Michael Kagan
@michaelgkagan.bsky.social
UNLV Immigration Clinic Director | Bagel expert | Author: The Battle to Stay in America | Private chef to my kids | Vegas law prof | Mets fan | Frequent typo writer | Speaking for myself only. Obv. | https://behindtheborder.substack.com
Pinned
Michael Kagan
@michaelgkagan.bsky.social
· Aug 18
The Battle To Stay in America
Now out in paperback, with a new afterword
open.substack.com
My book, with a new afterword reflecting on COVID, the Biden years and the return of Trump, is out in paperback. Get your copy.
open.substack.com/pub/behindth...
open.substack.com/pub/behindth...
“They should do it the right way”
November 26, 2025 at 8:18 PM
“They should do it the right way”
This litigation is probably the biggest ongoing immigration policy story that you probably don't know about
New: A federal judge in California ruled that Trump's administration cannot impose mandatory detention on thousands of migrants held by U.S. immigration authorities nationally without first giving them an opportunity to seek release on bond. www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
www.reuters.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:14 AM
This litigation is probably the biggest ongoing immigration policy story that you probably don't know about
Reposted by Michael Kagan
NEW:
The DOJ tells Judge James Boasberg that Kristi Noem made the decision that flights that had departed should continue on to El Salvador, in contravention of the court’s orders.
The DOJ tells Judge James Boasberg that Kristi Noem made the decision that flights that had departed should continue on to El Salvador, in contravention of the court’s orders.
BREAKING:
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
November 26, 2025 at 1:35 AM
NEW:
The DOJ tells Judge James Boasberg that Kristi Noem made the decision that flights that had departed should continue on to El Salvador, in contravention of the court’s orders.
The DOJ tells Judge James Boasberg that Kristi Noem made the decision that flights that had departed should continue on to El Salvador, in contravention of the court’s orders.
Reposted by Michael Kagan
Special agents at the Homeland Security Department have made fewer arrests for drug crimes and seized fewer weapons than they did the previous fiscal year, according to internal government documents reviewed by The New York Times.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
Drug Arrests and Gun Seizures Fell as Homeland Security Pursued Immigration
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Special agents at the Homeland Security Department have made fewer arrests for drug crimes and seized fewer weapons than they did the previous fiscal year, according to internal government documents reviewed by The New York Times.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
Reposted by Michael Kagan
BREAKING: ICE Detention Crosses Record 65,000, October Arrests Top Record 40,000, Biggest Growth Among People with No Criminal History
open.substack.com/pub/austinko...
open.substack.com/pub/austinko...
BREAKING: ICE Detention Crosses Record 65,000, October Arrests Top Record 40,000, Biggest Growth Among People with No Criminal History
After over two months of no data, ICE's new detention numbers show a record 65,135 people in detention, biggest growth among immigrants with no criminal histories. GPS ankle monitors also grow to 35k.
open.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:35 PM
BREAKING: ICE Detention Crosses Record 65,000, October Arrests Top Record 40,000, Biggest Growth Among People with No Criminal History
open.substack.com/pub/austinko...
open.substack.com/pub/austinko...
Everything is fine
November 25, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Everything is fine
Huge legal development in one of the most important battles over immigration policy going on right now (but it doesn't make good Tik Tok videos)
@reichlinmelnick.bsky.social New decision in this case appears to give classwide relief to people the govt now says are not amenable to bond, under the govt's bananas interpretation of everyone as arriving (for bond)* www.courtlistener.com/docket/70895...
*but not for CAA relief!
*but not for CAA relief!
Lazaro Maldonado Bautista v. Ernesto Santacruz Jr, 5:25-cv-01873 - CourtListener.com
Docket for Lazaro Maldonado Bautista v. Ernesto Santacruz Jr, 5:25-cv-01873 — Brought to you by Free Law Project, a non-profit dedicated to creating high quality open legal information.
www.courtlistener.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Huge legal development in one of the most important battles over immigration policy going on right now (but it doesn't make good Tik Tok videos)
ICE “is looking into constructing a ‘soft-side’ facility — a makeshift structure composed of tents — at the Nevada Southern Detention Center.” thenevadaindependent.com/article/neva...
Nevada ICE detainee population up by more than 30 percent since September - The Nevada Independent
The new numbers come as ICE eyes creating a new detention facility in Nevada while the state struggles to meet capacity. At a press conference this weekend, Department of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noe...
thenevadaindependent.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:32 PM
ICE “is looking into constructing a ‘soft-side’ facility — a makeshift structure composed of tents — at the Nevada Southern Detention Center.” thenevadaindependent.com/article/neva...
“I’m a U.S. Citizen.”
“I don’t care.”
“I don’t care.”
November 24, 2025 at 9:44 PM
“I’m a U.S. Citizen.”
“I don’t care.”
“I don’t care.”
Memo to every reporter who treats the Trump Administration’s sanctuary list like it’s definitely something that matters www.cnn.com/2025/11/22/p...
Judges block Trump from cutting hundreds of millions in grants to cities, counties | CNN Politics
A pair of federal judges on Friday separately blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from unilaterally imposing new conditions on hundreds of millions in US Department of Homeland Security gr...
www.cnn.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Memo to every reporter who treats the Trump Administration’s sanctuary list like it’s definitely something that matters www.cnn.com/2025/11/22/p...
Everything is fine (Brett Kavanaugh edition)
Kavanaugh stop. Smashed the kid’s car windows and arrested him. He told them he was a U.S. citizen. The officer replied “I don’t care.”
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
High school senior, a U.S. citizen, detained by ICE in Oregon
The 17-year-old was held more than five hours Friday in an ICE facility, his brother said.
www.oregonlive.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Everything is fine (Brett Kavanaugh edition)
Sometimes I hear people say that ICE enforcement hasn’t really seemed to increase so much in Nevada.
To those people I say: Nope.
open.substack.com/pub/behindth...
To those people I say: Nope.
open.substack.com/pub/behindth...
ICE is Detaining 25 Percent More People in Southern Nevada Than 8 Weeks Ago
ICE is now holding 554 people per day in its two Southern Nevada detention centers according to data posted yesterday (November 20).
open.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Sometimes I hear people say that ICE enforcement hasn’t really seemed to increase so much in Nevada.
To those people I say: Nope.
open.substack.com/pub/behindth...
To those people I say: Nope.
open.substack.com/pub/behindth...
Last week I was able to part of a discussion about the state of immigration enforcement in Nevada at INDYFest 2025. open.substack.com/pub/behindth...
The State of Immigration Enforcement (and Immigrant Defense) in Nevada
From INDYFest 2025, a panel discussion with Martha Menendez and The Nevada Independent
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Last week I was able to part of a discussion about the state of immigration enforcement in Nevada at INDYFest 2025. open.substack.com/pub/behindth...
Everything is fine
November 20, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Everything is fine
Everything is fine
November 20, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Everything is fine
Reposted by Michael Kagan
It’s quaint, I know, but the President of the United States calling for the hanging of Democratic service members for saying that no one should follow an illegal order should inspire a conversation about the 25th Amendment.
November 20, 2025 at 8:53 PM
It’s quaint, I know, but the President of the United States calling for the hanging of Democratic service members for saying that no one should follow an illegal order should inspire a conversation about the 25th Amendment.
Bye
#BREAKING: Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will immediately leave his role as an instructor at Harvard while the University investigates his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Summers Will Not Finish Semester of Teaching as Harvard Investigates Epstein Ties | News | The Harvard Crimson
Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will immediately leave his role as an instructor at Harvard while the University investigates his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey E. Epstein.
www.thecrimson.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Bye
Everything is fine www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/u...
Texas Governor Declares Muslim Civil Rights Group a ‘Terrorist Organization’
www.nytimes.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Everything is fine www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/u...
As someone whose livelihood depends indirectly on the hospitality industry in Las Vegas, I think we should work on our pitch to foreign tourists
NEW: An Irish tourist visiting the US was jailed by ICE for 3 months after overstaying 3 days due to medical issue. Thomas agreed to be deported, but instead went to federal prison where he recounted horrific conditions + no medical care.
“Nobody's safe from the system if they get pulled into it"
“Nobody's safe from the system if they get pulled into it"
Irish tourist jailed by Ice for months after overstaying US visit by three days: ‘Nobody is safe’
Exclusive: For roughly 100 days, Thomas says he faced harsh detention conditions, despite agreeing to deportation
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:35 PM
As someone whose livelihood depends indirectly on the hospitality industry in Las Vegas, I think we should work on our pitch to foreign tourists
Reposted by Michael Kagan
Look, I know this weaponization of male academic interest is the oldest story in the book, but it’s just so, so pernicious. It’s awful to the women directly involved, but it’s also awful to *all* women in the academy, who have to live in its shadow all the time.
November 17, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Look, I know this weaponization of male academic interest is the oldest story in the book, but it’s just so, so pernicious. It’s awful to the women directly involved, but it’s also awful to *all* women in the academy, who have to live in its shadow all the time.