Immigration News Resources

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has implemented a new temporary rule preventing affirmative asylum seekers—who request asylum while already physically present in the United States— from bringing their own interpreters to asylum interviews. Instead, the government will provide free telephonic interpretation in 47 languages. The agency says the measure is intended to limit the […]

The post USCIS is Preventing Asylum Seekers from Bringing Their Own Interpreters to Interviews appeared first on Immigration Impact.

For generations, international students pursuing their studies in the United States have been permitted to remain in the country for the duration of their studies. This helps to guarantee that they are able to complete their degrees before having to depart the country. But under a new proposal put forward on September 25 by the […]

The post Proposed Student Visa Restrictions Would Disproportionately Impact African Nations appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The Trump administration has spent most of the year trying to destroy asylum law—and the blows keep coming. On Sept. 23, the Department of Justice proposed yet another regulation aimed at certain asylum seekers that would stop all but the lucky few from receiving protections. How the Rule Would Affect Asylum Seekers Under the new […]

The post Proposed 15-Day Filing Rule for Asylum Seekers Is Designed to Be Impossible appeared first on Immigration Impact.

More than half of foreign-born Latinos describe themselves using the name of their origin country, versus 39% among U.S.-born adult children of immigrants.

The post The ways Hispanics describe their identity vary across immigrant generations appeared first on Pew Research Center.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a fierce champion of progressive rights and the second woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice, died on Sept. 18, 2020. Long recognized as a staunch advocate for women’s rights, Justice Ginsburg leaves behind a legacy on immigration that shows her vision for justice did not end with her work on […]

The post Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Legacy on Immigration appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The Trump administration continues to express belief that the coronavirus “will go away”—but the U.S. State Department does not seem to agree. In a recent memo signed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the administration highlights a sharp decrease in the demand for U.S. visas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The memo anticipates that international […]

The post The Demand for U.S. Visas Will Drop for Years to Come in the Aftermath of the Pandemic appeared first on Immigration Impact.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is expanding its power in Florida, where more than one out of every five residents in the state is an immigrant. The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) recently announced that it  has signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE. The 287(g) program allows local and state police officers to collaborate […]

The post 3 Reasons Why Cities Should Not Sign 287(g) Agreements With ICE appeared first on Immigration Impact.

A federal appeals court recently ruled that the Fourth Amendment requires a neutral decisionmaker to review the detention of anyone held based on an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer. The decision came after ICE attempted to detain an American citizen without probable cause and flagged him as eligible for deportation from the United […]

The post ICE Violates the Fourth Amendment When It Detains People Without Probable Cause, Court Rules appeared first on Immigration Impact.

During National Hispanic Heritage Month, AILA Diversity & Inclusion Committee Member Magaly Rojas Cheng shares her family’s story along with key data about the contributions of the Latinx community to our shared prosperity.

The Trump administration’s justification for ending administrative closure is on thin ice. A new report casts doubt on key arguments presented in a proposed regulation that would end the practice of administrative closure. This tool allows immigration judges to temporarily suspend a hearing by taking it off of the court’s active docket. The Syracuse University-based […]

The post New Data Disproves Trump Administration’s Push to End Administrative Closure appeared first on Immigration Impact.

A whistleblower has come forward to expose serious allegations of medical malpractice at a for-profit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Ocilla, Georgia. The whistleblower—who was until recently employed as a nurse at the Irwin County detention center—worked with several non-governmental organizations to file two complaints with Department of Homeland Security oversight […]

The post Women in ICE Detention Given Hysterectomies Without Their Consent appeared first on Immigration Impact.

In a split decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for four countries can proceed. The fate of nearly 250,000 people from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan—and their families—is at stake. The case, Ramos v. Nielsen, was filed in federal district court after […]

The post Ninth Circuit Court Allows Trump’s Plan to End Temporary Protected Status to Go Forward appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Welcoming Week—an annual celebration in communities across the nation that brings neighbors together to build connections across lines of difference—begins Saturday, September 12. Despite the challenges of coming together during a pandemic, a string of events will take place in virtual spaces. Events include dance parties, watch parties, and even civic dinners via Zoom. There […]

The post Welcoming Week 2020 Encourages Everyone in America to Create Home Together appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants might be prevented from voting in the 2020 election—even though they are just one step away from becoming new Americans. Years of fiscal mismanagement at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—coupled with a series of policy changes under the Trump administration—have led to an enormous backlog of citizenship applications at […]

The post Citizenship Backlogs at USCIS Will Block Hundreds of Thousands from Voting in the 2020 Election appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans to dramatically expand the personal information that it collects in support of immigration petitions and applications. This new rule will increase the total number of people who are required to submit biometric data from 3.9 million currently to 6.07 million—an increase of more than 60%. The proposed […]

The post USCIS Wants To Increase the Amount of Biometric Data It Collects by Over 60% appeared first on Immigration Impact.

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to resume issuing diversity visas on September 5. Each year, the State Department uses a lottery system to select visa recipients from a broad array of countries. In April, President Trump banned diversity visa recipients from entering the country. What is the diversity visa? Congress established the Diversity […]

The post Diversity Visa Ban Struck Down by Judge appeared first on Immigration Impact.

AILA member Peter Choi shares an analogy that he has found makes explaining the green card process to clients easier by comparing it to a visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles with various queues and required paperwork.

Days after Hurricane Laura tore through Louisiana, the situation for people held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities remains critical. ICE reportedly evacuated at least two immigration facilities in southern Louisiana before the hurricane hit. But the storm led to catastrophic conditions at ICE facilities further inland. Major damage occurred at LaSalle ICE […]

The post Hurricane Laura Devastated ICE Facilities, Leaving People Detained in Horrific Conditions appeared first on Immigration Impact.

A Black former U.S. diplomat recently shared her experience of months of racial profiling by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials while she was stationed at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. She was tasked with enforcing U.S. immigration law, but nevertheless found herself racially profiled and discriminated against by U.S. immigration authorities. […]

The post Institutional Racism Is Rampant in Immigration Enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico Border appeared first on Immigration Impact.

A federal court on Monday halted a secretive program started under the Trump administration that allowed Border Patrol agents to be harsh gatekeepers to the asylum process. The court rejected the government’s defense of the program as “poppycock.” In spring 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quietly began a pilot program in which Border […]

The post Judge Says “Poppycock!” to Trump Program That Let Border Patrol Screen Asylum Applicants appeared first on Immigration Impact.