• The Trump administration unveils a new rule that would allow border officials to detain migrant families long-term. 
• The rule faces an uphill legal battle. It has to be approved by a federal court first, according to the NYT. 
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• The Trump administration publishes a rule that will penalize immigrants using or seeking to use public benefits like food stamps or Medicaid.

• Beginning in October, the U.S. will apply a wealth test to immigrants entering the country and turn away those they determine cannot support themselves.

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• Immigration officers arrest 680 undocumented immigrants in raids on Mississippi food processing facilities, the largest in at least a decade, per USA Today.

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• ACLU lawyers tells federal judges that migrant children are continuing to be separated from their parents despite a judge ordering border separations.

• According to DOJ statistics, over 900 children have been separated since the order.

• The ACLU asks the courts to halt the practice of family separation, citing instances of sexual abuse and degrading language in their case filings. 

• The Supreme Court rules that the Pentagon can reallocate $2.5 billion for Trump’s wall from military funds.

• Trump says this decision is a huge victory for his wall.

• Later, Trump scores again when Guatemala agrees to require migrants to apply for asylum there before continuing on to the U.S.

• The Trump administration announces it will expand the “expedited removal” process, which allows the Department of Homeland Security to bypass immigration court and remove immigrants from the country.

• The expansion comes as a recent coordinated ICE raid targeting 2,000 immigrants – touted by Trump – yields only 35 arrests.

• A Trump administration rule that effectively blocks migrants from applying for asylum in the U.S. if they do not first seek asylum in the countries they pass through en route to the border takes effect.

• The rule strands “thousands” at the border, according to the WSJ, and is counter to U.S. asylum law.

• A federal judge blocks the strict rule, telling the Trump Administration they must continue accepting eligible asylum seekers. 

Trump backs down from trying to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census. In June, the Supreme Court blocked his administration from including the question. The week before Trump told reporters he was not giving up on his census goal, despite the Supreme Court decision

The Trump administration orders the Census Bureau to begin printing 2020 census forms without a question about citizenship. Initially, the ditching of the question was seen as a reversal of the administration’s effort to include the question. But a day later, the Justice Department reverts back to the President’s initial orders and states it is “hunting for a way to restore the questions,” according to the NYT

• A photo goes viral of a migrant father and 23-month old daughter who drowned trying to cross the Rio Grande en route to the U.S.

• A video goes viral of a 12-year-old migrant girl who tells of sleeping on the floor. A Dept. of Homeland Security Watchdog report backs her statement.

• ProPublica releases screenshots of a CBP Facebook page, in which they joke about immigrant deaths

The Supreme Court rules that the Trump administration cannot add a citizenship question to the census. The ruling, as argued in Chief Justice Robert’s opinion, finds the Trump administration was not honest in providing a reason for adding the question. President Trump responds that he will seek to delay the census in order to come up with a better reason for including the citizenship question

The House and Senate both pass separate bills that would supply humanitarian aid to the migrants at the U.S. border. The House bill includes restrictions on how the funds can be spent while the Senate bill dictates looser terms. After much debate, the House relents and passes the Senate bill, with Nancy Pelosi saying, “At the end of the day, we have to make sure that the resources needed to protect the children are available” 

Backlash builds against Trump for the conditions of U.S. immigration detention centers. Amidst the uproar, Trump's Head of Customs and Border Protection resigns, Illinois becomes the first state to ban immigration detention centers and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gets grilled for calling the detention centers, "concentration camps" 

The State Department announces the U.S. will stop providing aid to Central American countries such as Guatemala and El Salvador until the countries take "concrete actions to reduce the number of illegal migrants coming to the U.S. border." Trump originally floated the idea of suspending payment in March

President Trump, through the Justice Department, asserts executive privilege over documents regarding census questions, thus withholding them from the House Oversight Committee. Soon after, the Democratic-controlled committee votes to hold both Attorney General Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for ignoring the committee’s subpoenas

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says it has told migrant shelters they must reduce or eliminate activities "that are not directly necessary for the protection of life and safety” in an effort to cut costs. The move means certain activities, such as English classes, legal aid and recreation could be eliminated

House Democrats, joined by seven Republicans, pass an immigration bill that would protect so-called "Dreamers"  

New evidence emerges showing the Trump administration may have added an immigration question to the census as a political move. The Justice Department had originally claimed the move was necessary to comply with the 1965 Voting Rights Act

Trump releases an immigration plan that would prioritize higher-skilled immigrants over asylum seekers and those with family in the U.S. In a speech announcing the plan, Trump strikes a more conciliatory tone, suggesting the long shot proposal may be part of a 2020 ploy to widen his base

In his latest crack down on asylum, Trump implements new rules, including application fees and work permit limitations

The Supreme Court deliberates on a case involving whether the Trump administration can add a citizenship question to the census. The conservative wing of the court seems in favor of allowing Trump to proceed with the move, according to multiple outlets

Exasperated by the influx of migrants to the southern border, Trump floats another bold threat – sending immigrants to sanctuary cities

Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigns following a heated meeting with Trump. Nielsen will be remembered for carrying out Trump's controversial policy of family separation at the border

Trump goes back and forth on his call to shut down the U.S. border with Mexico

The commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Kevin McAleenan, says that U.S. immigration system has reached a 'breaking point.' He added that his agency was on track to detain more than 100,000 in March alone, a 30 percent increase

Trump uses veto power to reject Congress's resolution blocking emergency funding for a border wall on the southern border. It is unlikely that Congress will have the votes to override the veto

The Senate, by a 59-41 margin, joins the House in rejecting Trump's emergency power declaration. Twelve Republican senators and all Senate Democrats vote to block the measure. However, the Senate's 59 votes are not enough to override Trump's veto, which the president has promised to do

The Supreme Court will decide on whether the Trump administration can add a citizenship question to the 2020 census

In corresponding moves, Trump signs a bipartisan spending bill that includes only a portion of the funding for the wall that he asked for and declares a national emergency in bid to scrape together money to complete the project

The Trump administration implements new rules requiring some asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their day in court

Trump signs bill to reopen government for three weeks without funding for his border wall. The shutdown was the longest in U.S. history

In a televised press conference with Democratic leaders before the shutdown began, President Trump said that he would be 'proud' to close down the government for 'border security.' Recently, Democrats turned down Trump's proposed deal to end the shutdown that included some funding for the border wall and temporary protection for Dreamers. Who owes responsibility for the longest shutdown in U.S. history?

U.S. Federal District Court rules against allowing a citizenship question on the census, setting up a possible Supreme Court legal battle

The government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history as it enters its 22nd day

Trump addresses the nation in bid to pressure Democrats and persuade country over funding for border wall. Pelosi and Schumer deliver response speech

As government shutdown over border wall funding continues, Trump says he is considering using presidential emergency powers to build the wall. Can he do that?