The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released their final rule on Jan. 31, 2024, adjusting the price for certain immigration and naturalization fees. Every two years, the USCIS conducts a fee review. In the most recent biennial review, they determined that the “fees do not recover the full cost of providing adjudication and naturalization services.” In tandem with USCIS, DHS READ MORE READ MORE

With a new, albeit slight, majority in the House of Representatives, Republicans recently approved a rules package which will send a controversial immigration bill to the floor for a vote. The Border Safety and Security Act of 2023 seeks to upend the American immigration system. It creates new restrictions for those seeking asylum in the United States.  Many human rights organizations have already opposed the measure. The bill READ MORE READ MORE

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) recently announced several updates to Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”), which clarify immigration issues for nationals of qualifying countries. These announcements highlight the fluid nature of immigration status for countries in crisis and the power of the Department of Homeland Security to respond to urgent humanitarian needs. What is TPS? TPS is a temporary immigration status created by Congress under the Immigration READ MORE READ MORE

Pennsylvania State Police recently announced a settlement agreement resolving a federal lawsuit that alleged troopers routinely and improperly enforced federal immigration law by identifying and stopping individuals of Latin descent. The settlement, which resolved the allegations, highlights the intersection of state and federal law enforcement issues relating to immigration. Federal Lawsuit Details Allegations of Misconduct The lawsuit, filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 2019 with the assistance of READ MORE READ MORE

With President Trump threatening a Constitutional showdown over the question of “birthright citizenship,” many New Jersey immigrants are concerned about their children—those already born and deemed US Citizens, and those who are to be born. “Birthright citizenship” is the automatic granting of US Citizenship to any child born on US soil, without regard to the citizenship or resident status of the parent. Citing to a 2016 Migration READ MORE READ MORE