U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND Immigration Services said Tuesday that it has halted plans to furlough 70% of its workforce on Sunday, saving some 13,400 employees from temporary layoff and averting a near-total shut down of the legal immigration system. The agency warned, however, that furloughs could still take place in the future unless Congress acts to stabilize USCIS’s finances. USCIS is the …
Restrictions to Work Authorization for Asylum Applicants to Begin on August 25,2020
USCIS announced a final rule modifying DHS’s regulations governing asylum applications, interviews and eligibility for employment authorization based on a pending asylum application. Applicants for an initial or renewal employment authorization document under the (c)(8) eligibility category must submit biometrics and pay the biometric services fee. There are also new questions applicants must complete based on a pending asylum application. USCIS will not …
US immigration services set to furlough two-thirds of its workers after coronavirus stimulus talks fail
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services notified about 13,400 of its 20,000 employees that they would be furloughed Aug. 30 because of budget shortfalls, which the agency hoped Congress would fill in its next relief package before negotiations stalled last week. “In the past few months, USCIS has taken action to avert a fiscal crisis, including limiting spending to salary and …
Trump administration has put DACA applications ‘on hold’ despite Supreme Court ruling restoring program
Trump administration officials said during a federal court hearing Friday that they have not “granted nor rejected” any applications for a program designed to protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation, but rather have put them “on hold” as the government discusses the future of the program. The virtual hearing in the U.S. District Court in Maryland was the first time …
USCIS must accept new DACA applications in the 4th Circuit
USCIS must accept new DACA application in the 4th Circuit and may accept those filed in all other circuits. Historically, USCIS rescinded DACA. The U.S. Supreme Court vacated the rescission and restored DACA to pre-rescission status. IBLF recommended new DACA applications. USCIS then denied new DACA applications. Last week, Maryland District Court stopped USCIS from denying new DACA applications and …
Trump administration reverses course on foreign student ban
The Trump administration has reversed course over a new rule that would have banned some international students from studying in the U.S. this fall. The measure would have required international students to transfer schools or leave the country if their colleges hold classes entirely online because of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Massachusetts said Harvard University and …
Congressional Leaders Urge ICE and DHS to Withdraw New Guidance for International Students Taking Online Courses
Ninety nine (99) members of Congress sent a letter to DHS and ICE urging the agencies to withdraw the new guidance issued by ICE that states that international students may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States. The letter support that the announcement of modifications to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program’s requirements for …
U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools fully online for the fall semester
Students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States. The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States. Active …
4th Circuit Denies Asylum Claim On Family Relation
One of the most difficult areas of asylum law is to determine what social group you are in if you are claiming asylum, and if that is the reason that you are in danger of persecution. While membership in a family is now established as a possible social group, it is important to tie the danger of persecution to the …
US Supreme Court Preserves DACA
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday, June 18th, that the Trump administration cannot carry out its plan to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has allowed nearly 800,000 young people, known as Dreamers, to avoid deportation and remain in the U.S. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rules-trump-cannot-end-daca-big-win-dreamer-n1115116?fbclid=IwAR20dr4j1fgFCSuByRppJTDQF5TFFfrhNSVSbI7ArlarWXBbBjZwFW7EatI