The Indian Panorama

Tag: Immigration

  • What H-1B Visa Holders Must Do If They Get A Notice To Appear (NTA)

    What H-1B Visa Holders Must Do If They Get A Notice To Appear (NTA)

    • What can a H-1B holder do if they lose their job and are ordered to appear in Immigration court?
    • Laid-off H-1B workers in the U.S. are usually granted a 60-day grace period to find a new employer or change their visa status. However, since mid-2025, there has been a surge in reports of Notices to Appear (NTAs) being issued well before the grace period has expired.
    • This has caused significant stress and uncertainty for many H-1B visa holders and their families in the U.S.
    • According to PEW, 400,000 H-1B visas were approved in 2024. 73% of those visas went to workers from India. A vast majority of the H-1B visas each year are renewals.

    What options are available to H-1B visa holders in such situations?

    To better understand the legal landscape and possible courses of action, Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney  spoke with Sameer Khedekar, Founder and Managing Attorney at Vanguard Visa Law in California.

    This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

    Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney

    Anjana: To give us a little bit of context on why we’re even having this conversation at this point in time, can you outline the changes that have occurred in the H-1B visa process in the last few months?

    Sameer: I would say it’s apparent that the changes appear to be broader than just the H-1B community. It’s the entire kind of legal visa holder community of which H-1B’s are like the highest percentage (for Indian Americans). So it kind of makes sense that we focus on them because they have the most people here.

    Let me back up a little bit — In February of this year, USCIS issued a memo policy update saying that they will issue notices to appear (NTA) in immigration court to anybody who is not of lawful status in the US.

    So we thought it makes sense, right? I mean if you are not in lawful status, you might end up in immigration court. That made sense to us, and we didn’t really think too much about it. They provided a bunch of examples that had nothing to do with the H-1B community.

    Then in early July, we started hearing of people who had been working in H-1B jobs who were laid off or left a company for whatever reason.  Whenever you leave an H-1B job, whether it’s through a layoff or even voluntarily, the company is required to notify USCIS, and the reason they’re required to notify USCIS is, if they don’t, the employee can come back and claim back wages for the period of time, even after they left. So the company kind of has to do this.

    And the question is, when do they have to do it? The regulations say immediately, but immediately, like instantaneously, or most companies do it anywhere from a few days to a few months after the employment ends.

    So now the other part to remember is that when an H-1B holder  or any visa holder leaves their company, they get a 60-day grace period, which in the regulations is discretionary. But never since 2016 or 2017 when the grace period was implemented, has the government chosen to exercise their discretion not to give it to people.

    So it’s been pretty much uniformly awarded to anybody who’s left their company. And people have used that time, the 60 days, to either find new employment and get a new H-1B transfer or change their status to H-4 or B-1/B-2 while they wait for a job and then go back to H-1B.

    The B-1/B-2 to H-1B was a strategy actually almost encouraged by the Biden administration. Post covid, there were a lot of layoffs when companies started realizing they had over hired. In 2023/2024, you remember all the layoffs that happened, and many of these were H-1B holders.

    So what the Biden administration said is, if you’re laid off, you have options. If you have an H-1B you have a 60-day grace period. You can also apply to change to a B-1/B-2 change in the US. And then if you find a job and you get sponsored for an H-1B, we may just kind of put you back in H-1B if you have a pending B-1/B-2. So basically, there’s a pending application that’s keeping you in a period of authorized stay. And they even had a website that kind of explained it.

    So, remember I told you about the February memo by USCIS. Then in March/April, the Trump administration archived that web page.  We’re like — what do they mean by that?

    In June, they started issuing the NTAs to people. So you can kind of see the timeline, right? They are going after people who are laid off and trying to get them kicked out of the country, Number one. And they’re trying to do so in a way where they’re not even recognizing the grace period. 

    Anjana: Can you walk us through the process that happens?

    Sameer: So what’s happening is somebody leaves their employer — the company withdraws H-1B.  That withdrawal has USCIS almost autotrigger a notice to appear in immigration court regardless of what that person has done in the interim to maintain their status — apply for a B-1/B-2, apply for an H-4 or all the things I told you. They’re not even really looking. They’re saying — you are not in status and you have to go to immigration court.

    So it turns out, they are in status — like some have applied for an H-1B transfer in that interim, some have applied for an H-4, some have applied for B-1/B-2, but the NTAs don’t reflect that at all. So we’re taking people to immigration court, and we’re getting those cases dismissed, because for those that have actually changed their status, changed their employer or applied for B-1/B-2, the courts say they’re not deportable. The courts are starting to dismiss them one by one.

    Now, every judge is different, every court is different, and the result is not guaranteed. So multiply this by all the layoffs we had in May and in June — Microsoft, Intel, lots of different firms and multiply this by how many people this is happening to and you can kind of see the chaos that it’s creating.

    If you’re going to leave your job or if you’re going to be laid off, you might end up in immigration court. You might get deported.  For people who have been here and who is this affecting the most — it’s the people that can’t get green cards because they’re stuck in the longest backlogs. Who are they? Indian nationals. You have to connect a lot of dots to see who this is really affecting. 99% of our clients right now are Indians.

    Anjana: This 60-day grace period — is it a law, or is it an executive action?

    Sameer: It’s a regulation. However, the regulation does say it’s discretionary,

    Usually, unless there’s some compelling reason that it shouldn’t give it to them. That’s kind of what we had all thought discretionary meant. But it seems like, in this case, the government saying discretionary is we just are deciding not to for no reason whatsoever.

    What’s problematic is that the judges so far that we’ve seen are not necessarily disagreeing with USCIS.  They’re not saying — this person applied for a change of employer in the grace period. Therefore, they maintain their status.

    What they’re saying is they applied for the change of employer before the NTA was issued, So, this whole thing is eroding the grace period in many ways.

    Anjana: What steps should a person on an H-1B visa take after being laid off or changing their job to maintain their status?

    Sameer: Number one, they should be very clear as to when their employer is going to withdraw their H-1B, because that has so far been the trigger.  If they were to leave their company, and they know this is happening, and they have enough time —  talk to their employer about not withdrawing the H-1B until at least the grace period is done. The employer may not choose to.  They are going to do what they’re going to do, but you could at least have that conversation.

    Previously, people have been pretty passive about this topic because it’s kind of an awkward thing to talk about. But now I feel like there’s enough understanding and people know this is happening, so I think it’s definitely something an employee should ask. When are you going to withdraw the H-1B? Can you wait until the end of my grace period because, as you know, when you withdraw an H-1B, it’s triggering NTAs. So many companies are actually waiting for the end of the grace period to withdraw H-1Bs but it depends on the company.

    Anjana: So, there is no difference from a legal point of view on whether you got laid off or you’re choosing to change jobs for a better one?

    Sameer: Yeah because I had a client who is 37 ½ weeks pregnant with her second child, and she’s like —I’m going to change to H-4 because I want to stop working so I can get ready for my delivery. And so she left her job and she changed to H-4 but the H-4 process takes 6 to 8 months. So she’s in a pending H-4 application, and the company had to withdraw the H-1B and she got an NTA.

    Anjana: That was my next question. How are a non-working spouse and children affected if the H-1B holder changes jobs, loses their job, or is issued an NTA?

    Sameer: That’s what’s scary. How many calls have I had where the family’s been living here for 10 or 12 or 15 years; the child is a nine-year-old standing next to the mom during the zoom, watching his mom panic while I’m talking them through what is happening. The specter of families being separated because of this.

    Now, what I’m finding is that everybody has done what they’ve had to do to maintain their status in some way — whether it’s changing to H-4 or having a green card pending or having an EAD. There’s something and they’ve tried to follow the law, and what I’m finding is that we generally can get their cases dismissed because of that so far.

    It’s early, this has only been happening a few weeks but it seems like we’re able to get the cases dismissed. So we’re hoping that this is just going to be a huge annoyance for them, but for the most part, we can convince the courts not to deport anybody and to dismiss the case because the person has already taken steps to preserve their status or stay in the US.

    The problem is there are second-order implications.  Even if you get a case dismissed, you still have to go for visa stamping. You have to answer a question at the consulate — have you ever been in a removal proceeding? You have to say Yes. And what is that going to cost? Is that going to cause 221(g) delays? Is it going to cause stamping denials because the consulates are kind of their own entity —they’re not really answerable to anybody.

    What about when you return to the US? Is this going to be on their record, the CBP record at the airport? Are they going to be questioned about this? Indians are in this process forever, so are they gonna have to be doing this for the rest of their lives?

    Anjana: What options are available if a visa holder is unable to secure employment within the 60-day grace period? 

    Sameer: This is an evolving kind of area. The safest thing to do would be to leave the country because if you leave before the NTA is issued, then you can absolutely get the case dismissed. There’s nothing you can do to prevent an NTA. You can’t call somebody and say Hey, I’ve left, don’t issue the NTA.  The government’s going to do what they’re going to do.

    What a person has to do is to put themselves in a position where they can easily get the case dismissed if they get an NTA. So, leaving the US before the NTA is issued is the best course.

    Now, people don’t receive NTAs for a few weeks after they’re issued. Follow the court. So you need to track as soon as it’s issued, not when you get it. There are notice laws that protect you to help you throw a case out if you didn’t get it on time.  There’s a website where people can look up their file number to see if an NTA has been issued.

    Anjana: What if you get an NTA and you don’t have a job yet?

    Sameer: Your question is what should you do in the grace period? So one option is to leave, but that’s not feasible if you have kids, and so we’re starting to find that if you take some sort of action, like file to change your status to H-4.  Let’s say your spouse is on an H-1B, you file to change to an H-4 online right as soon as you leave. That seems to be enough.

    We’ve got some cases dismissed where somebody had applied for an H-4, or certainly if you find another job in the 60-day grace period and a company transfers to H-1B, and even if it’s pending, that seems to be enough that you have an H-1B pending. You’re in status. You’re working for that company. That seems to be enough to get a case dismissed.

    I heard of one case where somebody actually filed for B-1/B-2 in the grace period, and it was pending, and they got their case dismissed. That’s the riskiest because B-1/B-2 only gives you a few months, and so how compelling is that going to be to a judge?

    In some cases, it seems like the judges are just annoyed by this, and for any reason they might have to dismiss a case, they will, because they’re like — What are these cases that are coming in? We’re dealing with people who are applying for asylum, who have no status. What are these new NTAs that are coming in for people who actually have cases on file with the government and are not out of status?

    It’s risky, but it seems like so far a pending B-1/B-2 may be enough to allow you to help get your case dismissed.

    Anjana: And this is also true if your spouse is not working, therefore, you cannot switch to an H-4 right?

    Sameer: You can’t switch an H-4 under those circumstances, and maybe B-1/B-2 is your only option then, and trying to get back in H-1B. But the problem is that they may not approve the B-1/B-2 to H-1B like they used to. In fact, we have an indication, and we have a case right now, where it seems like they don’t want to do that.

    So then that would require the person to travel, and if they don’t have a visa, to re-enter, to activate the H-1B, and if they have to go get a visa stamp – that’s a delay. They have to say they were in court proceedings. So it’s going to cause a lot of confusion and chaos.

    Anjana: An additional consideration is the status of an H-1B holder who is partway through the green card process. How does this affect their legal ability to remain in the U.S. or transition to a different employer at this point?

    Sameer: This is what we’re really concerned about. Some people have had pending green cards for a long time now — AOS pending, working on EADs.  And we’ve always kind of been like — try to maintain your H-1B if you can also.  We never know what will happen, but you don’t have to, because you have the EAD.

    Now, we hope everyone’s maintaining their underlying H-1B because the pending green card is not by itself a status. It’s like a period of authorized day, and it’s not guaranteed a judge will say that’s enough to stay in the US anymore. So I have a client like that. She just came to us. We’re gonna file for her dismissal in about a week or two, and we’ll see what the court says there.

    Anjana: This is a point of confusion for a lot of people, the fact that once you’ve been selected for the H-1B lottery and it’s been approved, if you change your job again, you don’t have to go through the lottery again. Even though an H-1B is tied to your job, winning the lottery means that it’s kind of tied to you in a way too, right? Can you explain this?

    Sameer: For the most part, that’s true. Once you’ve been picked at the  lottery, and you’ve activated that H-1B, had the H-1B approved, and you’ve started an H-1B status, then you don’t have to go through the lottery again. Unless you’ve exhausted your six years of H-1B time and have been out of the US for more than a year. But for the most part, 99% of people don’t have to go through the lottery again once they’ve been selected and they’ve activated their H-1B.

    Anjana: As you can imagine, many H-1B professionals right now are incredibly anxious — they have well-established families here and given the current instability in the Tech market and the political environment, what steps can they take proactively in case they are laid off or thinking about switching jobs? What can they start thinking about and preparing for in advance?

    Sameer: (First) find out when the company’s going to withdraw the H-1B because that is a necessary trigger. Next, constantly check on the link to see if an NTA has been issued.  Everyone has a different situation. Talk to an attorney and get advice what you could do.

    Anjana: To clarify, your own personal immigration attorney, not your company’s attorney, right?

    Sameer: Your company attorney is generally not going to help because their obligations are with the company. They also don’t have the bandwidth. Let’s say the company lays off 1000 H-1B holders. A company can’t talk to each person. They don’t have the time.

    NTA is an immigration court procedure, and so it’s this weird kind of area that most H-1B lawyers don’t understand – most Immigration Court lawyers don’t understand H-1Bs. But you have to understand immigration court procedure if you’re a lawyer, and then you have to understand H-1B law to get a case dismissed. That’s what I would recommend.

    Anjana: Are you seeing a decline in the number of people choosing to stay in the US? Is there a noticeable decrease in visa applications or approvals for H1, O1, L1 kind of visas?

    Sameer: What we’ve noticed, and I think the stats kind of back this up, is that the number of student visa holders or student visa applications has decreased considerably. That’s the usual way Indian nationals make their entry into the US. That’s a pipeline. And then once they’re here, they stay. So the ones that are here, I haven’t seen them personally go back yet, but I’ve certainly felt their stress. I could feel the confusion it’s causing in their life. But I haven’t seen them go back yet.

    Anjana: Can you also talk about non H-1B NTAs that you are seeing?

    Sameer: So it’s not just H-1Bs that are getting NTAs now. There’s a company that had an employee on an L-1 visa. They had layoffs, and they laid off the L-1s except that you don’t have to notify USCIS about L-1s. That L1 notification triggered NTAs.

    I actually talked to that company. They’re not my clients, but I know the person who runs immigration there. I told them, please stop doing that, because any notification that USCIS gets that a visa ends, they are turning that into an NTA whether or not the person has changed status or not.

    Anjana: Are you seeing any immigration changes affecting families visiting on a B-1/B-2 visa?

    Sameer: If you’re a U.S. citizen or green card holder and your mother or father comes to visit on B-1/B-2, and let’s say they stay for six months; they need to be here for two more months because they’re helping with the grandchild. You apply for an extension, and they’re issuing an NTA if you are still here after the B-1/B-2 period has elapsed, even if you applied for an extension and that extension hasn’t been approved.

    Anjana: This could affect their ability to obtain a B-1/B-2 visa or be allowed entry into the U.S. in the future, right?

    Sameer: Here’s what’s happening. Let’s say in this case, the person applied for a three-month extension. By the time the NTA arrived, it was right on schedule for the three months. And I sent my mom home because she was going to overstay the three months that I requested. But he sent her home after the NCA was issued, which is a no-no. And he’s like — you wanted me to have her stay past the three months? I’m like, this is like the rock and the hard place people are finding themselves in.

    It’s worse to actually leave after an NTA is issued, because then a judge can say, we are barring you from entry for five years because you left after you’ve been called to immigration court. Even if the court hearing is way far out, which is also what’s happening because the government is firing judges, and cases are backlogged for years. So some hearings are not until 2027 or 2028.

    The system is not set up to handle this kind of permutation. So what I would do in that case, depending on timing, is — if you’re in court, you can request voluntary departure, which is basically like, let me self-deport, let me leave right with your permission. And then if you do that, you don’t accrue any period of time unlawfully present.  So that would be the solution. But still, you have to disclose that in the future, like you said.

    I don’t know how much worse this is going to be. Is this like a blip? Is this going to continue? It’s hard to say right now.

    Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney

    (Anjana is a 2021 and 2022 Fellow of USC Annenberg’s Center for Health Journalism, reporting on domestic violence in the South Asian community. She also won a grant from Altavoz Labs to report on aging in 2022 and the 2024 Journalists in Aging Fellowship from the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and the Journalists Network on Generations to report on menopause. 

    She has received Journalistic Excellence awards from the San Francisco Press Club and from California News Publishers Association for In-Depth Reporting. Her stories have appeared on India Currents, Palabra, San Diego Herald-Tribune, Indiaspora and American Kahani.)

    (Source: India Currents)

  • US withdraws proposed biometrics rule for immigration

    US withdraws proposed biometrics rule for immigration

    • The proposed rule was notified in the Federal Register on September 11, 2020 during Donald Trump’s term as president

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The US government on Friday, May 7, withdrew a Donald Trump-era proposal which sought to collect the biometric details of every applicant under immigration and naturalization benefits.

    In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said the withdrawal of the proposed rule was consistent with the Executive Order signed by President Joe Biden, regarding restoring faith in the legal immigration system.

    As per the proposed rule, which was notified in the Federal Register on September 11, 2020 during Donald Trump’s term as president, any applicant, petitioner, sponsor, beneficiary, or individual filing or associated with an immigration benefit or request, including US citizens, must appear for biometrics collection without regard to age.

    Secondly, the DHS had proposed to authorize biometric collection, without regard to age, upon arrest of an illegal immigrant. The formal announcement revoking the biometrics rule comes days after US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that beginning May 17, it will suspend biometrics requirements for H-4, L-2, and certain E non-immigrant categories. Such a move was welcomed by a large number of Indian-Americans who were impacted by the biometrics requirement. The DHS said it will continue to require submission of biometrics where appropriate and remains committed to national security, identity management, fraud prevention and program integrity.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Biden sends immigration Bill to Congress on the First Day of his Presidency

    Biden sends immigration Bill to Congress on the First Day of his Presidency

    Thousands of Indian IT professionals to benefit

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Keeping his campaign trail promise, US President Joe Biden on the first day of his presidency, January 20, sent a comprehensive immigration Bill to Congress. The Bill proposes a major overhaul in the immigration system, including granting legal status and a path to citizenship to tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants and other groups and reduce the time that family members must wait outside the US for the green card. Called the US Citizenship Act of 2021, the legislation modernizes the immigration system and proposes to eliminate the per country cap for the employment-based green card, a move that would benefit thousands of Indian IT professionals, whose current wait period for legal permanent residency runs into several decades. “Today, President Biden sent an immigration Bill to Congress. The US Citizenship Act modernizes our immigration system. It provides hard-working people who have enriched our communities and lived here for decades an opportunity to earn citizenship,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a news conference.“The President’s priority reflected in the Bill are to responsibly manage the border, keep families together, grow our economy, address the root causes of migration from Central America and ensure that America can remain a refuge for those fleeing prosecution,” Psaki said. The Bill would stimulate America’s economy while ensuring that every worker is protected. The Bill creates an earned path to citizenship for immigrant neighbors, colleagues, parishioners, community leaders, friends, and loved ones, including “Dreamers” and the essential workers who have risked their lives to serve and protect American communities, the White House said.According to the White House, the Bill clears employment-based visa backlogs, recaptures unused visas, reduces lengthy wait times, and eliminates per-country visa caps. It makes it easier for graduates of US universities with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) stay in the US, improves access to the green card for workers in lower-wage sectors, and eliminates other unnecessary hurdles for employment-based green card.

    (With inputs from agencies)

  • If elected, 11 million immigrants to get citizenship, promises Biden

    If elected, 11 million immigrants to get citizenship, promises Biden

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has vowed to provide citizenship to 11 million illegal immigrants if voted to power in the November 3 presidential election. Biden identified this as one of his priorities in addition to beating the coronavirus pandemic, rebuilding the economy and figuring out how to restore American leadership around the world.

    At a virtual fundraiser on Wednesday, October 14, Biden said there is a need to deal with what’s going on at the border. “We’re going to have to deal with the immigration crisis,” he said.

    Donald Trump has been calling for the deportation of illegal immigrants.

    Meanwhile, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris has cancelled her travel plans through Sunday as a precaution after one of her staff members tested Covid positive.

    (Source:  PTI)

  • Green Card waitlist for Indians is more than 195 years: US senator

    Green Card waitlist for Indians is more than 195 years: US senator

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The backlog for an Indian national to get permanent residency or Green Card is more than 195 years, a top Republican senator has said, urging his Senate colleagues to come out with a legislative resolution to address this problem.

    A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently.

    Senator Mike Lee said on Wednesday that the current Green Card policy did nothing for the child of an immigrant whose dead parent’s Green Card application was ultimately denied because his or her job was no longer available.

    “Someone from India entering the backlog today would have to wait 195 years to receive an EB-3 green card. Even if we give their children this limbo status, none of them will have a prayer of becoming a US citizen,” Lee said on the Senator floor.

    In fiscal year 2019, Indian nationals received 9,008 category 1 (EB1), 2,908 category 2 (EB2), and 5,083 category 3 (EB3) Green Cards. EB1-3 are different categories of employment-based Green Cards.

    Lee, the senator from Utah, was speaking on the legislation moved by Senator Dick Durbin that seeks to protect immigrant workers and their children who are stuck in the green card backlog.

    “Green cards are critical in the lives of so many who are here on temporary work visas. The backlog puts families at risk of losing their immigration status as they wait year after weary year to finally make it through this green card backlog,” Durbin said.

    “Our bipartisan agreement would add critical protections that were not in the original bill for immigrant workers and their immediate family members who are stuck in the backlog. They would be able to switch jobs and travel without losing immigration status. And children of immigrant workers would be protected from aging out so they will not face deportation,” he said.

    The Lee-Durbin agreement would make three changes to the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act. First, it would immediately protect immigrants and their families who are stuck in the backlog by allowing them to “early file” for Green Cards.

    This would allow workers to switch jobs and travel without losing immigration status and prevent the children of immigrant workers from “aging out” of Green-Card eligibility so they will not face deportation while they are waiting for a Green Card.

    Second, the amendment would create a green card set aside for immigrant workers who are unable to “early file” because they are stuck in the backlog overseas.

    Finally, the amendment would crack down on abuse of H-1B temporary worker visas by outsourcing companies by prohibiting a company from hiring additional H-1B workers if the company’s workforce is more than 50 employees and more than 50 per cent temporary workers.

    The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

    “While we continue to debate the best way to fix the Green Card backlog, let’s make sure that no children of the affected families are harmed or deported. Just that simple. I offered a new bill, very simply stated, to protect children of immigrant workers act. This brief three-page bill would ensure that children do not age out while waiting for a Green Card,” Durbin said.

    “Imagine if you brought your children to the United States, worked on an H-1B visa and your children are waiting for you for the Green Card, you are paying for them to go to college because they don’t qualify as American Citizens for any type of federal financial aid. You’re making great sacrifices for them and then the day comes when they reach the age of 21 and they can be deported and your family divided,” he said.

    “Why would we want to let that happen?” Durbin asked.

    Noting that he has met many of these young people, the senator said it breaks his heart to hear their story that they may reach a point where they age out and be deported.

    “That’s why I wanted to offer this specific single provision. There is no reason these children should be punished for a broken immigration system. It’s not beyond our control to help them,” he added.

    (Source:  PTI)

  • Trump Suspends Immigration into U.S. for 60 Days

    Trump Suspends Immigration into U.S. for 60 Days

    I.S. Saluja

    WASHINGTON (TIP): U.S. President Donald Trump, April 22,  signed an executive order pausing immigration for 60 days to protect the jobs of Americans laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The temporary suspension of immigration will affect those who are legally seeking entry into the United States for employment purposes but not the ones who are already living in the country, the order said.

    The order is effectively a restriction on entry that applies to people outside the U.S. seeking lawful permanent residency, which grants people the right to live and work in the U.S. and is a mandatory steppingstone to citizenship for all types of immigrants.

    It affects people applying for green cards through employment, family or other means, with some significant exceptions.

    Describing it as a very powerful order Trump told reporters during his daily news briefing at the White House on Wednesday, April 22, that he signed the order before coming for the press briefing.

    “By pausing immigration, we’ll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens. It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labor flown in from abroad,” he said.

    He also said it will “preserve our healthcare resources for American patients” afflicted by the coronavirus.

    The executive order, a copy of which was released by the White House, said the new provisions apply to foreign nationals outside the U.S. who do not have an immigrant visa that is valid on the effective date of proclamation.

    It also applies to those foreign nationals who do not have an official travel document other than a visa that is valid on the effective date of proclamation or issued on any date thereafter that permits him or her to travel to the U.S. and seek entry or admission.

    The suspension, the executive order said, does not apply to those foreign nationals already inside the country on a green card. It provides exemptions to healthcare workers, and those seeking to enter the U.S. as a legal permanent resident under investment category. Spouses of a U.S. citizen, 21 years and younger kids of American nationals, or those who are under the process of being adopted are also exempted from this temporary suspension of immigration.

    Trump said he was determined that, without this measure, the U.S. faces a potentially protracted economic recovery with persistently high unemployment if labor supply outpaces labor demand.

    Excess labor supply affects all workers and potential workers, but it is particularly harmful to workers at the margin between employment and unemployment, who are typically ‘last in’ during an economic expansion and ‘first out’ during an economic contraction, he said in his executive order.

    In recent years, these workers have been disproportionately represented by historically disadvantaged groups, including African Americans and other minorities, those without a college degree, and the disabled, he said. These are the workers who, at the margin between employment and unemployment, are likely to bear the burden of excess labor supply disproportionately, he added.

    The White House in a statement said that this is a temporary pause demanded by the crisis being faced as a nation. The pause will be in effect for 60 days, and the administration will continue to monitor the labor market to amend or extend the proclamation if needed, it said.

    Trump is also asking his administration to review guest worker programs to assess whether additional measures should be taken to protect American workers. The White House further said that mass migration of low-skilled labor into the U.S. disproportionately harms historically disadvantaged Americans.

    Trump said this week he would impose a more sweeping order, saying he intended to close the United States to people trying to immigrate to the country to live and work. But under intense pressure from business groups, he backed off barring guest workers for technology companies, farms as well as other employers. Still, some business groups said they were frustrated by the move.

    Some critics see Republican Trump’s announcement as a move to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis to implement a long-sought policy goal of barring more immigrants ahead of the November 3 election

    Trump won the White House in 2016 in part on a promise to crack down on immigration and has made the issue central to his presidency. But many of his major moves trying to curb immigration have been challenged in court and legal experts said this executive order could also face lawsuits.

    One U.S. Department of Homeland Security official who requested anonymity said the order would only apply to people applying for permanent residence from outside the United States, not those already in the country seeking to adjust their status.

    A person familiar with the internal debate at the White House said  Trump and his advisers had discussed the executive order over the weekend and that the move was directed at his electoral base.

    White House lawyers worked all day to craft the language for the order, prompting some officials to say the signing might have to wait for April 23. But aides described Trump as eager to sign the document.

    “He’s wanted this all along,” the person said. “But now under this pandemic he can absolutely do it.”

    (With input from agencies)

  • USCIS Announces Implementation of Electronic H-1B Registration Process

    USCIS Announces Implementation of Electronic H-1B Registration Process

    WASHINGTON (TIP): U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services  announced on December 6, 2019  a requirement for employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, to first electronically register and pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee before filing a petition for the fiscal year 2021 H-1B cap.

    USCIS will open an initial registration period from March 1 through March 20, 2020.

      • During this initial registration period, prospective petitioners or their authorized representatives must electronically submit a separate registration naming each alien for whom they seek to file an H-1B cap-subject petition.
      • If a sufficient number of registrations are received, we will randomly select the number of registrations projected as needed to reach the H-1B numerical allocations after the initial registration period closes and no later than March 31, 2020. Prospective petitioners with selected registrations will be eligible to file a cap-subject petition only for the alien named in the registration.

    Once the H-1B registration system has been implemented, and when registration is required, the agency will not consider a cap-subject petition properly filed unless it is based on a valid registration selection for the same beneficiary, and the appropriate fiscal year. Additionally, although petitioners can register multiple aliens during a single online submission, duplicate registrations for the same beneficiary in the same fiscal year will be discarded.

    During the past few months, USCIS conducted usability testing for the H-1B registration system. We incorporated feedback from those sessions into redesigns of the system. After completing the current development phase, USCIS will conduct further outreach and training prior to the initial implementation of the registration system to allow the public the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the electronic registration process. USCIS will provide guidance on how to use the registration system and prepare registrations before opening the registration system for the initial registration period.

    DHS intends to publish a notice in the Federal Register in the coming weeks to formally announce implementation of the H-1B registration process.

    (Press Release)

    WASHINGTON (TIP): U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services  announced on December 6, 2019  a requirement for employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, to first electronically register and pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee before filing a petition for the fiscal year 2021 H-1B cap.

    USCIS will open an initial registration period from March 1 through March 20, 2020.

      • During this initial registration period, prospective petitioners or their authorized representatives must electronically submit a separate registration naming each alien for whom they seek to file an H-1B cap-subject petition.
      • If a sufficient number of registrations are received, we will randomly select the number of registrations projected as needed to reach the H-1B numerical allocations after the initial registration period closes and no later than March 31, 2020. Prospective petitioners with selected registrations will be eligible to file a cap-subject petition only for the alien named in the registration.

    Once the H-1B registration system has been implemented, and when registration is required, the agency will not consider a cap-subject petition properly filed unless it is based on a valid registration selection for the same beneficiary, and the appropriate fiscal year. Additionally, although petitioners can register multiple aliens during a single online submission, duplicate registrations for the same beneficiary in the same fiscal year will be discarded.

    During the past few months, USCIS conducted usability testing for the H-1B registration system. We incorporated feedback from those sessions into redesigns of the system. After completing the current development phase, USCIS will conduct further outreach and training prior to the initial implementation of the registration system to allow the public the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the electronic registration process. USCIS will provide guidance on how to use the registration system and prepare registrations before opening the registration system for the initial registration period.

    DHS intends to publish a notice in the Federal Register in the coming weeks to formally announce implementation of the H-1B registration process.

    (Press Release)

  • USCIS Proposes more Effective and Efficient Processing of Work Authorization Requests for Asylum Applicants

    USCIS Proposes more Effective and Efficient Processing of Work Authorization Requests for Asylum Applicants

    WASHINGTON(TIP): U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a proposed regulation to improve the process for granting or denying an initial application for employment authorization documents (EADs) by reforming the current 30-day timeline pertaining to pending asylum applicants.

    These proposed changes will allow USCIS the time needed to receive, screen, and process applications, which in turn would strengthen national security, maintain technological advances in identity verification, and further deter those who may be attempting to defraud the legal immigration system under an improved process.

    The original 30-day timeline was enacted more than 20 years ago. Since then, there have been additional requirements in background screening and vetting procedures to reduce fraud and identify threats to national security and public safety.

    “Established before 9/11, this processing timeline does not reflect the operational realities USCIS currently faces when adjudicating employment authorization applications,” said USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli. “Our first priority as an agency is to safeguard the integrity of our nation’s legal immigration system from those who seek to exploit or abuse it. This proposal allows us to conduct the kind of systematic vetting and identity verification procedures expected of an agency charged with protecting national security.”

    Initial applications for employment authorization from pending asylum applicants are the only category of employment authorization applications adjudicated by USCIS that have a required processing timeline attached to them. Because of this, the agency must frequently divert resources away from other legal immigration application processing categories in order to meet the 30-day deadline for asylum seekers. These categories include family members of certain high skilled employees and those seeking adjustment of status in the United States, among others.

    USCIS is also proposing to change the provision requiring that applicants submit their renewal requests to USCIS 90 days before the expiration of their employment authorization. This would reduce confusion regarding employment authorization renewal requirements for pending asylum applicants, minimize potential gaps in employment, and ensure consistency with the 2017 American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000 (AC21) Rule and implementing policies.

  • WHO’S LOOKING OUT FOR IMMIGRANTS? ASKS COMMUNITY LEADER ALBERT BALDEO

    WHO’S LOOKING OUT FOR IMMIGRANTS? ASKS COMMUNITY LEADER ALBERT BALDEO

    Thriving communities built on the backs of immigrants, and with their blood, sweat and tears, have become ghost towns, retreating in fear and panic as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement service (ICE) launched macabre raids, presumably to rid the USA of “these terrible people,” although America itself is a “nation of immigrants.”

    It is as draconian, as it is un-American, and will only divide the nation further. It is evil. Some people conveniently ignore our history that we are a great nation because of immigration, to score cheap political mileage. Some even feign amnesia that their closest families are immigrants themselves. What hypocrisy!

    In these communities, which receive little city, state and/or federal funding, immigrants are treated like orphans and step children. They deserve better! Yes, immigrants have paid their dues in political, economic and historical ways, but continue to be exploited, marginalized and ignored. Most politicians see their communities as milking cows for campaign cash, and then slither away when issues confront these communities. They cannot be found. So when you see these so-called leaders, ask them, “What have you done for me lately? Where were you when ICE struck?”

    Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. advised, “We have to demand our check!” This great civil rights leader meant that immigrant communities, like everyone else, have to demand what the USA has promised. Their check is good, and their track record is irrefutable. In 2008, the Richmond Hill- Ozone Park community made the gut wrenching sacrifice to help Democrats re-capture the NY State Senate since 1965, a watershed moment in our political history, when I assisted State senator Joe Addabbo defeat Serf Maltese after 20 years in office. “The road to the Senate majority passed through Baldeo’s people in Richmond Hill, Democratic leaders gleefully gloated then.” Where are they now?

    Immigrants have developed flourishing communities from decaying neighborhoods to the thriving economic engines that now contribute massively to the national and local economies.

    So where are these people when we need their help and their voice? Sadly, they are missing in action. The holy scriptures caution us that ingratitude is a major sin. We therefore demand that all of our elected officials, from Governor Cuomo and Mayor DeBlasio to our Senate and Congressional Representatives, State Senators, Assembly members, City Council members and others, Community Boards, NGOs, political, religious, cultural, social and economic organizations-indeed everyone, come out and denounce this barbaric initiative to make immigrants the whipping boys of American politics.

    You know who you are. You need to say in unison loudly to ICE that NYC is a sanctuary city, and that you condemn and demand an immediate halt to the despotic and mean measures that have disrupted the local economies, businesses, fellow Americans and visitors-indeed, everyone, living and working in this nation that belongs to so many.

    (Albert Baldeo is a civil rights activist and community advocate. As the President of the Baldeo Foundation and Liberty Justice Center, he has continued the fight for justice, equal rights, dignity and inclusion for all. He can be contacted at the Baldeo Foundation: AlBaldeo@aol.com or (718) 529-2300.)

  • India excluded again from student visa relaxation list

    India excluded again from student visa relaxation list

    Peru, Mauritius and Oman included

    LONDON(TIP): India is, once again, not included in an expanded list of countries from where students applying for visas will be subject to less stringent documentation requirements, details provided on Thursday, March 8,  showed.

    This follows last year’s controversy when China, Indonesia, the Maldives and other countries were included on the list. The failure to include India triggered much criticism, particularly after the U.K. sought to suggest that the exclusion related to New Delhi’s decision to pull out of a Memorandum of Understanding on the return of illegal migrants.

    Among the new countries to which the “streamlined documentary requirements” apply are Peru, Kazakhstan, Mauritius and Oman. “This change will not only benefit students, who will be able to apply for visas through a more streamlined process, but also help to ensure that the U.K.’s world-leading education institutions remain competitive internationally,” the Home Office said.

    “This adds insult to injury,” said Lord Karan Bilimoria, a cross-bench member of the House of Lords who has been critical of the government’s approach to immigration, particularly relating to students. “It is incredible to think that Britain still has the audacity to talk of a trade deal with India, while this is its approach.”

    The changes are part of a wider update to Britain’s immigration system that will introduce two new visa routes for setting up businesses in the U.K. — including a “start-up” route and an equivalent one for more seasoned business people. In both cases, business experts will be involved in assessing the merits of the business ideas. “This will make sure that the routes are focused on only the most innovative, viable and scalable businesses,” said the Home Office.

    The government has also updated its rules governing a fast-track visa scheme for wealthy investors – which has been used by many Indians. The scheme, which is open to those who invest at least £2 million in U.K. government, shares or businesses, offers a faster route to settlement in the country. Eighty-two Indian nationals applied for an investor visa through this route between 2008 and March 2018, according to Transparency International.

    However, amid concerns that the route has been abused for illicit money flows, the government has been under pressure to either scrap or reform the system. Now, applicants will be “required to prove that they have had control of the required £2 million for at least two years, rather than 90 days, or provide evidence of the source of those funds”, the Home Office said.

    (Source: The Hindu)

  • Trump is targeting illegal immigrant children — US citizen kids could be next

    Trump is targeting illegal immigrant children — US citizen kids could be next

    By Cori Alonso-Yoder

    After holding Dreamers and immigrant families hostage, Trump now seems determined to escalate the strategy. Documents from within the administration indicate that he now has his sights on U.S. citizen children living in poverty. In leaked drafts, the administration proposes increasing the penalties on immigrant families whose U.S. citizen children receive means-tested public benefits such as Women Infants and Children (WIC), Medicaid, and Supplemental Nutritional (SNAP).

    This summer, the country has focused its attention on the forced separation of immigrant families at the U.S. southern border. Initially touted by the Trump administration as a policy to deter illegal immigration, the decision drew rare bipartisan condemnation.

    Under intense pressure, President Trump eventually signed an executive order in June to reverse the practice of family separation. By that point the damage had been done. Now, weeks later, hundreds of families are still not reunited, and doubts are growing that they ever will be.

    This hasty “zero tolerance” policy is the administration’s latest in a series that use children to advance a regressive immigration agenda. These policies demonstrate the White House’s dwindling hesitation to increase penalties on the most vulnerable in order to advance its nativist objectives. All signs indicate that U.S. citizen children are its next targets.

    Surrounding the president’s campaign against immigrants, policymakers will recognize a familiar theory to explain migration: “push” and “pull” factors. Push factors are circumstances in the country of origin that force migrants away, while pull factors are those that attract them to a destination country. The push factors driving the current surge of refugees from Central America include gang and societal violence, poverty, and a culture of impunity.

    Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently suggested, with little evidence, that the U.S. asylum system is also a pull factor because it is ripe for fraud and abuse. But the administration has not yet articulated the pull factor animating its cynical stance on family separation — the desire of parents to provide safety and protection for their children.

    For the majority of Central Americans I have represented, faith in American rule of law and commitment to human rights are the major draws to the U.S. Trumpian policies pervert these pull factors and use them to punish immigrant parents and children seeking protection.

    Trump’s willingness to bargain with the welfare of children and families began last year, with his attempt to terminate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA offered protection to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children by their parents. Ensuing debates about the status of DACA recipients failed to yield a legislative fix — in part, because of the President’s shifting stance on DACA legislation.

    Trump opportunistically used the uncertain future of DACA to call for construction of his pet border wall project. He also blamed DACA for encouraging crossings into the U.S., despite the fact that new arrivals would not qualify for the program’s protections. This view of DACA as a “magnet” for migration falls into line with his administration’s efforts to subvert family integrity as a factor attracting immigrants to the U.S.

    The Trump administration is not the first to try to neutralize pull factors to deter migration. In the 1980s, policymakers created penalties for employers who knowingly hire undocumented laborers, relying on the theory that job opportunities in the U.S. were the primary pull. Ten years later, the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 theorized that the availability of government welfare attracted newcomers. That law penalized immigrants — documented and undocumented — by conditioning their immigration status (or the opportunity for future status) on the avoidance of welfare benefits.

    Neither one of those laws succeeded in meaningfully reducing irregular border crossings (in fact, unauthorized immigration surged in their wake). Nevertheless, the Trump administration is preparing to dust off this old theory — this time, with an unconscionable new variation on the theme. While the desire to secure a better future for one’s family has pulled several generations to the U.S., never before now has the U.S. government sought to cut off that magnet by brazenly targeting children for punishment.

    After holding Dreamers and immigrant families hostage, Trump now seems determined to escalate the strategy. Documents from within the administration indicate that he now has his sights on U.S. citizen children living in poverty. In leaked drafts, the administration proposes increasing the penalties on immigrant families whose U.S. citizen children receive means-tested public benefits such as Women Infants and Children (WIC), Medicaid, and Supplemental Nutritional (SNAP).

    The administration is calling for immigrants whose families use these benefits to face denial of immigration status and deportation. According to a recent report by the Migration Policy Institute, these changes could affect an estimated 9.2 million U.S. citizen children’s access to vital services to which they are legally entitled.

    These leaked policies demonstrate the administration’s continued commitment to policies that most deeply punish those with no choice in creation of their circumstances — the children of immigrants. Any justification about the deterrent effect of these policies is wholly illogical in view of the steep toll paid by children.

    Even if these policies could effectively deter desperate families, we as a country must still reject them outright. The pull to opportunity, protection, and family unity are at the core of what we have come to understand as the American dream. While the need for immigration reform is real, any changes in law and policy must reflect these ideals.

    Despite the administration’s contrary view, enforcing the law also includes upholding the current system’s emphasis on family unity and humanitarian protection. Instead, these new policies exploit desperate families in order to punish, scapegoat, and traumatize — all under the banner of law and order.

    (The authorteaches law at American University Washington College of Law where she supervises an immigrant rights clinic)

  • Judge blocks administration from deporting asylum seekers: threatens Jeff Sessions with contempt of court

    Judge blocks administration from deporting asylum seekers: threatens Jeff Sessions with contempt of court

    The government reportedly tried to deport a woman and her daughter while their case was still being heard in court.

    WASHINGTON(TIP): A federal judge on Thursday, August 9, erupted at the Trump administration when he learned that two asylum seekers fighting deportation were at that moment being deported and on a plane to El Salvador, a CNN report says.

    DC District Judge Emmet Sullivan then blocked the administration from deporting the two plaintiffs while they are fighting for their right to stay in the US — reportedly excoriating the administration and threatening to hold Attorney General Jeff Sessions in contempt, according to the American Civil Liberties Union and The Washington Post.

    The government raced to comply with the court’s order, and by Thursday evening the immigrants had arrived back in Texas after being turned around on the ground in El Salvador.

    They asked for asylum. Instead, they say they were sent to a prison and treated like criminals

    They asked for asylum. Instead, they say they were sent to a prison and treated like criminals

    Sullivan agreed with the ACLU that the immigrants they are representing in a federal lawsuit should not be deported while their cases are pending.

    The emergency hearing in the case turned dramatic when attorneys discovered partway through the hearing that two of their clients were on a plane to El Salvador.

    During court, Sullivan was incensed at the report that one of the plaintiffs was in the process of being deported, according to the ACLU and The Washington Post. Sullivan demanded to know why he shouldn’t hold Sessions in contempt, according to the Post and the recollection of lead ACLU attorney Jennifer Chang Newell.

    Chang Newell said the administration had pledged Wednesday that no one in the case would be deported until at least midnight at the end of Thursday. But during a recess in the proceedings Thursday, she got an email from attorneys on the ground in Texas that her client, known by the pseudonym Carmen, and Carmen’s daughter had been taken from their detention center that morning and deported. After investigating during recess, she informed government attorneys and Sullivan what had happened.

    “He said something like, ‘I’m going to issue an order to show cause why I shouldn’t hold the government in contempt, I’m going to start with the attorney general,’ ” Chang Newell said, explaining that Sullivan was suggesting he would issue an order that would require the government to explain why they didn’t deserve to be held in contempt. Such an order has yet to be issued by the court.

    He ordered the plane turned around or the clients brought back immediately, the ACLU said.

    “This is pretty outrageous,” Sullivan said, according to the Post. “That someone seeking justice in US court is spirited away while her attorneys are arguing for justice for her?”

    “I’m not happy about this at all,” he continued, adding it was “not acceptable.”

    The lawsuit was brought by immigrants only referred to by their pseudonyms in court: Grace, Mina, Gina, Mona, Maria, Carmen and her daughter J.A.C.F. and Gio.

    After the hearing, Sullivan issued an emergency order halting the deportation of any of the immigrants as he considers whether he has broader authority in the case.

    Sullivan also ordered that if the two being deported were not returned, Sessions, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Lee Francis Cissna and Executive Office for Immigration Review Director James McHenry would have to appear in court and say why they should not be held in contempt.

    The lawsuit brought by the ACLU is challenging a recent decision by Sessions to make it nearly impossible for victims of domestic violence and gangs to qualify for asylum in the US. That decision was followed by implementation guidance from the Department of Homeland Security that almost immediately began turning away potentially thousands of asylum seekers at the southern border.

    According to their lawsuit, Carmen and her young daughter came to the US from El Salvador after “two decades of horrific sexual abuse by her husband and death threats from a violent gang.” Even after Carmen moved away from her husband, he raped her, stalked her and threatened to kill her, the lawsuit states. Further, a gang held her at gunpoint in May and demanded she pay a monthly “tax” or they would kill her and her daughter. Carmen knew of people killed by their husbands after going to police and by this gang and thus fled to the US.

    But at the border, the government determined after interviewing her that she did not meet the “credible fear” threshold required to pursue an asylum claim in the US, and an immigration judge upheld that decision.

    The ACLU is using Carmen’s story and the similar experiences of the other immigrants to challenge Sessions’ ruling on asylum.

     

  • US Army suspends discharging immigrant recruits

    US Army suspends discharging immigrant recruits

    WASHINGTON(TIP): The U.S. army has for now suspended its practice of quietly discharging immigrant recruits, according to a news report published in newspapers.

    An Associate Press report said that Marshal Williams, an assistant secretary of the Army, ordered high-ranking officials to suspend the processing of separations in a July 20 memo.

    The news comes one month after the AP reported the Army had discharged dozens of immigrant recruits and reservists, putting their immigration status at risk.

    “It’s an admission by the Army that they’ve improperly discharged hundreds of soldiers,” immigration attorney and former Army Reserve officer Margaret Stock, who helped create the program, told the AP on Wednesday. “The next step should be go back and rescind the people who were improperly discharged.”

    Many immigrant recruits told the AP last month they were not given a reason for their discharges or said they were labeled as a security risk because of their relatives abroad.

    Reports estimate there are around 10,000 Army recruits currently serving as part of the program, which offers a pathway to citizenship, according to the AP.

    The discharges inflamed immigration activists last month, who pointed to the policy as another example of escalating anti-immigration sentiment under President Trump.

    It is unclear if the Army will resume discharging immigrant recruits, and the AP reported none of those already separated have been reinstated.

  • House Rejects GOP Hardline Immigration Plan: Vote on Compromise Bill Delayed

    House Rejects GOP Hardline Immigration Plan: Vote on Compromise Bill Delayed

    WASHINGTON(TIP): House Republican leaders further delayed vote on GOP immigration bill until next week in the face of opposition. Earlier, the House of Representatives on June 21 voted down a conservative immigration bill introduced by Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).

    House Republican leaders abruptly postponed a high-stakes vote Thursday on GOP immigration legislation that appeared headed to defeat, despite President Trump’s last-minute lobbying.

    Several GOP hard-liners said Thursday, June 21, there was nothing leaders could do to convince them to vote for the bill. “I’m a big fat ‘no,’ capital letters,” said Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.). “It’s amnesty, chain migration, and there’s no guarantee the wall will be built.”

    Republican leaders had set up two votes on their GOP bills — one on a hardline measure, the other on a compromise negotiated by conservatives and moderates.

    In the first vote, the House rejected the hardline measure that would have imposed limits on legal immigration and provided temporary relief to young undocumented immigrants. The vote was 231-193.

    As the vote occurred on a chaotic day on Capitol Hill, word circulated that the second vote would be postponed.

    The legislation would have provided a pathway to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants, imposed limits on legal immigration and provided $25 billion for Trump’s border wall. The bill also would have kept migrant families together at the border in detention centers.

    Neither bill was negotiated with Democrats or was expected to garner any Democratic votes. The separations crisis has prompted Democrats to dig in against the Republican immigration efforts barring a complete reversal of Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy.

    “Democrats are dedicated to securing our border, but we don’t think putting children in cages is the way to do it,” Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday. “This is outside the circle of human behavior.”

    As prospects on Capitol Hill appeared to dim, Trump teed off on Democrats during the outset of a Cabinet meeting at the White House, suggesting that they were standing in the way of Republican success on immigration reform.

    “They say no to everything,” Trump said. “They’re obstructionists because they think that’s good politically. I think it’s bad politically — for them, I think it’s bad politically. We’ll see.”

    Trump attacked Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) as “extremist open-border Democrats” but also said he would welcome their presence at the negotiating table.

    “We should be able to do a bill,” Trump said. “I’d invite them to come over to the White House anytime they want.”

    The White House has made a last-minute push to pass legislation amid the brewing border crisis prompted by the family separations that resulted on the U.S.-Mexico border from Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy.

    Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen have all appeared on Capitol Hill this week to urge Republican lawmakers to pass legislation. They have not specifically urged passage of one alternative, which stands to end with Republicans split on their preference and neither bill passing.

  • Immigrant-Bashing Helps MS-13

    Immigrant-Bashing Helps MS-13

    By Tom Suozzi

    “The president’s inflammatory rhetoric is counterproductive to the goal that we the people, including new arrivals in America, seek—to live in peace, security and happiness and to eradicate MS-13”, says the author.

    I applaud President Trump’s mission to combat MS-13. The gang must be disrupted, dismantled and defeated. There should never be any disagreement about that, and presidential involvement is incredibly beneficial.

    MS-13 members are ruthless and depraved. The gang models itself on organized crime syndicates throughout history. It is a murderous and destructive force in too many good communities across America, including Long Island, where I’m from.

    But Mr. Trump’s failure to distinguish properly between MS-13 members and other immigrants, along with his divisive, discriminatory language, particularly against immigrants from Latin America, hampers efforts to rid our communities of MS-13. The president’s inflammatory rhetoric is counterproductive to the goal that we the people, including new arrivals in America, seek—to live in peace, security and happiness and to eradicate MS-13.

    During my tenure as mayor of Glen Cove, N.Y., we enjoyed the lowest crime rate of any community with more than 20,000 people on Long Island. My city is a mashup of immigrants and multigenerational families. We achieved public safety and harmony by relying on two fundamental American credos.

    First, all men and women are created equal. Not “all men and women with U.S. passports or green cards.” All human beings are entitled to the same respect and dignity. Issues from public safety to immigration reform cannot become an excuse for racism or other forms of discrimination.

    The second credo is “all men and women are equal under the eyes of the law.” If you live in America, whether you are a newcomer or a descendant of the Pilgrims, you must obey the law.

    And that’s where our 45th president’s words and actions become problematic. To protect those who obey the law, and to take down those who break it, particularly members of MS-13, community policing is central.

    The key to community policing is a healthy, respectful and productive relationship between police officers and the community they are sworn to serve and protect. Mr. Trump’s approach—his sweeping rhetoric that lumps all immigrants together, his proposal to curtail legal immigration drastically, his failure to support a bipartisan permanent fix for beneficiaries of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, his elimination of temporary protection status safeguards—amounts to a war on immigrants, a war far beyond MS-13, which has a chilling effect on police-community relations with Latinos in America.

    Police must be able to work with law-abiding people to identify MS-13 members and movements in their communities. While overseeing police departments as Glen Cove mayor and Nassau County executive, I saw community-policing stop MS-13 in its tracks. During my time as executive, Nassau was the safest county of more than 500,000 inhabitants in the U.S.

    In contrast, when people are afraid to cooperate with the police because of Mr. Trump’s words and his administration’s crackdown on Latino immigrants, local leaders in the fight against MS-13 are pushed into the shadows. It’s a tragedy when people are afraid of the police and of government in general—afraid of reprisal from the officials every American relies on for protection.

    My grandfather and father were immigrants from Italy. As a first-generation American, I could not be prouder or more inspired by their success as newcomers to this great nation. I am also keenly aware of how the criminal actions of a sliver of Italian immigrants were once used to disparage and deny opportunity to all Italian newcomers to America in the first half of the 20th century.

    We cannot make the same mistakes by equating MS-13 with law-abiding immigrants from Latin America. Sadly, Mr. Trump—on a near daily basis—careens down this dangerous and destructive path. The president should put divisive language aside, support law-abiding immigrants, and make community policing more effective. And then he needs to be open to common-sense solutions for the DACA crisis and for comprehensive immigration reform.

    (Mr. Suozzi, a Democrat, represents New York’s Third Congressional District)

  • Congress Fails to Pass Immigration Bill, Leaving Dreamers in the Lurch

    Congress Fails to Pass Immigration Bill, Leaving Dreamers in the Lurch

    Schumer accuses President of “torpedoing bipartisan efforts”

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The rejection of four proposals in the Senate, coupled with a lack of consensus in the House, underscored the immense political pressures on Republicans and Democrats alike.

    Weeks of intense negotiations for a bipartisan deal on immigration collapsed in Congress on Thursday, February 15, leaving thousands of young undocumented immigrants facing possible deportation after March 5 when DACA is set to end.

    Immigration has proved intractable for years, vexing lawmakers and presidents of both parties. Breaking the stalemate in an election year seemed even more unlikely.

    In a sharp rebuke, the Republican-led Senate blocked an immigration plan backed by President Trump, with the bill mustering just 39 votes. It highlighted the divisions even within GOP ranks, with some wary that granting legal status to undocumented immigrants would amount to amnesty.

    The House offered no answers, with conservatives threatening Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) unless he pushes a bill that provides only temporary work permits for dreamers, while also imposing ­border-security measures and restrictions on legal immigration that go beyond what Trump has proposed.

    “I don’t think the president helped very much, but the bottom line is the demagogues won again on the left and the right,” said Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.).

    How the Trump administration and Congress will resolve the fate of dreamers — undocumented immigrants who were brought into the country as children — remained unclear Thursday, but several senators said they hoped a solution could be included in a sweeping spending plan that must be passed by March 23.

    Proposals have been floated by senators in both parties to temporarily extend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program — which is set to end on March 5 — and provide some ­funding to begin border-security construction projects. Courts in California and New York have issued temporary injunctions requiring the administration to extend DACA.

    Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) blamed Trump, who had tweeted moments before the votes that the bipartisan plan was a “total catastrophe” that faced the threat of a veto.

    “If he would stop torpedoing bipartisan efforts, a good bill would pass,” Schumer said.

    McConnell has told others that any bill he could pass in the Senate would be unlikely to earn Trump’s support.

    Senators rejected a watered-down bipartisan plan by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.) to grant legal status to dreamers and provide billions of dollars to boost border security — but not immediately as Trump requested. The plan failed 52 to 47, short of the 60 votes needed.

    Senators also rejected a bill by Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.) to punish “sanctuary” municipalities that refuse to help enforce immigration laws. That bill failed 54 to 45.

    Much of the Senate’s attention was on the third option, a bipartisan plan to legalize the same ­number of undocumented immigrants and appropriate $25 billion for southern-border-security construction projects over the next decade — not immediately as Trump wants. That bill also would curb family-based immigration programs but not to the extent Trump is seeking, and it said nothing about the diversity visa lottery program.

    The bipartisan proposal laid bare how difficult it can be for members of both parties to try striking a deal. United We Dream — a dreamer advocacy group that works closely with Democrats — and the White House had aggressively lobbied against the measure.

    The frustration of bipartisan negotiators was evident. Before the vote, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who had helped broker the deal, was heard in the well of the chamber chastising Laura Dove, the top Republican parliamentary expert, over the names of senators listed as being involved in the legislation.

    The Democratic leader had not been part of writing the bill, but his name was included in official notices because of the complex rules regarding how amendments are considered.

    As the two clashed, Collins brandished her cellphone to show Dove the messages proving that copies of the legislation did not include Schumer’s name.

    “You’re supposed to be a fair broker,” Collins said as she walked away from Dove. “It was wrong. It was really wrong.”

    The bipartisan plan failed 54 to 45.

    Finally, senators rejected the Trump plan, which would have granted legal status to 1.8 million young immigrants, spent at least $25 billion to bolster security along the U.S.-Mexico border, revamped family-based legal migration programs and ended a diversity lottery system used by immigrants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.

    The vote was 39 to 60, well short of the 60 yes votes needed to move ahead. Three moderate Democrats voted for the proposal, but 14 GOP senators voted against it, including Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), who had blasted the proposal as being “to the left from President Obama’s position.”

    Ahead of the votes, the White House mobilized a full-fledged effort to scuttle the bipartisan immigration plan that was emerging as the best hope for a legislative deal.

    On Capitol Hill, attention is likely to shift to the House, which could take up the issue after next week’s Presidents’ Day recess.

    A bill sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Tex.) has the backing of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus and other conservatives who want to stake out a position further to the right of the White House proposal to guard against future concessions.

    The bill includes new resources for immigration enforcement away from the border; a crackdown on “sanctuary cities” — ­jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement authorities; and a requirement that employers use ­ “E-Verify,” a federal database, to check whether their employees are authorized to work in the United States.

    “We have the bill that’s consistent with what the American people elected us to do,” said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a co-founder of the Freedom Caucus.

    But it is not at all clear that the bill, which has no Democratic support, can win enough Republican votes to pass the House.

    (Source: Reports)

  • ICE’s Top Lawyer in Seattle Charged with Stealing Immigrants’ Identities

    ICE’s Top Lawyer in Seattle Charged with Stealing Immigrants’ Identities

    Raphael A. Sanchez is accused of stealing the information of seven immigrants while their cases were under review by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SEATTLE (TIP): The chief counsel for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Seattle has been charged with stealing the identities of multiple immigrants for financial gain, says a Buzz Feed report Feb 14.

    According to an indictment filed this week, ICE’s top attorney in its Seattle office allegedly devised a plan to steal the identities of seven immigrants over a four-year period while their cases were being processed by the federal immigration agency.

    The lawyer, Raphael A. Sanchez, faces one count of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    A Justice Department official told BuzzFeed News Sanchez resigned from the agency effective Monday, Feb 12,  the same day the indictment against him was filed.

    Sanchez used the identifying information of the seven immigrants to “defraud financial institutions” including American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Citibank, Discover, and JPMorgan Chase, according to the charging document. He also allegedly used his official ICE email address to forward personal information of one of the victims, including an energy bill, a US residence card, and copy of a Chinese passport.

    A spokeswoman with ICE’s Seattle office referred all questions about the indictment and Sanchez’s employment with the agency to the Department of Justice. According to the complaint, the case was spearheaded by the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section in Washington, DC, which oversees corruption cases involving public officials.

     (Source: BuzzFeed/ DOJ))

     

  • Indian Americans Voice Out Their Opinions Against President Trump’s Immigration Policies

    Indian Americans Voice Out Their Opinions Against President Trump’s Immigration Policies

    WASHINGTON DC (TIP)  : Democratic National Committee  Vice Chair Grace Meng, Washington State Senator Manka Dhingra, and DACA recipient Parthiv Patel held a press call to discuss President Trump’s immigration policies and the destructive effects they have on Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities.

    “I’m the daughter of immigrants. The first one in my family to come to the US was my grandmother,” said Meng. “ She worked for years as a nanny and was eventually able to sponsor my mom.”

    She said that without family-sponsored immigration, she would not have been able to be here today representing communities and the country in Congress.

    “Contrary to what this administration says, (Dreamers are) the hardest working Americans that you will see,” she said.

    Washington State Senator Dhingra said that she has been involved in addressing hate crimes in King County since after 9/11.

    “The area that I represent—45th LD is home to many tech employees—some of whom are here on a H1B visa—it is taking them decades to convert that visa into a green card.  Decades,” said Dhingra. “The question that people forget to ask, is what happens to their children when they turn 18.  These kids come here at a young age with their parents, but when they become adults, they suddenly have no legal status.  We are a country of immigrants.  Immigrants enrich and contribute to the success of America every single day.”

    DACA recipient Patel, the first DREAMER admitted to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey State bars, said he did not what to do.

    “All I thought was – was all of my hard work for nothing? Was I ever going to be admitted to the bar? Was I ever going to be able to fulfill my dreams of becoming an attorney? But I decided to do what Dreamers do best; I decided to preserve,” Patel said. “I was never really big about speaking out and showcasing my status. But that kind of changed for me over the course of the last six months. Realizing that Dreamers have a lot on the line. There are nights where Dreamers toss and turn in bed not knowing what’s going to happen.”

    Patel said that he felt like this was a time where Dreamers who can lend their voice, and  speak out.

    “That’s why I began to speak out. Also, another reason that I began to speak out was because I realized that especially in the Asian community, there is this notion that nobody speaks about their status,” Patel said. “I think it’s important that we begin to speak out, because this is not just a Latino issue… this is a global issue.”

     

  • Indian American community marches in support of Trump’s immigration policy

    Indian American community marches in support of Trump’s immigration policy

    WASHINGTON  DC (TIP): At least 800 Indian Americans participated in a march outside the White House on Saturday, February 3rd , raising slogans in support of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to implement a “merit-based” immigration system in the country and demanding discontinuation of country quotas for Green Card approvals.

    Marchers in front of the White House said the President’s declared preference for “merit-based” immigration would tilt the balance in their favor.

    “Trump loves Hindus,” “Trump loves India,” “Trump bringing Ram Rajya,” “Indians love Trump,” said the slogans at the march organized under the banner of the Republican Hindu Coalition (RHC), an organization led by Chicago-based businessman Shalabh Kumar who is believed to be close to Trump. The marchers were all Indian technology workers who had come from all over the U.S. — California, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Illinois and New York.

    Krishna Bansal, National Policy and Political Director of RHC, said Trump’s proposal to end family unification immigration would open up more space for Indian skilled workers. Nearly half of the one million Green Cards issued every year goes to close relatives of American citizens regardless of their skills and the Trump administration wants to restrict this practice.

    “Thirty per cent of the country’s skilled immigrants come from India, but they have to wait several decades before being eligible for Green Cards. These are aspirants who are already here, contributing to the economy, paying their taxes and raising their families,” he said. He said the group supported the proposal for building a wall on the U.S. southern border with Mexico and ending the diversity lottery program for Green Card allotment. The marchers supported the ending of what the administration calls ‘chain migration.’

    Krishna Mullakuri, whose application for Green Card is pending for five years, agreed with the view. He said the emphasis on merit as the primary criteria for allowing new entrants into the country would work to India’s advantage.

    The march on Saturday, while endorsing. Trump’s approach to immigration, was to highlight the issues concerning the legal residents who are already in the country. “While the current discussion is primarily focusing on those who illegally entered the country, we are working with the lawmakers to get some attention on this group that reached this country legally but face uncertainty now,” said Mr. Bansal.

    The marchers supported this policy. “Dreamers pay for the wall,” and “Make American strong again,” they shouted.  Bansal said the President’s proposals were generous and those being offered a path to citizenship would be happy to pay a fee that would fund the wall.

    An issue of particular concern for several of the marchers was the future of their children, who will lose their dependency status when they turn 21. “These are legal dreamers. Colleges are reluctant to admit them as their visa status has to be changed midway through the course. And once they are graduates, they go back to the end of the queue, again starting with an H-1B application,” said Ramesh Ramanath, who grew up in Chennai. “While they address the issue of dreamers, this question also should get priority,” he said.

  • Trump calls for bipartisanship even as he sticks to his avowed agenda in State of the Union address

    Trump calls for bipartisanship even as he sticks to his avowed agenda in State of the Union address

    Immigration, border wall, infrastructure, strong military among priorities

    WASHINGTON DC (TIP):  In his lengthy State of the Union address on January 30 night, Trump doubled down on themes which he has embraced since his campaign for the presidency. He again pushed for stricter immigration laws and the building of a “great wall” along the U.S. border with Mexico. He also repeated his call for an end to family-based immigration, connecting immigration to crime, saying that “loopholes” in the immigration system had allowed gangs to proliferate. Democrats and many in his own party may not agree with this view though.

    But in a marked departure from his earlier rhetoric, Trump also tried to sound enthusiastic about working with Democrats. At times, the speech even took on the feel of a pep rally for America, with Republicans briefly chanting “USA!” as the president spoke.

    “To every citizen watching at home tonight — no matter where you have been, or where you come from, this is your time,” Trump said. “If you work hard, if you believe in yourself, if you believe in America, then you can dream anything, you can be anything, and together, we can achieve anything.”

    At the top of the speech, Trump celebrated the booming economy, attributing the bullish stock market of recent months to his policies. He also took time to advertise the recent tax cuts championed by his administration, arguing that it would soon pay dividends for working Americans.

    “And just as I promised the American people from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history,” Trump said. “Our massive tax cuts provide tremendous relief for the middle class and small businesses. A typical family of four making $75,000 will see their tax bill reduced by $2,000 — slashing their tax bill in half. This April will be the last time you ever file under the old broken system — and millions of Americans will have more take-home pay starting next month.”

    As expected, the president also called for a massive infrastructure package, which he said he hopes will attract bipartisan support.

    “America is a nation of builders,” Trump said. “We built the Empire State Building in just one year – isn’t it a disgrace that it can now take 10 years just to get a minor permit approved for the building of a simple road?”

    “I am asking both parties to come together to give us safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure that our economy needs, and our people deserve.”

    The tail end of the speech, which lasted over an hour, was devoted to military issues, with Trump calling for an end to spending caps for the military and the modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. He also promised the final defeat of ISIS.

    “We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated,” Trump said after touting recent victories in the war with the terror group.

    Trump also discussed North Korea’s nuclear provocations and its treatment of both its own citizens and Otto Warmbier, an American student who was arrested in the country. Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly taking a political sign from a hotel and died shortly after he was released from captivity.

    Various polls post the address indicated that Trump’s speech was well received by Americans. 72% Americans who watched the speech said they approved of it, with just over a quarter saying they did not.

    The days ahead are quite crucial. The DACA issue, the impending release of Republican Memo on FBI and Department of Justice, the budget approval, Mueller investigation -are some of the knotty issues to be tackled. Given the tough postures adopted by both the Republicans and the Democrats, the coming days indicate some interesting fireworks.

  • Indian American ‘Dreamer’ the first such to join New Jersey Bar Association

    Indian American ‘Dreamer’ the first such to join New Jersey Bar Association

    Lawyer Parthiv Patel was administered the oath of office on Jan. 24by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, the first Sikh to hold this position in the United States. Patel was earlier denied membership to the bar because of his immigrant status.

     NEW JERSEY (TIP):  Lawyer Parthiv Patel, an Indian American recipient of the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals Act (DACA) became the first such individual to be admitted to the New Jersey Bar Association. He had come to the United States from India at the age of 5 years.

    New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, the first Sikh to hold this position in the United States, administered the oath of office on Jan. 24 to Parthiv Patel, who had passed the bar exams of New Jersey and Pennsylvania in 2016. He was initially denied membership to the bar but was admitted later after a successful appeal with the help of American Civil Liberties Union.

    “We’re making it absolutely clear today that we will use all of the tools of the attorney general’s office to protect the rights of ‘Dreamers’ like Parthiv, to enjoy that American dream, and to ensure the safety and well-being of all New Jerseyans regardless of their immigration status,” Grewal said at the inauguration attended by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

    Murphy announced that New Jersey would be joining a multi-state lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s decision to end the DACA Act.

    “Today I stand here with one message: Dreamers are Americans. We are fifth-graders alongside your children in the school play. We are your friends and your colleagues. And we are your doctors and your accountants and now in New Jersey, your lawyers,” Patel said, according to PTI. “The process of getting admitted to practice law has been daunting, but today’s ceremony is a reminder of the reason I’ve strived so hard to become a lawyer: to use my training and abilities to uplift others. In a climate of anxiety, it’s a comfort to know that we ‘Dreamers’ are not alone in this fight.”

    ACLU-NJ Senior Supervising Attorney Alexander Shalom said: “Parthiv’s long wait for bar admission shows the type of obstacles that ‘Dreamers’ are up against, and at the same time, his determination and altruistic spirit in the face of uncertainty demonstrate the best that New Jersey and America have to offer.”

    The DACA or Dreamers program protects around 800,000 people from being deported. It covers people who were brought to the United States illegally as children. In New Jersey alone, there are around 22,000 DACA members who could lose their employment and homes if the program is ended. Corporations, tech lobbies, and several states in America have appealed towards continuing the Obama-era program.

    Trump recently said, “Tell them not to worry. We are going to solve the problem. It’s up to the Democrats, but they should not be worried. We’re going to morph into it. It’s going to happen.” Trump added that DACA recipients could become citizens “at some point in the future, over a period of 10 to 12 years.”

    After a federal judge ruled that applications should be renewed until the litigation is continuing, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resumed the renewal process. However, those who have never applied still have no reprieve.

     

     

     

  • Trump Ready for Citizenship for Dreamers in Exchange for Border Wall and Slashed Immigration

    Trump Ready for Citizenship for Dreamers in Exchange for Border Wall and Slashed Immigration

    WASHINGTON (TIP): President Donald Trump said he will support a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, according to a telephone briefing by the White House for Republican congressional staff members. His remarks could move negotiations on an immigration deal that is stalled in Congress, but Democrats have signaled that his proposal is a non-starter.

    The call, hosted by White House adviser Stephen Miller, outlined the demands for any deal on DACA, which includes a $25 billion “trust fund” for a border wall, an end to family reunification, also called “chain migration” by conservatives, and an end to the diversity visa lottery.

    But in a more detailed outline of the proposal released by the White House later on Thursday, January 25, it calls for a massive increase in border security and a massive decrease in legal immigration by aiming to “protect the nuclear family migration” by only allowing family immigration sponsorships to include spouses or children, rather than extended family members.

    In addition to $25 billion in border security, it would appropriate funds to add new enforcement officers, immigration judges and prosecutors – efforts to more quickly deport people who are in the country without legal papers.

    The path to citizenship would be provided to DACA recipients via a “10-12 year path” that includes “requirements for work, education and good moral character.”

    A path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers is a significant concession for Democrats, most of whom say they will not support any deal that does not provide for citizenship. It’s similar to a bipartisan proposal by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., also includes a path to citizenship for Dreamers.

    But Democrats say that the massive increase in border security, elimination of most family migration and the end to the diversity visa lottery is a lopsided deal.

    “Dreamers should not be held hostage to President Trump’s crusade to tear families apart and waste billions of American tax dollars on an ineffective wall,” Durbin said in a statement. “This plan would put the administration’s entire hard-line immigration agenda — including massive cuts to legal immigration — on the backs of these young people.”

    Trump told reporters Wednesday night before leaving for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that he’d support legalization that would “morph” into citizenship.

    Some Republicans, especially those with more hard-line views on immigration, praised the plan.

    “The president’s framework is generous and humane, while also being responsible,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said.

    Immigration activists, however, blasted the plan for ending family reunification, and vowed to oppose it.

    “They think that by offering up a spoonful of sugar — relief for Dreamers — they can get Congress and the American people to swallow the bitter medicine of radical nativism,” Frank Sharry, founder of America’s Voice, an immigration rights group. “We are going to fight this tooth and nail.”

    United We Dream Advocacy Director Greisa Martínez Rosas, who would be a DACA beneficiary, went further in a statement.

    “Let’s call this proposal for what it is: a white supremacist ransom note,” she said. “Trump and Stephen Miller killed DACA and created the crisis that immigrant youths are facing. They have taken immigrant youth hostage, pitting us against our own parents, Black immigrants and our communities in exchange for our dignity.”

    The ACLU also did not pull any punches, saying that “the only community that benefits from this supposed generosity are white supremacists.”

    The nonprofit advocacy organization added that the “proposal is clearly an effort to sabotage bipartisan talks on the issue by continuing to put issues on the table that are non-starters.”

    Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, D-Ill., chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force, said in a tweet that Trump’s proposal didn’t “pass the laugh test.”

    And Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., excoriated the bill in a statement.

    “We cannot allow the lives of young people who have done everything right to be used as bargaining chips for sweeping anti-immigrant policies,” she said. “The White House is using Dreamers to mask their underlying xenophobic, isolationist, and un-American policies, which will harm millions of immigrants living in the United States and millions of others who want to legally immigrate and contribute to our country.”

    Meanwhile, other Democrats in the House and Senate — as well as liberal advocates — shared their continued displeasure with Trump’s proposal on social media.

     

     

  • SAALT announces mass mobilization on Saturday, first anniversary of Trump’s Muslim ban

    SAALT announces mass mobilization on Saturday, first anniversary of Trump’s Muslim ban

    The group will form a human chain and will march to the downtown Trump Hotel, and the headquarters of the US Customs and Border Protection.

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The South Asian American advocacy organization SAALT will hold a mass protest in front of the White House on January 27, the first year anniversary of Trump’s Executive Order 13769 that bans Muslims/Refugees from entering the United States.

    The organization said that members of SAALT and its allies will form a human chain during the Islamic mid-day prayer on January 27th and will march to the downtown Trump Hotel, owned by the president’s family, and the headquarters of the US Customs and Border Protection.

    “DC friends, this Saturday, 1/27, on the one-year anniversary of the #MuslimBan, join SAALT and our allies for a mass mobilization in front of the White House to say in one unified voice, #NoMuslimBanEver,” tweeted SAALT through its official handle.

    Trump passed the Executive Order 13769, titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” which later came to be known as the Muslim ban.

    The travel ban was introduced within days of Trump’ swearing in as the president. The administration later tweaked the order to include more countries. Citizens from eight countries — Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Somalia, and Yemen — are now banned from entering the United States for 90 days.

    Faith leaders, members of the Muslim-American community, refugees and advocates who expressed opposition to Trump’s Muslim ban are also expected to gather for Saturday’s mass protest in front of White House.