USCIS
DOJ Moves to Further Politicize Immigration Court System
The Trump administration implemented more drastic changes to the U.S. immigration court system on Monday. A new rule gives the director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)—a Trump political appointee—the power to adjudicate cases and appeals. Described as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” the rule turns the immigration… Read More
US Government May Be Illegally Transporting Would-Be Asylum Seekers Back to Danger
Over 2,000 people from Central American who were seeking to live in the United States have reportedly given up and accepted a “free ride” home under a new, controversial program funded by the U.S. government and a United Nations agency. The “Assisted Voluntary Return” (AVR) program… Read More
Foreign Student Visa Issuance Is Down Over 40 Percent
Recent government statistics indicate that the United States is becoming a less welcoming destination for foreign students. According to data from the State Department, the number of student visas issued annually for education in the United States fell from 677,928 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 to 389,579 in FY… Read More
Federal Court Rules Detained Immigrant Children Must Receive Clean Water, Edible Food, and Soap
A federal appeals court in California ruled on Thursday that immigrant children must receive edible food, clean water, soap, and toothpaste while being detained by U.S. immigration authorities. The decision came from a three-judge panel for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The panel dismissed the Trump… Read More
USCIS Visa Petition Denials on the Rise
Legal immigration channels to the United States are continuing to suffer under the Trump administration. These restrictions are having an effect on employment-based immigration—particularly petitions for temporary foreign workers. American businesses file such petitions in order to hire and retain foreign-born workers who make vital contributions to companies, industries, and… Read More
USCIS Announces 7 International Offices Will Remain Open Despite Overall Shutdown
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently released more details about its plan to close its international offices. In an August 9 memorandum, USCIS clarified that all but seven of its 23 international offices will be shuttered within the next year. USCIS’s International Operations Division has a diverse mission,… Read More
New Public Charge Rule Imposes Wealth Test on Newcomers
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published the final version of its new “public charge” regulation on Monday morning. The rule would make it easier for the government to deny a green card or visa to immigrants it believes are likely to receive certain public benefits… Read More
US Citizens Caught in Immigration Dragnet As Enforcement Gets More Aggressive
There is a disturbing trend in aggressive immigration enforcement that is appearing more and more recently: the detention of U.S. citizens. There are clear indications that U.S. immigration agents are locking up people they assume must be non-citizens, but who are in fact U.S. citizens. These abuses transcend any presidential… Read More
Appeals Court Decision Means Hundreds of Migrants Were Unlawfully Convicted
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision clarifying limits on when federal prosecutors can charge immigrants with illegal entry and reentry into the United States this week. Under this decision, it will be more difficult for the government to criminally charge immigrants who attempt to enter the United States outside a port of entry in order seek asylum. Hundreds of prior convictions are also now potentially invalid. Read More
Census Bureau Asked 250,000 Households About Their Citizenship Status, Despite Court Ruling
Despite losing at the Supreme Court, the Trump administration still managed to ask nearly a quarter of a million U.S. households about the citizenship status of their household members. That’s because the administration had already started mailing out its 2019 Census Test—a nationwide test used to inform the upcoming 2020… Read More
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