In this blog post we cover where the top democratic presidential candidates stand on the issue of immigration. At the moment only three Republicans have announced their participation in the 2020 election, therefore we will focus on the democratic candidates until more Republican candidates have formally announced their presidential bids.…
Articles Posted in Defensive Asylum
Federal Judge Orders USCIS to Resolve Backlogged FOIAs within 60 days
A new lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California now allows Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) applicants to challenge long standing delays in receiving their immigration records from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The U.S. District Court has certified two class action lawsuits allowing FOIA applicants…
USCIS Issues NPRM to Eliminate 30-Day EAD Processing Timeline for Asylum Applicants
On September 9, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register aimed at (1) removing a regulatory provision which states that USCIS has 30 days from the date an asylum applicant files the initial Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (EAD), to…
ICE Announces Expedited Removal of Guatemalans
On August 20, 2019, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced “enhanced coordination” efforts to remove Guatemalan adults and families arriving at the border more quickly. These efforts have been implemented to discourage Central Americans from attempting to enter the United States illegally and to deter human smuggling. Acting Associate Director…
Trump Administration Seeks to End Flores Agreement and Detain Undocumented Families for Indefinite Period of Time
On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced a proposal that will change the settlement agreement reached in Flores v. Reno, an agreement that limited the amount of time and conditions under which the U.S. government could detain immigrant children. Reno v. Flores prevented the government from holding immigrant children in detention…
DHS and DOJ Announce Interim Final Rule Limiting Asylum Eligibility
Today, July 16, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice issued a joint interim Final Rule that has been published in the Federal Register and is effective immediately. The interim Final Rule aims to place additional restrictions on the asylum application process and limit the eligibility of…
White House Issues Presidential Proclamation to Tighten Asylum Process
The White House recently issued a Presidential Memorandum to strengthen asylum procedures and safeguard the asylum system against fraud. The Presidential Proclamation specifically orders the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to take several measures to enhance the security of the asylum system by July 28, 2019. These measures…
This Week at the Southwest Border: Closures at the San Ysidro port of entry
The immigrant caravan from Central America has now reached the Southwest border. Thousands of migrants are now waiting in Tijuana for an opportunity to apply for asylum at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, tensions begin to mount as members of the immigrant…
Federal Judge Issues Temporary Injunction Blocking President’s Asylum Policy
Several weeks ago, the President signed an executive order preventing undocumented immigrants from applying for asylum. On Monday, a federal judge from San Francisco issued a nationwide injunction, forcing the government to continue to accept asylum claims by undocumented immigrants, regardless of where or how they entered the United States.…
Expects Delays Crossing the U.S./Mexico Border at San Ysidro, Otay Mesa
Photo by bbcworldservice U.S. Customs and Border Protection has recently announced that in anticipation of the migrant caravan, lane closures will begin on November 13, 2018 at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry. At least three northbound vehicle lanes at San Ysidro and one lane at Otay…