Immigration News Resources

The U.S. Border Patrol turned 100 years old on May 28. Its troubled origins and history form the backdrop for contemporary concerns about the agency, including impunity for abuses against migrants and citizens alike. The Border Patrol’s centennial provides an opportunity to shed light on the agency’s lack of accountability and to pursue a vision […]

The post Border Patrol’s 100th Anniversary Offers Chance to Look Back at Its Disturbing Origins appeared first on Immigration Impact.

According to a new report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, about 11.0 million undocumented immigrants were living in the United States in 2022—a 4.6% increase from 2020. This is still a 5.2% drop from the recent high of 11.6 million in 2010. The report from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics further found […]

The post Are More Undocumented Immigrants Living in the US Now? Here’s What the Numbers Say appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Voters who support Biden and Trump have starkly different opinions on many issues, and these two groups are divided internally as well.

The post Cultural Issues and the 2024 Election appeared first on Pew Research Center.

We are updating the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify how certain petitioners for special immigrant juvenile (SIJ) classification (or their representatives) may file Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widower, or Special Immigrant.

On June 4, President Biden issued a sweeping order under section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act claiming that allows him to “suspend the entry” of most migrants who cross the border between ports of entry, echoing a similar order issued by President Trump in November 2018. Like the Trump action in 2018, Biden’s […]

The post Biden’s New Changes to the Asylum Process: What You Need to Know appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Borderland: The Line Within, a documentary directed by Pamela Yates and produced by Skylight Pictures, made its theatrical debut on May 3. Borderland takes viewers through a gripping narrative of how immigration enforcement agencies—from the U.S.-Mexico border to places well within our nation’s interior—have created what the film calls the “border industrial complex,” a system […]

The post Borderland: The Line Within Takes Viewers Through CBP’s Raid on a Humanitarian Aid Camp appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Effective May 6, 2024, all Forms I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, filed for following to join refugees (FTJ-R) are being processed at the USCIS International Operations Division rather than the Asylum Vetting Center.

The Department of Justice asked a court to partially terminate the decades-old agreement that protects the rights of immigrant children earlier this month. The government argues that the Flores Settlement Agreement is no longer needed because a new Department of Health and Human Services regulation finalized on April 30 will provide sufficient protections to immigrant […]

The post Government’s Move to Terminate Flores Agreement Could Leave Immigrant Children Unprotected appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Effective May 22, 2024, we are updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual on family-based immigrant visa petitions (including Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative and, in limited situations, family-based Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant), including explaining how we handle correcting approval notice errors, requests for consular processing or adjustment of status on the beneficiary’s behalf, and routing procedures for approved petitions.

Iowa is following in the footsteps of Texas with a new law that would allow state officials to arrest, detain, and remove noncitizens who have reentered the United States after being deported—even if the person returned with permission from the federal government or later gained lawful immigration status. Just like Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4), […]

The post Iowa’s Texas Copycat Immigration Law Challenged in Court appeared first on Immigration Impact.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced the opening of the application period for the Citizenship and Integration Training Academy (CITA), a new funding opportunity under the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program.

On May 9, the Biden administration proposed a rule that would allow asylum officers to consider and impose certain restrictions or “bars” to the initial asylum screening process at the border. Currently, these bars are considered later in the asylum process at a full hearing before an immigration judge. Comments are being accepted until June […]

The post Biden Proposes Rule to Quickly Remove Certain Migrants During Initial Screening Process at the Border appeared first on Immigration Impact.

USCIS’ San Francisco Asylum Office is opening an additional temporary location in Oakland, California. Effective May 15, 2024, asylum applicants under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Asylum Office may receive an interview notice to appear at the asylum office located in Oakland instead of San Francisco.

USCIS will conduct system maintenance to the Contact Relationship Interface System (CRIS) on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 11:50 p.m. through Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 2:00 a.m. Eastern.

Six years ago, the Dallas City Council passed a resolution to make the city more welcoming for immigrants and long-time residents alike. The city council proposed policy recommendations to address the unprecedented challenges immigrants and refugees in the Texas city face. Alongside the resolution, the city, in collaboration with multisector stakeholders, launched the Welcoming Dallas […]

The post Taking Welcoming Work to New Heights in the Lone Star State: Welcoming Interactive 2024 appeared first on Immigration Impact.

On April 29, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a new rule aimed at protecting workers on temporary H-2A visas and strengthening the agency’s oversight of their employers. The rule is set to go into effect on June 28, with a two-month subsequent grace period. The H-2A program allows migrant laborers to work in temporary […]

The post Biden’s New H-2A Rule Expands Protections and Increases Oversight for Migrant Workers appeared first on Immigration Impact.

We have issued policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual clarifying when H-3 nonimmigrants may participate in training provided on the property of an academic or vocational institution.

Effective April 1, 2024, we centralized the intake process of Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, and related filings under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) for self-petitioning abused spouses, children, and parents at the Nebraska Service Center.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is honoring its dedicated workforce during Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) 2024. Celebrated annually during the first full week in May since 1985, PSRW is a time set aside to honor those who serve our nation as federal, state, county, and local government employees.   

When someone crosses the border to seek asylum in the United States, they often first go through a credible fear interview (CFI). An asylum officer evaluates a person’s fear of returning to their home country and decides whether they will be allowed to apply for asylum and other forms of protection. Because it determines access […]

The post Volunteers Needed for Credible Fear Interview Preparation in CBP Hotline appeared first on Immigration Impact.