James McHenry, Director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR), who took office during the Trump administration, has stepped down from his role effective January 31, 2021. This move comes as the Biden administration replaces top government officials. The EOIR, a sub-agency of the United States Department of Justice, primarily conducts removal proceedings of noncitizens and adjudicates appeals arising from such removal proceedings. James McHenry’s Background READ MORE READ MORE

The coveted EB-5 program is reaching its time of testing when Congress will decide whether to renew it or not. The EB-5 investor immigration program, created in 1990, has a sunset provision that could lead to its expiration by June 30, 2021. This has not caused much concern, as Congress can automatically renew certain programs, including the EB-5 program, by passing the omnibus bill to approve a READ MORE READ MORE

Biden Administration’s New Executive Orders on Immigration On February 2, 2021, President Biden signed three executive orders on immigration, further crystalizing his agenda for the next four years. The first executive order officially creates a task force that will seek to reunite families that were separated at the border during the previous administration, specifically revoking former President Trump’s executive order that established the child separation policy. The READ MORE READ MORE

The wait to get a U visa approved can run into many years. Immigrants risk their lives to cooperate with law enforcement and do not get their applications adjudicated for a long time. Currently, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is processing U visa applications from March 2016. What Is the U Visa? In 2000, Congress created the U visa to encourage victims of criminal activities READ MORE READ MORE

On December 3, 2020, the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer entered a precedential decision in Martine Mbitaze v. City of Greenbelt, 13 OCAHO 1345b, a case arising out of the employment discrimination provision of 8 U.S.C. 1324b. In October 2019, Mbitaze had filed a complaint against the City of Greenbelt alleging that the city had refused to hire her based on her national origin and citizenship READ MORE READ MORE