Immigration Benefits and Relief
The immigration laws and regulations provide some avenues to apply for lawful status from within the U.S. or to seek relief from deportation. The eligibility requirements for these benefits and relief can be stringent, and the immigration agencies often adopt overly restrictive interpretations of the requirements. Learn about advocacy and litigation that has been and can be undertaken to ensure that noncitizens have a fair chance to apply for the benefits and relief for which they are eligible. Providing avenues for legal status, protection, and family reunification is vital to ensuring humanitarian protection for immigrants. We are leading policy changes that open more opportunities like asylum, visas for victims of crime or human trafficking, and relief for long-term residents. Explore the resources below to learn more.
Federal Judge Allows DACA Renewals to Continue for Now
This week will mark the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s announcement ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. Yet, defenders and recipients of DACA are celebrating a decision that came late last week, in which several states attempting to end the initiative were hit with a major… Read More
Government Emails Show Trump Was Determined to Terminate TPS Despite the Facts
Over the past year, the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for six countries, putting more than 300,000 mostly long-residing immigrants at risk of deportation. Newly released documents reveal that U.S. government officials determined to terminate TPS ignored evidence produced by their own agencies in a rush… Read More
Judge Orders A Full Restart of DACA, but Its Future Remains Uncertain
A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to restart the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative by August 23. This ruling in the D.C. District Court comes just days ahead of another hearing before a hardline conservative federal judge in Texas, where seven states have challenged the… Read More
Judge Rules USCIS Must Adjudicate Employment Authorization for Asylum Seekers Within 30-Days
A judge ordered last week that United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must adjudicate work authorization applications for asylum seekers within the prescribed 30-day deadline. Read More
How Long Does It Take USCIS to Issue a Green Card?
How long does it take to process an application for permanent residence in the United States, or a “green card?” You might be surprised by how difficult it is to find a reliable answer to this common question. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—the agency that adjudicates applications for permanent… Read More
TPS Is Extended for Somalia, Leaving Only 4 of 10 Designations Intact
The Secretary of Homeland Security completed her review of all pending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations this week, announcing that Somalia’s designation will be extended. That brings the total number of remaining TPS designations to just four countries, down from ten at the start of the Trump administration. Since January… Read More
USCIS Is Slowly Being Morphed Into an Immigration Enforcement Agency
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued new guidance to initiate deportation proceedings for thousands of applicants denied for any immigration benefit. This policy change will have far-reaching implications for many of those interacting with the agency, but also signals a major shift in how USCIS operates. USCIS was never… Read More
Homeland Security Extends TPS for Yemen for 18 Months
The Yemeni community in the United States received word today that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemen will be extended through March 3, 2020. Approximately 1,250 Yemeni TPS will now be able to renew their status to avoid being returned to what the United Nations Secretary-General has labeled “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” Read More
Supreme Court Decision May Make Some Eligible for Relief From Deportation
In an 8-1 decision on June 21, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of an individual previously prevented from applying for a type of relief from deportation known as cancellation of removal. In Pereira v. Sessions, the Court rejected the government’s practice of placing noncitizens in immigration proceedings based… Read More
New USCIS Policy Places Certain Students and Exchange Visitors at Serious Risk of Being Barred from the United States
In another attempt to restrict legal immigration, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a policy change to the way foreign students and exchange visitors accrue unlawful presence—a legal term used to describe any time spent in the United States after a foreign national’s period of authorized stay… Read More
