January 20, 2023|Contributed by: Aaron C. Hall, Esq.
On November 28, 2022, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unintentionally posted a document to its website that included names and other personally identifiable information (PII) of 6,000 noncitizens in ICE custody. This document, which was posted for about 5 hours, included information about feared persecution in noncitizens’ countries of origin. ICE is prohibited by regulation […]
January 20, 2023|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
On January 19th, 2023, the U.S. Department of State announced a new government program to allow private individuals to sponsor refugees into the United States.[1] Previously, refugees would be referred to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (“USRAP”) abroad by a U.S. embassy or nongovernmental organization. Once the refugee was determined eligible for refugee status, they […]
January 19, 2023|Contributed by: Jennifer Howard
On December 9, 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the designation of Ethiopia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months. To be eligible for TPS, individuals must be able to demonstrate their continuous residence in the United States since October 20, 2022, and continuous physical presence in the United States since […]
January 3, 2023|Contributed by: Zachary New
After massive swings in the dates by which immigrants may apply for permanent residency over the last two years, we are seeing massive retrogression in the eligibility dates in new categories and, for the first time in quite a while, for worldwide petitions in the “EB-2” category. As background, and from a very high level, […]
December 29, 2022|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
On December 14, 2022, USCIS announced that the agency will be holding trials to develop potential changes for the tests used when an individual applies to become a U.S. citizen.[1] Currently, the test is composed of two major parts: an English test and a civics test. The English portion includes assessing petitioner’s verbal and written […]
December 26, 2022|Contributed by: Luke Niermann
On December 5, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the extension and redesignation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti for 18 months. Under this announcement, Haitian nationals who currently have TPS will be able to extend their status for an additional 18 months, from February 4, 2023, through August 3, 2024. And […]
December 23, 2022|Contributed by: Aaron C. Hall, Esq.
On December 13, 2022, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA), which formally repealed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and required the recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages in the United States. The RFMA further solidifies the ability to marry the person you choose and enjoy the legal protections and benefits of […]
December 1, 2022|Contributed by: Joseph & Hall P.C.
The American Immigration Council, in conjunction with the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and The Borderplex Alliance, released a new report on November 10th, 2022 analyzing the economic impact of immigrants in El Paso, Texas.[1] Per the report, immigrants in El Paso contributed $8.6 billion to the metro area’s GDP in 2019.[2] In that […]
November 29, 2022|Contributed by: Aaron C. Hall, Esq.
In August, Joseph & Hall, through the IMMPact Immigration Litigation collaboration, filed a lawsuit against United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the Northern District for Illinois. The lawsuit, titled Shumilina v. Jaddou, argued that USCIS was unlawfully requiring those who enter under the Uniting for Ukraine program to file for and receive work […]
October 27, 2022|Contributed by: Luke Niermann
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a new pathway for some Venezuelans to obtain temporary lawful status in the U.S., while at the same time expanding the use of Title 42 to immediately expel Venezuelans arriving at the border. This new process for Venezuelans will allow up to 24,000 Venezuelan nationals […]
