Immigration Updates

AILA Doc. No. 19091234 | Dated September 12, 2019 WASHINGTON, DC – Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP), a policy also known as “Remain in Mexico,” which requires individuals seeking asylum at our southern border to remain in Mexico while their U.S. removal proceedings are pending.…

Settlement agreements are contracts. A fundamental component of a contract is the existence of mutual assent. This means all of the parties are on the same page when it comes to what is being agreed upon. In essence, a settlement agreement equates to “We pay you money and you stop suing us. Plus, we don’t…

Cancellation of removal is a form of discretionary relief from removal (deportation). There are four forms of cancellation of removal relief: cancellation of removal for LPRs, cancellation of removal for non-permanent residents, cancellation for battered spouse or child, and cancellation of removal pursuant to section 203 of the Nicaraguan Adjustment of Status and Central American…

The U.S. immigration system has been in need of reform on a variety of fronts—from the challenges facing those in the country without documentation to the need for fairer asylum laws, to often-inefficient processing of employment-based immigration benefits—and is crying out for common-sense solutions. Sadly, no immigration legislation has passed both houses of Congress since…

IMMEDIATE RELEASE – No More Bond for Asylum Seekers. The Trump administration on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, took another significant step to discourage migrants from seeking asylum, issuing an order that could keep thousands of asylum seekers in jail indefinitely while they wait for resolving their asylum requests. The decision follows a decision by a…

Anyone in the United States in violation of immigration law is vulnerable to being placed in removal proceedings. Some of the most common methods of the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) identification and enforcement are: Juana, from Mexico, entered the United States on July 1, 2008, without inspection. She has no driver’s license but drives…

January 22, 2019 On January 22, 2019, Senate Republicans released a new spending bill that was written to reflectPresident Trump’s January 19 speech outlining a proposal to end the shutdown. The “End the Shutdownand Secure the Border Act” bill contains extreme provisions and should be rejected outright asrepresenting hardline restrictionist views, rather than a genuine…

The U.S. government is using detention with increasing frequency as a means of dealing with undocumented or otherwise removable immigrants after their arrest. Upon the apprehension of a foreign national or the issuance of a Notice to Appear (NTA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determines whether to take the individual into custody; release the…

Civics Test Answer Updates Are you preparing for the naturalization test?As you study for the U.S. history and government (civics) test, make sure that you know the most current answers to these questions. Periodically, answers to the civics test change to reflect the results of federal and state elections and appointments or to clarify content…

Contribution of Aaron Reichlin-Melnick Part of the federal government is closed since December 22, 2019, after President Trump declared his intent to veto any funding bill that didn’t contain five billion dollars for building his wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Over two weeks later, much of the government remains on a shutdown, with Republican Senate…