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:

• USCIS Makes Changes to Streamline Social Security Card Process
• House to Investigate Deportation Cases
• Congress Aid Package Passes Without Immigration Provisions

• Congress passed a legislative package on foreign aid for Israel, the Pacific, and Ukraine after months of negotiations
• Contrary to initial plans, the package did not include a border security bill
• A previous deal negotiated by Senator James Lankford would’ve combined the package with border security measures, but the deal fell apart earlier this year amid Republican opposition, including from House Speaker Mike Johnson.
• Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/us-china-high-level-talks-deport-chinese-nationals-mayorkas-says-rcna146590

• 200,000 cases for deportation were dismissed after the Department of Homeland Security failed to file a Notice to Appear in court
• The government only refiled charges in less than 30% of these cases.
• Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee have vowed to investigate; supporters cited a murder in Maryland allegedly committed by a man who was ordered to be removed from the country, but not deported
• Source: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/house-republicans-to-probe-homeland-securitys-200000-botched-immigration-court-cases/

• 47 members of congress wrote a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas expressing concern over the deahts of several people in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• Thousands of people have been held in solitary confinement, often for extended periods of time.
• An OIG report also found troubling reports of substandard medical care
• The congress members called on DHS to ensure compliance with federal law and to phase out solitary confinement.
• Source: https://jayapal.house.gov/2024/04/15/jayapal-urging-accountability-following-reports-of-mistreatment-of-detained-persons-at-immigration-detention-facilities/

• Crossings of the US-Mexico border by Chinese nationals increased by 11 times last year
• Chinese citizens have visa-free access to Ecuador, and have traveled from there to Mexico, crossing into the US by land
• DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the two countries are in talks to deport Chinese nationals who are here without authorization
• Lack of cooperation on this topic had been an issue of concern for US officials
• Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/us-china-high-level-talks-deport-chinese-nationals-mayorkas-says-rcna146590

• US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced new measures to work closely together to reduce unauthorized border crossings.
• The presidents said that they would have their national security teams work in concert to “significantly reduce irregular border crossings while protecting human rights”
• While the administration did not disclose specifics on what this would mean it is believed that the measures could include more deportation flights and stronger enforcement measures directed towards the use of buses, railways, and airports for unauthorized border entry.
• Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/29/us/politics/biden-mexico-illegal-immigration.html

• Bids for the H1B visa are down 38% in 2024 comapred to a similar figure at this time in 2023.
• However, this is believed to be because of a crackdown on fraud. It is thought that many of the previous applications were actually from companies submitting multiple applications in an effort to game the system
• Back in 2021, the USCIS dropped a requirement to mail in extensive paperwork in an effort to ease barriers, but this unintentionally made it easier for companies to fraudulently submit duplicate applications.
• USCIS Director Ur Jaddou said that the drop was attributed to more efforts to stop the gaming of the system
• Data also showed that technology companies are among the top users of the H1-B visa, with Amazon.com, Apple, Google, Infosys, Microsoft, and Meta (Facebook) all in the Top Ten.
• Some tech companies had pushed for the change, including Intel, who said that fraud in the lottery was making it harder for legitimate applications from companies following the rules.
• Source: https://apnews.com/article/h1b-tech-visas-immigration-uscis-lottery-96717f789e7e4827a94dea6d054a0aee

• Ex President Donald Trump, running to regain his old job, said that he would employ local police to deport immigrants in the US without authorization
• Trump told Time magazine that local law enforcement would be a key to his plans to increase deportations.
• While local law enforcement cannot be ordered to enforce federal immigration law, Trump was open to the possibility of using federal funding as a way to push them to do so.
• Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-says-hed-local-police-162631949.html

• The USCIS announced changes to the guidelines for the I-693 form.
• The new regulations state that any I-693 medical exam from November 1st, 2023 or later will no longer expire
• Exams from before that date have a validity lasting two years.
• Source: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-announces-new-guidance-on-form-i-693-validity-period

• Beginning in April of this year the USCIS will allow new citizens to request a Social Security card on their N-400 form.
• The N-400 form is the application for naturalization, and it has new questions that have been added recently
• In most cases, new citizens will no longer need to visit a Social Security Administration office for a new or replacement card.
• Source: https://www.boundless.com/blog/boundless-weekly-immigration-news-archive-april-5-2024/

• Kansas City Mayor Quintin Lucas said that his city was looking at ways to attract more immigrants in an effort to boost its workforce
• The Mayor told reporters that he was in talks with Denver and New York City, both of which have seen an influx in migrants in recent years that has put considerable strain on city services, about how to bring migrants with work authorization to Kansas City
• Lucas told Bloomberg News that the city’s companies were in serious need of employees.
• Source: https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2024/04/30/kansas-city-mayor-quinton-lucas-immigration-sanctuary-city-2024/