THE WEEK’S US BORDER NEWS IN BRIEF:
U.S. border security and immigration news during the week of September 19–September 27, 2026, includes a battle over “third country” deportations likely headed to the US Supreme Court, migrants apprehended by rail and sea, and a forecasted sharp fall in legal immigration in the U.S.
Supreme Court & Legal Battles over Deportations
Third-Country Deportations Disputed: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) filed an emergency request asking the U.S. Supreme Court on September 24, 2026, to allow the resumption of a controversial policy involving deporting migrants to third-party nations. This follows lower court orders that blocked the flights, ruling that DHS must first provide adequate procedures for migrants to claim they face torture in those destination countries.
Warrantless ICE Arrests Restricted: In Southern California, a federal judge ordered a halt to indiscriminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests that lack a judge’s signature. The court ruled that warrantless civil immigration arrests are only legal if a person poses an immediate flight risk, a decision expected to sharply decrease enforcement numbers in the Central District of California.
Enforcement Operations & Legal Immigration Backlogs
Report: ICE Wasted Millions: In its rush to expand detention capacity, ICE wasted millions of taxpayer dollars, the Government Accountability Office found in a report released Thursday. CBS News reported that the agency failed to account for long-term costs in acquiring detention centers and lost $20 million in unrecoverable costs purchasing the warehouses it no longer plans to use, the review found.
23 Migrants Apprehended At Sea: CBP Air and Marine Operations and the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted a smuggling vessel early Tuesday morning, resulting in the apprehension of 23 illegal aliens near Angelfish Creek, Florida. The interdiction resulted in the apprehension of one suspected smuggler, a Cuban national, and 22 illegal aliens of various nationalities.
Smugglers Lock Migrants in Railcars: For the fourth time in recent weeks, Del Rio Sector, Texas Border Patrol agents encountered illegal aliens who had been locked inside a freight car by smugglers. A Border Patrol canine alerted agents to an autorack car carrying automobiles. Four people were found locked inside with no means of escape.
Systemic Backlogs & Policy Patchworks: Reports from the George W. Bush Presidential Center indicate that administrative restrictions are projected to slash legal immigration by 33% to 50% by the end of the administration’s term. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is on track to adjudicate fewer applications in 2026 than in any year over the past decade, causing the visa and green card backlog to balloon to a record 12.1 million pending cases.
FINALLY, IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
(Stories covered by US Border News during the past week)
DoorDash Delivery Driver Shot
Then was shot in the back
For illegal media involving children
People still seek his blessing 115+ years later
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Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
