As a direct result of the “Buy American and Hire American” Executive Order (EO) 13788, signed by the President on April 18, 2017, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) made several revisions to the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), which became…
In two past articles, (“The Trump Administration Is Cracking Down on Visitor Visa Overstays”; and “The Trump Administration Has Stepped Up Enforcement on Student Visa Overstays”), we discussed that under the Trump Administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has…
In a past article (The Trump Administration Is Cracking Down on Visitor Visa Overstays), we had discussed that prior to the Trump Administration, visitors who overstayed their visas were unlikely to encounter Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents unless they…
Prior to the Trump Administration, visitors who overstayed their visas had been an extremely low priority for immigration authorities, overshadowed by immigrants who entered illegally. Consequently, they were unlikely to encounter Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents unless they had…
In our past article, “Adjustment of Status”, we discussed that the immigration process of applying for legal permanent resident status or a green card without returning to your home country is referred to as an “adjustment of status”. In the…
Generally, an individual who wants to apply for lawful permanent resident (“LPR”) status or a green card must be in his or her home country to process the application. However, in some instances an individual who is already in the…
In a past article, “ICE Provides Formal Guidelines on Courthouse Arrests of Immigrants”, we discussed that on February 1, 2018, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced formal guidelines on how ICE agents will conduct arrests in courthouses. We further…
The Trust Act, an Illinois statute signed into law in August, 2017, established important protections for undocumented Illinois residents. This law specifically makes it illegal for Illinois police to stop, search or arrest an individual based solely on his/her immigration…
Effective October 1, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began conducting in-person interviews for the following immigration benefit applicants: Adjustment of status applications based on employment (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), and Refugee/Asylee relative…
On February 27, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court held that immigration law did not permit a bond hearing for certain immigrants held under mandatory detention during removal proceedings. Those subject to mandatory detention include asylum seekers who arrive at the…