On May 5, 2025, the US Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) announced a plan to facilitate President Trump’s mass deportation agenda. The administration announced a “historic opportunity” for undocumented migrants to receive a $1,000 stipend and a free trip home if they agree to leave the US of their own accord. To take part in this program, those who decide to self-deport will use the Trump administration’s “CBP Home” App which was launched to aid in voluntary self-deportations.
Read moreTrump Administration Offers Money and Travel to Migrants Who Choose to Leave
“Infinite Accumulation” by Yayoi Kusama
We can never get enough of Yayoi Kusama’s polka dot centric work, and after years of visiting her exhibitions across the world in Melbourne, London, Rockaway, and Chelsea, we were delighted to catch another sighting of Kusama’s work in London. “Infinite Accumulation” sits next to the Liverpool Street Station, captivating travelers with its interconnected silver dots. The glimmering steel sculpture is over ten meters high, with surfaces so shiny viewers can catch themselves in the reflection. Kusama’s inspiration for the piece came from the city of London itself, as she explained “London is a massive metropolis with people of all cultures moving constantly. The spheres symbolize unique personalities while the supporting curvilinear lines allow us to imagine an underpinning social structure.” Art lovers simply must hop off the tube to see Kusama’s first permanent London installation in person!
What Foreign Nationals Need to Know About the IRS–ICE Data-Sharing Deal
On April 7, 2025, The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) reached an agreement to share tax information between the agencies about some foreign nationals without legal status in the US. The terms of the agreement were made public by the publishing of the Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) in connection with a case brought by an immigrants’ rights groups challenging the validity of the data sharing between the agencies. Under the agreement, ICE officers may inquire to the IRS for information about foreign nationals who “have been issued final orders of removal or are under criminal investigation.” The agreement is unprecedented and has understandably raised concerns among the foreign national community, especially undocumented individuals or those with pending immigration matters. Below is a summary of what we need to know.
Read moreTrump Administration Barred from using Alien Enemies Act to Deport Migrants Without Due Process
In response to a law suit filed by undocumented Venezuelan migrants, a federal judge, appointed by President Trump during his first term, permanently restrained the Trump administration on May 1, 2025, from invoking the Alien Enemies Act (“AEC”), which is an 18th-century wartime law, as the basis to deport Venezuelan nationals the government classified as gang members from the Southern District of Texas, saying “the White House’s use of the statute was not legal.” As noted by Judge Fernando Rodriguez, Jr., "the President’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and is contrary to the plain, ordinary meaning of the statute’s terms” thereby precluding the administration from using the AEA and Mr. Trump's proclamation to detain, transfer, or remove Venezuelan national migrants who either live in or are detained in the Southern District.
Read more“Brain Drain” Risks American Advantages
Doing Our Part for Mother Earth
In celebration of Earth Day last week, we debuted our stylish new DLG water bottles. Bypassing plastic water bottles, we are staying well hydrated as we enjoy longer days, sunshine, and seventy-degree weather. We can feel summer coming just around the corner…
Pro-Palestinian University Protestor Released from Federal Custody
Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University Philosophy student who was arrested and detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) agents after attending his naturalization interview in Vermont has been released from federal detention while his immigration case proceeds. He had been under ICE custody since April 14, 2025.
Read morePope Francis’ Legacy of Supporting Migrants
“The Creation of the Creatures of Day and Night” by Rosana Paulino
The High Line is one of our favorite places to explore New York’s public art offerings, and the newest mural at 22nd street is no exception. “The Creation of the Creatures of Day and Night” by Rosana Paulino depicts two tree-women who stem from the mangrove trees common in Paulino’s native Brazil. The artist’s work draws a parallel between the Mangrove trees, which provide a crucial ecosystem in Brazil, and the black and indigenous population of Brazil; both of which have been historically mistreated and exploited. This complex history of the Brazilian biome is embodied in Paulino’s mural of the mangrove tree-women, who offer a striking sense of strength, embodying the crucial role the mangroves play. The stunning mural will be part of The High Line’s fauna and flora through December 2025.