Trump Administration Resumes “Medical Deferred Action” Program

Trump Resumes “Medical Deferred Action” Program

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. Given the anti-immigration policies of the Trump administration, it has been the rare case when there is positive news coming from the Trump administration on an issue affecting immigrants.  Since Donald Trump became President, it seems that the only good news for immigrants is when a Federal court steps up to block a policy of the Trump administration. There are also very few instances of the Trump administration reversing course and changing its mind about an anti-immigration policy.  However, as an exception to the above, there is a favorable development for

Federal Court Rules Trump Administration Violated Law with Visa Delays for Afghans And Iraqis Covered By SIV Program

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. While the general subject of immigrant rights often results in significant political debate, certain groups of immigrants receive special protection under the law.  One such group of immigrants are certain Afghans and Iraqis covered by the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. If you are covered by the SIV program, a law passed in 2013 requires that your visa application must be processed within 9 months.  However, on September 20, a Federal court ruled that the Trump administration violated this law with visa delays for certain Afghans and Iraqis

Supreme Court Grants Stay of Injunction Allowing Trump Administration’s New Asylum Restrictions to Take Effect

Trump Administration’s New Asylum Restrictions Take Effect

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. While the Federal judiciary has generally been the principal obstacle to the anti-immigration efforts of the Trump administration, the Supreme Court has sometimes overruled lower Federal courts and upheld the anti-immigration policies of the Trump administration.  For example, the Supreme Court has upheld the “Trump travel ban” and allowed the use of Department of Defense funds to build the United States-Mexico border wall. As another example of the Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Trump administration on an immigration issue, on September 11, the Supreme Court granted a stay

H-1B and L-1 Petition Denials and Requests For Evidence Have Increased During Trump Administration

H-1B and L-1 Petition Denials & Requested Evidence Increased

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. Much has been said about the hostile policies of the Trump administration toward undocumented immigrants.  While the issue probably receives less attention, the Trump administration also has not proceeded favorably with legal immigration alternatives.  Specifically, based on U.S. Citizenship and Investment Services (USCIS) updated data issued on August 7, H-1B and L-1 petition denials and requests for evidence (RFEs) have increased during the Trump administration. During the first 3 quarters of the current October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019 fiscal year (through June 30, 2019), USCIS

2 Federal Courts Issue Decisions to Block Use Of Pentagon Funds For President Trump’s Border Wall

Block Use Of Pentagon Funds For Trump’s border wall

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. While President Trump has announced many anti-immigration policies as President, probably his most well-known anti-immigration policy is to construct a wall at the United States southern border.  Yet, despite President Trump’s frequent calls for a border wall, various Federal courts have opposed certain actions by the Trump administration designed to help build the border wall. As further evidence of the statement in the preceding sentence, 2 Federal courts have recently issued decisions to block the use of Pentagon funds for President Trump’s border wall. On December 10, in the case

EB-2/NIW: A Golden Path to U.S. Permanent Residency

EB-2/NIW: A Golden Path to U.S. Permanent Residency

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. EB-2/NIW: A Golden Path to U.S. Permanent Residency The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides foreign nationals with multiple ways to obtain U.S. permanent residency, one of them being the EB-2/NIW category (employment based green card-second preference for those seeking a national interest waiver). Thanks to the EB-2/NIW category, holders of advanced degrees (Master’s degree or above or Bachelor’s degree plus 5 years of experience in the field) or aliens of exceptional ability in the arts, sciences, or business who benefit the national interests of the United States, can

TPS Visa Holders May Face Risk of Deportation in the United States

TPS Visa Holders May Face Risk of Deportation in the U.S.

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. The United States is one of the countries in the world that offers citizens of some politically and economically challenged nations temporary refuge in the country, as part of the Temporary Protected Status program of the Immigration Act of 1990. These countries include El Salvador, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Till now, holders of the TPS visa were eligible for permanent residency and citizenship, based on fulfillment of the eligibility criteria laid out by the USCIS for the

Disconcerted by the Anti-Immigration Wave? File Family Petitions Now.

Disconcerted by the Anti-Immigration Wave? File Petitions

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. President Donald Trump made his priorities clear during election season, one of them being immigration enforcement. Over the past months, the fixation of conservatives has been on ending ‘chain migration’, a loose umbrella term describing immigration to the United States based on family ties. Building a chain so to speak is by itself challenging, as it can take years for an immigrant with a green card and citizenship to bring his siblings and parents to the country and then facilitate the entry of more immediate family members. Petitioning for and receiving a family-based visa takes time

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