The U.S. is suffering from “Brain Drain,” also called human capital flight. This is the process where highly-skilled individuals leave their place of origin and seek employment and opportunity elsewhere. It has been historically relevant to trends like German nationals immigrating to the U.S. before and after WWII. At present, developed countries will often compete […]
Zero Tolerance Fallout and Immigrant Children
Our national immigration policies serve to outline the standards agencies must follow when interacting with those wishing to enter the United States. However, important legal questions arise when those wishing to enter are young children or teenagers. The current administration has made it clear they expect a “zero tolerance policy” when it comes to immigrants […]
Sweeping Changes to “Public Charge” Inadmissibility
Currently, the public charge provision disqualifies immigrants who would be at risk of primarily depending on the government for support. The likelihood of future enrollment in public programs which provide cash benefits is one factor in the determination of whether someone could become a public charge after immigrating to the U.S. In September 2018, the […]
New Battles between ICE and “Sanctuary” California
Immigration law is quickly becoming a battleground between different approaches towards those entering our country. With the new administration’s efforts to hasten deportations, many states, including California, have established laws which protect immigrants from status inquiries while they are being questioned on unrelated matters. So called “sanctuary laws” allow for areas such as schools and […]
What the Newest Supreme Court Nomination Means for Immigration
Newly confirmed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will hear his first oral arguments this week, and one of them may have an impact on immigration for years to come. As the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court of the United States often issues decisions on cases which have massive impacts in immigration […]
Jennings v. Rodriguez: what happens to detained immigrants now?
What is the decision in this case and how does it affect a detained immigrant? Lately, the news has been flooded with immigration updates and changes, including court cases affecting various aspects of immigration law. Earlier this year, on February 20, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States decided Jennings v. Rodriguez. The Supreme […]
Recent ICE Raids in Northern California
What happened in the recent ICE raids in Northern California? In the past few months, there have been ICE raids in the Northern California area, including the San Francisco bay area, San Diego area, and here in the Sacramento valley. The arrests in Northern California took place over a 4-day period, beginning Sunday, February 25. […]
An update on DACA – Spring 2018
What has been happening with DACA? What did the Supreme Court decide about DACA? Is USCIS still accepting DACA applications? DACA has been getting a lot of news since President Trump’s announcement last fall to end the DACA program as of March 5, 2018. Since January of this year, there have been several important court […]
Unlawful Presence, the Immigration “Bars,” and Waivers
What is Unlawful Presence? Many immigrants come to the United States by illegally crossing the border. Others are issued visas and overstay in the U.S. past their authorized date. These situations can lead to accrual of unlawful presence in the United States. Unlawful presence can come with serious consequences, so it is important to understand what unlawful […]
What is Happening to DACA?
What is Happening to DACA? What were Initial DACA, Renewal DACA, and Advance Parole on DACA under President Obama? DACA applications have been accepted since 2012 after former President Obama issued the executive order creating the program. You can find the list of requirements to apply for an initial DACA application here. Once approved, a […]