Overview
In recent decades, federal immigration enforcement policies and practices, including increased reliance on state and local agencies for information about non-U.S. citizens, have swept an unprecedented number of people into the detention and deportation system.
The National Immigration Law Center challenges federal, state, and local enforcement policies and laws whose main targets are low-income immigrants and their families.
Why It Matters
Unjust enforcement policies have serious consequences – they rip families apart, encourage racial profiling, and undermine due process. States and localities have also enacted laws designed to make life so difficult for immigrants that they are forced to go elsewhere.
Examples of Our Work
- We file lawsuits against unjust enforcement policies, like the Trump administration’s Muslim Ban, and we challenge mistreatment of immigrants in Customs and Border Protection custody, setting standards that must be followed going forward. Read more about our Border & Asylum work.
- We advocate for federal, state, and local policies that protect immigrant communities from government overreach or abuse.
- We create resources to help community members know their rights and to bolster the work of advocates across the country.
TIRRC v. Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Jeff Long
This case challenges a new rule from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOS) that blocks many non-U.S. citizens from getting temporary driver’s licenses, even when they have authorization from the federal government to...
Last update: Nov 9, 2026
CLINIC v. Rubio
This lawsuit challenges the State Department's unlawful use of "public charge" policies to block, delay, and refuse immigrant visas worldwide, including the now-vacated 75-country visa...
Last update: Nov 9, 2026
Congressional Letter: 120th Congress Must Prioritize Bold Immigration Agenda
Published Nov 9, 2026 Letter from 150+ organizations representing immigrant rights, labor, health care, faith, anti-poverty, racial justice, reproductive justice, and other advocacy sectors, urging the 120th Congress to enact a bold immigration agenda, prioritizing...
Immigrant Families, Workers, Legal Assistance Groups Update Complaint in CLINIC v. Rubio to Challenge Expanded State Department Policies Blocking Immigrant Visas Around the World
Published Nov 6, 2026 A group of United States citizens petitioning for their immigrant family members, together with working people stranded abroad and nonprofit organizations today filed an updated complaint in CLINIC v. Rubio challenging the State Department’s...
Demand Congress Hold ICE Accountable
When we allow ICE to act with impunity, we are all less safe. Tell Congress to conduct rigorous oversight of ICE and take immediate steps to curb its abuse.
Act Now