All Posts By

Kelli Sandberg

Agents of Chaos and Cruelty: How the Trump Administration’s National Deportation Policing Force Has Attacked American Communities

By | Highlighted Resources, Immigrant Families Research, Immigration Enforcement, Research, Research Highlight

Agents of Chaos and Cruelty: How the Trump Administration’s National Deportation Policing Force Has Attacked American Communities

Denise C. Bell & Naureen Shah, American Civil Liberties Union (July 16, 2026)

This report documents that over 400 of the more than 1,200 immigration enforcement incidents examined across eight states involved agent misconduct during Trump’s second term, and offers recommendations for reform of a broken system.

A growing effort to restrict immigrants’ access to public benefits

By | Immigrant Families Research, Public Charge, Research, Research Highlight

A growing effort to restrict immigrants’ access to public benefits

Mark Greenberg, Brookings Institution (July 24, 2026)

This piece examines how the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict immigrant access to benefits and services extend far beyond typical welfare programs to affect lawfully residing immigrants and citizen family members alike.

Access to Legal Assistance for Unaccompanied and Separated Children

By | Federal Policy, Immigrant Youth, Law & Policy, Law/Policy Highlight, Legal/Law, Unaccompanied Minors

Access to Legal Assistance for Unaccompanied and Separated Children

Kids in Need of Defense (June 11, 2026)

This policy position affirms that unaccompanied and separated children are entitled to free, qualified legal representation alongside a guardian in all proceedings affecting them, in line with UN Committee on the Rights of the Child guidance.

What You Need to Know Now About Public Charge

By | Federal Policy, Highlighted Resources, Law & Policy, Law/Policy Highlight, Legal/Law, Public Charge

What You Need to Know Now About Public Charge

Immigrant Legal Resource Center (July 21, 2026)

This community explainer answers frequently asked questions about DHS’s July 2026 removal of the 2022 Public Charge rule, including who it affects and when, now that green card applicants face less certainty without the structured guidance officers previously relied on.

Arguments for Using the SIJS-based Adjustment Provision to Adjust Based on a Different Petition

By | Immigration Relief, Legal Professionals, Legal/Law, Practice, Practice Highlight, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)

Arguments for Using the SIJS-based Adjustment Provision to Adjust Based on a Different Petition

Immigrant Legal Resource Center (April 13, 2026)

This practice alert explores an untested legal argument that young people with approved SIJS petitions may be able to use SIJS-specific adjustment provisions to meet the “inspected and admitted or paroled” requirement when adjusting status through a non-SIJS immigrant petition, such as a spousal petition.

Family Preparedness Plan for Immigrant Families

By | Deportation, Detention, Family Separation, Immigration Enforcement, Practice, Practice Highlight, Youth & Families

Family Preparedness Plan for Immigrant Families

Kids in Need of Defense (March 11, 2026)

This family preparedness guide helps immigrant parents and caregivers plan for potential separation by organizing key documents, identifying trusted caregivers, and ensuring children are protected if a parent becomes unavailable.

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