A federal judge has issued a court order requiring that immigrants detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center in downtown Los Angeles be granted access to their attorneys in a timely manner. The ruling comes after lawyers reported that detainees were frequently denied phone access, had…
Articles Posted in Donald Trump
What’s happening with the Diversity Visa Lottery?
The latest announcement from U.S. Department of State has sent ripples through immigration communities: the opening of registration for the Diversity Visa Lottery (DV‑2027) has been delayed, and changes to the entry process are on the horizon. What’s happening? Traditionally, the DV-Lottery registration period opens in early October. This year,…
DHS Implements New $1,000 Immigration Parole Fee
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has introduced a new $1,000 immigration parole fee for most individuals granted parole into the country, effective October 16, 2025. Announced by DHS and USCIS under the H.R. 1 legislation, the fee applies at the time parole is granted, even if the application…
November Visa Bulletin: No Movement for Employment-Based Categories, Modest Movement for Family Sponsored Categories
We are pleased to report that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has published the November 2025 Visa Bulletin. In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month. USCIS Adjustment of Status For adjustment of status filings to permanent…
Supreme Court Decision Puts Temporary Protected Status of Venezuelans at Risk
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a troubling decision that could strip legal status from hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans currently living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). On Friday, the Court granted the Trump administration’s request to halt a lower court ruling that found…
DACA Update: USCIS could soon process new DACA applications
Source: Flickr Creative Commons Attribution mollyktadams Recent court documents submitted by the government in the case, State of Texas v. United States of America (1:18-cv-00068), reveal that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may soon resume processing initial DACA applications for individuals living outside of Texas. Since 2021, new DACA requests had…
DHS Proposes Rule to Increase H-1B Lottery Selection Odds for Higher-Paid Workers
On September 24, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a proposed rule that would change the current selection process for selecting H-1B visa petitions subject to the annual numerical limits established by the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under the proposed rule, the current random lottery system would be…
New Executive Order Establishes the Gold Card—Pathway to Permanent Residency for Wealthy
On Friday evening, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order establishing a new pathway to permanent residency called “The Gold Card.” This program creates a fast-track green card option for wealthy individuals who make significant “gifts” to the U.S. government through the Department of Commerce. Highlights Although clear guidance on…
New Executive Order Halts Entry of H-1B Nonimmigrant Workers Unless $100,000 Fee is Paid for New Petitions
The legal immigration landscape was shaken once again late Friday evening when the President issued a new proclamation barring new H-1B workers from entering the United States—unless their employers pay a $100,000 fee for each sponsored employee. The proclamation took effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sunday, September 21, and…
New U.S. Visa Rules: Applying at U.S. Embassy in Your Place of Residence or Country of Nationality Now Required
Flickr Creative Commons Attribution Jeroen Akkermans In the last months, the U.S. Department of State released two significant policy updates that impact both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants. These updates focus on a core change: applicants will now be required to have their visa interviews in their place of residence…