Even the government is feeling the effects of the recent spike in inflation. In December, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a final rule adjusting certain civil penalties to account for the increasing rate of inflation in 2021. The final rule affects civil penalties from numerous DOJ programs, including employer penalties for certain immigration-related programs. DOJ Adjusts for Inflation According to the Department of Justice, a final READ MORE READ MORE

Outrage Following Reallocation of Millions in the Excluded N.J. Funds In a move that has left many immigrants and immigration advocates stunned and angry, New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy, has reallocated approximately $34 million of the $50 million from the federally-funded Excluded New Jerseyans Fund – which is dedicated to providing pandemic assistance to those who were exempted from the initial stimulus checks, including thousands of undocumented READ MORE READ MORE

The Biden Administration recently published its 2021 Regulatory Agenda, which lists regulations under active consideration by various agencies within the federal government. According to these proposals, the Biden administration is working to enact reforms to the American immigration system. Potentially impacted programs, like the H-1B visa program, continue to evoke heated political debate. 2021 Regulatory Agenda According to a recent article by the Times of India, the recently announced READ MORE READ MORE

According to a recent report by Axios, USCIS has begun to issue denials for Afghan applications for humanitarian parole. These denials highlight the ongoing struggle for thousands of Afghan evacuees to resettle following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from their war-torn country.  Crisis in Afghanistan You may remember the powerful images of individuals fleeing Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country late last summer. With the impending Taliban READ MORE READ MORE

Norris McLaughlin’s Immigration Group notes the impact of the partial government shutdown on the U.S. Immigration System as follows: Form I-9 and E-Verify E-Verify expired as a result of the government shutdown.  Employers will not have access to E-Verify to initiate new employee verifications, resolve non-confirmations, and verify employment authorization.  Until E-Verify is funded, employers must continue to verify employment eligibility through the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Authorization, READ MORE READ MORE