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…
The House of Representatives recently made a bold move that could give undocumented farmworkers a pathway to permanent residence. Yesterday, December 11, 2019, by a vote of 260-165, the House passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a progressive bill that if approved by the Senate, would create several exciting opportunities…
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.…
After a long and contentious battle in several courts across the nation, the fate of DACA now rests in the hands of nine Supreme Court justices. On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, the justices heard the first oral arguments in the lawsuit seeking to end DACA. During opening arguments, the justices…
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…
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…
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…
USCIS International Field Offices On August 9, 2019, USCIS announced its plans to maintain seven international field offices open in Beijing, Guangzhou, Nairobi, New Delhi, Guatemala City, Mexico City, and San Salvador. As previously reported, all other USCIS international field offices will close between now and August 2020. Functions performed…
Photo: Christian Leo SenoFlickr The United States Supreme Court has announced that it will decide the fate of DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, during its next term, beginning in October, with a decision likely to be handed down by the Court in early 2020. The Court’s decision to take…
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…