Policy Updates

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

This month’s Newcomer Update at a glance:

• Bill to abolish H1Bs introduced

• House legislation would create new standards for ICE and CBP’s handling of detainees

• Federal court rules against administration on access to lawyers

• A bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers wrote to Secretary Kristi Noem of the Department of Homeland Security urging the secretary to exempt the healthcare sector from the $100,000 fee for H-1B visas
• The letter cited the ongoing healthcare worker shortage and the severe financial strain the fee could place on hospitals and other healthcare organizations
• The effort was led by Yvette Clarke and Mike Lawler, both of New York, and signatories included two Ohio Representatives, Emilia Sykes and Shontel Brown.
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zDZCDd18YwTKpSSw1T3tqZuygglR-2IM/view

• Florida Republican Congressman Greg Steube introduced the EXILE Act, which would abolish the H-1B program
• Steube cited abuse of the program and harm to the job prospects of American workers as reasons for the bill, which as of now does not have any co sponsors.
• The bill would end the program by setting the number of visas allocated to zero, starting with Fiscal Year 2027.
• https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7451/cosponsors

• A new bill would establish protocols for denaturalization of certain citizens who had been convicted of fraud, terrorism, espionage, or an aggravated felony.
• Called the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation Act, the bill was introduced by Rep. Tom Emmer, who cited the ongoing criminal case surrounding fraud by businesses in Minnesota, many of who are owned by individuals with ties to Somalia, as a reason.
• The bill was introduced with a long list of Republican co-sponsors.
• https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/whip-emmer-introduces-scam-act-to-denaturalize-fraudsters-terrorists-felons

• Raul Ruiz led a group of more than eighty democratic members of Congress to introduce the Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in ICE and CBP Custody Act codifying new standards for the care of individuals detained by immigration enforcement personnel
• The bill would require detainees to have access to sufficient food and water, and shelter would have to be gender-separated. It would also require agency wide guidelines for health screenings.
• The bill would also contain new standards for training of agents and monitoring and compliance standards for the agency.
• https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7335/cosponsors?r=2&s=4&q=%7B%22cosponsor-state%22%3A%22Ohio%22%7D

• New legislation, labeled HR7252, would repeal section 642 of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.
• This section forbids local governments from restricting the sharing of immigration of an individual’s citizenship or immigration status with federal law enforcement and immigration personnel.
• The provision has a significant affect on the ability of municipalities to restrict cooperation with ICE, a controversial issue since the new administration took power.
• The bill, introduced by Texas’ Sylvia Garcia, has only Democratic sponsorship.
• https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7252

• The Department of Homeland Security announced the Temporary Protected Status for Yemen would end within 60 days of the relevant notice being published in the federal registrar
• Yemen, which has been in political turmoil since a 2011 revolution toppled the country’s leader, has been designated for TPS since 2015.
• Yemeni nationals in the United States have 60 days to either leave the country or find another lawful basis for remaining in the US; the government offers to pay travel expenses for those who choose to depart the country.
• https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-terminates-temporary-protected-status-for-yemen

• A new rule from the Department of Homeland Security provides for an easier path for renewals of R1 visas for religious workers.
• Previously, R1 workers were required to depart the US and remain outside of the country for a year before seeking readmission.
• The Department cited that demand for the visas exceeded supply and a 2023 rule change made the wait times excessively long
• https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-reduces-wait-times-for-thousands-of-religious-workers-abroad

• Democracy Forward led a group of legal organization who filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement to try to prevent them from arresting people at courthouses
• The tactic, used since this spring, can enable quick deportation, but critics have accused it of violating due process
• Plaintiffs on the lawsuit include 12 immigrants who had entered the country without authorization and applied for asylum
• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/nyregion/trump-ice-arrests-lawsuit-immigrants.html

• A Minnesota federal judge ruled in favor of a lawsuit against the government over its immigration enforcement operations in the state.
• Judge Nancy Brasel, herself an appointee of President Trump, ordered that immigration detainees be given access to phones and attorneys, finding that existing policies made it near impossible for them to have sufficient legal representation
• The order will last for two weeks, and the case may continue to move through federal court.
• https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5737388-judge-rules-ice-detainee-rights/

• A major ruling has been issued in a high profile case that has been one of the most watched legal disputes of the new administration: a federal immigration judge terminated removal proceedings against Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk.
• Öztürk wrote an op ed in her university’s student newspaper characterizing the actions of Israel in Gaza as genocidal, and urging Tufts to divest of investments made in the country. The government cancelled her visa, and arrested her, citing that her actions undermined US foreign policy, supported terrorism, and created a hostile environment for Jewish students
• The court order found that the Department of Homeland Security had not met the burden of proof required to continue removal proceedings against the student
• https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/immigration-court-drops-case-against-tufts-student-rumeysa-ozturk-72033590?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqeH2nuONCC_QlPvdcBOfzWak28j2FRoLUbQTGCyw2lB6JlNNSgAukvuQJtxvg%3D%3D&gaa_ts=69963a11&gaa_sig=0Oycx8BIMP4Jvcb6ZYdk-VgkD5jSzLcqNFTT2rOAI90GGsFONmOeZccMMkxaZQZ5sHT5QSKPp-Sllc4AhqhaYw%3D%3D

• A federal immigration judge ruled against the federal government in the high profile deportation case of Mohsen Mahdawi, who was detained last year at a citizenship appointment over his activism against Israel during the Gaza War.
• The case was dismissed on technical grounds, related to the authentication of documents from the Secretary of State.
• The terms of the ruling allow the government to appeal or refile deportation proceedings, but the Department of Homeland Security has not said if they will do so.
• https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/02/18/mohsen-mahdawi-deportation-dismissed-vermont-columbia

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

This month’s Newcomer Update at a glance:

• Funding Bill Loses Support Following Minneapolis Shooting
• Immigrant Visas Paused for 75 Countries
• DOJ to Probe Minnesota Governor, Minneapolis Mayor

• A government funding deal faces an uncertain future in the US Senate after the fatal shooting of a Minnesota man by federal immigration officers, with multiple senators now opposing a deal that would’ve funded ICE.
• Key members of the Senate, including New York’s Chuck Schumer, the minority leader, and Washington’s Patty Murray, previously a supporter of the bill, now oppose it.
• Many Democrats have supported changing the funding package to curtail some of ICE’s operations, and introduce more oversight and civil rights protections for those detained by the agency
• https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/funding-deal-begins-to-unravel-as-senate-democrats-vow-to-oppose-dhs-bill-over-alex-pretti-shooting-in-minnesota

• New data from the federal government shows a major increase in applications for the EB-1A visa, an employment based immigration visa for high skilled foreigners.
• Applications for the visa hit 7,500 per quarter, a figure four times higher than in 2021.
• It is believed that the increased fees for the H1B visa, which now requires in many cases a $100,000 fee has prompted many to shift to the EB visa.
• The growth may put pressure on the statutory cap of 40,000 visas annually
• https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-19/us/einstein-visa-filings-triple-as-h-1b-quotas-and-backlogs-push-talent-toward-eb-1a/

• US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a raise in the fees charged for premium processing.
• Federal law states that the fees are adjusted every two years to reflect inflation; the previous raise was in February 2024, requiring an adjustment in early 2026.
• USCIS based the fee increase on the consumer price index, and are generally an increase in the low three figures, depending on the visa
• https://www.boundless.com/blog/uscis-premium-processing-fees-increase-march-2026

• Citing public charge concerns, the United States government announced it would pause processing of immigration visas from citizens of 75 countries.
• The halt began on January 21, 2026, and will continue indefinitely until the State Department reviews its policies and procedures.
• Brazil, Congo, Russia, Nigeria, Thailand, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, and Somalia are among the countries affected.
• The pause does not apply to non immigration visas, including student visas, which are able to still be processed.
• https://www.nafsa.org/regulatory-information/dos-pauses-immigrant-visa-issuance-nationals-75-countries

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement has launched a major operation in Maine, the latest state to be the focus of enforcement action for the agency.
• The operation has seen over 100 people arrested, and has caused local controversy with one Sheriff saying that a corrections officer with legal authorization to work was arrested by the agency.
• There has been some speculation that Maine’s small but sizable Somali community prompted the administration to start the operation
• https://www.npr.org/2026/01/24/nx-s1-5685262/ice-says-it-has-arrested-more-than-100-people-in-maine-this-week

• The Department of Justice begun a probe into two public officials in Minnesota, in the latest chapter of a controversial political controversy over immigration enforcement in the state that has seen two fatal shootings involving federal officers
• Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz, are being investigated over a ‘conspiracy to impede federal immigration agents,’ accusations that Mayor Frey and Governor Walz both dismissed as politically motivated and baseless.
• Both Walz and Frey have been vocal critics of ICE’s deployment, and have repeatedly called for them to leave the city.
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-department-investigating-tim-walz-jacob-frey-minnesota/

• The State of Minnesota, and its two largest cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) took the federal government to court, claiming the deployment of immigration enforcement personnel to the state violates the US Constitution’s Tenth Amendment provisions regarding rights reserved to the states
• Administration lawyers have said that the deployment is a legal operation of federal law enforcement, and within the federal government’s constitutional powers.
• The case, one of several nationwide surrounding ICE, is in Minnesota Federal Court.
• https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/us/minnesota-lawsuit-ice-surge-hearing.html

• In a much-watched case, Federal Judge Jeffrey Bryan ordered the release of a Liberian man who was detained by federal immigration authorities.
• Judge Bryan stated that the raid in which the man, Garrison Gibson, was detained violated his Fourth Amendment rights guaranteeing protection against unlawful search and seizure
• Gibson had been in the US under an ‘order of supervision’ but had a previous order of removal that stemmed from a drug conviction charge that was later dismissed.
• https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/01/judge-orders-release-of-liberian-man-arrested-in-minneapolis-by-agents-with-a-battering-ram/#:~:text=U.S.%20District%20Judge%20Jeffrey%20Bryan%20said%20in%20his%20ruling%20that,judicial%20warrant%2C%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.

• The federal government can continue to block lawmakers from accessing ICE facilities without prior notice, a federal judge ruled.
• Currently, the Department of Homeland Security requires lawmakers give notification of their visit a week before hand.
• This policy had been challenged in court by Congressman Joe Neguse of Colorado.
• The Judge had stated that changes in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed last year had factored into the decision, which differed from one issued late last year.
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/20/lawmakers-ice-facilities-judge-block

• The Supreme Court will hear a case that may have major implications for immigration policy, particularly around presumption of guilt by immigration agents.
• The Case, Bondi v. Lau involves a Chinese citizen charged with a crime in 2013, and despite having a green card, was not re-admitted to the US under his visa but under parole.
• The circumstances of Lau’s case make it difficult for him to be deported if he had been admitted on his green card, but not if he was admitted on parole; whether the immigration officers had the power to do this in 2013 is the question on which the case hinges
• It is believed that the opinion could have major consequences for how the US legal system views the powers of immigration officers to “impose consequences on migrants for committing crimes” for which they have not been convicted.
• https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/01/court-to-decide-whether-immigration-agents-can-presume-guilt/

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

This month’s Newcomer Update at a glance:

• Administration to Ramp Up Denaturalizations

• Ohio House Narrows Land Ownership Bill

• SCOTUS to hear case on Birthright Citizenship

• Following considerable controversy, lawmakers in Ohio narrowed the criteria for a bill restricting land ownership by foreign residents.
• The bill would’ve banned the ownership of land by countries designated foreign adversaries, and additionally included individuals living in Ohio from these countries. Chinese, Cuban, Iranian, North Korean, and Russian nationals would’ve been banned from buying property within 25 miles of critical infrastructure.
• Critics have described the bill as overly harsh, and with a expansive definition of critical infrastructure would include much of the state.
• The changes reduce the radius to 10 miles and exempt green card holders and anyone who has served in the US armed forces, though advocacy groups continue to oppose the bill, citing that many residents could be unable to own a home or business because of their nationality.
• https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/12/01/ohio-house-narrows-foreign-land-ownership-bill-critics-contend-it-doesnt-go-far-enough/

• Ohio GOP Senator Bernie Moreno introduced legislation to ban Americans from holding dual citizenship, and would revoke their citizenship in the US if they refuse.
• Moreno cited the ‘conflicts of interest’ and ‘divided loyalties’ that he felt arise from dual citizenship.
• The bill, called the Exclusive Citizenship Act, currently does not have any cosponsors.
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/03/bernie-moreno-dual-citizenship-bill/87586266007/

• The US travel ban has been expanded to include a broader list of countries, with the eight countries newly added to the full ban: Burkina Faso, Mali. Niger, South Sudan, Syria, those with Palestinian Authority passports, Laos, and Sierre Leone.
• The Partial restriction list was also expanded, notably including Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
• Turkmenistan saw a partial lifting of restrictions, with non immigrant visas no longer being subject to restrictions
• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gkvxlpn55o

• The New York Times reported that the Trump administration will set ambitious targets for increasing the numbers of people stripped of citizenship in 2026 with a target of 100-200 cases per month.
• This number would significantly exceed the total number of cases in an entire year.
• Generally, denaturalization can only happen when people committed fraud while obtaining citizenship; USCIS officials confirmed that the targets will focus on those who lied or misrepresented their past during the naturalization process
• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/us/politics/trump-immigration-citizenship-denaturalization.html

• US Citizenship and Immigration Services issued new regulations on photos that can be used on immigration applications.
• Effective immediately, photos must be taken by authorized entities and must be less than three years old
• The announcement cited that the previous policy was especially flexible and dated from the COVID-19 pandemic. It allowed for photos taken up to ten years ago, and the agency stated that to prevent fraud a more stringent policy was needed.
• https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/new-photo-policy-helps-prevent-immigration-fraud-through-enhanced-identity-verification

• Temporary Protected status for nationals of Haiti will end in February of next year.
• The status was initially imposed in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, and was extended since when the country entered a prolonged political crisis that saw the assassination of the country’s president and an uptick in organized crime
• The revocation is pending a court case, the Haitian Evangelical Clergy Association v. Trump, which is ongoing.
• Haitians on TPS have until February 3^rd to either find another status or depart the US, those who depart are eligible for government funding to pay for a plane ticket.
• https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/dhs-terminates-temporary-protected-status-for-haiti

• In a three-country deal, ten United States citizens and permanent residents detained in Venezuela were released, in exchange for the simultaneous release of 250 Venezuelan nationals deported from the US and held in El Salvadorian prisons.
• The Trump administration claimed the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador had ties to organized crime, which critics have disputed
• Their release has been something of a cause célèbres for Venezuela’s government, which has been accused of detaining Americans as a way of gaining leverage
• Among the Americans released was Lucas Hunter, detained on Colombian soil. near the Venezuelan border last year.
• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/world/americas/venezuela-us-prisoner-swap-migrants-el-salvador.html

• US Customs and Border Protection proposed changes to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization to require applicants to disclose 5 years of social media history
• The ESTA program allows visitors from 42 countries to visit the US without a visa.
• Information on social media has been on the application sin ce 2016, but was not mandatory.
• Under the proposed new policy, a persons pone numbers, email addresses, and social media history would be mandated
• The changes are not finalized and are subject to public comment in the Federal Registrar through February 9^th

• The Supreme Court will hear a case challenging President Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship, setting up a major case in the ongoing legal battle over the policy.
• The case revolves around the Citizenship Clause of the 14^th amendment to the Constitution.
• In previous cases, notably US v. Wong Kim Ark, the Court has held that a child born in the US to foreign parents automatically is a US Citizen; only a few narrow exceptions, such as children born to parents who are foreign diplomats, are not eligible for citizenship at birth.
• Trump has criticized birthright citizenship for years and earlier this year issued an executive order removing birthright citizenship for children born to parents who were in the US without legal status, or were here on certain temporary visas
• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/us/politics/supreme-court-trump-birthright-citizenship.html

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

This month’s Newcomer Update at a glance:

• Administration Announces Review of Biden Era Refugees
• International Student Enrollment Declines Nationwide
• Bill Introduced to Ease Pathway for Immigrants Working at VA

• The Department of the Interior unveiled a new pass to visit all National Parks Service sites, with a two tiered pricing system that is more expensive for foreign visitors. Non-residents will pay $250, while US residents will pay $80.
• Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cited that US taxpayers are already paying to fund the parks service
• Several of the most popular sites will also be the subject to a $100 fee for foreign visitors
• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1kpnxvpgy2o

• New data shows that Us tech firms are dominating the H-1B lists, with Amazon.com, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and Apple among the largest
• There has been a notable decline in India-based companies among the top firms, with only three of the top twenty-five H-1B sponsors being from India.
• The list is dominated by technology companies, but some financial firms also are prominent, with Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Ernest and Young featuring
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2025/11/17/top-us-technology-companies-dominate-h-1b-visa-list-in-2025/

• The Trump administration announced it would review the applications and statuses of refugees admitted under President Joe Biden’s administration, citing concerns of insufficient screening and vetting
• In a memo from the director of USCIS, the reviews will focus on whether the individuals met the legal definition of a refugee when they entered the United States as well as whether there are any barriers that would make them ineligible for a green card
• The memo also called for a indefinite hold on all green card approvals for refugees who entered during the Biden years.
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-review-refugees-who-entered-under-biden-green-card-cases/

• A report from the Institute of International Education said the number of international students on American campuses declined about 1%, but a 7% decline in new international students and a 12% decline in new graduate student enrollment
• The Trump administration has sought to curb international enrollment and has considered advocating for a cap of international enrollment at 15% of the student body, though the administration has also at times stressed the importance of international student enrollment
• 57% of institutions that provided data reported that new enrollments from abroad decreased in 2025.
• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/us/international-students-enrollment-decrease.html

• As specified in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed earlier this year, the new $1,000 fee for those granted parole goes into affect this fall
• Significant numbers of immigrants are exempt from the fee including those with a pending adjustment of status application
• Considerable confusion has arisen from the letters announcing the change, which are sometimes sent to those who are not affected by it
• https://www.boundless.com/blog/immigration-parole-fee-2025

• New legislation that would temporarily pause all immigration to the United States was introduced by Texas Congressman Chip Roy and a group of Republican co-sponsors.
• The pause would be lifted when a series of changes would be codified into law, changes specified include allowance of more restrictions on undocumented immigrants attending public schools, the ending of the diversity visa program, restrictions on means-tested federal programs, and the abolition of OPT.
• https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_970f95a1-fdcb-4223-bc32-258bf24f17ee.html

• In an effort to expand healthcare for America’s Veterans, four members of congress introduced legislation to eliminate barriers facing immigrants working at the Veterans Administration
• The Expanding Healthcare Providers for Veterans Act was introduced earlier this month by Representative Rashida Tliab, a Michigan Democrat, and currently has three cosponsors.
• The bill would remove the caps on visas for immigrants with jobs at the VA as well as exempt them from the restrictions introduced by executive order in September.
• https://www.quiverquant.com/news/New+Bill%3A+Representative+Rashida+Tlaib+introduces+H.R.+5985%3A+Expanding+Health+Care+Providers+for+Veterans+Act

• Texas Republican Keith Self introduced the Immigration Document Delivery Accountability Act aiming to have more accountability and transparency around the mailing of documents related to immigration
• The bill requires the postal service introduce a ‘trackable accountability measure’ to ensure timely delivery of the documents.
• It currently does not have any cosponsors, and was referred to the Oversight Committee.
• https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5979/actions

• Federal Judge Sunshine Suzanne Sykes issued a certification striking down a Department of Homeland Security that required most immigrants who entered the US illegally to remain detained by immigration authorities throughout deportation proceedings
• The ruling could allow those subject to mandatory detention to be released on bond
• The policy was instituted in July, and has been the subject of legal action since it was announced.
• https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/thousands-immigrants-eligible-bond-hearings-striking-dhs-policy/story?id=127879736