Aaron Reichlin-Melnick
@reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council. Commenting generally on immigration law and policy. Retweets =/= endorsements, views are my own.
Facial recognition is a genie that can’t be put back in the bottle and every day I’m reminded I need to reread this book.
December 19, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Facial recognition is a genie that can’t be put back in the bottle and every day I’m reminded I need to reread this book.
DHS's official X account is now copy-pasting anti-immigration posts from Stephen Miller's wife.
You can tell from the capitalization; they just added "POTUS" in front of the 2019 and 2020 bits, but didn't fix the capitalization of the sentence from Miller's post.
You can tell from the capitalization; they just added "POTUS" in front of the 2019 and 2020 bits, but didn't fix the capitalization of the sentence from Miller's post.
December 19, 2025 at 6:10 PM
DHS's official X account is now copy-pasting anti-immigration posts from Stephen Miller's wife.
You can tell from the capitalization; they just added "POTUS" in front of the 2019 and 2020 bits, but didn't fix the capitalization of the sentence from Miller's post.
You can tell from the capitalization; they just added "POTUS" in front of the 2019 and 2020 bits, but didn't fix the capitalization of the sentence from Miller's post.
Solidarity as always with trans people who are going through some awful times right now.
Years ago I tipsily bought this fridge magnet from a trans woman selling them on the street in Adams Morgan to late-night bar-goers. I’ve kept it up on my fridge ever since.
Years ago I tipsily bought this fridge magnet from a trans woman selling them on the street in Adams Morgan to late-night bar-goers. I’ve kept it up on my fridge ever since.
December 19, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Solidarity as always with trans people who are going through some awful times right now.
Years ago I tipsily bought this fridge magnet from a trans woman selling them on the street in Adams Morgan to late-night bar-goers. I’ve kept it up on my fridge ever since.
Years ago I tipsily bought this fridge magnet from a trans woman selling them on the street in Adams Morgan to late-night bar-goers. I’ve kept it up on my fridge ever since.
ICE has its own Health Services Corps, which it operates in 17 large detention centers, but an increasingly large majority of people are held in private detention centers where the healthcare is operated by contractor or subcontractor, where ICE basically just manages the insurance claims.
December 19, 2025 at 2:04 AM
ICE has its own Health Services Corps, which it operates in 17 large detention centers, but an increasingly large majority of people are held in private detention centers where the healthcare is operated by contractor or subcontractor, where ICE basically just manages the insurance claims.
This made me genuinely laugh out loud.
December 18, 2025 at 4:56 PM
This made me genuinely laugh out loud.
The official White House line, straight from the President, is now "immigrants are the cause of all of your problems."
I do not think that argument is going over well in our nation of immigrants.
I do not think that argument is going over well in our nation of immigrants.
December 18, 2025 at 3:02 AM
The official White House line, straight from the President, is now "immigrants are the cause of all of your problems."
I do not think that argument is going over well in our nation of immigrants.
I do not think that argument is going over well in our nation of immigrants.
Anecdotal evidence that the indefinite "pause" on adjudication of immigration benefits for countries on the travel ban has been expanded to include the 20 countries added yesterday. On reddit, a user posted that their naturalization oath ceremony — the final step to becoming a citizen — was halted.
December 17, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Anecdotal evidence that the indefinite "pause" on adjudication of immigration benefits for countries on the travel ban has been expanded to include the 20 countries added yesterday. On reddit, a user posted that their naturalization oath ceremony — the final step to becoming a citizen — was halted.
Here is the Department of Homeland Security touting this new ban by describing the (among others) spouses and children of U.S. citizens coming on visas as "foreign invaders."
It has never been about legal versus illegal. They hate legal immigration. They want to stop it. That's the story.
It has never been about legal versus illegal. They hate legal immigration. They want to stop it. That's the story.
December 16, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Here is the Department of Homeland Security touting this new ban by describing the (among others) spouses and children of U.S. citizens coming on visas as "foreign invaders."
It has never been about legal versus illegal. They hate legal immigration. They want to stop it. That's the story.
It has never been about legal versus illegal. They hate legal immigration. They want to stop it. That's the story.
Out of the 39, Nigeria is also the country most heavily impacted by the ban on non-immigrant visas. Excluding the COVID years, from FY 2015 to 2024 an average of 128,000 Nigerians were granted nonimmigrant visas each year. These were primarily tourist and student visas, which are now barred.
December 16, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Out of the 39, Nigeria is also the country most heavily impacted by the ban on non-immigrant visas. Excluding the COVID years, from FY 2015 to 2024 an average of 128,000 Nigerians were granted nonimmigrant visas each year. These were primarily tourist and student visas, which are now barred.
For sense of scale of how the immigrant visa ban may impact people, here is a count of green cards issued in Fiscal Year 2023 (the most recent data we have) by country of origin.
Of the newly-added countries, Nigeria has the largest immigrant population (over 15,000 green cards issued in FY 2023).
Of the newly-added countries, Nigeria has the largest immigrant population (over 15,000 green cards issued in FY 2023).
December 16, 2025 at 9:23 PM
For sense of scale of how the immigrant visa ban may impact people, here is a count of green cards issued in Fiscal Year 2023 (the most recent data we have) by country of origin.
Of the newly-added countries, Nigeria has the largest immigrant population (over 15,000 green cards issued in FY 2023).
Of the newly-added countries, Nigeria has the largest immigrant population (over 15,000 green cards issued in FY 2023).
Here is a map of the affected countries (excluding Tonga), to give you a sense of how much this new ban restricts immigration from Africa in particular.
Of the newly-added country, Nigeria faces the largest impact, with tens of thousands of visas issued every year to Nigerians.
Of the newly-added country, Nigeria faces the largest impact, with tens of thousands of visas issued every year to Nigerians.
December 16, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Here is a map of the affected countries (excluding Tonga), to give you a sense of how much this new ban restricts immigration from Africa in particular.
Of the newly-added country, Nigeria faces the largest impact, with tens of thousands of visas issued every year to Nigerians.
Of the newly-added country, Nigeria faces the largest impact, with tens of thousands of visas issued every year to Nigerians.
Under the expanded ban:
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant or non-immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant visas and a bar on tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas.
- Turkmenistan is subject to a near-total bar on immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant or non-immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant visas and a bar on tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas.
- Turkmenistan is subject to a near-total bar on immigrant visas.
December 16, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Under the expanded ban:
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant or non-immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant visas and a bar on tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas.
- Turkmenistan is subject to a near-total bar on immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant or non-immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant visas and a bar on tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas.
- Turkmenistan is subject to a near-total bar on immigrant visas.
NEW: President Trump is expanding the previous 19-country travel ban to a whopping 39 countries (plus the Palestinian Authority), and appears to expand a block on legal immigration to now include spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens, who were previously exempted.
December 16, 2025 at 8:32 PM
NEW: President Trump is expanding the previous 19-country travel ban to a whopping 39 countries (plus the Palestinian Authority), and appears to expand a block on legal immigration to now include spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens, who were previously exempted.
The Trump admin, in its quest to eliminate the entire concept of asylum from the law and get rid of all asylum applicants without hearing their cases, wants to deport a Chinese dissident to Uganda, despite the fact that he has a slam-dunk asylum claim.
December 15, 2025 at 8:59 PM
The Trump admin, in its quest to eliminate the entire concept of asylum from the law and get rid of all asylum applicants without hearing their cases, wants to deport a Chinese dissident to Uganda, despite the fact that he has a slam-dunk asylum claim.
DHS is shockingly incompetent.
December 14, 2025 at 11:21 PM
DHS is shockingly incompetent.
The government is very deliberately NOT trying to deport Mr. Abrego Garcia. Since August, he has been asking them to deport him to Costa Rica, yet the Trump admin keeps refusing to do it (and lying about why) because they want to send him to Africa to punish him. Here's how Judge Xinis summed it up.
December 14, 2025 at 5:13 PM
The government is very deliberately NOT trying to deport Mr. Abrego Garcia. Since August, he has been asking them to deport him to Costa Rica, yet the Trump admin keeps refusing to do it (and lying about why) because they want to send him to Africa to punish him. Here's how Judge Xinis summed it up.
I’m sorry, what?!
December 13, 2025 at 11:27 PM
I’m sorry, what?!
*me, looking forwards to skiing at local southern PA “mountains” next weekend*
December 13, 2025 at 5:44 PM
*me, looking forwards to skiing at local southern PA “mountains” next weekend*
Another guy DHS put on their "worst of the worst" from the NOLA raids is this guy, who DHS breathily touts as having been ticketed for disturbing the peace and peeing in public.
So yeah, the term "serious offenders" will be stretched long past the breaking point, likely to just mean ever arrested.
So yeah, the term "serious offenders" will be stretched long past the breaking point, likely to just mean ever arrested.
December 13, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Another guy DHS put on their "worst of the worst" from the NOLA raids is this guy, who DHS breathily touts as having been ticketed for disturbing the peace and peeing in public.
So yeah, the term "serious offenders" will be stretched long past the breaking point, likely to just mean ever arrested.
So yeah, the term "serious offenders" will be stretched long past the breaking point, likely to just mean ever arrested.
Another very true aspect of this. The DHS propaganda machine treats anyone with any prior contact with the criminal justice system as "serious offenders."
They put this guy arrested in the NOLA raids on their "worst of the worst" list. He has a single arrest (no conviction?) for simple battery.
They put this guy arrested in the NOLA raids on their "worst of the worst" list. He has a single arrest (no conviction?) for simple battery.
December 13, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Another very true aspect of this. The DHS propaganda machine treats anyone with any prior contact with the criminal justice system as "serious offenders."
They put this guy arrested in the NOLA raids on their "worst of the worst" list. He has a single arrest (no conviction?) for simple battery.
They put this guy arrested in the NOLA raids on their "worst of the worst" list. He has a single arrest (no conviction?) for simple battery.
Wow, shades of the 2019 Border Patrol Facebook scandal of Trump’s first term, when dozens of agents were part of a group posting mocking memes about migrants kids who died crossing the border.
This particular officer went viral in the Chicago raids for pulling his gun on people.
This particular officer went viral in the Chicago raids for pulling his gun on people.
December 13, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Wow, shades of the 2019 Border Patrol Facebook scandal of Trump’s first term, when dozens of agents were part of a group posting mocking memes about migrants kids who died crossing the border.
This particular officer went viral in the Chicago raids for pulling his gun on people.
This particular officer went viral in the Chicago raids for pulling his gun on people.
He was a 2021 Fellow at the James Wilson Institute, so he's a relatively recent law grad.
December 12, 2025 at 9:57 PM
He was a 2021 Fellow at the James Wilson Institute, so he's a relatively recent law grad.
This is Tucson's Miracle Mile. The idea that saying there's an ICE operation ongoing in that general area is "doxxing" is so ridiculous it hardly bears repeating, and yet the person saying it has close personal ties to the Department of Justice (remember the Epstein invite?).
December 12, 2025 at 8:13 PM
This is Tucson's Miracle Mile. The idea that saying there's an ICE operation ongoing in that general area is "doxxing" is so ridiculous it hardly bears repeating, and yet the person saying it has close personal ties to the Department of Justice (remember the Epstein invite?).
"I'm a socialist and therefore employers should not be permitted to fire someone who is on camera hurling racial slurs at customers without first going through an 'exhaustive' adjudication process" is quite the take!
I'm all for stronger labor protections but... come on.
I'm all for stronger labor protections but... come on.
December 12, 2025 at 5:20 PM
"I'm a socialist and therefore employers should not be permitted to fire someone who is on camera hurling racial slurs at customers without first going through an 'exhaustive' adjudication process" is quite the take!
I'm all for stronger labor protections but... come on.
I'm all for stronger labor protections but... come on.