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.
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
Confused About the Current Status of DACA? Here Is What You Need to Know
The Trump administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative set off a slew of lawsuits attempting to stop the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from terminating the initiative. Much of that litigation has been successful—as a result, DHS is still accepting DACA renewal applications. Read More
Local Limits on Immigration Enforcement Successfully Slow Deportation Machine
Immigration policies may be crafted on a national scale, under the purview of the federal government, but it is at the local level that immigrants live their lives. And it is at the local level that heavy handed immigration enforcement disrupts the lives of immigrants, as well as the lives of the native-born Americans with whom they work and reside. Read More
US Embassy Cables Reveal How Trump Officials Ignored Warnings About Ending Temporary Protected Status
In recent months, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has methodically ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for six countries, including over 300,000 people from El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti. Newly revealed State Department cables now confirm that the Trump administration’s interest in ending these designations superseded stark warnings from… Read More
After Almost 20 Years, Honduran Temporary Protected Status Holders Lose Permission to Stay
Nearly 60,000 Hondurans learned today that they will no longer be able to remain in the United States with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), placing them at risk of deportation when termination takes effect in 18 months. Having lawfully resided in the United States for many years, Honduran… Read More
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