The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia recently announced two dozen indictments in a years-long human trafficking investigation dubbed “Operation Blooming Onion.” The criminal enterprise, which spanned the Southeastern United States, defrauded the H-2A visa program, allegedly earning defendants over $200 million. This announcement underscores recent efforts by federal law enforcement under the Biden administration to target employers to quell the abuse of immigrant communities. “Operation Blooming READ MORE READ MORE

A recent opinion piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer highlighted troubling public health concerns for immigrant families in the United States. While there is a growing number of “mixed status” immigrant families in the United States, they continue to face difficulties finding affordable healthcare.  Addressing the Disparities in Healthcare Coverage Dr. Diana Montoya-Williams of the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania recently authored a poignant article for the Philadelphia Inquirer that raised important READ MORE READ MORE

Biden Administration Officially Withdraws Support for Salary-Based Visa Selection System In a motion filed in court in Washington, D.C., earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) has withdrawn its support for a rule, promulgated by President Trump just prior to leaving office, that would have given visa preferences to those individuals earning higher salaries, the salary-based visa selection system. Every year, 85,000 foreign workers are READ MORE READ MORE

Recently, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have made efforts to expedite the significant backlog of immigration cases across the country. Although the Dedicated Docket has been met with some criticism, recent data indicates it is producing results, albeit slowly.  Immigration Backlog The backlog of immigration cases in the United States is increasingly problematic. Currently, the backlog comprises approximately 1.5 million cases with READ MORE READ MORE

Clothing Company Settles Federal Charges of Discrimination Against Non-US Citizen Employees The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced that the American retail company Gap has settled federal charges that alleged discrimination against non-U.S. citizen employees due to their immigration status. Gap will pay a $73,263 fine for the violations and provide back wages to employees who lost work as a result, ending an investigation into the company’s READ MORE READ MORE