In November 2019, AILA leadership traveled to Brownsville, Texas, and witnessed firsthand how the Trump administration is blocking access to legal representation, due process, and, ultimately, safety for asylum seekers. They made an eye opening video of the experience.
Proposal To Raise H-1B Filing Fees In The Face Of Decline In USCIS Service
A November 14, 2019 a Proposed Rule issued by USCIS maintained that the filing fee for I-129s, the form used for H-1B visas, should go up by approximately 50%. This proposal comes at a time when CIS processing times have…
History Repeats Itself
An article in the Huffington Post, appearing on November 24, 2019, is a “must read” for anyone who feels that our country’s immigration policy has shifted dramatically notwithstanding the fact that no new legislation has been passed. The article reports…
Lawsuit Filed to Halt Implementation of Health Insurance Proclamation
On Friday American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and others, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon to stop implementation of President Trump’s health insurance proclamation, set to take effect on November 3, 2019 (see earlier…
Proposed Rule Would Give DHS Authority to Collect DNA Samples
DOJ published a broad and sweeping proposed rule that would give the attorney general absolute legal authority to direct DHS to collect DNA samples from immigration detainees. “Detainees” would include anyone arrested or held, regardless of whether they were ever…
Halt to Implementation of Newly Expanded Public Charge Rule
On October 11, 2019 federal judges in 3 separate courts enjoined USCIS from “enforcing, applying, or treating as effective” the DHS Public Charge Final Rule (see earlier blog post). In addition, the court specifically enjoined the government from implementing the…
Court Strikes Down Regulation Allowing Indefinite Detention of Immigrant Children
On August 22, 2019, just over a month ago, the Trump Administration announced a new regulation to allow undocumented children to be detained indefinitely. This would have ended the Flores Settlement Agreement- a 20 year old agreement created to ensure,…
US Response to International Refugee Crisis
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), an unprecedented 70.8 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 25.9 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. Two-thirds of these refugees are fleeing five hot…