March 24 Updates

National

• Venezuelan-US tensions are heightening. Trump just stated that countries that buy Venezuelan oil will face 25% tariff. The largest consumer of Venezuelan oil is currently China. Read more from AP News Here. 

  • Venezuela will begin accepting repatriation flights directly from the US again, after pausing all repatriation flights on March 8th. Read more from NPR here.
    

• DHS revokes legal protections for 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. Read more here.
  

• Trump invoked the wartime “Alien Enemies Act of 1798” to deport 238 Venezuelan nationals from the US, stating that their suspected ties to Tren de Aragua justify them not having a court hearing nor needing a final removal order from a judge to be deported if they are considered a “danger” to the US.

• Five people deported to El Salvador are being represented by the ACLU at this time. 

• US district judge James Boasberg of the federal district court in Washington DC issued a temporary restraining order that prevents the deportation for another 14 days - although Trump is threatening him and trying to defy the orders.

• Federal Judge Boasberg ruled that those being targeted under the Alien Enemies Act are entitled to have a hearing to challenge the assertion that they are members of TdA.

• Read more from ABC News Here.

• The case is headed to appeal. Read more from AP News Here.
  

• If you have a Venezuelan relative who you believe was deported to El Salvador, please urgently contact Juntos & Libres by sending a message via WhatsApp to 214-817-0405. See more information here.
  

• Unfortunately, Trump has cut federal funding for legal aid to unaccompanied migrant children. According to this ABC News Article, approximately 26,000 children currently were receiving legal aid through these programs.
  

• International Organization for Migration states that 2024 was the deadliest year on record for migrants globally. The data from IOM states that migrant deaths almost reached 9,000 which is likely lower than the actual number.
  

• Canada is rapidly militarizing its borders as a sweetener deal to placate Trump and dodge the worst of his tariffs. Read more from Truthout here.
  

• The saga of outspoken college professors and students being targeted by the feds continues. But we have some good news! A federal judge on Thursday ordered immigration officials not to deport a Georgetown scholar (Indian national Badar Khan Suri) who was detained by the Trump Administration and accused of spreading Hamas propaganda in the latest battle over speech on U.S. college campuses.

Illinois

See last week’s updates

Chicago

Call for stories from the Healthy Illinois campaign to save HBIA

• As you know, Governor's Pritzker's proposed budget did not include continued funding for the Health Benefit for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) program, which currently enrolls over 32,000 people. The program is set to end on July 1, 2025.

• Enddy Almonord, the new Director of the Healthy Illinois Campaign, has been talking with legislators and meeting with immigrant-serving organizations to try and save the program. That said, Healthy Illinois is putting out a call for stories to pitch to the press and would like to get as many stories as we can published throughout the next week. 

• It is critical for legislators and the press to hear stories from those directly impacted—those who are enrolled in HBIA and are in the middle of life-saving treatment for instance—or who have received screenings that detected disease early, saving lives, or who need HBIA coverage to manage their chronic medical condition. 

• If there are people in your organization who would be willing to share their story, please ask them to fill out this form as soon as possible. 

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Enddy (ealmonord@healthyillinoiscampaign.org).