Posts Categorized: Legislative Updates

Biden Prioritizes Immigration Reform

In a drastic change from the past several years, President-Elect Biden has announced that on Day 1, January 20, 2021, he will propose his immigration reform plan to Congress. According to the Washington Post, “the centerpiece of the plan from Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris is the eight-year pathway, which would put millions… Read more »

Drastic Change in application of Public Charge Rule effective February 24, 2020

In B.C. (Before Coronovirus), USCIS and the US Department of State were permitted after litigation favored the Trump Administration in January 2020, to proceed with their much expanded application of the “public charge” rule. The new rules take effect for both agencies on February 24, 2020. The essence of the rule has remained the same… Read more »

Recap of Southern Border Crisis This Summer

The southern border of the United States has long been a point of entry for people migrating from or through Mexico into the States. Due to a surge of undocumented Central Americans seeking asylum in the States at the southern border, a crisis at the border was declared by the Obama Administration in 2014. The… Read more »

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Trump Style – The Raise Act

On August 2, 2017, Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and David Perdue (R-GA) introduced a new comprehensive immigration reform bill — Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act. The plan was endorsed by President Trump on the same day. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) summarizes the highlights of this immigration reform bill: Aims… Read more »

Dream Act of 2017 – What’s It All About?

Dream Act of 2017 Introduced With Bipartisanship in the Senate Now here is some legislation both parties can support! The Dream Act was introduced in light of concerns that the Deferred Action Childhood Arrival (DACA) Program may not survive a legal challenge in the courts this year. This is driving the push for Congress to… Read more »

Supreme Court Stops DAPA – the Undocumented Immigrant Program

On June 23, 2016, the Supreme Court resulted in a tie vote 4-4 on whether to allow the Obama Administration’s “Immigration Plan” to be implemented.  Announced in November 2014 – and also referred to as Executive Action on Immigration or Deferred Action for Parent Accountability (DAPA), the decision was heart-breaking for about 5 million undocumented… Read more »

Update on Obama Executive Action/DAPA from the Supreme Court

This last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the signature immigration case involving the undocumented community, United States v. Texas. The litigation started when President Obama announced he was using his executive authority to expand Deferred Action. Deferred Action derives from the executive’s legal authority to enforce immigration law. Since at least 1956,… Read more »

Supreme Court to Rule on Obama’s Immigration Actions including DAPA

The Supreme Court will hear a legal challenge from a coalition of 26 states that alleges President Obama abused his authority when he took executive action on immigration. Obama, frustrated with a defiant Republican-led Congress, created a program through executive action in November 2014 that would allow up to 5 million illegal immigrants—including so-called “dreamers”… Read more »

US Visa Waiver Program Changes Amidst Terrorism Concerns

the Visa Waiver Program has come under scrutiny given the terrorist attack by Muslim extremists in San Bernadino CA in November and an even more gruesome attack in Paris that left 130 dead. The VWP allows citizens of 38 designated countries to travel to the United States for business or tourism without a visa for stays… Read more »

As Feds Drag Heels on Immigration Reform, States Like Colorado Make Strides

The news broke last week that President Obama is likely to take executive action on immigration reform before the end of the year, with some saying an announcement could come as soon as November 21. Republican lawmakers have repeatedly vowed that unilateral immigration action by Obama would bring grave political consequences, but often lost in… Read more »

Obama Leaning Toward Expanding Deferred Action for up to 5 Million Undocumented

The midterm elections, resulting in the dominance of the Republican party in Congress, left it up in the air in terms of President Obama’s prior promises to ‘do something’ on immigration reform this year. However, recent press reports over the past few days are indicating a move in this direction, despite threats from Republicans of… Read more »

Colorado Restricted License Program for Non-LPRs Faces Early Hiccups

Poor planning has hurt the roll out of Colorado’s new immigrant driver’s license program—known as the Colorado Road and Community Safety Act (CRSA)—which allows undocumented persons residing in Colorado to obtain “restricted” state identification documents. It also subjects non-legal permanent residents to the same type of restricted license. In addition, discrepancies in past ID document… Read more »

Obama Delays Action on Immigration Reform

President Obama has put off executive action on comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) until after the November mid-term elections, citing shifting political attitudes brought about by the influx of unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S.-Mexico border this summer. Obama had previously said he would use executive power to protect immigrant families from deportation, which has seen a… Read more »

What is the New Colorado License Law all About?

On June 5, 2013, Colorado Governor Hickenlooper signed into law the Colorado Road and Community Safety Act (referred to as “SB-251”), which will allow Colorado residents — including undocumented persons – to apply for state identification documents (licenses, permits and IDs) without the requirement that they prove permanent lawful presence in the United States. The… Read more »

If the US Government Shuts Down, What Happens to My Immigration Case?

Well this fortunately does not happen very often, but as of writing this on September 27, 2013, it is very possible the US government will shut down as of October 1, 2013 without an affirmative act by Congress to do something. What is Happening? In a nutshell, Congress has the “purse” authority and thus, makes… Read more »