Editorial credit: Steve Edreff / Shutterstock.com NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today took action to stop U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) alarming practice of making arrests in federal immigration courthouses. In an amicus brief filed in African Communities Together v. Lyons, Attorney General James urged the U.S. District Court for the Southern […]
By: Steven Hubbard |americanimmigrationcouncil.org |Editorial credit: Mamun_Sheikh / Shutterstock.com U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has partnered with Palantir Technologies—a Denver-based software company co-founded by billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel—to use artificial intelligence and data mining to identify, track, and deport suspected noncitizens. Palantir is slated to deliver a prototype of the ImmigrationOS platform by September […]
Editorial credit: Evgenia Parajanian / Shutterstock.com WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding the factors that officers consider in certain benefit requests where an exercise of discretion is required, including factors relating to aliens’ past requests for parole and any involvement in anti-American or terrorist organizations, […]
By: Mary Campbell The White House is reportedly preparing to cap the U.S. refugee admissions at 40,000 for fiscal year 2026, with a striking three‑quarters of these slots—approximately 30,000 places—earmarked specifically for white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners. This represents not only a sharp reduction from the 100,000 refugees admitted under the Biden administration in fiscal […]
By: Mary Campbell U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially intensified its evaluation of the ‘good moral character’ (GMC) standard for lawful permanent residents applying for U.S. citizenship. Under this revised policy, applicants must now substantiate not only the absence of disqualifying behavior, but also demonstrate active, positive contributions to their communities. Expanded GMC […]
By: Mary Campbell The U.S. Department of State has instituted a 12-month pilot program effective August 20, 2025, and running through August 5, 2026, aimed at reducing visa overstays by requiring certain B‑1/B‑2 visa applicants to post a refundable bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, at the discretion of the consular officer. Scope and Applicability This pilot applies exclusively […]
By: Maribel Hastings| America’s Voice |Editorial credit: aaronschwartzphoto / Shutterstock.com Washington, DC: The militarization of immigration policy is in full swing, and the Trump administration has announced that it is speeding up construction of the largest detention center in the United States, logically on a military base, Fort Bliss, in El Paso, Texas. Although the […]
Editorial credit: Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com Updated August 6, 2025 — Across the U.S., including California, New Jersey, Oregon, and Minnesota, DACA recipients are set to lose their Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Basic Health Program (BHP) coverage starting August 25, 2025, with most state marketplaces terminating plans by August 31. What Changed? In June 2025, […]
Editorial credit: Lyonstock / Shutterstock.com U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual that will enhance our capability to screen and vet family-based immigrant visa petitions. This update explains requirements and adjudication of these petitions, including eligibility criteria, filing, interviews, and decisions. Fraudulent, frivolous, or otherwise non-meritorious family-based immigrant visa petitions erode confidence in family-based pathways to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status […]
By: Mary Campell | Editorial credit: Sua Sponte Photography / Shutterstock.com OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine — A controversy is unfolding in this coastal resort town after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested reserve Officer Jon‑Luke Evans on July 25, 2025, for allegedly overstaying his visa and attempting to purchase a firearm for use in his […]