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The Dignity Act of 2023: A New Immigration Bill Explained
Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Florida) introduced this immigration bill in the House of Representatives on May 23, 2023. This bill was created by both Democrats and Republicans to address various aspects of immigration law in the United States. It addresses border security, border infrastructure, grants legal status to undocumented immigrants already living in the United States with the possibility of getting citizenship, establishes new pathways for asylum seekers, and creates new legal pathways for economic migrants and unaccompanied minors. Below is a summary of the bill. Border Security: The bill would provide funds for upgrading technology and equipment used by the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). This includes things like…
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What to Know About the New Florida Law that Will Limit Land Ownership in that State by People From Certain Countries
On May 8, 2023, the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, approved a new law called Florida Senate Bill SB 264 (FL 264) that will limit land ownership in Florida by foreign nationals from certain countries. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2023, unless there is a legal delay because lawsuits have already been filed. This law places strict rules on who can own land in Florida. People from certain countries like China, Venezuela, Syria, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba cannot own agricultural land in Florida or any land within 10 miles of a military base or important infrastructure. However, U.S. citizens and permanent residents are not…
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What You Need to Know About the New Law in Florida (FL 1718) that Affects Undocumented Immigrants
On May 9, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1718 (FL 1718) into law. This law is an effort to make it harder for undocumented immigrants to live and work in Florida. Here’s a summary of the law, which will take effect on July 1, 2023: FL 1718 is a new law in Florida that will make it harder for undocumented individuals to live and work in the state. It has rules about transporting people, collecting information at hospitals, checking employment status, and getting licenses. While the full impact of this law is not yet known, it is expected to have a big effect on Florida’s economy.
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DACA Ruled Unlawful but Continues for Now
On October 5, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Fifth Circuit issued a decision on DACA. The court partially agreed with the district court’s ruling that DACA is unlawful. The three-judge panel stated that the Obama administration did not have the legal authority to implement the program. The case will now go back to the district court for further proceedings. It is expected that the Biden administration will file an appeal paving the way for the issue to go all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which would allow them to issue a final decision on the legality of DACA next year. Although the appeals court…
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Ukraine Designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 Months
On March 3, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it was designating Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status due to the war between Russia and Ukraine for 18 months. However, this period can be extended if necessary. A country is given TPS status when certain events have happened in that country, making it unsafe for citizens of that country to return safely. This would include events such as an ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters (i.e., earthquakes), or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. During the period that a country is designated for TPS, eligible individuals from that country who are in the U.S. are eligible to apply for a work…
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What President Biden Said About Immigration In His State of the Union Speech
On March 1, 2022, President Biden delivered his State of the Union speech. He spoke on several topics, including the war between Russia and Ukraine, inflation, prescription drug prices, the COVID-19 pandemic, and bringing industry and manufacturing back to America, among other topics. He did speak about immigration, but he didn’t spend much time on the subject. Here’s what he said about immigration: -More technology has been added at the border to detect drug smuggling; -Joint patrols have been set up in Guatemala and Mexico to catch more human trafickers; -They’re working with partners in Central and South America to host more refugees and helping with securing their borders; -Give…
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The First 100 Days of the Biden Administration – Immigration Edition
In President Biden’s first 100 days in office, he will be proposing many immigration-related policy changes and executive orders, as well as an immigration bill. Click here to read more about those plans. Here are some of the immigration-related issues that the Biden administration has said it will address: Reverse the Trump Administration’s policies that separate parents from their children at our border, including ending the prosecution of parents for minor immigration violations as an intimidation tactic, and prioritize the reunification of any children still separated from their families. End Trump’s asylum policies. Surge humanitarian resources to the border and foster public-private initiatives, and increase U.S. government resources to support migrants awaiting…
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Most USCIS Field Offices to Resume Services on June 4, 2020
As the USCIS field offices begin to resume services again, they will be reducing the number of appointments and interviews to make sure they are following the proper social distancing guidelines, to allow time for cleaning, and to reduce the number of people in the waiting area. Appointment notices will also have the information that visitors to USCIS must follow. USCIS has stated that if you are feeling sick, you should not go to the appointment. There will be no penalty for rescheduling if the reason is because you are sick. Asylum Offices USCIS asylum offices will automatically reschedule asylum interviews that were canceled during the temporary closures, and new…
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Changes to the U.S. Immigration System During COVID-19 Pandemic
The term “social distance” is a term we are seeing everywhere now. Most of us have never experienced what we are experiencing now in the world and understandably many are scared, anxious, and nervous. I cannot think of one industry that has not been affected by this. Below is a summary of how our U.S. immigration agencies, systems, and procedures have been impacted. This is a rapidly changing situation so I will continue to monitor it. As of March 18, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has put a hold on routine in-person services at least until May 3, 2020, to help slow the spread. These in-person services include…
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The Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Impact on U.S. Immigration
The coronavirus has been a top news story for the past several weeks, and it has had an impact on many things such as travel, people buying supplies in anticipation of having to be quarantined that would keep them from work and school, shortage of masks, the impact on the economy, and many more things. It has also had an impact on U.S. immigration. This week, the local Seattle USCIS office (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) closed because an employee had visited a family member at the Life Care Facility in Kirkland, WA, where there was a coronavirus outbreak. That closure affects cases that are being processed at that office…