Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 3m

Immigration Professor's Blog is BACK. Visit our new home at immprof.com for the latest on immigration law, policy, news, court cases, books, research, and more. It's a great resource going strong for 20 years. 🥳

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 50m

As government human rights reporting becomes less comprehensive, historian Elliott Young's applied scholarship fills critical information gaps with rigorously documented country conditions research. Listen to our conversation here: austinkocher.substack.com/p/in-convers...

In Conversation with Elliott Young and Seraya Talbott-Carey: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Migration & Asylum Lab's New 2025 Country Bulletins

As government human rights reporting becomes less comprehensive, historian Elliott Young's applied scholarship fills critical information gaps with rigorously documented country conditions research.

austinkocher.substack.com

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 3h

The Trump administration is paying children in ORR custody (essentially detained children) $2,500 to get out of the country. Many of these children have no where to go, have no family, and are here seeking protection. Our immigration system is broken but this is NOT the way to fix it.

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Reposted by Austin Kocher, PhD

Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 17h

ICYMI: Jenni, one of AFU's beloved members, was forced to say goodbye to her best friend and husband of 17 years yesterday. This is NOT okay. The family courageously chose to share their story publicly, so please do YOUR part to share this with people in your lives. 🧵 below

Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 1d

ANOTHER FAMILY SEPARATED BY OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM

Immigration Laws Drive North Carolina Father Out of Country, Separating Him from U.S. Citizen Wife and Two Daughters

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 7h

If you have seen a pregnant, postpartum, or lactating woman in immigration custody, please let the Women's Refugee Commission know by submitting a report through the Detention Pregnancy Tracker.

detentionpregnancytracker.com

Women's Refugee Commission

detentionpregnancytracker.com

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 10h

Happening next Tuesday at 12:30 PM EST! Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern and Teresa Mares Discuss "Will Work for Food", a Fresh Look at the Hidden Labor Behind How We Eat. Registration required at link below.

austinkocher.substack.com/p/book-event...

Book Event 📚: Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern and Teresa Mares Discuss "Will Work for Food", a Fresh Look at the Hidden Labor Behind How We Eat

Want ethical food? Start with the workers. "Will Work for Food" exposes worker exploitation across the food system in and makes the case that labor justice is essential to a sustainable future.

austinkocher.substack.com

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Reposted by Austin Kocher, PhD

Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 13h

“My Husband Self-Deported So He Could Be Free”

As ICE raids intensify, a New Jersey woman’s heartbreak spotlights a growing wave of mixed-status couples choosing exile over the trauma of detention.

Thank you for sharing our stories, @pabloreports.bsky.social.

migrantinsider.com/p/my-husband...

“My Husband Self-Deported So He Could Be Free”

As ICE raids intensify, a New Jersey woman’s heartbreak spotlights a growing wave of mixed-status couples choosing exile over the trauma of detention.

migrantinsider.com

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 13h

Noem’s South Dakota neighbors hit with an immigration audit that decimates their workforce.

Dairy owner says fears are spreading in the industry that ‘we’ve turned off the tap’ with no plan to help or replace lost workers.

southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/10/10/d...

Noem's South Dakota neighbors hit with an immigration audit that decimates their workforce • South Dakota Searchlight

Dairy farm audits in South Dakota under the Trump administration’s escalated immigration enforcement efforts have “created unrest."

southdakotasearchlight.com

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 1d

Congress’s inaction and this administration’s cruelty separated this family today. Great job America. 🇺🇸

Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 1d

Jenni, Mackenzie, Fidel, and Isabella this afternoon on the way to the Raleigh-Durham airport.

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Reposted by Austin Kocher, PhD

Ashley DeAzevedo @afuashley.bsky.social · 1d

ANOTHER FAMILY SEPARATED BY OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM

Immigration Laws Drive North Carolina Father Out of Country, Separating Him from U.S. Citizen Wife and Two Daughters

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 1d

I’m tired of the President & VP referring to everything they don’t like as “radical left.” There’s no radical left w/ any power in the US, liberals & conservatives both made sure of that. People are holding the admin accountable to facts, but that’s not radical or left. That’s called “reality.”

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 1d

By the middle of the summer, Knox County had already spent almost $130K this year housing ICE inmates, records show. www.wvlt.tv/2025/07/01/k...

Get current data on immigrants in detention in Knox County at: detentionreports.com/facility/KNO...

Knox County has spent almost $130K this year housing ICE inmates, records show

Knox County’s agreement with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has cost taxpayers almost $130,000 since January, according to invoices obtained by WVLT News.

www.wvlt.tv

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 1d

I am definitely seeing this happening among mixed-status families I know. New from ProPublica: The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has left many immigrants afraid of being detained and deported. Some have opted to leave the U.S. on their own.

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

“I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore”: They Tried to Self-Deport, Then Got Stranded in Trump’s America

Venezuelan immigrants signed up for a Trump-promoted app called CBP Home, which promised a safe and easy way to leave the country, and prepared to leave on their given departure dates. Those dates…

www.propublica.org

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 2d

I’m close to setting a record for being on the most messaging apps with the most real time conversations with various permutations of the same 10 or so people. 🏆 I didn’t read simulacra and simulation for nothing.

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 3d

I agree with Marjorie Taylor Greene, mass deportation is bad for our economy, bad for families, and bad for our country.

Home of the Brave @ofthebraveusa.bsky.social · 3d

Marjorie Taylor Greene: "We have to do something about labor, and that needs to be a smarter plan than just rounding up every single person and deporting them."

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Reposted by Austin Kocher, PhD

Zoë Plakias @zoeconomy.bsky.social · 3d

Looked around to see who's working on tracking this and found this useful dashboard from @adamjst.bsky.social and @austinkocher.com of @relevantresearch.bsky.social

enforcementdashboard.com/ice-arrests/

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 4d

Looks like this one’s making the rounds again.

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 5d

Please join me for a conversation *in 1 hour* with Johanna Maska, strategist, communications expert, and former Obama White House staffer. We'll be on Substack Live talking about the chaos of immigration enforcement happening in our country right now.

Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 5d

4pm eastern

Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 5d

Please join me for a conversation this afternoon with Johanna Maska, strategist, communications expert, and former Obama White House staffer. We'll be on Substack Live talking about the chaos of immigration enforcement happening in our country right now.

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 5d

Please join me for a conversation *TODAY* at 4pm eastern* with Johanna Maska, strategist, communications expert, and former Obama White House staffer. We'll be on Substack Live talking about the chaos of immigration enforcement happening in our country right now.

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 5d

Today is the 22nd Annual Immigration Law and Policy conference in DC, a gather of the immigration policy community in our nation's capital each year. If you are attending in-person, please say hello! Let's get down to business.

www.migrationpolicy.org/events/22ndi...

22nd Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

This conference will feature thoughtful policy and legal analysis and discussion of some of the most important immigration issues that have surfaced in the U.S. policy debate.

www.migrationpolicy.org

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Reposted by Austin Kocher, PhD

Caitlin Patler @caitlinpatler.bsky.social · 6d

Highly recommend!

Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 6d

If you are teaching a class, unit, or workshop about immigration, I have a tremendous amount of multimedia resources, explanatory posts, digestible data, graphics, photographs and more over at austinkocher.substack.com. You might find something useful!

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 6d

If you are teaching a class, unit, or workshop about immigration, I have a tremendous amount of multimedia resources, explanatory posts, digestible data, graphics, photographs and more over at austinkocher.substack.com. You might find something useful!

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Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 6d

Please join me for a conversation *tomorrow October 9 at 4pm eastern* with Johanna Maska, strategist, communications expert, and former Obama White House staffer. We'll be on Substack Live talking about the chaos of immigration enforcement happening in our country right now.

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