USCIS
USCIS Wants $1.2 Billion in Taxpayer Dollars. The Agency Should Do These 3 Things Before Getting a Bailout.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made a request for $1.2 billion in emergency funding from Congress. USCIS’ funding is unique since it primarily flows from the fees people pay in pursuing immigration benefits, such as petitions for noncitizen workers and applications for naturalization. USCIS is justifying this billion-dollar… Read More
US Refugee Program Faces Grim Milestone: Historically Low Admissions
Each year on June 20, World Refugee Day celebrates the resiliency of refugees who have fled persecution in their home countries. It also honors the process that allows countries to take in refugees. This year, the occasion is more somber in the United States, where refugee admissions are historically low. Read More
What You Need to Know About Trump’s Proposal to Eliminate the US Asylum System
In sweeping new proposed regulations announced on June 11, the Trump administration took the first step toward administering a final blow to the U.S. asylum system. The proposed rules, which impose nearly a dozen new bars to asylum, would rewrite asylum law to exclude nearly all people seeking refuge. Read More
5 Ways Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Agenda Gets in the Way of an Effective Coronavirus Response
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government has implemented sweeping revisions to U.S. immigration policy. Many of the changes fail to prioritize the health of immigrants or the general public. Some functions—like processing visas abroad and asylum claims at the border—have come to a virtual standstill. Yet many… Read More
Trump Is Using the Coronavirus Pandemic as an Excuse to Permanently Close the Borders
The Trump administration has indefinitely extended its ban on immigration at U.S. land borders. The order was also expanded to include immigrants arriving at coastal ports. The ban is based on an order from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), allowing Customs and… Read More
USCIS Claims It’s Strapped for Cash, Requests Emergency Funding From Congress
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says it’s running out of money, fast. In a letter to Congress, USCIS declared that the coronavirus pandemic had caused unavoidable budget shortfalls. The agency—normally funded by fees from visa petitions and immigration benefit applications—says it will run out of… Read More
USCIS’ Proposed Changes to the Affidavit of Support are Unnecessary and Unlawful
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is currently proposing significant changes to the Affidavit of Support (Form I-864), and related forms I-864A and I-864EZ. One of the major changes would be to require that U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents sponsoring a foreign spouse or relative for a green… Read More
As Coronavirus Fatalities Rise, Trump Sends Immigrant Meatpackers Back to Work
The coronavirus presents a clear and immediate danger to America’s food supply. Meatpacking plants in particular have taken a huge hit. To mitigate the loss of production, President Trump signed an executive order on April 28 to ensure that meatpacking plants “continue operations uninterrupted to the maximum extent possible.”… Read More
Fearing Coronavirus, People in ICE Custody Ask the Courts to Order Their Release
Medical experts and government officials urge people to social distance to avoid contracting the coronavirus. Yet, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to hold tens of thousands of people in cramped detention facilities. Fearing for their safety, immigrants and their advocates have turned to the courts to seek release from… Read More
Supreme Court Makes It Harder for Green Card Holders to Get Relief From Deportation
In a 5-4 decision on April 23, the U.S. Supreme Court expanded the types of criminal offenses that bar green card holders from seeking a form of relief from deportation. The case, Barton v. Barr, is about who is eligible to apply for a form of… Read More
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