U.S.-Mexico Border Update: August border data, wall construction, TPS, third-country deportations

With this series of updates, WOLA seeks to cover the most important developments at the U.S.-Mexico border. See past updates here.

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After six years of producing Border Updates, WOLA is scaling back the Updates’ scope to balance demands on our time and resources. (Program staff also cover U.S. security programming in Latin America and the Caribbean, which has increased very sharply over the past year. Resources available to meet this additional need, however, have not increased.)

For the foreseeable future, we will present Border Updates as topic headers with links to source material, without the lengthy narratives.

Border data released through August

Border Patrol's migrant apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border dropped 5 percent from July to August, a typical summer decline.

August was also typical of Trump administration-era trends:

• 64 percent of apprehensions were of citizens of Mexico; 87 percent were from Mexico or Central America.
• The Rio Grande Valley (South Texas) was the busiest of Border Patrol’s nine U.S.-Mexico border sectors.
• 88 percent of those apprehended were single adults.

• “Trump Administration Delivers 16 Straight Months of Zero Releases at the Border” (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, September 16, 2026).
• Aaron Kessler, Elliot Spagat, Humera Lodhi, Will Jarrett, “After the Border” (Associated Press, Associated Press, September 17, 2026).

Exclusive data reveals how unprecedented border crossings reshaped America

Border wall

Big Bend

• Hannah Brewer, “New Big Bend Border Lawsuit Claims Unlawful ‘High Illegal Entry' Designation” (The Texan, September 15, 2026).

Lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection are mounting

• Alex Ford, Uriel J. Garcia, “What to Know About Possible Border Barriers in Big Bend” (The Texas Tribune, September 14, 2026).

The Trump administration has said the remote West Texas region needs measures to stop illegal immigration. But a bipartisan group of elected officials is pushing to halt that plan, especially in the national park

• Dante Motley, “‘Thank You, President Trump, but Stop': Big Bend Landowners Sue Over Border Wall” (The Austin American-Statesman, September 14, 2026).

West Texas families say the proposed border wall threatens ranches, Rio Grande access, family graves and ancient rock art

• Sam Karas, “Big Bend Landowners File Suit Over Border Wall” (Big Bend Sentinel, September 14, 2026).

A sixth lawsuit against the Trump administration was filed on Monday morning in District of Columbia District Court over plans to build border barriers across hundreds of miles of the Big Bend region –– this time, by a coalition of 230 landowners who face having their land seized by the government

• Mary Cantrell, “Texas Landowners Sue Federal Government Over Border Wall Plans” (Morning Edition, National Public Radio, September 14, 2026).

A lawsuit filed Monday takes aim at federal agencies' use of waivers to expedite construction of a wall along the border with Mexico and claims that landowner's constitutional rights are being violated

Arizona

• Henry Brean, “Three Protesters Arrested at Border Wall Construction Site in Arizona” (The Arizona Daily Star, September 15, 2026).

Three people were arrested Monday after protesters dressed as endangered animals sought to disrupt border wall construction work in the San Rafael Valley, about 100 miles southeast of Tucson

• Debra Utacia Krol, “Tohono o'odham Stand Firm Against Bigger Border Wall” (The Arizona Daily Star, September 13, 2026).

Learn about the Tohono O'odham tribe's efforts to secure the 62-mile stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border, including barriers, partnerships with Border Patrol, and challenges faced. Stay informed on the ongoing border security discussions and community impact

• Stephanie Casanova, “Tohono o'odham Fight Border Wall on Sacred, Sovereign Lands” (High Country News, September 11, 2026).

Tohono O’odham Nation fights Southern Arizona border wall construction near Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and on its reservation

• Hannah Kass, Ryan Fatica, “Treesit Blocks Us-Mexico Border Wall Construction for Six Weeks in Arizona” (Unicorn Riot, September 10, 2026).

Since July 27, land defenders have been living in the ancient cottonwood trees they affectionately call “Grandmothers” along the U.S.-Mexico border near the old townsite of Lochiel, Arizona

Elsewhere

• Aracely Lazcano, “Nonprofit's Expansion Plans in Limbo After Border Wall Notice” (Border Report, September 15, 2026).
• Eric Gay, Valerie Gonzalez, “Border Wall Cuts Through Wildlife Refuge” (Associated Press, Associated Press, September 14, 2026).

Temporary Protected Status

El Salvador

• Isabela Dias, “"A Sword of Damocles": Salvadoran Tps Holders Are in Limbo as Dhs Does Nothing” (Mother Jones, September 15, 2026).

They fought for protected status. Now they could lose it

• Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, “Trump Administration Throws Tps for el Salvador Into Limbo: Here's What You Need to Know” (American Immigration Council, September 11, 2026).

Despite being some of the most-vetted immigrants in the nation, most Salvadorans with TPS have no path to permanent status in the U.S.

• Andrea Castillo, Itzel Luna, “Confusion Over Protected Status Leaves Employers and Salvadoran Immigrants Scrambling” (The Los Angeles Times, September 10, 2026).

Thousands of Salvadoran immigrants nationwide faced uncertainty after the federal government failed to decide by a Wednesday deadline whether to extend or terminate their longtime temporary protections against deportation

• Tim Padgett, “We May Finally Know What Makes a Country 'Unsafe' for Tps Deportations: A Bromance With Trump” (WLRN (Florida), September 10, 2026).
• Arelis R. Hernandez, Ted Hesson, “Protected Status Expires for Salvadorans Shielded From Deportation for Decades” (The Washington Post, September 9, 2026).

Immigrants from El Salvador were the first group granted temporary protected status. The Trump administration has been canceling the benefit for scores of immigrants fleeing war and disaster

• Annie Correal, Jazmine Ulloa, Madeleine Ngo, “Salvadorans to Keep Deportation Protections for Now, Trump Officials Say” (The New York Times, September 9, 2026).

Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador was set to expire on Wednesday. The Trump administration said it would make an announcement about the program’s future at the “appropriate time”

• Jesse Bogan, “Salvadorans' Tps Remains in Effect for Now, Dhs Announces” (The Marshall Project, September 9, 2026).

Salvadorans who are in the U.S. under the Temporary Protected Status program now face an uncertain future, as TPS expires on Sept. 9

Haiti

• Nathalye Cotrino, ““They Will Kill Me”: Haitian Deportees From U.S. Face Fear, Uncertainty” (Human Rights Watch, Just Security, September 16, 2026).

Haitians deported from the United States face the threat of widespread gang violence, poverty, and instability

• Sergio Martinez-Beltran, “For Thousands of Haitians in the U.S., End of Protected Status Brings Fear, Grief and Defiance” (National Public Radio, September 15, 2026).

Haitians in the U.S. lost their Temporary Protected Status under Trump's immigration crackdown. Now facing deportation to a homeland wracked by gang violence, disease and extreme poverty, Haitians in Miami are meeting the moment with grief, anger, and courage

• Amanda Pechy, “Governo Trump Deporta Crianca Brasileira para o Haiti; Bebe de 3 Anos Estava No Voo” (Veja (Brazil), September 10, 2026).

Famílias estavam entre os 57 passageiros a bordo de avião que deixou os EUA rumo à nação assolada por violência no final de agosto

• Frances Robles, “Deported From the U.S., Some Haitians Are Left Broke and Stranded” (The New York Times, September 6, 2026).

Hundreds have been deported to Haiti in recent weeks, and some say they have been left with no money, no protection from gangs and no place to go

• Juhakenson Blaise, “Rights Advocates Warn Mass Deportations Are Worsening Haiti's Humanitarian Crisis” (The Haitian Times, September 5, 2026).

The Support Group for Repatriates and Refugees says Haiti lacks the resources to receive and reintegrate the tens of thousands of Haitians forcibly returned to the country. Meta Description: The Support Group for Repatriates and Refugees said nearly 200,000 Haitians were forcibly returned through August as Haiti struggles to receive and reintegrate deportees amid a rampant humanitarian crisis

• Adrian Carrasquillo, “Trump Took His Status. Ice Took His Dignity. He Took His Life.” (The Bulwark, September 4, 2026).

This promising young Haitian immigrant was humiliated and tormented until he lost hope

Third-country deportations

• “Onu Pide a Eeuu Detener Expulsion de Inmigrantes a Paises Donde Pueden Correr Peligro” (EFE, Tal Cual (Venezuela), September 7, 2026).

Africa

• Tutu Alicante, “America Sent Them Into a Dictatorship's Torture Chambers, Then Looked Away” (EG Justice, Just Security, September 17, 2026).

The United States is deporting third-country nationals to Equatorial Guinea despite its documented pattern of human rights abuses

• Camilo Montoya-Galvez, “Latin American Migrants Deported by Ice to West Africa Describe Being Stranded "On the Other Side of the World"” (CBS News, September 15, 2026).

CBS News traveled to Liberia to speak to some of the Latin American deportees banished to Africa under President Trump's immigration crackdown

• ““Tememos Ser Secuestrados” Denuncian Nicas Deportados a Republica Centroafricana” (Confidencial (Nicaragua), September 13, 2026).

Dos de tres nicas deportados a África relatan el abandono y temores que sufren desde un albergue en uno de los países más peligrosos de ese continente

• Maria Elena Herrera, “Un Nicaraguense Fue Enviado por la Fuerza Desde ee.uu. A Africa” (Articulo 66 (Nicaragua), September 10, 2026).

El nicaragüense Kenis López, quien estaba en un centro de detención del ICE desde hace 8 meses, denuncia que él y 40 migrantes fueron engañados y agredidos por las autoridades migratorias estadounidenses antes de ser amarrado y enviado por la fuerza a África

• Tiago Rogero, “Six People Refused to Get Off Ice Deportation Plane – Now They're Held in Limbo in Equatorial Guinea” (The Guardian (Uk), September 4, 2026).

Believed to be first US deportations to fourth country, six face ‘horrific conditions’ in Equatorial Guinea, say lawyers

Ecuador

• Mario Alexis Gonzalez, “Ecuador Ha Recibido a 450 Extranjeros de 14 Paises Deportados por Estados Unidos Desde 2023” (Primicias (Ecuador), September 11, 2026).

Según los datos recopilados por el Data Deportation Project, en los últimos cinco años fiscales, Estados Unidos ha deportado a cientos de migrantes de otros países a Ecuador. El 23% de los enviados tiene antecedentes criminales

Mexican citizens in Guatemala

• Edwin Bercian, “Guatemala: Un Inexplicado Pais de Paso” (No Ficción (Guatemala), September 14, 2026).

En 2026, miles de ciudadanos mexicanos deportados desde Estados Unidos han pasado por Guatemala antes de regresar a su país. Esta serie documenta esa breve

• Alvaro Castaneda Estrada, Maybaall Saucedo, “Guatemala Suma 2 Mil 848 Mexicanos Recibidos Como Parte de Vuelos de Retornados Desde Estados Unidos” (Prensa Libre (Guatemala), September 8, 2026).

Guatemala recibió a 2 mil 848 mexicanos entre abril y septiembre, como parte de un mecanismo que los traslada en vuelos de guatemaltecos retornados de Estados Unidos

Guyana

• “Guyana Recibe a los Primeros Seis Migrantes Reubicados Desde Ee. Uu. Bajo Nuevo Acuerdo” (EFE, El Universo (Guayaquil Ecuador), September 5, 2026).

El Gobierno dijo que los migrantes tienen la opción de regresar a su país de origen o trasladarse a otro lugar dependiendo del resultado de sus casos

Somalis being held at Guantánamo Bay

• Amanda Moore, “The Trump Administration Is Imprisoning Somali Immigrants in Gitmo” (Mother Jones, September 16, 2026).

“Nobody tell us that we’re going to Guantanamo Bay”

Seeking to collect fines from deported migrants

• Emilio Davila, “¿por Incumplir una Orden? Inmigrante Que se Autodeporto Recibe Multa de Casi US$2 Millones” (Prensa Libre (Guatemala), September 14, 2026).

Alessandro Negrete es uno de los más de 100 mil migrantes que han recibido multas del DHS desde el inicio del segundo mandato de Trump

• Alicia A. Caldwell, Maya Averbuch, “Us Pursues Deportees Abroad for Hundreds of Millions in Unpaid Fines” (Bloomberg, September 8, 2026).

US Customs and Border Protection is hiring private contractors to track down deported migrants who owe the US government hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid penalties

Protest incident at Fort Bliss detention camp

• Jeff Abbott, “U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar Demands Ice Findings on Camp East Montana Riot” (The El Paso Times, September 10, 2026).

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar called on DHS and ICE to share the results of internal investigations into the unrest in Camp East Montana over Labor Day

• Jeff Abbott, “Immigrants Held at Camp East Montana Protest Over Labor Day Weekend” (The El Paso Times, September 9, 2026).

Immigrants held at the Camp East Montana in El Paso protested over Labor Day weekend. They called to be deported from the ERO facility

Non-fatal fire in a Mexican government migrant detention center in Janos, Chihuahua, near Ciudad Juárez

• Teofilo Alvarado, “Incendio en Janos Demuestra Que Garduno No Cumplio Con Cambios en Estaciones Migratorias: Fundacion para la Justicia” (Norte (Ciudad Juarez Mexico), September 15, 2026).

Tenía que haber ventiladores, ventanas, hidrantes y extintores en estaciones migratorias, además de evitar materiales inflamables y tóxicos, “para que no los quemen”

• Teofilo Alvarado, “Antes del Incendio, Inm Retenia Ilegalmente Hasta 15 Dias a Migrantes en Janos” (Norte (Ciudad Juarez Mexico), September 15, 2026).

Organizaciones exigen investigar las causas del siniestro; denuncian opacidad sobre la salud y el paradero de las 33 personas evacuadas

• “Reubican a Migrantes Tras Incendio en Estacion del Inm en Janos, Chihuahua” (La Verdad (Ciudad Juarez Mexico), September 14, 2026).
• “Incendio en Estacion Migratoria de Janos Deja Personas Afectadas por Inhalacion de Humo” (Norte (Ciudad Juarez Mexico), September 13, 2026).

De manera preliminar, se indicó que el incendio pudo haber sido ocasionado por algunos internos, quienes presuntamente colocaron cobijas sobre equipos de minisplit

"Sentinel Tower" opens in downtown Ciudad Juárez

• Jaime Garcia Chavez, “Necesaria Auditoria de Gestion a Torre Centinela” (La Verdad (Ciudad Juarez Mexico), September 13, 2026).

El proyecto de obra pública insignia de la administración de la gobernadora María Eugenia Campos Galván… debe ser examinada a la luz de la auditoría de gestión que se dispone en las leyes vigentes en el estado

• Jeff Abbott, “'JuáRez and the Border Are Safer.' Mexico Inaugurates Sentinel Tower” (The El Paso Times, September 10, 2026).

The state of Chihuahua inaugurated the 20-story Sentinel Tower, opening a new chapter in public security in Juárez, Mexico

• Teofilo Alvarado, “Espera Sspe Que Gobierno Federal Autorice Despues Presencia de Agencias de Eu en Torre Centinela” (Norte (Ciudad Juarez Mexico), September 10, 2026).

Gilberto Loya indicó que es legal una presencia de ese tipo en el edificio recién inaugurado, porque la delincuencia transnacional existe

• Carlos Omar Barranco, “Quienes se Opusieron a la Torre Centinela Parecen Defender Muerte, Mentira y Terrorismo: Gobernadora” (Norte (Ciudad Juarez Mexico), September 9, 2026).

Ante invitados especiales de Nuevo México y del Gobierno de EU, la gobernadora Maru Campos defiende obra insignia de su administración

Other Mexico reports

• Jessica Xantomila, Nestor Jimenez, “Solicita Comar 7.6% Mas Presupuesto para Hacer Frente al Recorte de Fondos de Acnur” (La Jornada (Mexico), September 13, 2026).

La Comar señaló entre sus objetivos, indicadores y metas que 58 mil personas solicitarán “acceso al Sistema de Protección Internacional”

• Steve Fisher, “'Our Border Is Closed': Inside Trump's Push for Zero Migrants — and the Tunnels Defying It” (The Los Angeles Times, September 9, 2026).

Illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border are at historical lows, but the Trump administration continues to push officials in Mexico — including U.S. officials stationed there — to tighten the border even further

• Jose Luis Gonzalez, “Mexican Border Shelters Empty as Trump Crackdown Deters Migrants Heading North” (Reuters, Reuters, September 8, 2026).

Occupancy is about 15%, with most remaining residents Mexicans displaced by violence

• Georgina Pease, “Tapachula: How Mexico's Border Town Became a “Prison City” for U.S. Deportees” (Puente News Collaborative, Palabra, September 8, 2026).

Tapachula, five miles from Mexico’s border with Guatemala, has become a principal destination for the world’s deportees. And in a cruel twist, even Mexicans expelled from the U.S. have found themselves there, regrouping after being deported – not home to Mexico – but first to Central America

• “Reunificacion Familiar, Principal Causa de Migracion Entre Salvadorenos” (Norte (Ciudad Juarez Mexico), September 7, 2026).

De enero a agosto se han denunciado unos 30 casos de secuestro en Ciudad Juárez con víctimas que son migrantes de El Salvador

• Jaime Garcia Chavez, “Francisco Garduno, el Impune” (Unión Ciudadana A.C., La Verdad (Ciudad Juarez Mexico), September 6, 2026).

El caso de Francisco Garduño, quien fuera director del Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM), es más que aleccionador. Ha obstruido la operación mínima de la justicia, aparte de buscar quedar exonerado de los cargos que sólo a él se le pueden imputar

• Jessica Xantomila, “Vulnerables, los Migrantes Extranjeros Que Deporta Eu a Mexico; Son Mil Cada Mes” (La Jornada (Mexico), September 6, 2026).
• “Repudian a Garduno Familiares de Victimas de Incendio Migratorio” (Norte (Ciudad Juarez Mexico), September 6, 2026).

Parientes de migrantes muertos se movilizaron largas distancias para conectarse a la audiencia a la que faltó el ex comisionado del INM

• Gustavo Perez Gutierrez, “Al Menos 74% de Migrantes Que Atiende Coespo en Juarez Son Mexicanos” (Norte (Ciudad Juarez Mexico), September 5, 2026).

Medio millar de niños y adolescentes de origen extranjero estudian actualmente en planteles educativos de esta frontera

• Edgar H. Clemente, “Esta Semana, Mil 200 Paisanos Fueron Deportados a Tapachula” (La Jornada (Mexico), September 5, 2026).
• Aracely Lazcano, “From Juarez Tunnel to el Paso Drains: Underground Crossings Remain Border Enforcement Challenge” (Border Report, September 4, 2026).
• Fernie Ortiz, “Hundreds of Cartel-Bound Guns Were Smuggled in From Texas, Mexico Says” (Border Report, September 3, 2026).

ICE arrests Nicaraguan dissident journalist who was seeking asylum

• Ismael Lopez, Kate Linthicum, “He Exposed Nicaragua's Dictatorship. Now, the U.S. Wants to Deport Him There” (The Los Angeles Times, September 17, 2026).

Journalists, human rights advocates and dissidents who were persecuted in Nicaragua and sought safety in the U.S. are increasingly being targeted for deportation

• “Autoridades Migratorias de Eeuu Sobre Caso Galeano: «se Espera Proceso de Remocion»” (Nicaragua Investiga, September 15, 2026).

Luis Galeano es señalado de "violar la ley" de Estados Unidos por quedarse tras vencer su visado, pese a solicitud de asilo

• Sharon Ardon, “Ice Detains Luis Galeano, Nicaraguan Journalist Exiled and Stripped of Citizenship by the Ortega-Murillo Regime” (Expediente Publico (Honduras), September 14, 2026).

ICE Detains Luis Galeano, Nicaraguan Journalist Exiled and Stripped of Citizenship by the Ortega-Murillo Regime Luis Galeano, an exiled Nicaraguan journalist, was detained Monday morning by ICE agents in Florida, United States

• Wilfredo Miranda Aburto, ““Ice Detained Me”: The 15-Second Call in Which Journalist Luis Galeano Alerted His Wife From a Police Station in Florida” (Divergentes, September 14, 2026).

The director of Café con Voz remains in immigration custody, while his family and lawyers try to determine the exact nature of his situation. Galeano applied for political asylum in 2019 after fleeing persecution by the Ortega-Murillo regime, which stripped him of his citizenship in 2023 and declared him a fugitive. His case has drawn reactions from members of Congress and opposition organizations, who are warning of the risks posed by his potential deportation and that of other Nicaraguans at risk of deportation

Reports from elsewhere in the Americas

• Genevieve Glatsky, Hamed Aleaziz, Jose Maria Leon Cabrera, Nicholas Nehamas, “U.S. Fast-Tracked Deportation of Ecuadorean Politician Despite Torture Fears” (The New York Times, September 16, 2026).

The removal of José Serrano, a critic of President Daniel Noboa who has been accused of criminal activity, underscores how the Trump administration has asserted control over U.S. immigration courts

• Cesar Perez Marroquin, “Guatemala y Estados Unidos Fortalecen Cooperacion para Combatir el Trafico Ilicito y la Trata de Personas” (Prensa Libre (Guatemala), September 16, 2026).

El MP y autoridades de Estados Unidos abordaron la cooperación bilateral para fortalecer la persecución penal y combatir delitos como el tráfico ilícito y la trata de personas

• Andre Lima, “Mp Revela Detalles de la Reunion Entre Garcia Luna y Director Adjunto de Ice” (La Hora (Guatemala), September 9, 2026).

El MP informó sobre una reunión que sostuvo el Fiscal General, García Luna, con el director adjunto de ICE. Sobre esto fue la reunión

• Jessica Xantomila, “La Jornada: Cayo 97% el Flujo por el Darien, Reporta Oim” (La Jornada (Mexico), September 6, 2026).

Drones at the border

• Stephania Corpi, “Before Tijuana, There Was el Paso: The Texas Operation Behind Mexico's New Anti-Drone Strategy” (Texas Public Radio, Houston Public Media, September 14, 2026).

Mexico has deployed 800 soldiers and anti-drone equipment at the U.S.-Mexico border to curb the use of commercial drones by cartels

• Fernanda Gonzalez, “The Us and Mexico Announce They're Teaming Up Against Drones” (Wired, September 11, 2026).

The new joint operation uses laser-based technology capable of detecting, tracking, and disabling commercial drones linked to human and drug trafficking

• “Mexico Deploys 800 Military Personnel in Anti-Drone Operation With Us at Border” (EFE, EFE, September 11, 2026).

As part of a coordinated operation with the US, Mexico deployed 800 military personnel and equipment capable of jamming drones

• Ashley Roque, “Pentagon Eyeing Tech Testbed Expansion Along Us-Mexico Border” (Breaking Defense, September 11, 2026).

We want to do as much as we can; I would love to continue to bring on new projects, new programs to the border and try it out, but we want to do it in a responsible way that's safe,” Mark Ditlevson, assistant secretary of defense for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs, told Breaking Defense

• Sgt. Dominic Atlas, “Jtf-Sb Personnel Further Enhance Drone Capabilities Along the Southern Border” (Operation Ardent Vanguard, DVIDS (U.S. Department of Defense), September 10, 2026).

Army S-UAS operators provide aerial surveillance along the southern border, helping Soldiers and Customs and Border Protection agents identify groups crossing or preparing to cross the Rio Grande. Sgt. Mauri Sanchez, a combat engineer with the 350th Engineer Company, serves as an S-UAS master trainer, preparing Soldiers to operate multiple drone systems and support border operations. Sanchez also discusses how his personal background and experiences on the mission have shaped his perspective on the importance of using drones to both improve situational awareness and help save lives

• Luis Carlos Sainz, “Mexico y Estados Unidos Despliegan Operativo Antidrones en Tijuana” (Revista Zeta (Tijuana Mexico), September 8, 2026).

El despliegue binacional busca impedir el monitoreo del tráfico de personas y de drogas. Equipos tecnológicos fijos y móviles operan en los límites de Tijuana y San Diego

• Anna Giaritelli, Mike Brest, “Military Sees Early Success Using Lasers to Take Down Drones at Mexican Border” (The Washington Examiner, September 8, 2026).

Military personnel in Texas are increasingly using a new type of technology to take down suspicious drones in U.S. airspace along the Mexican border

• “Se Informa Sobre una Operacion Bilateral Antidrones en la Franja Fronteriza de Tijuana, b.c.-San Diego, California” (Secretaría de Defensa Nacional de Mexico, September 7, 2026).
• Eleanor Watson, “Drone Activity at U.S.-Mexico Border Drops 75% After U.S. Uses Laser Weapon, Military Says” (CBS News, September 7, 2026).

In less than two weeks, the high-energy laser weapon system has taken down 11 drones, coinciding with a 75% drop in drones probing the border, military officials told CBS News

• Emir Olivares Alonso, “Operamos 165 Equipos Antidrones a Lo Largo de la Frontera Con Eu: Trevilla” (La Jornada (Mexico), September 5, 2026).

Con aeronaves comerciales no tripuladas los coyotes ubican rutas para el tráfico de personas, afirma

• “Usnorthcom Operational Update: Cartel Drone Defeats at the Southern Border” (U.S. Northern Command, September 4, 2026).
• Ali Bradley, Jeff Arnold, “Us Military Shot Down 300 Suspected Cartel Drones at Border This Year” (NewsNation, September 4, 2026).
• Henry Ziemer, “Drone Meridian” (Caballeros, September 3, 2026).

Lasers, Radars, and Accountability in the Counter-UAS Wild West

The military at the border

• “Uss St. Louis Assumes U.S. Northern Command Mission at Southern Border” (U.S. 2nd Fleet, DVIDS (U.S. Department of Defense), September 13, 2026).

Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS St. Louis (LCS 19) departed Naval Station Mayport in support of U.S. Northern Command’s (USNORTHCOM) mission to secure the southern border of the United States, Sept. 13, 2026

• “Jtf-Sb Marines Bolster Southern Border Security” (DVIDS (U.S. Department of Defense), September 9, 2026).

Border Patrol expansion

• John Washington, “Border Patrol Plans New Station Near Tucson” (Lookout News, September 9, 2026).

A CBP letter obtained by LOOKOUT reveals plans for an 87-acre Border Patrol station in Southern Arizona that the agency says will help increase apprehensions

• “Chief Rosario “Pete” Vasquez (@Usbpchief) on X” (Border Patrol, Twitter, September 9, 2026).

ACADEMY RECORD! I met over 2,200 trainees during my visit to the U.S. Border Patrol Academy last week to witness the largest cadre of future agents in the history of our academy. These trainees will become the newest generation of Border Patrol agents to keep America safe.

• Isaias Alvarado, “As Irregular Crossings Fall, Border Patrol Shifts Focus From the Wall to the Highways” (El Pais (Spain), September 4, 2026).

The agency is paying closer attention to the roads, where it seeks to intercept drugs, migrants who have already entered the country unlawfully, and those transporting them

Links: “mass deportation” and human rights in the U.S. interior

Data

• Alex Leeds Matthews, Annette Choi, Catherine E. Shoichet, Kate Carroll, “Arrests, Deportations and Deaths: Track the Data on Trump's Immigration Crackdown” (CNN, September 10, 2026).

The latest data on immigration enforcement paints a revealing picture. These charts show what’s happening beyond the headlines

The detention system

• Amy Qin, Flavio Pessoa, Maanvi Singh, Will Craft, “Revealed: Ice Lost Count of Miscarriages, While Detaining a Record Number of Pregnant Women” (The Guardian (Uk), September 15, 2026).

ICE says it has no updated information on the number of miscarriages after 3 October 2025. Lawmakers, advocates and immigration attorneys have raised alarms that pregnant detainees are not receiving basic prenatal care and screenings

• Beth Schwartzapfel, “Ice Treatment of Transgender Women Reversing Years-Long Practices” (The Marshall Project, September 12, 2026).

Women said they face harassment and lack proper medical care

• Sen. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey), “The Abhorrent Conditions Inside Delaney Hall Are Only Part of the Story” (MS NOW, September 9, 2026).

We are witnessing blatant disregard for human welfare, seemingly all to enrich Donald Trump’s corporate allies and sustain an inhumane agenda

• Dayimar Ayala Altuve, “Latinos Are Uniting Through Digital Fundraisers to Free Those Detained by Ice” (Palabra, September 9, 2026).

Legal and court fees, plus potential bails exceed the economic capacity of migrant families, who depend on their community’s solidarity with "contributions" or "collections" to try to bring their loved ones back home

• Kate Morrissey, “Months of Pain, Delayed Care: An Asylum Seeker's Health Crisis in Ice Custody” (Beyond the Border, September 8, 2026).

A mother held at a San Diego immigration facility says months of delayed and inadequate medical care have left her with a serious kidney infection and worsening pain

Inspector-General reports on Everglades and Krome

• David Ovalle, Hamed Aleaziz, Madeleine Ngo, “‘Alligator Alcatraz' Used Small Cages as ‘Calming Areas,' Report Says” (The New York Times, September 14, 2026).

The Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog provided new details about conditions at the now-shuttered Florida detention center

• Julia Ainsley, Justin Goldman, Laura Strickler, “Dhs Watchdog Finds Immigrants Were Held at ‘Alligator Alcatraz' in Outdoor Cages the Size of Phone Booths” (NBC News, September 14, 2026).

The cages, called “calming areas,” were used for detainees to “reflect on their behavior choices, manage their emotions, reduce stress and practice self-directed behavior,” according to the inspector general’s report

• “Unannounced Inspection of Ice's Florida Soft-Sided Facility ("Alligator Alcatraz") in Ochopee, Florida” (Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, September 11, 2026).

We found the facility complied with Intake and Use of Force standards but did not comply with standards related to: Environmental Health and Safety; Special Management Units; Medical Care; Food Service; Personal Hygiene; and Recreation

• “Results of an Unannounced Inspection of Ice's Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, Florida” (Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, September 11, 2026).

During our unannounced inspection of the Krome North Processing Center (Krome) in Miami, Florida, the facility was 25 percent over its maximum capacity

Arrests and use of force

• Hafiz Rashid, “Ice Attacks Two U.S. Citizen Minors on Their Way to Enlist in Marines” (The New Republic, September 14, 2026).

The ICE agents reportedly said they didn’t care after being told the two teenagers were citizens

• Amanda Moore, “Ice Is Still Surging” (The Turtle Diaries, September 13, 2026).

Dispatch from an immigration surge in southwest Florida

• Cindy Ramirez, “Ice Arrests Surge in the el Paso Region. Families Are Feeling the Impact.” (El Paso Matters, September 13, 2026).

ICE has arrested nearly 3,500 people in the El Paso area so far this year, about as many as in all of 2025. Immigrant advocates call the arrests indiscriminate while DHS says it’s targeting enforcement against “the worst of the worst"

• Maria de los Angeles Graterol, “Redadas de Ice y Trabas al Asilo Ponen en Jaque a Venezolanos en el Doral” (Tal Cual (Venezuela), September 12, 2026).
• Jeremy Roebuck, Silvia Foster-Frau, Ted Hesson, “Rare Charges Against Ice Agent Highlight Doj's Broader Retreat From Shooting Probes” (The Washington Post, September 8, 2026).

The case against Christian Castro is unprecedented in President Donald Trump’s second term, as ICE agents face little fallout from shootings of protesters and others

• Ernesto Londono, “Ice Agent Charged With Six Counts of Lying About Minnesota Shooting” (The New York Times, September 4, 2026).

The federal indictment against Christian Castro marked a rare instance of the Trump administration seeking to hold an immigration agent accountable for actions taken while on duty

• Jeremy Roebuck, “Ice Agent Charged With Lying About Minneapolis Shooting Released on Bail” (The Washington Post, September 4, 2026).

A lawyer for Christian Castro, 52, said he intends to fight the charges and that the agent never had any intention of fleeing to avoid prosecution

• Cora Cervantes, “The Masked Men Around the Corner: As Youth Grapple With Ice Raids, Schools Get Creative to Protect Them” (MindSite News, Palabra, September 4, 2026).

"Our students need to know that we're here to fight for them," says Los Angeles Assistant Principal Lorena Reynoso

• Andy Mannix, Megan Rose, “Trump's Doj Blocked Serious Ice Shooting Charge Over Federal Prosecutor's “Strongest Possible” Objections” (ProPublica, September 3, 2026).

A prosecutor planned to file civil rights charges — similar to those brought against the officers who killed George Floyd — against an ICE agent. In an email we exclusively obtained, he reveals that Trump officials quashed those plans

Deportations

• Ryan J. Foley, “Ap Exclusive: Change in Human Trafficking Policy Could Make Some Minors Easier to Deport” (Associated Press, Associated Press, September 16, 2026).
• Ali Bianco, Kyle Cheney, “Illegal Deportations Spike Under Trump's Ice Push” (Politico, September 13, 2026).

The Justice Department has acknowledged errors in many cases

• Danica Coto, “A Man Fights for a New Life in Cuba After the Us Expels Him in an Immigration Crackdown” (Associated Press, Associated Press, September 11, 2026).
• Sandy Pineda, “Aiden, el Rostro de una Familia Separada Entre Guatemala y Ee. Uu. Por la Deportacion de Sus Padres” (Prensa Libre (Guatemala), September 6, 2026).

Aiden volvió a Guatemala para reunirse con sus padres, pero en el camino tuvo que despedirse de sus cuatro hermanos. Su llanto en el aeropuerto de Miami, durante la separación, resume el dolor

• Sebastian Cabrera, ““Es Como Volver a Emigrar”: Uruguayos Deportados de ee.uu. Reclaman por la Falta de Empleo y Ayuda Estatal” (El Pais (Uruguay), September 6, 2026).

Decenas de uruguayos son deportados o regresan en forma forzada desde Estados Unidos. De golpe, deben rehacer su vida en un país al que no quieren retornar. Aquí hablan cinco de ellos. Piden un “fondo para deportados”

ICE recruitment

• Alex Horton, Joyce Sohyun Lee, Maria Sacchetti, Ted Hesson, “Ice Is Quietly Firing New Hires. For One Recruit, It Was Devastating.” (The Washington Post, September 15, 2026).

Joseph Moore killed himself after learning ICE was going to fire him. Investigators had identified issues in his past that ex-officials say should have blocked his hiring

• Alexandra Berzon, Hamed Aleaziz, Katie Benner, “Ice Skipped Basic Checks in Rush for Recruits, Whistle-Blower Says” (The New York Times, September 3, 2026).

An official who oversaw the vetting of ICE recruits cited an “unprecedented lowering of standards” amid a hiring surge

• “Read the Whistle-Blower's Complaint Filed Amid Ice's Hiring Surge” (Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), The New York Times, September 3, 2026).

The New York Times obtained this whistle-blower complaint via a public records request to the Office of Inspector General in the Department of Homeland Security

• Joe Lancaster, “Ice Reportedly Lowered Its Standards to Meet Trump's Hiring Goal” (Reason, September 3, 2026).

Trump has criticized DEI initiatives for lowering hiring standards. A whistleblower now says ICE did that on purpose

Cybersecurity, privacy, and civil liberties

• Shirin Ali, “The Irs Gave Ice Some Information It Really Shouldn't Have. There Will Be Consequences for All of Us.” (Slate, September 10, 2026).

The information taxpayers give the IRS is supposed to be for the IRS’s eyes only

• Joseph Cox, “A Secretive Dhs ‘Predictive Policing' Unit Is Analyzing Americans' Financial Habits and Pulling Them Over” (404 Media, September 8, 2026).

404 Media is revealing the name of Border Patrol's predictive policing units, which analyze financial data and have local cops pull people over. The people are not suspected of any particular crime

In the courts (immigration and federal)

• Ashley Brasfield, “Exclusive: Dhs Cracks Down on Immigration Attorneys Who File ‘Meritless' Asylum Claims” (Daily Caller, September 16, 2026).
• Ian Millhiser, “The Successful Campaign to Make a Terrifying Supreme Court Immigration Case Disappear” (Vox, September 16, 2026).

For now…

• Abel Fernandez, “The Ordeal of Miami's Migrant Mega-Hearings: ‘if I Don't Make It, They'll Issue a Deportation Order'” (El Pais (Spain), September 14, 2026).

Many migrants now arrive before sunrise for fear of missing a hearing that could determine whether they remain in the United States

• “Eeuu Debera Asumir Mas de $164.000 en Honorarios por Deportacion de Venezolano al Cecot” (Tal Cual (Venezuela), September 9, 2026).

Una jueza federal determinó que la actuación del gobierno de EEUU contra Daniel Lozano Camargo, deportado a El Salvador sin una audiencia para determinar si pertenecía al Tren de Aragua, no estuvo justificada

• Christopher Hale, “A Philadelphia Nun Sits With Unaccompanied Children at Texas Deportation Hearings” (Letters from Leo, September 5, 2026).

Sister Rose Kuhn drives to the Harlingen immigration court every week to pray beside children who face a judge alone, some as young as four

• “Claves para Entender Fallo Que Obliga a Inmigrantes Venezolanos a Probar Que Corren Peligro en Venezuela – Efecto Cocuyo” (Efecto Cocuyo, September 5, 2026).

La decisión en sí misma no supone la deportación de los venezolanos

• “Matter of a-e-v-M-, Respondent” (Board of Immigration Appeals, Department of Justice, September 4, 2026).
• Syra Ortiz Blanes, “Immigration Appeals Board Deals Blow to Venezuelans Seeking Political Asylum in U.S.” (The Miami Herald, September 4, 2026).
• Carla Astudillo, “These Judges Take Months to Decide if Immigrants Have Been Unlawfully Detained” (ProPublica, September 3, 2026).

Judges in some parts of the country have taken months to adjudicate immigrants’ claims of unlawful imprisonment, our analysis of 70,000 habeas petition cases found. Some detainees are asking to be deported rather than wait in detention centers

DHS organizational culture

• Angie Orellana Hernandez, “Two Former Dhs Chiefs Call for an Agencywide ‘Reset'” (The Washington Sun, September 11, 2026).
• Josh Dawsey, Michelle Hackman, Summer Said, Tarini Parti, “Chasing Side Deals, Flexing Influence: Lewandowski's Power Moves at Dhs” (The Wall Street Journal, September 7, 2026).

Kristi Noem’s close adviser effectively controlled billions in spending at Homeland Security. Lewandowski denies seeking business or playing any role in the agency’s contracts

The policy's effects

• Catarina Saraiva, Shawn Donnan, “Trump's Immigration Crackdown Is Slowing the Sun Belt's Population Growth” (Bloomberg, Bloomberg, September 14, 2026).

Trump’s immigration crackdown is reshaping the economic growth model in Houston — and across the region

• Andrea R. Flores, “Democrats Are Still Scared of Immigration” (Securing America's Promise, September 14, 2026).

On August 31, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries outlined Democrats’ priorities should they win back the House majority

• Jasmine Garsd, “They Cleaned Up Ground Zero. Now Many Are Hiding From Ice” (National Public Radio, September 11, 2026).

After 9/11, thousands of rescue and cleanup crews went to work at ground zero. They were exposed to toxic debris and experienced psychological trauma. Today, many say they live in fear of deportation

• Yanqi Xu, “As He Backs Ice Crackdown, Nebraska Governor Employs Undocumented Workers” (The New York Times, September 9, 2026).

Gov. Jim Pillen’s family business is one of the nation’s largest pork producers. As he seeks re-election, he has aligned himself with President Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda even though his farms have taken on undocumented laborers

• Andrew Carter, Caroline Kubzansky, Gregory Royal Pratt, Laura Rodriguez Presa, “Operation Midway Blitz, One Year Later: A Changed Chicago Forges on After the Resistance” (The Chicago Tribune, September 6, 2026).

For 64 days, the federal government carried out a militarized immigration enforcement operation under the guise of making Chicago safer. A year later, why do people still feel so unsafe?

• Ian Seyal, Marcela Escobari, Paul Beach, “Beyond Arrests: How Ice Enforcement Depressed Local Employment in 2025” (The Brookings Institution, September 4, 2026).

Employment fell in cities where ICE enforcement surged in 2025, with no signs of recovery so far, Marcela Escobari and co-authors find