The White House issued a memo on March 22, 2025 ominously titled Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court. The phrase “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” is from William Shakespeare’s Henry VI said by a character called Dick the Butcher in Act IV, Scene II. This phrase has been seized […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* On March 8, 2025, DHS arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist, and purportedly revoked his green card. Khalil was detained under INA 237(a)(4)(C)(i) that provides for the deportation of a noncitizen if the Secretary of State has determined that their presence or activities would […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* The Trump administration recently announced that it would enforce INA § 262, which requires noncitizens aged 14 years or older to register with the government if they were not already registered and fingerprinted when applying for a U.S. visa. Children are required to reregister within 30 days of […]
By Cyrus D Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* Acting Director Sirce Owen of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) issued Policy Memorandum (PM) 25-23 stating that, in the context of any future personnel actions and after additional review, EOIR may decline to recognize the multiple layers of for-cause removal restrictions for all of EOIR’s inferior […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* Donald Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship, which we analyzed in a previous blog, has now been temporarily enjoined and is the subject of multiple lawsuits. The executive order has also brought to light the false dichotomy between “legal” and “undocumented” immigrants, obscuring the nuance of U.S. immigration […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* On January 23, 2025, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Benjamine C. Huffman issued a memorandum entitled “Guidance Regarding How to Exercise Enforcement Discretion”, which directs ICE to take the following action: (1) For any alien DHS is aware of who is amenable to expedited removal […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* On January 20, 2025, Inauguration Day, Donald Trump signed an executive order entitled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship”, which interprets the language “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” in the Fourteenth Amendment to mean that U.S. citizenship does not extend to individuals born in the United […]
President-elect Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, is expected to usher in immigration-related actions of various kinds. What will actually happen and when, in the short term and over the long term? Only time will tell. Discussion and preparation on both sides have been wide-ranging. According to reports, highlights include: Deportations. The incoming “border czar,” […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* On January 8, 2025, USCIS issued updated guidance in its Policy Manual clarifying how entrepreneurs may qualify for O visas. The guidance states that: “O beneficiaries may not petition for themselves. However, a separate legal entity owned by the beneficiary, such as a corporation or limited liability company, […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta & Jessica Paszko* In 2024, we stayed true to our name, offering insightful commentary on immigration policy, cases, and trends. We celebrated positive policy changes, such as the removal of countries like China and India from the Exchange Visitors Skills List. At the same time, we highlighted discrepancies, like the CSPA […]
