One year of BORDER/LINES

Immigration news, in context.

Dear readers,

We hope you all are well and staying safe.

One year ago, we published our first post on BORDER/LINES with the goal of providing clear, accessible analysis of the nation’s continuous barrage of immigration policy shifts and changes. To that end, we’ve written about the Trump administration’s attempt to end DACA, recent efforts to collect immigrants’ biometric data, why the Trump administration was so invested in adding a question about U.S. citizenship to the 2020 census, the litany of coronavirus-related immigration policy changes—or those that have used the pandemic as a cover for the administration’s long-standing goals—and so much more.

In all, 49 separate, freely accessible posts have established what we are proud to call a real-time resource and a reference guide for casual readers and immigration professionals alike. We have also hoped to move the conversation forward with a number of premium posts for our paid subscribers, such as this explainer on how DHS had the legal authority to patrol protests and Q&As with experts in the field. So many of you have reached out to offer advice, words of encouragement, and appreciation for this work, and we are grateful for your trust in untangling these complex but enormously consequential developments.

We wouldn’t have gotten this far without the support of our readers and subscribers. Platforms like Substack have allowed independent journalists like ourselves to have a direct relationship with our readers, and we hope this is only the first anniversary of an evolving project. If you appreciate the newsletter or have learned anything from it, we hope you consider becoming a paid subscriber. If you already subscribe, we’re grateful for your support. We always welcome feedback, suggestions, tips, and general thoughts at borderlines.news@protonmail.ch.

All the best,

Felipe & Gaby