This Week in Immigration - American Immigration Council

Last September, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agreed to publish past versions of the Department of Homeland Security’s Privacy Impact Assessments on CBP One, the app that allows asylum seekers to schedule inspection appointments, among other functions. CBP agreed to post these documents in the agency’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) library. Agencies’ FOIA libraries—or […]

The post Lawsuits Prompt Immigration Agencies to Publish Critical Documents in Their FOIA Libraries appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Members of the U.S. Senate are currently negotiating a deal to continue funding the federal government next year, as well as providing military aid to Ukraine But the cost could be the federal government’s ability to provide humanitarian protection to migrants in need. According to public reporting, Senate negotiators are considering several potential restrictions to […]

The post What We Know About the Senate Negotiations That Could Wreck Asylum in the US  appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Over the last few weeks, as I reflected on writing our annual Thanksgiving blog post, I struggled to find the right words and message. During years past, this post offered best practices for engaging in dialogue across the days’ festivities. And although that recipe has been loved by many, I also felt compelled to dig […]

The post Talking Turkey 2023: Kindness on the Subway appeared first on Immigration Impact.

When asylum seekers come to the United States, they want to work—but an outdated immigration statute is making that more difficult than it needs to be. After filing an asylum application, asylum seekers must wait an agonizing six months before they can receive a work permit. This makes their already vulnerable position even worse and […]

The post Labor Shortage Can Be Fixed by Letting Asylum Seekers Get Work Permits Sooner, Business Leaders Say appeared first on Immigration Impact.

After weeks of uncertainty as to whether Congress would reach a deal to fund the government and avoid a shutdown, earlier this week Congress passed a continuing resolution bill which funds the government through the end of the year. But this delay will only last a matter of months. In the meantime, Congress is still […]

The post Congress Punts on Supplemental Funding While Setting up Future Fight on Immigration appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Written by Steven Hubbard, Senior Data Scientist and Leslie Dellon, Senior Attorney (Business Immigration) The White House’s recent executive order on artificial intelligence marks an important shift in employment-based immigration law, signaling the beginning of a potentially transformative process. As one component of the process, President Biden has required the Department of Labor (DOL) to […]

The post Employment-Based Immigration to Get an Important Update with Biden’s Artificial Intelligence Executive Order appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Immigration—long central to the American experience—has dominated news coverage in recent years. Between 2016 and 2021 alone, record numbers of migrants arrived at the southern border; the Trump administration imposed travel bans on several Middle Eastern countries; immigrants played vital roles as essential workers in the COVID-19 pandemic; and the Biden administration called on Congress […]

The post Map the Impact: Immigrants Make Up Over 18% of the Total US Population Growth appeared first on Immigration Impact.

States hoping to provide support to their immigrant and refugee residents are taking part in the Office of New Americans (ONA) network. This network has established a forum for state policy leaders to drive positive immigrant and refugee integration into their local workforces and economies. In October, 35 state government officials representing ONAs from across […]

The post Offices of New Americans Meet with Biden Officials to Advance Immigrant Inclusion appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The H-1B program may undergo significant changes as early as October 1, 2024. The Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently published a 94-page proposed rule to “modernize” the H-1B program.   The H-1B is a temporary (nonimmigrant) visa category for employers to petition for workers in “specialty occupations.” A “specialty occupation” […]

The post USCIS proposes significant changes to the H-1B program appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued its yearly Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor report, examining 131 countries’ efforts to abolish child labor in 2022 and the obstacles those efforts face. The report highlights, in part, the vulnerability of migrant children in the United States working for little pay in industries that […]

The post Department of Labor Report Highlights Severity of Child Labor in the US and Worldwide appeared first on Immigration Impact.

As the national workforce shortage persists and is further exacerbated by the nation’s large aging population moving into retirement, businesses across the country are seeking solutions to address workforce needs and fill open positions. Many chambers of commerce have continued to present a solution: modernizing an outdated immigration system to better meet the needs of […]

The post Global Talent Chamber Network Convening Discusses How Immigration Is a Solution to Workforce Challenges appeared first on Immigration Impact.

On October 20, the Biden administration renewed its request for emergency supplemental funding for border management from Congress. This new $14 billion request represents more than a $10 billion increase from the administration’s original August proposal and includes a sizeable investment in areas of the immigration system often forgotten by years of deterrence-heavy policy. Nevertheless, […]

The post Biden’s Emergency Funding Proposal Seeks $14 Billion for Immigration System From Congress appeared first on Immigration Impact.

In September, the Biden administration extended temporary protection to some 472,000 Venezuelan migrants in the United States. Doing so provided welcome humanitarian relief—thousands of men, women, and children have fled violence and natural disasters and find themselves without a home—but it also ushered in the possibility of notable economic gains for U.S. communities. Research by […]

The post Spotlight on the Economic Contributions of TPS Holders appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Unless Congress can come to an agreement on the budget by November 17, the government will shut down, forcing tens of thousands of federal employees to work without pay and suspending vital programs around the country. Right now, the biggest obstacle is the lack of a speaker of the house. No bill can pass without […]

The post Unrealistic Immigration Demands Complicate Treacherous House Budget Talks appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Corruption within U.S. Custom and Border Protection’s workforce often has been hidden behind bureaucratic red tape. But what was once shrouded in mystery is now plainly available—on CBP’s own website. CBP has developed a “Transparency and Accountability” page designed to share information about CBP-related deaths, use of force incidents, and other incidents resulting in serious […]

The post CBP’s Own Website Provides Insight Into Its Agents’ Corruption and Misconduct appeared first on Immigration Impact.

On September 20, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced measures to accelerate the processing of some work permits and to extend their validity period for particular categories of individuals. These changes are substantial and are likely to have a meaningful impact on the large work permit backlog in the long run. For the […]

The post DHS’ New Work Permit Measures Are Welcome Change with Potential to Address USCIS Challenges  appeared first on Immigration Impact.

By Karen Aho and Robin Lundh of the American Immigration Council Today, Hispanic Americans form the largest ethnic group in the United States. The value of Hispanic Americans to the makeup of the United States—demographically, culturally, and economically—has grown every year. This Hispanic Heritage Month, we look at the most recent data to highlight the […]

The post Spotlight on the Changing Demographics of Hispanic Americans appeared first on Immigration Impact.

A recent Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) decision bars certain recently arrived noncitizens from becoming lawful permanent residents. In Matter of Cabrera-Fernandez, the BIA held that the petitioner had not been paroled into the United States when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released him from immigration detention. Without parole he could not apply for […]

The post New Board of Immigration Appeals Decision Sets Roadblock for Cubans, Others Seeking Green Cards  appeared first on Immigration Impact.

After weeks of failed negotiations on spending, Congress has less than a week left to avert a potential government shutdown. Members of the House Republicans’ Freedom Caucus have refused to pass any spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unless it contains HR2, their massive overhaul of border and asylum laws, at a […]

The post What does the looming government shutdown mean for our immigration system? appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Co-Authors: Rich André, Asma Easa, Micaela McConnell, Paloma Ramos Last week, communities across the United States participated in Welcoming America’s Welcoming Week. The annual campaign has rapidly expanded over the years to include more than 650 local events that showcase each community’s commitment to fostering welcoming and belonging for all their residents, including their immigrant […]

The post Communities Celebrate Their Commitment to Welcoming and Belonging During Welcoming Week appeared first on Immigration Impact.