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Want to keep up with immigration news in the U.S.? Every month, Global Cleveland publishes our immigration update so that you can stay informed about the latest immigration news.

This month’s Immigration Update at a glance:

• More States Move Forward on IMG Bills

• DHS to Screen for Antisemitic Activity Online

• Supreme Court Blocks Deportations under Alien Enemies Act

• Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadorian man and Maryland resident who was deported to a prison in El Salvador due to an “administrative error”
• Held in a high-security prison known as CECOT, Abrego Garcia was moved to a different detention center in El Salvador where he will have his own room.
• Van Hollen has been outspoken in support of Abrego’s case, which has been the subject of a protracted legal battle in the US
• https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/kilmar-abrego-garcia-transferred-el-salvador-maryland-van-hollen/

• A controversial bill in Tennessee that would criminalize the act of being in the state without legal status passed a subcommittee.
• The bill would require judges to issue a 72-hour warning to violators to leave the state
• However, the bill would not go into effect even if passed; because of the prior supreme court present against states enforcing federal immigration law, the law would not be in effect unless the supreme court overturns the 2012 decision in Arizona v. US, a constitutional amendment is passed, or other states enact similar laws that are upheld in court
• https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/03/26/bill-giving-immigrants-without-legal-status-72-hours-to-leave-tennessee-advances-in-house/

• Vermont and Arkansas are two of the latest states to move forward on alternative pathway legislation for International Medical Graduates.
• A majority of states in the US now either passed or introduced legislation on the subject, which has been a major trend across the US in the last two years.
• States considering the legislation in the current session include Minnesota, Kentucky, Indiana, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Wyoming, Arizona, Georgia, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Vermont.

• Rep Paul Gosar has introduced legislation, the Fairness for High Skilled Americans Act, which would abolish the OPT program.
• Gosar said the OPT program “undercuts American workers” and also criticized the program for allowing employers to avoid having to pay FICA and Medicare taxes
• The bill has eight co-sponsors, all of whom are republicans
• https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=8784

• As of April 24^th, over 60 international students across 14 Ohio colleges and universities have seen their visas revoked by the Trump administration
• Several of these revocations are being challenged in court, some of these involve students with relatively minor charges on their records, or students who were charged with a crime, but later had those charges dropped.
• The universities with the largest number of revoked visas are Youngstown State University, the Ohio State University, and Kent State University.
• https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/04/ohio-visa-revocations-reach-61-international-students-across-14-colleges.html

• The Department of Homeland Security will begin to monitor prospective immigrants and international visitors social media for antisemitic statements, the agency announced in early April.
• The screening will also include support for antisemitic terrorist organizations; the announcement specified Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the group commonly known as the Houthis, and Hezbollah.
• Under this new guidance, social media content that is deemed to be antisemitic will be considered a negative factor in analysis of their application
• https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-to-begin-screening-aliens-social-media-activity-for-antisemitism

• US Citizenship and Naturalization Services updated both the I-9 form and E-Verify.
• I-9s and the online E-Verify website are used by employers to verify a new employee’s work authorization in the US
• The changes are relatively minor, but a significant aspect of the change includes updated wording for the List B documents, establishing a person’s identity
• https://www.boundless.com/blog/form-i-9-e-verify-updates/

• The “Gold Card” visa, a proposed visa for high net worth individuals, is moving forward after an announcement earlier this year.
• The program would allow for foreign individuals to obtain residence in the United States after paying a $5 million fee to the government. The program would replace the existing EB-5 investor visa
• While at the moment, the program is being created by an executive order, there is speculation it may not be upheld in court, and could require congressional legislation.
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/10/gold-card-trump-lutnick-millionaires/83033022007/

• The Supreme Court issued a temporary ruling that halted the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport migrants from Venezuela accused of being members of organized crime organizations
• The law was passed in 1798 but has only been used rarely, most recently during the Second World War
• The decision was issued after the ACLU asked for its intervention, seeking to block the deportation of several Venezuelan migrants.
• https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-temporarily-blocks-deportations-venezuelan-migrants-under-2025-04-19/

• A federal court of appeals ruled against the federal government in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, declining an administration request to halt an order from a lower court judge.
• Judge Harvie Wilkinson ruled that the government’s claim to be able to deport without due process lacked assurances that the executive branch would not do so to American citizens
• https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/17/politics/4th-circuit-wilkinson-abrego-garcia-xinis/index.html

• Judge Algenon Marbley granted an order in favor of Prasanna Oruganti, an Indian student studying agricultural engineering, reinstating her F-1 visa.
• The government argued that Oruganti’s status was terminated because of a criminal history; Oruganti argued that this referred to a minor driving related charge, which came with a $300 fine, her attorneys argued this was an insufficient reason for loss of status.
• The student’s case is one of several that are in court in Ohio, which has seen numerous revocations of student visas in recent months
• https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/courts/2025/04/22/trump-immigration-ohio-state-student-visa-laws-federal-judge/83217297007/?tbref=hp

• An immigration judge ruled in favor of the Trump administration in a high-profile case involving a Columbia University Grad Student.
• The student, Mahmoud Khalil, had been a legal permanent resident, until his visa was revoked earlier this year. Khalil has been a prominent critic of the Israeli government and has played a major role in protests at Columbia that critics argue have been antisemitic.
• It is expected that the case will continue to be litigated, with separate court cases playing out in both Louisiana and New Jersey
• https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/13/us/mahmoud-khalil-deportation-ruling-appeals/index.html

Want to keep up with immigration news in the U.S.? Every month, Global Cleveland publishes our immigration update so that you can stay informed about the latest immigration news.

This month’s Immigration Update at a glance:

• White House Considers ‘Gold Card’ Visa as EB5 Replacement

• Indiana Introduces IMG Bill

• Federal Judge Halts Alien Enemies Act Deportations

• President Donald Trump floated a new investment visa, dubbed the “Gold Card” that would be designed to attract high-net worth individuals who may invest in the country.
• The new visas, which would offer a path to citizenship, would cost $5 million.
• It is believed that the EB-5 visa would be replaced by the new gold card. The EB-5 has additional requirements, including that the holder must create or preserve at least ten full time jobs in the country; it is not clear that this will be required in the new visa
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-gold-card-eb5-visa-5-million-immigration-oligarch-cbs-news-explains/

• The Department of Commerce is considering making postal workers conduct some of the 2030 census in an effort to save money
• The census typically involves the hiring of about a half a million temporary workers, a considerable expense in the government budget
• The Census Bureau is part of the Commerce Department, while the postal service is not; however, it has been reported that the USPS may be moved from being an independent agency to being the responsibility of the Commerce Department.
• https://www.newsweek.com/usps-workers-could-take-over-census-2036961#:~:text=What%20To%20Know,the%20dedicated%20U.S.%20Census%20Bureau.

• The US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a proposed change that will have it collect information of social media activity of immigrants
• The proposal will be open to public comment for 60 days
• It follows an executive order from January that directed agencies to identify resources that can help the government ensure that immigrants are “vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”
• https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/uscis-plans-to-collect-immigrants-social-media-information

• The Department of Homeland Security announced that the temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitian nationals would end in August of 2025, six months earlier than previously announced
• The change, announced on February 20th by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, would leave many Haitian born immigrants without status, unless they can transfer to another visa
• TPS for Haiti was originally dedicated in the aftermath of the 2011 Earthquake that devastated the country, and was maintained since as the country has been embroiled in a political and humanitarian crisis.
• https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/update-on-tps-for-haiti#:~:text=The%20announcement%20amends%20the%20period,3%2C%202025

• Indiana is the latest in a growing group of states who have proposed alternative pathways bills for internationally educated doctors
• Republican State Rep Beau Baird introduced the proposal, who said that it would help address the state’s doctor shortage.
• The bill would have an especially profound impact on rural Indiana communities, Baird told reporters
• Like many other states, the bill would allow for an experienced physician to bypass residency if he or she had sufficient training and experience. The bill, which was supported by the Indiana State Medical Association, requires 5 years of post practice experience.
• https://www.953mnc.com/2025/02/18/indiana-bill-aims-to-combat-shortage-of-medical-professionals/

• Representatives Mike Lawler and Yvette Clarke, both of New York, introduced the Doctors in Our Borders Act, which would expand the Conrad 30 program in an effort to combat an ongoing healthcare workforce shortage
• The waivers allowed under the Conrad 30 program would more than triple if the bill was passed
• The bill has a sizable bipartisan group supporting it, and is also backed by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC)
• https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3738

• The White House issued an executive order to expediate deportations of suspected members of the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuela-based crime syndicate, under the Alien Enemies Act
• Suspected members of the gang were removed from the country and sent to El Salvador and Honduras, but the implementation of the order was blocked by a federal judge
• Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order blocking the implementation for 14 days, after a lawsuit which argued that the law could only be invoked in wartime, and not against nationals of a country (Venezuela) that we are not at war with.
• Several planes did leave the US before the order, and some have accused the government of deporting those not affiliated with Tren de Aragua
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/15/trump-alien-enemies-act-deportations

• A late February decision allowed a lower court ruling to stand that blocked a Trump administration policy that would no longer recognize birthright citizenship to the children of people in the country without legal status, as well as those here with a certain non-immigrant visas
• The 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals held that the order violated the 14^th amendment of the Constitution.
• The three judge panel included two Republican appointees, one of which, who issued a concurrence, was appointed by President Trump in his first term, though the ruling itself was written by Judge William Canby, an appointee of Jimmy Carter.
• https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-appeals-court-rejects-trumps-bid-curtail-birthright-citizenship-2025-02-20/

• Mahmoud Khalil, a student at Columbia University in New York, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Agents said they were revoking Khalil’s Green Card.
• Khalil was a leader of protests against Israel on Columbia’s Campus, and the arrest was on the grounds that Khalil’s activities had been antisemitic and supportive of a listed terrorist organization
• The case has received national attention, and defenders of Khalil have argued the revocation of his green card was unlawful
• https://apnews.com/article/columbia-university-mahmoud-khalil-ice-15014bcbb921f21a9f704d5acdcae7a8

• In a bill on the state’s transportation budget, a provision has been added to require proof of citizenship when registering to vote at a state Bureau of Motor Vehicles Office
• The bill, House Bill 54, also requires more data sharing between the BMV and the office of the Secretary of State regaring voter information
• HB54 mostly focuses on transportation, with provisions exploring new passenger rail services being a well-publicized section
• https://www.statenews.org/government-politics/2025-02-23/voter-registration-and-passenger-rail-provisions-added-to-ohio-transportation-budget\

Want to keep up with immigration news in the U.S.? Every month, Global Cleveland publishes our immigration update so that you can stay informed about the latest immigration news.

This month’s Immigration Update at a glance:

• We break down the Trump Administration’s executive orders impacting immigration
• Refugee Program Suspension Challenged in Court
• Proposed House Bill 42 would require the collection and reporting of data related to immigration status, citizenship status in crimes

• This order overturned five Executive Orders from the Biden Administration, including those that:

  • Focused enforcement priorities on national security and public safety threats.
  • Established a process for the orderly handling of asylum seekers.
  • Aimed to reunite families separated during Trump’s first term.
  • Enhanced support for workforce and language access for individuals involved in the immigration process.
  • Worked to rebuild the US Refugee Admissions Program.

There are two main themes in this order: one focuses on border wall construction and increased enforcement, while the other aims to complicate the asylum process and end parole programs.

• Section 3: Calls for the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to build barriers to achieve “complete operational control” of the southern border.
• Section 4: Directs DOD, Department of Justice (DOJ), and DHS to deploy personnel to further ensure complete operational control. This will likely lead to increased militarization of the border and prioritization of funding for the border wall.
• Section 7(a): Focuses on ending the CBP One App, which allowed parolees, asylum seekers, and others to easily request entry to the US and inform immigration officials of their intended time and port of entry. This app helped manage appointments and streamline the immigration process.
• Section 7(b): Terminates “categorical parole” programs, which provided temporary legal status and work authorization for individuals from specific countries without offering a path to citizenship. Examples of impacted programs include the 2022 Humanitarian Parole for Venezuelans, the 2022 Uniting for Ukraine program, the 2021 Afghan Placement and Assistance program, and the 2014 Central American Minors program.

It is unclear how these changes will affect parolees already in the United States, particularly those from Afghanistan and Ukraine, who number in the thousands.

• This Executive Order introduces stricter screening requirements and mandates that:
  • The Department of State (DOS), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Director of National Intelligence report jointly within 60 days on any countries where vetting and screening information is so inadequate that it may justify suspending the admission of nationals from those countries (Section 2(i)).
•   The report also requests information on:
  • How many nationals from those countries have been admitted to the United States since January 21, 2021 (Section 2(ii)).
•  Immigration advocates anticipate that this could lead to the imposition of travel bans.
• Early analysis suggests that individuals from countries failing to meet the screening standards may be deemed inadmissible, meaning they should not have been allowed entry in the first place and could potentially be subject to removal.

• The Executive Order directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other agencies to take broad action to enforce immigration laws against all “inadmissible and removable” noncitizens.

• It largely empowers DHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to increase immigration enforcement, including:

  • Deputizing cooperating state and local law enforcement to assist with enforcement.
  • Prosecuting cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
  • Expanding the use of Expedited Removal, a process for quick deportation.

• Key provisions to increase enforcement include:

  • Section 4: Establishes the primary mission of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations division as enforcing the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and federal laws related to illegal entry and unlawful presence of noncitizens.
  • Section 11: Authorizes state and local law enforcement, under a voluntary agreement with DHS, to perform immigration officer duties, such as investigating, apprehending, and detaining noncitizens, to the full extent allowed by law.
  • Section 21: Directs DHS, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), USCIS, and other agencies to significantly increase hiring of immigration officers.

• Other measures include the authorization of legal actions against sanctuary cities:

  • Section 17: Instructs DHS and DOJ to pursue criminal and civil action against sanctuary cities, which would result in those cities losing access to federal funds.
  • Section 9: Expands DHS’s authority to use Expedited Removal, which allows for the swift deportation of certain noncitizens. Key concerns include the risk of erroneous deportation, insufficient protection for asylum seekers, and lack of judicial review.

• Reports indicate ICE arrest quotas have increased by as much as three or four times in response to Federal pressure.

• The DOJ has formed a group to prosecute cities that refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities or federal immigration policies.

• The House Oversight Committee has started an investigation into sanctuary cities and has requested that the mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York City testify.

• A 2011 ICE memo defined schools, hospitals, places of worship, sites of funeral, wedding, or religious ceremony, or public demonstration as places where immigration enforcement officials may not conduct arrests, interviews, searches, or surveillance absent clear danger.
• A new DHS directive rescinds those protections, and was followed by a Federal lawsuit in Maryland on behalf of several Quaker organizations who claim DHS would be in violation of their First Amendment rights.

• A new agency directive includes three policy memoranda related to the processing of asylum claims:
  • One memo instructs Immigration Judges to decide asylum claims within 180 days of the application, significantly speeding up the decision-making process.
  • The memo also clarifies that “good cause” alone does not justify postponing asylum proceedings beyond 180 days. This means that cases that would typically qualify for an extension may be canceled at the 180-day mark, potentially denying qualified asylum seekers protection.
• Another focus of the memo is on employment authorization:
  • Asylum seekers are currently eligible for employment authorization (EADs) 180 days after applying for asylum.
  • The intent of this policy is to deny legal work authorization to anyone submitting an asylum application, limiting their ability to work legally in the U.S. during this period.

• Venezuela was initially designated for Temporary Protected Status in 2021, and was redesignated by the Biden Administration in 2023 and January 2025. Current Secretary of DHS vacated the January decision, which means Venezuelan TPS is set to expire on April 2nd, with a report on February 1st formally terminating the program.
• Benefits under this program including legal presence and work authorization are set to expire April 7th, 2025.
• Venezuela has been undergoing a period of severe economic and political crisis that has grown more severe in the last year after the Venezuelan government announced the reelection of Nicolás Maduro, despite election results that many observers reported actually indicated a victory for Maduro’s opponent.

• Military forces along the border are set to drastically increase and are being tasked with supporting detection and monitoring efforts and continuing border wall construction.

• Through The Executive Office of Immigration, certain legal service providers including Immigration Court Helpdesk, Family Group Legal Orientation Program, and Counsel for Children receive federal funds in their efforts to serve vulnerable populations moving through the immigration system.
• On January 24th, a stop-work order was issued to organizations who have agreements with the State Department and Bureau of Populations, Refugees, and Migrants.
• Order urges “The Recipient (of State Department and PRM funds) must cancel as many outstanding obligations as possible.” These obligations include initial resettlement support, fast-track financial assistance and employment programming, intensive case management for those with chronic illness or other acute barriers to self-sufficiency, support for survivors of torture, and entrepreneurship programming, among many other program areas.
• Refugee resettlement funding falls under PRM programs, and the impact this order and funding freeze has fundamentally upended the provision of support to individuals on a legal pathway already within the United States.

• The Laken Riley Act was passed with significant bipartisan support and signed into law by President Trump in early 2025. The law mandates that immigration authorities detain undocumented individuals charged with robbery, larceny, theft, or shoplifting, and requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to issue a detainer in these cases.

• The bill is named after Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year. Her suspected killer was an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela who had previously been arrested but released on theft-related charges.

• The law also includes a provision that allows states to sue the federal government to force the use of expedited removal and enables state-led lawsuits challenging federal parole authority.

• https://phillipslytle.com/congress-passes-laken-riley-act-wwith-controversial-immigration-provisions/

• Introduced in the house, Bill 42 would require the collection and reporting of data related to immigration status, citizenship status in crimes
• It would require law enforcement to report to the state the number of people detained/put into custody by them who are:
  • US Citizens
  • Noncitizens with legal status in the United States
  • Noncitizens without legal status
• The bill has thirteen co-sponsors, all of whom are Republicans
• https://legiscan.com/OH/bill/HB42/2025

• The bill would mandate local authorities
• • participate in any DHS program enabling them to report immigration status of arrestees
  • report the identity of any arrestee they believe to be unlawfully present to the relevant federal immigration authorities
  • detain someone unlawfully present upon receiving a legal federal request or order to do so
• It also prohibits any “county, township, or municipal corporation or the law enforcement agency that serves the county, township, or municipal corporation” with enacting a range of policies that restrict its citizens or employees from doing the above, or from maintaining information about someone’s immigration status
• Municipalities found to be noncompliant will have reduced funding from the state
• Members of the general assembly have the power to bring charges of noncompliance, though the determination is made by the office of the attorney general.
• This is the old House Bill 666, introduced in the previous session

• Three federal judges blocked a Trump executive order limiting birthright citizenship on constitutional grounds
• The 14^th amendment states that all born in the US, and subject to the jurisdiction of the US, are US citizens from birth. Generally this has been taken to mean anybody in US territory, with some narrow exceptions, notably for foreign diplomats and their families, who are not subject to US law.
• Trump’s order would’ve made children of undocumented immigrants as well as legal immigrants who are here on a non-immigration visa ineligible.
• The issue is expected to end up at the Supreme Court
• https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5135920-judge-blocks-trump-birthright-order/

• A coalition of refugee groups are suing in federal court to see the suspension of refugee admissions overturned.
• The executive order “Realigning the United States Refugee Resettlement Program” (discussed in detail above) suspended the program.
• The groups say that the orders violate federal law, particularly the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Immigration and Nationality Act, as well as the Constitution’s due process clause. They also say that the order usurps Congress’ legislative power
• Groups backing the lawsuit included HIAS, Church World Service, and Lutheran Community Services Northwest, as well as individual refugees.
• https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/02/rights-groups-challenge-trumps-executive-order-suspending-refugee-admissions-in-court/

Want to keep up with immigration news in the U.S.? Every month, Global Cleveland publishes our immigration update so that you can stay informed about the latest immigration news.

This month’s Immigration Update at a glance:

• TPS Extended for Four Countries
• Proposed Changes to Citizenship Test Canceled
• Courts Deciding Record Numbers of Immigration Cases

• In his last weeks in office, President Biden extended temporary protected status for Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine, and Sudan.
• President-elect Trump discussed ending the program altogether, making the extension, which lasts for 18 months, especially significant.
• Those eligible re-enroll include 600,000 Venezuelans, 232,000 Salvadorians, 103,700 Ukrainians, and 1,900 Sudanese.
• https://www.axios.com/2025/01/10/immigration-temporary-protected-status-extensions-biden

• A program announced last year that enables visas to be processed abroad for Afghan refugees began operations in early January 2025
• The Philippines agreed to host the program, with the US agreeing to pay for the costs to refugees.
• The AP reported the program would be limited, only serving about 150-300 applicants.
• https://apnews.com/article/philippines-afghans-us-immigrant-visa-2fbbc522321e3ab71b33d2cbcf58e9ac

• $55 million in fees for the Keeping Families Together initiative will be refunded.
• The initiative, which provided for a path to permanent residency for undocumented spouses of US citizens, was announced last year, but was suspended when a federal judge ruled that “the policy exceeded executive authority.”
• USCIS announced the refunds and said that they would be processed automatically.
• https://www.boundless.com/blog/u-s-refund-55-million-fees-blocked-parole-in-place-expansion/\

• Federal immigration authorities canceled planned changes to the US citizenship test after the proposal received negative feedback
• Public comments on the redesign criticized it for being an ineffective way to evaluate English language skills and was overly difficult for adult learners.
• The naturalization test format in use since 2008 will continue to be used in the future, Boundless Immigration reported.
• https://www.boundless.com/blog/uscis-scraps-trial-new-naturalization-test/

• Tom Homan, tipped as the “border tsar” by President-Elect Trump, said that the use of family detention centers remained on the table.
• The practice, which was used to great controversy during Trump’s first administration, was ended by the Biden administration.
• Homan said it may be necessary to use family detention centers, as it was, in his view, essential to end the ‘catch and release’ policy.
• https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/trump-border-czar-tom-homan-family-detention-centers-deportation-rcna185508

• The US Senate voted to advance the Laken Riley Act with large bipartisan support, 84-9, though some have suggested it may need to be amended before it will have the support for final passage.
• The bill would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take custody of those in the country without authorization who had been charged with theft and other similar crimes.
• The bill was introduced after its namesake, a Georgia nursing student, was murdered, with the suspect in her murder being a Venezuelan man in the country without authorization who had previously been arrested on theft charges.
• While mostly supported by Republicans, many Democratic Senators have also supported the bill.
• https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-laken-riley-act-vote-illegal-immigration-rcna186775

• Massachusetts joins Washington State, Florida, Tennessee, Colorado, Virginia and more as state lawmakers passed a bill to open pathways for foreign-trained physicians in the state
• The Physician Pathway Act was passed as part of a broader economic development bill that was signed by Governor Maura Healy.
• The law will, like the Virginia bill, require physicians to practice in an underserved area for a period of time.
• https://commonwealthbeacon.org/health/new-law-grants-pathway-for-foreign-trained-doctors-to-fill-massachusetts-physician-shortage/

• The rules package passed in the new session of the House of Representatives, including several proposals for new immigration legislation
• The measures include:
  • An amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act
  • The Laken Riley Act
  • Making assaulting a law enforcement officer a deportable offense
  • Imposing criminal penalties for fleeing a pursuing federal officer in a car
  • Restrictions on federal funding for sanctuary cities
• https://rollcall.com/2025/01/02/house-republicans-look-to-tee-up-immigration-bills/

• Tennessee Senator Todd Gardenhire proposed an amendment that would change an earlier law that would exempt School Resource Officers from a requirement that they report a person’s immigration status.
• Senator Gardenhire stated the previous law was poorly written, and that it was wrong to punish children in school.
• The Senator also said if the law wasn’t passed, it would return to the agenda in the Spring.
• https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/republican-sponsored-bill-would-exempt-tn-sros-from-immigration-status-reporting-requirement/

• The Supreme Court found that appeals to revoked visas cannot be heard in federal court because the USCIS is a discretionary agency.
• The Court’s majority opinion, which was unanimous, was written by Justice Kentaji Brown Jackson.
• The court found that USCIS’ decisions to revoke a visa were not mandatory (which would have meant that officials were required to follow specific rules) but discretionary, which they said makes them ineligible for judicial review in federal court
• https://bizlegalservices.com/2024/12/12/supreme-court-confirms-no-judicial-review-for-revoked-visas/

• Amid attempts to reduce a backlog of immigration cases from the outgoing Biden administration, the immigration court system is deciding the most cases it has in years.
• President Biden has implemented a “fast track” system to reduce the backlog which has been estimated at exceeding 3 million cases.
• Syracuse University found that if this pace continues “immigration judges will rule on more deportation cases in 2025 than in any previous year.”
• https://www.axios.com/2024/12/31/biden-immigration-courts-deportations

Want to keep up with immigration news in the U.S.? Every month, Global Cleveland publishes our immigration update so that you can stay informed about the latest immigration news.

This month’s Immigration Update at a glance:

• President-Elect Donald Trump’s immigration plans
• Lebanon has faced a deteriorating situation as war has broken out over the past year between the Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel. The Department of Homeland Security designated the country for Temporary Protective Status for 18 months.
• Three immigration-related bills are currently pending in the Ohio legislator

• President-Elect Donald Trump nominated Kristi Noem to be the Secretary of Homeland Security, which has responsibility over most immigration-related agencies
• Noem, currently Governor of South Dakota, was previously a US Congresswoman from the state’s at-large congressional district.
• Noem has occasionally been involved in immigration policy as Governor, in 2021, she sent her state’s National Guard to the border, funded by a Tennessee-based private donor, a practice subsequently banned in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.
• https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/12/politics/kristi-noem-homeland-security-secretary/index.html

• President-elect Trump may move to revoke Temporary Protective Status designations in an effort to curb immigration
• Trump and VP-elect Vance have particularly criticized the use of the program for Haitians and made the influx of Haitian immigrants in the Ohio city of Springfield an issue in their presidential campaigns.
• TPS Designation was offered to Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 Earthquake and has been maintained since then, as the country has been in political turmoil.
• The TPS designations for Venezuela and Ukraine, among others, have been cited as potential targets.
• https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/us/trump-immigrants-temporary-protected-status.html

• Citing concerns over border security and drug trafficking, President-Elect Trump vowed to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico until measures were taken by the US’ two neighbors to address these concerns.
• With both countries being top trading partners of the US, analysts have said this could cause severe economic consequences for the US as well as Canada and Mexico.
• Both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum have had calls or meetings with Trump, and some have suggested this was a proposal intended to push both leaders to agree to measures on border security, and not intended to actually be implemented.
• https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-promises-25-tariff-products-mexico-canada-2024-11-25/

• With the return to the White House of Donald Trump next January, the US is expected by some to re-implement the “Remain in Mexico” Policy which required asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while having their claims processed.
• Earlier in the campaign, Trump said he would immediately reinstate the policy
• However, Senator Ted Cruz has suggested to Newsweek that the policy would in fact not be implemented for some time, perhaps months, while negotiations with Mexican authorities were ongoing.
• https://www.newsweek.com/trump-said-remain-mexico-will-start-day-1-heres-why-it-wont-1991018

• The stated plan of President-Elect Trump to use military forces to deport unauthorized immigrants has received criticism from the President’s Own Party, with Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky emerging as a critic of the plan
• Citing the imagery of military units deporting migrants, Paul stated that he “I’ll not support and will not vote to use the military in our cities.”
• With a closely divided Senate, Republican opposition to certain Trump immigration policies could potentially block certain legislative proposals from the White House.
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/25/rand-paul-trump-mass-deportation

• President-elect Trump has confirmed his intention to immediately declare a national emergency on the subject of illegal immigration, stating he would sign such a declaration on his first day in office.
• In the same statement, made on social media, Trump said he would use “military assets” to do the deportations.
• The use of military personnel and assets for deportations has proved controversial, including within Trump’s own Republican Party
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-confirms-plan-to-declare-national-emergency-use-military-for-mass-deportations/ar-AA1uirLn?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=d2ebc740540248188eb6b4e37fd4b5ef&ei=95

• In Trump’s first administration, attempts to increase high-skilled immigration were stymied by the opposition of immigration hardliners, especially Stephen Miller, who has called for large reductions in legal immigration
• However, the inclusion of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, himself an immigrant, in Trump’s circle, has led some in Silicon Valley and beyond to believe Musk and others may move the president in a different direction.
• Dan Stein of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates for a more restrictive immigration policy, said that Trump was “definitely going to be more receptive to certain kinds of legal immigration expansion”
• Musk has at times publicly called for making the legal immigration process for highly skilled foreigners easier and faster.
• https://www.politico.com/news/2024/12/01/elon-musk-steven-miller-battle-high-tech-immigration-00191922

• Tom Homan, considered a hardliner on the issue of illegal immigration, was named by President-Elect Trump to be the new ‘border Czar’ to advise the president on border security issues
• Homan was previously at Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Trump’s first term.
• In an interview with News Nation Homan said that mass deportations were a necessity and took a critical view towards sanctuary cities. As a non-cabinet post, the ‘border Czar’ appointment does not require congressional approval.
• https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-czar-tom-homan-deportations/

• Only two months into the fiscal year, the cap for high-skilled visa applicants on H-1Bs has been hit.
• Around 85,000 additional visas were allotted, according to the US Citizenship and Naturalization Service
• An immigration attorney told reporters from Newsweek that the current system and caps were “not sustainable” and with 8 million jobs open in the US, restrictions were hurting the economy
• https://www.newsweek.com/h1b-visa-cap-reached-uscis-immigration-1994405

• Lebanon has faced a deteriorating situation as war has broken out over the past year between Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel
• The Department of Homeland Security designated the country for Temporary Protective Status for 18 months.
• In addition, DHS will allow students here from Lebanon to “work more hours, take fewer classes, and apply for off-campus jobs to ease the financial strain.”
• To be eligible, F-1 students must:
  • Be citizens of Lebanon or stateless individuals who last resided in Lebanon
  • Have valid F-1 status as of November 27^th 2024
  • Be enrolled in an institution certified by the student and exchange visitor program
  • Prove they are facing severe economic hardship because of the ongoing crisis in Lebanon
• https://www.boundless.com/blog/dhs-announces-tps-for-lebanon-and-relief-for-lebanese-f-1-students/

• Senator Catherine Cortez Mastro called for the extension of temporary protected status for immigrants by the Biden administration, amid concerns the incoming administration will likely curb them
• “what the president can do is just take legal action to extend their TPS statuses … but it’s not just our TPS recipients. My hope is that the president, in the last two months, also quickly processes our DACA recipient applications,” the senator told reporters.
• TPS currently covers seventeen countries, many of which run out in 2025
• https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/senator-calls-on-biden-to-protect-legal-immigrants-before-trump-takes-office-226034245512

• California Rep. Judy Chu called on the administration to close a privately run Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in her state
• The Adelanto Detention Center has been the subject of complaints from non-profits, media, and government, including ICE officials, arguing it has failed to meet standards of care
• ICE had a self-imposed deadline last year to decide whether to close the facility, but no decision was made at that time.,
• https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/3249827/california-democrat-biden-administration-close-ice-detention-center/

• House Bill 671

  • Would criminalize the entry of an immigrant to Ohio if they lacked legal authorization to be in the US
  • The bill is modeled on a controversial Oklahoma Law, which is currently on hold amid legal challenges in federal court
  • The bill’s sponsor, Representative Gary Click, says that he doesn’t expect it to pass this year, but plans on reintroducing it next year.
  • Immigration attorneys have raised concerns based what they called on constitutional issues as well as text that seems to be based on a misreading of federal immigration law.
  • https://woub.org/2024/10/17/republican-bill-penalize-immigrants-enter-ohio-without-federal-legal-status/

• House Bill 656

  • Introduced by Rep. Tom Patton, this bill would create restrictions and penalties for the hiring of unauthorized immigrants in the state
  • Under the bill, the company would face penalties for violations as well as verification and a probationary period to ensure compliance after an initial violation
  • Penalties would be worse for repeated violations of the law by the same company
  • https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2024/08/27/ohio-bill-would-punish-employers-of-people-living-in-the-u-s-illegally/74877359007/

• House Bill 666

  • Called the Protecting Ohio Communities Act, this bill would require local law enforcement to actively assist federal immigration authorities
  • Specifically, agencies would be required to report to ICE or other federal immigration authorities if they suspected someone was in the country without authorization
  • Entities that failed to do so would face serious losses of state funding, which could have significant consequences for the agencies’ budgets.