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March 12, 2021 The Biden administration rescinded a 2018 agreement between the Department of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services that encouraged child welfare officers to share sensitive personal information about potential sponsors for unaccompanied children with immigration enforcement agents. The move is part of a larger effort to reduce the number of children…

USCIS is no longer applying the August 2019 Public Charge Final Rule. As a consequence, among other changes, USCIS will apply the public charge inadmissibility statute consistent with the 1999 Interim Field Guidance. In other words, USCIS is not considering an applicant’s receipt of Medicaid (except for long-term institutionalization at the government’s expense), public housing,…

PRESS STATEMENT BY: ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE FEBRUARY 6, 2021 The United States has suspended and initiated the process to terminate the Asylum Cooperative Agreements with the Governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras as the first concrete steps on the path to greater partnership and collaboration in the region laid out by…

President Joe Biden will review the deportations of veterans and military family members that occurred under the stricter immigration enforcement policies of former President Donald Trump, a White House official told McClatchy. The review is part of Biden’s broader effort to undo some of Trump’s immigration policies. “The administration’s immigration enforcement will focus on those…

Effective immediately, USCIS rescinds PM-602-0142 “Rescission of the December 22, 2000 ‘Guidance memo on H1B computer related positions.’” USCIS officers should not apply PM-602-0142 to any pending or new requests for H-1B classification, including motions on and appeals of revocations and denials of H-1Bclassification. Further guidance will be forthcoming. PM-602-0142.1_RescissionOfPM-602-0142.pdf (uscis.gov)

It’s been a busy year for lawmakers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Legislation was passed that prevents evictions, provides testing, treatment, and vaccination against COVID-19. It may be easy to forget heading into the new year there are other laws that will be taking effect. Below is a recap of laws that will be taking…

In general, a qualifying domestic violence conviction triggers deportation regardless of sentence, and regardless of whether the conviction is a felony or misdemeanor. The domestic violence deportation ground appears at the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) Section 237(a)(2)(E)(i), 8 USC section 1227(a)(2)(E). Many domestic violence convictions fall into other grounds of deportation, such as aggravated…

Falling out of love is a downward spiral that can trigger intense negative feelings. When those negative feelings manifest themselves in in various ways, the stage is set for domestic violence to take place. In New York City domestic violence falls under the umbrella of “cruel and inhuman treatment,” and such treatment, specially as part…

As exceeding unemployment limits can result in a loss of status, we are reminding F-1 aliens participating in post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT), and their designated school officials (DSOs), that they must update the employer information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), including unemployment data. Federal regulations require F-1 aliens to notify…