The House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship called upon Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials to explain and report on the delays in immigration processing in a hearing on July 16, 2019. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Cal.), who chaired the hearing, wanted an explanation for the 2.4 million application/petition backlog (the largest since the … Continue Reading
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients have been in limbo and at the center of various political debates ever since President Donald Trump attempted to end the program in 2017. Put in place by the Obama Administration in 2012, DACA protects from deportation individuals who were brought to the United States by their parents … Continue Reading
We wrote yesterday on the U.S. Supreme Court declining to expedite review of DACA, as well as the recent and current legislative activity regarding the program. Later in the day on June 4th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Dream and Promise Act which would grant permanent residence status and a path to citizenship … Continue Reading
The “Dreamers” have received another reprieve from the U.S. Supreme Court. DACA litigation has been in the news since September 2017, when then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the DACA program would be terminated. In response to that announcement, multiple lawsuits were filed in federal courts in California, New York, Maryland, Texas, and the District of … Continue Reading
Is it possible that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program might be the key to ending the government shutdown? A DACA-for-border-funding compromise that was taken off the table a year ago is again being talked about by some lawmakers. Here is an update on where DACA stands. On September 5, 2017, then-Attorney General … Continue Reading
USCIS announced that, effective immediately, it is terminating yet another humanitarian parole program. This one is for individuals living in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This move will affect, among others: Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens; Certain “stateless” individuals; Immediate relatives of CNMI permanent residents; and Certain in-home foreign worker caregivers of CNMI … Continue Reading
The DHS is getting closer to changing and hardening the standard for determining who is or might become a “public charge” for immigration purposes. The agency “pre-released” a new rule, “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds,” that it plans to officially publish in the Federal Register soon in order to start the 60-day Notice and Comment … Continue Reading
DACA was set to terminate on March 5, 2018, based on President Donald Trump’s September 2017 announcement. To avoid the termination, the President challenged Congress to negotiate a legislative solution for the Dreamers. Negotiations ensued, but so did litigation and the issuance of an injunction. A federal court ordered DHS to continue to accept DACA … Continue Reading
The omnibus spending bill has been passed and signed by President Donald Trump in time to avoid a government shutdown. From an immigration perspective, here is what is “in” and what is “out” for the rest of the 2018 fiscal year. In: $1.6 billion in funding for southern border fencing (but not the $25 … Continue Reading
The Supreme Court is now in the middle of two high-profile immigration cases: Travel Ban 3.0 and the DACA rescission. The Court let President Donald Trump’s travel ban go in effect while litigation challenging the ban is pending, but the Court did nothing to overturn lower court rulings that have effectively stopped the President’s rescission … Continue Reading
Following January’s ruling by Judge William Alsup in San Francisco, a second federal court has issued a nationwide injunction ordering the government to keep DACA in place. Judge Nicolas G. Garaufis of the US District Court in Brooklyn, New York ruled that the rescission of DACA was “arbitrary and capricious” and that the equities and … Continue Reading
With the February 8th deadline for debate on DACA imminent and the March 5th DACA termination deadline approaching, legislators have been introducing bills to resolve the long-standing “Dreamer” issue. Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Christopher Coons (D-Del.) have introduced a simplified measure combining DACA and border security. It would grant permanent legal status to more … Continue Reading
The Trump Administration has released a new framework containing components of proposed immigration reform. Not surprisingly, border security is at the top of the list and includes the following components: New $25 billion trust fund for the (southern) border wall system Funds for hiring more enforcement personnel Immigration court reforms Ending the “catch-and-release” policy and establishing an … Continue Reading
Post-shutdown, while Congress debates immigration and the future of the “Dreamers,” the litigation over the legality of President Donald Trump’s rescission of DACA is speeding up. The U.S. Supreme Court accepted the request for an expedited review of the Administration’s petition for certiorari and has set February 2, 2018, as the date when briefs must … Continue Reading
Congress reached agreement and voted to end the government shutdown at least until February 8, 2018. In case another impasse occurs, this is how a federal government shutdown would affect immigration. Department of Labor (DOL) The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) will stop processing all applications, and its personnel will not be available to … Continue Reading
While Congress continues to try to find an acceptable solution for “Dreamers,” a federal judge in San Francisco has ruled that DACA must remain in place while litigation over President Donald Trump’s decision to wind down the program is pending. Judge William Alsup issued a nationwide injunction directing the Trump Administration to re-start the program. … Continue Reading
Deferred action for DACA recipients will start to expire in March 2018 and there is still no certainty about what will happen to them. Amidst legal challenges to the rescission of DACA, the introduction of a number of statutory fixes, and a supposed “deal” between President Trump and Democratic leaders to protect the “Dreamers,” there … Continue Reading
Introduced by Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), the “Solution for Undocumented Children through Careers Employment Education and Defending Our Nation” (SUCCEED) Act would provide undocumented children with the opportunity to earn and keep legal status. SUCCEED provides a 15-year path to citizenship. To be eligible under SUCCEED, an individual must: Have arrived … Continue Reading
On September 6, 2017, the day after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the rescission of DACA, 15 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s DACA rescission. The states included in the lawsuit are Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, … Continue Reading
The California Labor and Workforce Development Agency announced the rescission of DACA did not require employers to re-verify work authorization documents for DACA employees, stating: “[a]ny action or attempt by employers to re-investigate or re-verify work authorization documents in order to retaliate against any immigrant worker is unlawful in California.” The same holds true across … Continue Reading
Indications are that President Donald Trump likely will end the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program while signaling the Administration’s willingness to work with Congress on an alternative program. Vice President Mike Pence, speaking in Texas, noted, “President Trump has said all along that he’s giving very careful consideration to that issue and that … Continue Reading
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is deploying staff and equipment for search and rescue efforts and to work at local, state, and federal emergency operations centers in Texas in response to Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Harvey hit Texas just as the state’s plan to outlaw sanctuary cities is about to go into effect. Texas also … Continue Reading
The Texas Attorney General, along with counterparts in nine other states (the group that successfully challenged the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program, DAPA), has sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking the Administration to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). Created by President Barack … Continue Reading
