Over the next 30 years, immigrants will pay more in taxes than they will consume in benefits, a new study from the Cato Institute found. This net positive flow in tax contributions shows that immigrants will continue to play an outsized role in supporting public services like schools and safety net programs such as nutrition assistance programs […]
The Biden administration is yet again turning to the Trump playbook as it tries to slap together a border crackdown to succeed the end of the Title 42 “public health” order next month. The latest revived Trump-era idea: keeping asylum seekers in Border Patrol custody for longer, and conducting asylum screening interviews in phone booths, […]
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is opening a new service center to try to fix some of its most egregious backlogs. The agency reportedly has already reassigned 150 employees – and plans to have over 300 – to staff a virtual service center, which will eventually operate fully remotely (though it will accept paper as well […]
The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) published a decision last week seeking to address a seemingly basic question: what law should an immigration judge apply when deciding the case of a noncitizen facing removal? In a time of remote hearings, when the immigration judge, the government attorney, and the noncitizen may all be in different places, figuring […]
Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued policy guidance updates in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the types of venues USCIS may use for administrative naturalization ceremonies. This clarifying guidance is part of USCIS efforts to educate the public and those seeking to donate venue spaces, and to provide more transparency on how to partner with […]
As Tax Day approaches, it is important to acknowledge the tax contributions made by immigrants—even those who are undocumented. These contributions play a vital role in the funding and sustainability of America’s public services and programs. Immigrants’ Tax Contributions Undocumented immigrants make significant contributions to the U.S. tax system by paying sales, income, and property […]
Last week, a federal court in California issued a decision allowing asylum seekers and other plaintiffs to continue their legal challenge to the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” program, officially (and in true Orwellian fashion) called the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). The program—which forced migrants to wait indefinitely in Mexico for their immigration court asylum hearings in the Unites States—has […]
On March 8, a Florida court blocked the Biden administration from using a key border program referred to as Parole plus Alternative to Detention (Parole + ATD). The court’s decision vacated the policy as unlawful. While the written order includes commentary on a wide range of border-related issues, including parole itself, the decision only directly affects the […]
The Department of Homeland Security announced the extension and redesignation of Somalia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, from March 18, 2023, through Sept. 17, 2024, and posted a Federal Register notice for public inspection. The extension of TPS for Somalia allows current beneficiaries to re-register to retain TPS through Sept. 17, 2024. The redesignation of Somalia […]
In January and February of this year, the Biden administration announced new policies to process individuals seeking asylum at ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border. A key component of these new policies is the increased use of the CBP One app. CBP One allows certain people to submit their biographic information to U.S. Customs and […]