May 31 closes out Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The term AAPI encompasses all people from the Asian continent and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. This year’s recognition of AAPI Heritage Month […]

The Board of Immigration Appeals’ (BIA) hiring process for immigration appellate judges was recently revealed. Now, the integrity of the immigration court system has never been more in question. These procedures reflect how the agency has altered the hiring process to promote judges with a track record of anti-immigrant bias. The information was obtained through […]

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government has implemented sweeping revisions to U.S. immigration policy. Many of the changes fail to prioritize the health of immigrants or the general public. Some functions—like processing visas abroad and asylum claims at the border—have come to a virtual standstill. Yet many people applying for immigration benefits […]

The Trump administration has indefinitely extended its ban on immigration at U.S. land borders.  The order was also expanded to include immigrants arriving at coastal ports. The ban is based on an order from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), allowing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to immediately remove migrants from the […]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says it’s running out of money, fast. In a letter to Congress, USCIS declared that the coronavirus pandemic had caused unavoidable budget shortfalls. The agency—normally funded by fees from visa petitions and immigration benefit applications—says it will run out of money by June. It’s asking Congress for an emergency […]

The coronavirus pandemic has affected day-to-day life for everyone, including foreign nationals who planned to participate in the U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program. These programs use on-the-job training and are often planned months in advanced. Many large organizations and companies that sponsor and host exchange visitors—who come to the United States on J-1 […]

When the Trump administration implemented mass family separation in 2018, the American public was outraged. Two years later, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is using a different strategy with the risk of a similar result. The agency is now forcing parents at its family detention centers to choose between separation from their children or […]

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act on Friday, May 15. The bill directs $3 trillion in stimulus spending and is the latest in a series of bills that Congress has considered in response to the coronavirus. The HEROES Act seeks to relieve some of the […]

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of essential workers in keeping America up and running. First-responders, medical staff, meat packers, and domestic, hospitality, and transportation workers have been feeding, caring for, and moving us forward for years. It’s time for the working class in America to be recognized and rewarded for their labor. Yet, […]

The coronavirus has disrupted all our lives. Native-born Americans and noncitizens across the United States are experiencing many of the same challenges—the disruptions to day-to-day life, the struggle to find work to provide for their families, and the difficulties in obtaining adequate medical care. But many noncitizens are navigating these challenges while also coping with […]