By Stacy Caplow∗ President Biden pardoned thousands of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who committed or were convicted in federal courts of simple marijuana possession since 1992, and even earlier if those records can be located. This is a record number of mass pardons since Vietnam draft resisters were pardoned by President Carter […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* To what extent can the Executive Branch allow noncitizens to remain and work in the US when there is no explicit provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) covering these categories of noncitizens? Two courts of appeals have ruled differently in recent decisions. One court found authority […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta & Jessica Paszko* This past month, we said our goodbyes to summer beach days and cookouts, welcomed the crisp autumn weather, crossed our fingers for clients with current employment-based priority dates and hoped that they would be one of the lucky few to get their green cards before the end of […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* In a reprehensible political stunt, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida sent around 150 immigrants to liberal states by bus and plane last week. Some of these individuals were abruptly dropped out outside Vice President Harris’ residence in Washington, D.C., while others were […]
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the overall employment-based annual limit for immigrant visas in fiscal year (FY) 2022 is approximately twice as high as usual, primarily due to consular closures abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. USCIS said it is “dedicated to ensuring we use as many available employment-based visas as possible in […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* On August 24, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final rule aimed at “preserving and fortifying” the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The DACA program was initiated by a 2012 memo from then-DHS secretary Janet Napolitano (“Napolitano Memo”) and has been subjected to […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* On July 21, 2022, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in United States v. Texas, which involves a challenge to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement priorities as originally laid out in the 2022 Mayorkas Memo. Pursuant to these priorities, ICE would have prioritize the apprehension and […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box* From reliance on Zoom meetings to conduct business to an increased emphasis on employees’ health and wellbeing, COVID has ushered in fundamental alterations to many workplace cultures. But innovations in the ways in which employees carry out their day-to-day duties have not been the only change. As a […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta and Jessica Paszko* It’s no secret that employers wishing to sponsor a foreign national for permanent employment must jump through many bureaucratic hoops that Congress once envisioned would ensure that foreigners are not stealing jobs from U.S. workers. One of those bureaucratic hoops in the PERM labor certification process is conducting […]
By Cyrus D. Mehta Terminating an employee is always a very difficult decision, and requires the employer to comply with various state and federal laws. Terminating a noncitizen employee requires additional considerations under US immigration law. The American Immigration Lawyers Association has issued a flyer to its members that provides a useful guide to employers. […]
