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.
Supreme Court Decides Immigrants Can “Age-Out” of Visa Petitions
In Scialabba v. Cuellar de Osorio, a heavily-divided Supreme Court ruled against thousands of aspiring young immigrants who were included on their parents’ visa petitions as minors, but who turned 21—known as “aging-out”—before visas became available. Aging-out is tantamount to someone losing his place in the visa line… Read More
USCIS Anuncia Procedimiento para Renovación de DACA
En el día de ayer el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los Estados Unidos (USCIS) anunció los términos del proceso para la renovación de la Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA). Mediante la renovación de DACA, aquellos individuos que actualmente ya cuentan con el beneficio… Read More
The DACA Renewal Process: Everything You Need to Know
Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the renewal process for hundreds of thousands of young noncitizens who received a grant of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Renewal of DACA ensures current DACA holders will continue to be safe from deportation for another two year period. … Read More
District Court Rules Grant of TPS Is an Admission for Adjustment of Status Purposes
Washington, D.C.–The American Immigration Council welcomes last week’s ruling by the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, which held that a noncitizen’s grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS)… Read More
Immigration Council Urges Broad Interpretation of § 212(h) Hardship Waiver
On May 19, 2014, the American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) filed an amicus curiae brief urging the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to rehear Roberts v. Holder, 745 F.3d 928 (8th Cir. 2014). In that case, the court narrowly interpreted the hardship waiver… Read More
New Data Show More Than Half a Million Immigrants Granted DACA
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) statistics on Thursday, revealing that over 550,000 individuals have now been granted DACA. The data, which is current through March 2014, indicate that USCIS has accepted nearly 650,000 requests. Over the past six months,… Read More
Virginia Allows DACA Recipients to Pay In-State Tuition
Young immigrants in Virginia who receive temporary legal status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program now qualify for in-state tuition at state colleges and universities. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring made the announcement Tuesday at the Northern Virginia Community College. “We should welcome these smart,… Read More
USCIS Releases Information About DACA Renewal Process
Yesterday, USCIS posted an update shedding light on what the renewal process for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will look like. Though the notice is preliminary and subject to change, it offers over half a million DACA recipients vital information about what they should do… Read More
What Does More Discretion and Less Deportation Look Like?
Following President Obama’s announcement that administration officials will review enforcement policies to see how to make them more humane, NBC News reports that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has compiled a list of recommendations for Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on what actions could be taken to slow… Read More
American Immigration Council Urges Court to Rule that TPS Recipient Is Eligible to Adjust Status
Last week, the American Immigration Council and Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) filed an amicus curiae brief urging the court to find that noncitizens granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are eligible to apply for lawful permanent residence (i.e., adjustment of status), even if they originally entered the United States without… Read More
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