Reform
Department of Justice Proposes New Limit to the Board of Immigration Appeals’ Power
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is proposing a range of measures that will limit the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (BIA) authority. The new rule—scheduled to be published on August 26—will make it harder for the BIA to independently make decisions and accelerates the removal of individuals from the United… Read More
Updates to USCIS Policy Manual Give Broad Discretion to Issue More Denials
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has imposed new requirements on its officers for exercising discretion that will substantially increase time and expense for the agency and applicants. Applications for work authorization will be particularly impacted. On July 15, USCIS issued updates to its Policy Manual. This manual contains… Read More
USCIS Fee Hikes Will Go Into Effect for These Applications
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released an advance copy of a final rule on July 31 that will impose significant fee increases across many facets of the legal immigration system. These changes include an astronomical 80% increase to the cost of becoming a U.S. citizen and a first-time… Read More
USCIS Holds Drive-Thru Naturalization Ceremonies to Work Through COVID-19 Backlog
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) expects, by the end of July, to have worked through nearly the entire backlog of naturalization oath ceremonies put on hold in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency is now providing new ways to take the oath, including drive-thru naturalization ceremonies. The… Read More
Congress Calls to Decrease ICE Detention as COVID-19 Continues to Spread
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security introduced their proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2021 (beginning October 1, 2020) this week. The budget would have significant implications for U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities—current hotspots of the coronavirus pandemic. In a reversal of previous budget requests, this… Read More
ICE Says International Students Must Take Classes in Person or Leave the Country
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge across the United States, many universities have chosen to temporarily move to online-only classes to protect public health. However, new guidance from the Trump administration will not allow international students to stay in the United States if their classes move online this fall. Read More
The Supreme Court Gave DACA a Lifeline. Now Trump and Congress Need to Create a Path to Citizenship for Dreamers.
The Supreme Court issued its long-anticipated decision in DHS v. Regents of the University of California—the case challenging the administration’s attempt to dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. The Court ruled on June 18 that the administration did not adequately explain its decision to end… Read More
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
DACA Made It Possible For Me to Fight Against COVID-19. The Supreme Court May Soon Make That Impossible.
My name is Sonia Martinez. I am a Certified Nursing Assistant working to help treat patients with COVID-19 at University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. I am also one of the 650,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients in the United States today. According to… 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
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