Los Angeles.
City Council settles November ballot: ShotSpotter in, ICE and pension questions out
A City Council standoff over advisory referendum questions means Chicagoans will vote on reviving gunshot detection technology and creating a permanent festival venue, while proposals on immigration costs, pensions and other issues won't make the November ballot.
Cook County Public Health Offers Back-to-School Vaccinations at Suburban Cook County Community Events - Cook County Department of Public Health
Parents can get their children vaccinated for the upcoming school year, right on time for National Immunization Awareness Month in August. Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) is providing back-to-school immunizations at no cost for the 2026-27 school year to children ages 6 months to 18 years old, regardless of immigration or insurance status, now through mid-October.
Texas Democrats demand answers after two deadly ICE encounters
Two shooting deaths of men in cars by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — one in Texas, the other in Maine — are bringing new attention to ICE’s tactics and training.
Trump administration scales back immigration crackdown after ICE shootings
The administration is again retreating from some aggressive actions, but Republicans expect Democrats to expand calls to “abolish ICE.”
Congressional earmarks: Merit and politics play a role in who gets funding
Rep. Nick LaLota said he'd withhold funding from a town over its ban on police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Maine Democrats criticize GOP Sen. Susan Collins after fatal ICE shooting of motorist in the state
A federal immigration agent fatally shot a motorist just south of Maine's largest city on Monday, the second time in a week that ICE has used deadly force on American soil and at least the ninth death since President Donald Trump began his immigration crackdown.
An ICE Shooting in Maine Puts Pressure on Senator Susan Collins
The Democrats hoping to challenge Ms. Collins, a vulnerable Republican, have seized on the fatal incident, drawing attention to her record on immigration matters.
Many questions remain after an ICE officer's fatal shooting of a Maine driver
Immigrant rights groups are demanding answers and planning more protests Tuesday over an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer's fatal shooting of a Maine driver.