Stories by
Ximena Bustillo
Homeland Security Department and Immigration Policy Correspondent, Washington Desk
Inside the coordinated strategy to radically reshape U.S. immigration
As the Supreme Court today weighs the Trump administration's effort to revoke birthright citizenship, NPR looks at what else the White House has done to curb illegal and legal migration.
Ximena Bustillo, Bronson Arcuri | Jun 30, 2026, 9:00 AM UTC

The temporary protected status program may effectively be over. Here's what we know
A Supreme Court ruling gives the Trump administration space to strip this status from hundreds of thousands more people from the few remaining countries with this program.
Ximena Bustillo | Jun 29, 2026, 8:54 PM UTC

A California man's case highlights gaps in care and oversight at DHS detention centers
Federal officers shot Ricardo Parias eight months ago during an ICE operation to detain him. His lawyer says he is still in pain, highlighting gaps in oversight and care in DHS facilities.
Ximena Bustillo | Jun 20, 2026, 9:00 AM UTC

San Francisco immigration court shuts down, striking at heart of historic advocacy
The main San Francisco court was one of the busiest in the country, hearing thousands of cases a year. It was also one of the courts most likely to grant an immigrants' asylum application.
Ximena Bustillo | Jun 10, 2026, 9:00 AM UTC

ICE is now funded through end of Trump's term, raising worries about oversight
The GOP bill signed by President Trump provides roughly $70 billion for immigration enforcement, even as Democrats warn that Congress has ceded its oversight role with the legislation.
Ximena Bustillo, Sam Gringlas | Jun 9, 2026, 9:26 PM UTC

Immigration courts are using a new tactic to speed up deportations
The Justice Department is moving up the court hearings for hundreds of immigrants and scheduling them for mass hearings. If they don't show up, they could be ordered deported.
Ximena Bustillo | May 26, 2026, 9:00 AM UTC

'We're not kids anymore': The DACA generation hits their 30s with an unstable future
Recipients of the Obama-era DACA program are aging, even as the Trump administration moves to weaken the program's protections and benefits.
Ximena Bustillo | May 19, 2026, 9:00 AM UTC

Former private prison official to serve as acting ICE chief
Compared to the start of President Trump's second term, David Venturella takes over an agency with a larger workforce, more financial resources — and also a continued funding lapse.
Ximena Bustillo | May 13, 2026, 1:12 AM UTC

DHS blames funding lapse for shutdown of internal detention oversight
The office investigates detainee deaths and access to medical care, among other issues. It's being wound down, even as the number of detention deaths and length of detention stays has grown.
Ximena Bustillo | May 7, 2026, 7:05 PM UTC

Border czar promises 'mass deportations are coming' to fulfill Trump's promises
The remarks contrast with Border Czar Tom Homan's softer messaging earlier this year, after two U.S. citizens were killed by immigration officials in Minneapolis.
Ximena Bustillo | May 7, 2026, 9:00 AM UTC
