April 24, 2026|Contributed by: Luke Niermann
Lawful permanent residents (LPRs), commonly known as green card holders, generally have the right to return to the United States after international travel. However, recent increases in enforcement at U.S. ports of entry mean that even long-term residents may face heightened scrutiny when reentering the country. Understanding your rights before you travel can help you […]
April 24, 2026|Contributed by: Aaron C. Hall, Esq.
A recent USCIS policy change will significantly affect how applicants are represented at interviews. Beginning May 18, 2026, USCIS will generally no longer allow attorneys and accredited representatives to appear telephonically at interviews, with only limited and still-unclear exceptions. This change makes it more important than ever to consider the value of legal representation at […]
April 24, 2026|Contributed by: Ellen Atkinson
April 16, 2026: It’s a clear day on Capitol Hill. Hundreds of immigration attorneys and advocates from around the country flock to represent the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association (AILA) and constituent clients to meet with members of Congress about the need for structural immigration reform, accountability, and pathways to permanent status. By the end of […]
March 25, 2026|Contributed by: Aaron C. Hall, Esq.
Habeas corpus is a federal court remedy used to challenge unlawful detention. In the immigration context, it allows a person in ICE custody to ask a district court a focused question: is the government legally allowed to detain me right now? It does not decide the underlying removal case. It just addressed detention. With the […]
March 25, 2026|Contributed by: Luke Niermann
“Failure to Depart” Immigration Fines Over the last several months an increasing number of noncitizens have received letters from the Department of Homeland Security titled “Notice of Violation and Order,” informing recipients that they must pay a fine to the U.S. government for allegedly failing to depart the U.S. after receiving a removal (deportation) order […]
February 24, 2026|Contributed by: Luke Niermann
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on February 13, 2026, that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemen in the coming days. For thousands of Yemeni nationals currently protected under TPS, this announcement creates urgent questions about work authorization, lawful status, and next steps. Below is what […]
February 24, 2026|Contributed by: Ellen Atkinson
On February 18, 2026, Judge Sunshine Suzanne Sykes of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California issued a sharp and incisive major enforcement order in Maldonado Bautista v. Santacruz (Case No. 5:25-cv-01873-SSS-BFM)[1]—one that directly targets the government’s continuing effort to deny bond hearings to many detained immigrants who entered without inspection (EWI). […]
February 24, 2026|Contributed by: Aaron C. Hall, Esq.
If you have received a Notice to Appear, or NTA, it means the government has started removal proceedings against you in Immigration Court. This does not mean you have already been ordered deported. It means your case will now move through the court process. In most cases, the first step is a Master Calendar Hearing. […]
January 27, 2026|Contributed by: Luke Niermann
The 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees that “[t]he right of the people to be secure in their . . . houses . . . against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated . . . .” Decades ago, the Supreme Court explained this means that unless a person inside a house […]
January 27, 2026|Contributed by: Ellen Atkinson
In the United States, the writ of habeas corpus is one of the Constitution’s most enduring checks on executive power. And today, it is becoming an increasingly important tool for people challenging unlawful detention in the immigration context, where detention decisions can be opaque, fast-moving, and, at times, resistant to meaningful review. What a habeas […]
