My first story for the Prospect was about an obscure bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Canada called a safe third country agreement. It requires asylum seekers to file for asylum in the first safe country they reach. But a so-called loophole in the agreement encouraged asylum seekers to cross irregularly – in between official points of entry. Before President Trump was elected, so few asylum seekers crossed irregularly that Canada did not keep data. Since 2017, that number has topped 40,000:
An Imperiled Border Agreement Could Doom Canada’s Welcoming Immigration Policy
These agreements became the Trump administration’s tool of choice in Central America where he attempted to force Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to sign safe third country agreements. The controversial agreements have yet to be implemented, but the administration has begun to send people back to Guatemala:
Trump Seeking to Effectively Outsource Asylum Seekers to Guatemala
Mexico, faced with a bear market economy in early 2019, struggled to turn down Trump’s requests that they stop migration to the southern border. In this piece, I analyzed How Mexico Is Doing America’s Deportation Work for Us.
Trump’s immigration policies, unhindered by a judicial system subject to political whims, have forced thousands of asylum seekers into dangerous conditions. Here’s one story about refugee camps along the southern border:
Asylum Seekers Stuck in Mexico Have Staged a Protest. These Are the Conditions They Endure.
In November, a legal challenge in Toronto to the U.S.-Canada safe third country agreement could require governments to reassess if these agreements are truly legally viable. Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan, the New Democratic Party’s critic on immigration, certainly doesn’t think so.
I also covered two oral arguments in the Supreme Court concerning immigration. The first assesses how An Obscure Supreme Court Case Has Big Implications for Undocumented Immigrants. With writing fellow Brittany Gibson covering the protests outside, I analyzed the justices’ comments and questions on the inside:
‘We Own This’: Trump Administration Defends Decision to End DACA in Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Live from inside the Supreme Court for one of the most consequential cases of the 2019-20 term: whether the Trump administration followed the law in canceling the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that allows DREAMers to stay in America.
On campaign finance and personnel:
Who’s Writing the 2020 Candidates’ Policies?
A close-up analysis of the staffers and advisers shaping the policy frameworks for the leading 2020 presidential candidates.
Did Pete Buttigieg Get Hidden Campaign Support From a Real-Estate Developer?
Mayor Pete’s lack of transparency on campaign finance is displayed through one fundraiser in Providence, Rhode Island, which may have violated several Federal Election Commission standards.
And finally, on labor and student debt:
‘Why We Wear Red on Thursdays’
A profile of the Communications Workers of America, who never stopped striking and winning serious gains for its members. In a new era of labor aggression, CWA’s story offers powerful evidence of how such aggression can work. For 30 years, CWA kept striking even when significant work stoppages dipped into the single digits nationwide. Perhaps their persistence has paid off: 2018 saw the first bump in work stoppages in decades.
Cancel Student Debt—Almost All of It
This signature idea of the Prospect’s Day One Agenda explained how the next administration could unilaterally forgive publicly-held student debt. The controversial policy idea showed that a progressive president has the authority to enact significant change without new laws from Congress.