House Passes Spending Bill with $1 Billion Dedicated to Immigration Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a nearly $2 trillion spending bill that includes $1 billion dedicated to several measures that would address visa and employment authorization backlogs, as well as support for U.S. citizens whose parents are undocumented in the United States.   The bill – which will now be sent to the U.S. Senate for READ MORE READ MORE

The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) recently announced it has reached an agreement with a Texas-based company to settle immigration-related discrimination claims. Resolving allegations that the company failed to consider U.S. workers for certain positions and instead favored workers on temporary work visas, the settlement underscores the need for companies to exercise care in hiring.  Allegations of Favoring Non-U.S. Workers According to the Department of Justice, Igloo Products Corporation, a READ MORE READ MORE

A recent Insider report highlighted the continued difficulties of the Pennsylvanian mushroom industry to find workers amidst the labor shortage affecting businesses across the United States. It appears that restrictive immigration laws may be to blame.  Mushroom Industry in Pennsylvania Over two-thirds of America’s mushrooms are grown in southeastern Pennsylvania. In Kennett Square, Chester County, regarded as the “Mushroom Capital of the World,” the annual Mushroom Festival draws an estimated READ MORE READ MORE

U.S. Borders Finally Reopen to Foreign Travelers This week, after 20 months of travel restrictions, the U.S. reopened its borders to millions of travelers around the world, resulting in emotional scenes at airports across the country as family members embraced each other for the first time in almost two years. In March 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic made its way to the United States, the U.S. READ MORE READ MORE

The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently announced major settlements in three separate immigration-related discrimination lawsuits involving U.S. companies. Although the specific allegations differ, these announcements underscore the need for U.S. companies to carefully implement their hiring practices to avoid legal consequences.  DOJ, DOL Settle with Facebook Over PERM Recruiting Practices On Oct. 19, 2021, the DOL and DOJ jointly announced settlement agreements with READ MORE READ MORE