In the News: Biden to Address Immigration Issues Caused by MPP
The Migrant Protection Protocol Policy (MPP) left over 70,000 asylum seekers stranded in Mexico. Now, President Joe Biden is taking steps to address the cases of 25,000 of them. Migrants who already have an active, ongoing case in US courts will be allowed to re-enter the US and get their hearing before a judge. They…
Read MoreIn the News: Biden Makes Immigration First Priority
With the inauguration just days away, President-Elect Joe Biden has announced he will be sending an ambitious immigration bill to Congress. He has also pledged to make immigration his top concern for his first ten days in office. He will use his executive authority to extend DACA protections. His executive authority does carry a lot…
Read MoreCourt Strikes Down Trump Asylum Rules
On Friday, January 8, 2021, a ruling was issued in US District Court striking down the proposed rules issued by the Trump administration making it harder to claim Asylum in the United States. The rules sought to redefine how people qualify for asylum and similar forms of humanitarian protection if they face persecution at home.…
Read MoreDo You Need Health Insurance to Immigrate to the United States?
If you’re keeping up with the news then you know that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld the Trump Administration’s ban on immigrants without health insurance. This comes after the courts had issued an injunction keeping the ban from going into effect. Theoretically this would deny visa applications to any immigrants who didn’t…
Read MoreIs a Work Visa a Path to a Green Card?
A work visa can absolutely be a valid path to a green card. Yet it is not an easy path. Supplies of employment-based green cards are limited. Only 140,000 of these visas are available every year. This may mean years of waiting, which means developing a relationship with an employer-sponsor who will continue to look…
Read MoreUSCIS Publishes Notice Extending TPS for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan
USCIS has issued an automatic extension for TPS from January 4, 2021 until October 4, 2021. Any person from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua or Sudan who currently holds TPS status will have there their status extended until October 4, 2021. This includes Employment Authorization.
Read MoreUSCIS Restores DACA Including Work and Travel Authorization
On November 14, 2020, Judge Nicholas George Garaufis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued an opinion regarding the July 28, 2020 memorandum[1] signed by Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf.[2] On December 4, 2020, Judge Garaufis required the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take certain actions to implement…
Read MoreWhy an Immigration Attorney is Your Best Bet
Immigration is not a DIY proposition…at least, not if you want to be successful. Those who attempt to do it themselves often encounter needless delays and frustrations at best and fail to meet their immigration goals at worst. Here are three reasons why hiring an immigration attorney is likely to be your best bet as…
Read MoreIn the News: Judge Blocks Trump Administration Wealth Test
A “public charge” rule has been part of immigration law for over 100 years. Most immigrants who want to become permanent residents have always had to prove they would not become a burden on the country. Yet the Trump Administration expanded many of the programs that would allow Homeland Security and USCIS to deny applications. …
Read MoreWhat to Do if ICE Shows Up At Your House
There are few things more frightening than finding immigration enforcement at your door. Yet you aren’t helpless in this situation. You do have rights, you just have to remember to exercise them. In fact, the more you exercise your rights, and the more effectively you do so, the stronger your case is likely to be…
Read More