
Judge orders DHS to stop holding migrant children in hotels
At least 660 migrant children have been held in hotels during the pandemic as U.S. officials arranged for them to be expelled without an asylum interview.
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Camilo Montoya-Galvez is an award-winning reporter covering immigration for CBS News, where his reporting is featured across multiple CBS News and Stations platforms, including the CBS News 24/7, CBSNews.com and CBS News Radio.
Montoya-Galvez is also part of CBS News' team of 2024 political campaign reporters.
Montoya-Galvez joined CBS News in 2018 and has reported hundreds of articles on immigration, the U.S. immigration policy, the contentious debate on the topic, and connected issues. He's landed exclusive stories and developed in-depth reports on the impact of significant policy changes. He's also extensively reported on the people affected by a complex immigration system.
Before joining CBS News, Montoya-Galvez spent over two years as an investigative unit producer and assignment desk editor at Telemundo's television station in New York City. His work at Telemundo earned three New York Emmy Awards.
Earlier, he was the founding editor of After the Final Whistle, an online bilingual publication featuring stories that highlight soccer's role in contemporary society.
He was born in Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, and raised in northern New Jersey.
He earned a bachelor's degree in media and journalism studies/Spanish from Rutgers University.
At least 660 migrant children have been held in hotels during the pandemic as U.S. officials arranged for them to be expelled without an asylum interview.
U.S. officials made more than 3,000 apprehensions of unaccompanied minors. CBP chief Mark Morgan said "the majority" were expelled.
While the operation targeted immigrants with criminal convictions and charges, some undocumented immigrants with clean records were also arrested.
The Trump administration has closed the DACA program to first-time applicants, dashing the hopes of tens of thousands of young undocumented immigrants who would have been eligible.
The Republican aides said that while they disagree with some of Joe Biden's policy positions, they value his bipartisan work and leadership potential.
At least 660 migrant children have been detained in border hotels as U.S. officials worked to expel them without an asylum interview.
Pham will oversee the largest civil detention system in the world, as well as deportation agents at the center of the nation's contentious debate around immigration.
A federal watchdog concluded earlier this month that Wolf was improperly appointed as acting Homeland Security secretary.
The furlough of 13,000 employees at the fee-funded agency would've have severely limited the processing of applications for green cards, U.S. citizenship and other benefits.
"We need work permits to cover our basic necessities, especially for our children," W.L., an asylum-seeking mother who fled sexual violence, told CBS News.
A proposal would redefine who qualifies for U.S asylum, disqualifying victims of gang violence, gender-based persecution and domestic abuse.
In July, U.S. border officials made 2,506 arrests of unaccompanied children. Only 168 were allowed to stay and seek refuge.
As the leaders of DHS, Chad Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli have emerged as some of the most vocal supporters of President Trump's hard-line immigration agenda.
The "public charge" rule gives officials more power to deny green cards to applicants found to rely — or be at risk of relying — on government assistance.
The civil servants in charge of adjudicating asylum requests said a proposed rule could place migrants eligible for protection in harm's way.