DACA

Biden’s First 100 Days

It seems that Trump’s fight against immigration is finally over as President Biden sweeps in with hopeful promises of a less acrimonious four years. In a meeting with LatinX leaders, President Biden outlined his immigration plans, including establishing a 100-day deportation moratorium, extending “Dreamer” (DACA beneficiaries) protections, passing a broad immigration bill that could create a path to citizenship for non-legal immigrants living in the US, and removing barriers...

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...

New Guidance On DACA and Advance Parole

We have an updated FAQ available on DACA as individuals who have previously never had DACA are eligible to apply now. We also have guidance available on advance parole here, as well as travel tips for those traveling on advance parole. We’re working with local non-profits such as Grassroots Leadership to be able to fund a limited set of initial DACA applications for individuals who have never had DACA...

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...

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. 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. 7

ICE continues to ignore COVID-19 regulations in detention facilities, while asylum seekers struggle to gain entry to the United States. However, we had a huge win this week when the Supreme Court held that the Trump administration’s decision to end DACA was arbitrary and capricious. You can read more about that here and sign up for upcoming virtual clinics here. ICE refuses to make compromises for the sake of...

New USCIS Memo Signals Drastic Change for Immigration Applicants

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued two recent memos that allow immigration officials more discretion to outright deny applications they deem frivolous or incomplete, and place more people in removal proceedings. The first memo, discussed here, authorizes USCIS to place individuals in removal proceedings for merely overstaying their visas if their application for immigration benefits is denied. The second memo, released last Friday, grants USCIS...