End of 2025 Policy Update

End of 2025 Policy Update

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

Ohio House Narrows Land Ownership Bill

  • 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/

Senator Moreno Introduces Bill to Ban Dual Citizenship

Travel Ban List Expanded

  • 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

Administration to Ramp Up Denaturalizations

  • 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

USCIS’ New Policy on Photo Verification

TPS for Haiti to End

  • 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 3rd 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

Applications for Gold Card Visa Now Open

  • 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 Considering Asking Visitors for Social Media History

  • 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 9th

SCOTUS to hear case on Birthright Citizenship

  • 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 14th 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

by [email protected]

December 2025 Newcomer Policy Update

December 2025 Newcomer Policy Update

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

Foreign Tourists to Pay More at National Parks

  • 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

Major Tech Firms Lead in H-1Bs

Administration Announces Review of Biden Era Refugees

  • 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.

International Student Enrollment Declines Nationwide

  • 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.

$1,000 parole fee takes affect

  • 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

Legislation to freeze all immigration introduced

  • 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.

Bill Introduced to Ease Pathway for Immigrants Working at VA

Bill Introduced on Immigration Document Delivery

  • 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.

Courts: Immigrants May Be Eligible for Bond Hearings

by [email protected]