THE WEEK’S US BORDER NEWS IN BRIEF:
The week of March 1–7, 2026, was marked by a major leadership transition at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a continuing partial government shutdown, and a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Leadership Transition
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Steps Down: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s controversial tenure came to an abrupt end on March 5, 2026, just after some combative hearing appearances before Congress. President Trump announced that Noem would transition from DHS Secretary to a new role as Special Envoy for “The Shield of the Americas”.
New DHS Nominee: The President named Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) as the next Homeland Security Secretary, effective March 31, 2026, pending Senate confirmation.
Partial Shutdown Continues: A partial government shutdown continued due to a funding lapse triggered by disagreements over ICE reforms. While the vast majority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations can tap previously authorized funds, many other DHS employees (including TSA and FEMA workers) continue working without pay.
Enforcement & Border Security
Supreme Court Ruling: On March 4, the Supreme Court ruled in Urias-Orellana v. Bondi, narrowing the ability of appellate courts to overturn asylum denials by requiring a more deferential standard of review
Judicial Oversight: On March 6, 2026, a federal judge blocked DHS for the third time from restricting unplanned congressional visits to ICE detention facilities.
Minnesota Investigation: On March 2, 2026, Minnesota authorities launched an investigation into potential federal officer misconduct during recent large-scale immigration crackdowns in the Minneapolis area.
Border Wall Expansion Controversy: CBP maps updated after Noem’s departure suggest that the agency may be backing away from its insistence on Border Walls in Big Bend National Park, a wilderness area that sits in the quietest, least-populated part of the entire U.S.-Mexico border. The growing outcry from Texas residents is decidedly bipartisan. You can read more about this in a US Border News article HERE.
ICE detention expansion & in-custody deaths: the sprawling tent encampment at Fort Bliss, Texas, may be slated to close after three deaths and a measles outbreak. Alarming reports continue to emerge about conditions in the Dilley, Texas Family Detention Center. Opposition is growing to an ICE plan, unconsulted with host communities, to establish a $38 billion network of “warehouse” detention centers.
Visa & Legal Immigration Updates
Visa Bulletin Advancements: The March 2026 Visa Bulletin showed significant progress in employment-based categories, including an 11-month jump for EB-2 and a 4-month jump for EB-1.
Premium Processing Fee Hike: Effective March 1, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented a final rule increasing premium processing fees, with some rising to nearly $3,000.
Notes from Mexico: New reports on conditions in Mexico include a Refugees International investigation of the U.S. government’s third-country deportations, a University of Texas Strauss Center report on conditions in Mexican border cities, and a report from the El Paso-based Hope Border Institute and several Mexican migrant shelters and human rights defenders, found a much higher proportion of deported people who had been living in the U.S. interior for some time vs past deportee groups arriving in Mexico.
FINALLY, IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
(Stories covered by US Border News during the past week)
Off the California Coast
Will the DHS listen now?
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Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
