With just a few weeks into the new year, the judicial branch has been hard at work issuing decisions that spell trouble for the Trump administration. On Wednesday, January 15th a federal judge in Maryland issued a temporary injunction preventing the Trump administration from implementing the President’s executive order “Enhancing…
Articles Posted in Policy
Trump Administration Files Emergency Appeal to Enforce Public Charge Rule
Welcome back to our blog! We kick off the week by bringing you recent developments regarding the government’s controversial rule entitled, “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds” which sought to expand the scope of public benefits that could render a permanent resident or immigrant visa applicant ineligible for immigration benefits. As…
Immigration in 2020
Welcome to 2020! It’s a new year and a brand-new decade. In this post, we cover the things you need to watch and groundbreaking events taking place in 2020 that will shape the future of immigration for years to come. 2020 Presidential Election One of the most momentous events in…
Trump Administration Proposes Adding Minor Crimes to Offenses Barring Asylum
In its latest attempt to limit the entry of asylum seekers to the United States, the Trump administration has published a new proposal in the Federal Register entitled, “Procedures for Asylum and Bars to Asylum Eligibility,” adding minor crimes to the list of offenses that would bar individuals from obtaining…
Trump’s Policy Changes in 2019: A Year in Review
As we approach the end of the year, in this blog post, we look back at the major policy changes implemented by the Trump administration in the year 2019 that have had a profound impact on the way our immigration system functions today. JANUARY Government Shutdown Woes The start of…
Naturalization Applicants: USCIS Clarifies Good Moral Character Requirement in Updated Policy Manual
Last week, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its policy manual to clarify acts that may prevent a naturalization applicant from meeting the good moral character requirement. A successful naturalization applicant must show that they have been, and continue to be a person of good moral character…
Rule Making Foreign Nationals Inadmissible on Public Charge Grounds, Effective October 15, 2019
The Trump administration’s controversial rule making certain foreign nationals inadmissible to receive permanent residence on public charge grounds, will become effective beginning October 15, 2019. First, and foremost let’s recap what this rule is about and who it will apply to: Under immigration law, an individual who, in the opinion…
USCIS Issues New Policy Changing Citizenship Procedure for Certain Children of U.S. Service Members
On August 28, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued new policy guidance defining “residence” as it relates to U.S. Citizenship. The new policy guidance clarifies what it means to “reside in the United States” for the purpose of acquiring citizenship and sets out new policy guidelines…
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…