USCIS
The COVID-19 Pandemic Made USCIS Backlogs Go from Bad to Worse
Backlogs, processing delays, and revenue shortfalls are nothing new at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The agency has long suffered from severe structural problems that hurt people who depend on it for work authorization, adjustment of status, naturalization, and many other immigration benefits. However, the impact of the COVID-19… Read More
Will Immigrant Investors and Regional Centers Benefit From Court Win or Has Time Run Out?
A recent court win that restored lower minimum investment amounts was good news for regional centers and immigrant investors in the EB-5 program. But the bad news is the EB-5 regional center program will end on June 30, because Congress did not extend it. While Congress may restore the program,… Read More
On World Refugee Day, A Call to Rebuild U.S. Refugee Resettlement
World Refugee Day is celebrated internationally on June 20 every year. It honors the struggle of refugees around the world who are fleeing violence and persecution and are unable to safely return to their home countries. Over this past year, in the middle of a devastating global pandemic, the number… Read More
The Supreme Court Limits the Crimes That Can Lead to Near-Automatic Deportation
The Supreme Court issued a decision last Thursday in a criminal case that will have an immediate impact on immigration law. The new decision set a limit on the types of crime that can be considered an “aggravated felony” ground for deportation. In Borden v. United States, a… Read More
DHS Issues New Guidance for Government Attorneys in Immigration Court Proceedings
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) issued a new memorandum on May 27 that provides guidance on how its attorneys can and should exercise prosecutorial discretion. In the memo, which was made public on Friday, the lead government attorney for the Department… Read More
Government Watchdog Finds Hundreds of Parents Separated by Trump Never Given Opportunity to Reunify
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) recently found that the Trump administration deported as many as 348 parents that had been separated from their children without ever giving them an opportunity to reunify. The blistering new report tracks deportations throughout 2017 and 2018 during… Read More
Lawsuits Challenge Change to H-1B Lottery Selection That Would Hurt Small Businesses, Start-ups
Businesses and industry organizations are among those pushing back against a rule that would change eligibility for filing an H-1B petition. The new rule would require the H-1B lottery selection to be conducted by salary level. A range of industries—from health care to higher education—that employ U.S. and H-1B workers… Read More
ICE Spread COVID-19 Across the Country, Not Just in Immigration Detention Centers
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) mishandled the coronavirus outbreak in detention centers so badly that it not only lead to horrific conditions and deaths among people in its custody, it is also responsible for the spread of COVID-19 in surrounding areas. A recent New York Times… Read More
It’s Time to End Title 42
One policy first created by the Trump administration is responsible for the greatest restriction on access to our immigration system for asylum seekers than any other. It provides no meaningful opportunity for people caught in the policy to request humanitarian protection. Yet four months into the Biden administration, this policy… Read More
Biden Administration Revokes Trump’s Health Insurance Visa Ban
President Biden revoked a proclamation issued by former President Trump in 2019 that required nearly all prospective immigrants to demonstrate that they would be covered by private health insurance or were wealthy enough not to need it. Those needing health insurance would have to be covered within 30 days… Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
