Every few days, it seems like the President announces some crazy idea to change our immigration laws and policies. In just the past two weeks, he’s said he wants to get rid of the 14th Amendment that guarantees US citizenship to every individual born in the United States. He’s also said that he wants to make people who enter the […]
Staying Away From the Rumors Read More »
Last week, our local USCIS liaison committee received troubling news. Our quarterly liaison meetings are canceled moving forward and our AILA emails will all be ignored from this point forward. This is yet another example of how this administration and its policies are turning USCIS away from service, taking away transparency, and I have to
The End of the Liaison Era Read More »
This past Saturday, I had the honor of presenting on Immigration Law Updates for the State Bar of Georgia. When I look at all the policy changes, memos, and court decisions that impact our work and our clients’ lives, it’s really incredible to see how the Trump Administration is hurting every area of immigration law.
The Last Few Months: Immigration Court Read More »
The Atlanta USCIS Field Office has just issued a new InfoPass/Walk-In policy. A huge thank you to our local USCIS liaison committee for this information. The I-551 stamp is the “green card” stamp that shows someone has lawful status but awaiting process on a new document. It’s often needed for renewing a driver’s license. However, starting
New InfoPass Policy in Atlanta Starting September 4th Read More »
It’s been a roller coaster for all immigrants lately, but no one has had to endure more ups and downs than DACA recipients. When AG Sessions announced the end of the program last September, people filed renewals as quickly as possible to meet an early October deadline. We then waited for Congress to take up the cause, but
DACA: The Roller Coaster Ride and Waiting Continues Read More »
Late last week, USCIS issued yet another policy memo that tells officers how they should perform their job. Late last month, officers were instructed to issue Notices to Appear and initiate deportation proceedings for most cases that they denied – negating decades of policy that allowed immigrants a chance to leave voluntarily or find another path to
More Bad News on the USCIS Front: New Policy Memo Demands Perfection Read More »
Last week, USCIS issued a new policy memorandum instructing their officers when they should start the removal (“deportation”) process and issue Notices to Appear (NTAs). The NTA is a charging document that starts the deportation process. A NTA can be issued by USCIS, CBP or ICE and once filed with an immigration court, deportation proceedings begin and
USCIS Gets Into the Deportation Business Read More »
Last week, the Attorney General released a decision saying that Immigration Judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals do not have the authority to administratively close a case. What is administrative closure and why is the end of it a big deal? Administrative closure was like putting a case in a coma. The respondent was still technically
Administrative Closure – Why the Attorney General’s Decision is Horrible Read More »
Yesterday, I was quoted in a press release regarding Georgia Senate Bill 452. It’s a pretty awful piece of legislation that many organizations are fighting against. Project South has an excellent write-up of the bill available here. There are two important things to know. First, this is not law yet. We have a chance to fight
AILA’s Press Release on SB 452 Read More »
Late last week, the White House issued its “Framework for Immigration Reform and Border Security.” Let’s be clear, it’s only a framework, a wish-list, so to speak. It’s not law and nothing has changed since this document was released. The framework is meant to tell Congress what President Trump wants to see in future immigration
The White House and Immigration – What Does the Framework Mean? Read More »
