All posts by Arantxa Galvan

Weekly Immigration News: Farewell Trump

After last week’s Capitol riots, there have been many shifts in the government. As the country prepares for President-elect Biden’s upcoming inauguration, the Trump administration is doubling down on dismantling immigration law and order: The DHS has signed last minute contracts with various states to try to limit the changes that the incoming Biden-Harris administration can make to immigration law through regulation. The contracts would require the DHS to...

Weekly News – Trump Calls to Ban Antifa But His Supporters Terrorize the U.S. Capitol

The events of the past week have forced the American people to reflect on the inadequacies of the current president, inadequacies that may continue into President Biden’s term. Less than two hundred new DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) applicants have been granted access to the program. Nebraska governor, Pete Rickets, has announced that the state’s vaccination program will prioritize legal United States residents, while undocumented immigrants will need...

Immigration in Pandemic Times – Last Gasps of the Trump Administration

The virus is negatively impacted job-holders all over the world, but new changes to US immigration laws may have definite effects on US workers. This past Tuesday, a federal judge ruled against Trump’s attempts to limit immigration through restrictions on H-1B visas. The new changes at DHS would have limited the jobs that H-1B visa workers could do in the United States and the amount of time that they...

Immigration in Pandemic Times, Election Edition

The election continues as issues of immigration are being heavily contested. How will our next president approach these serious issues? President-Elect Biden has promised to reinstate DACA and do away with the Muslim ban on his first day in office. His administration is also likely to undo many of the anti-immigrant changes made under Trump. This past Monday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempts to enforce a...

Working Without Authorization In Pandemic Times Vol. 2, No. 3

Minority groups continue being targeted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and migrant children and immigrants continue to be discriminated against at the border and throughout the country while top brass at DHS continue to flout the rule of law by occupying their jobs unlawfully. Both the DHS acting and second-in-command Homeland Security Secretaries, Chad Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli, are legally unable to continue working in their roles after a Government...

Immigration in Pandemic Times, Vol. 2, No. 2

The COVID-19 pandemic has persisted throughout the many months of 2020, and not only is the Trump administration still using it as a guise for further restricting immigration, but there are still severe financial repercussions facing many as we continue to battle through COVID-19. The number of deaths in ICE custody is the highest since 2006. As of August 7, the ICE custody death toll for the current fiscal year is...

Immigration In Pandemic Times, Vol. 2, No. 1

As immigration has been impacted by health concerns surrounding COVID-19, many migrants have been stripped of their rights. The injustices are only continuing as application fees increase, the wall is deemed constitutional, migrant children are expelled without being able to see lawyers, and other cases. The Trump administration has increased many immigration application fees, especially on first-time asylum and naturalization applications. The increase has shifted the cost for naturalization...

Immigration in Pandemic Times; Vol. 1, No. 12

The coronavirus has severely damaged American health, finances, and stability. Immigrants have been one of the hardest-hit groups – what will the government do, if anything, to help? USCIS fee increases go into effect on October 2, 2020. People hoping to file for green cards through family or employment will also have to pay for interim benefits such as work and travel authorization, which substantially increases expected fees. Other...

Immigration in Pandemic Times, Vol. 1, No. 11

The Trump Administration continues to pass legislation restricting immigrant rights as the pandemic continues – will lawsuits, rulings, and Supreme Court interventions be enough to stop them? A federal judge ruled on July 17, 2020 that the Trump administration must immediately begin to accept DACA applications, saying that DACA needs to be “restored to its ‘pre-September 5, 2017 status.’” Although the judge’s ruling will force the government to stop...

Immigration In Pandemic Times, Vol. 1, No. 10

In the past week, there have been various criticisms of how ICE and the Trump administration is handling the COVID-19 pandemic as the virus continues to spread. The para-military state is here. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents invaded the State of Oregon in unmarked vans kidnapping alleged protesters. The Department of Homeland Security says it has the authority and jurisdiction to carry out these extra-judicial kidnappings based on...