Foreign nationals who have been married to their U.S. Citizen spouse for less than 2 years will be granted conditional residence, instead of permanent residence, if their request for residency based on marriage to their spouse is approved. This is a way for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to again determine that the marriage […]
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Increase in the Detention of Immigrants
En Español Under the Trump Administration, all persons in the U.S. without permission, regardless of their criminal history, connection to U.S. citizens, or lengthy residence in the country are considered priorities for detention and deportation. This marks a sharp shift away from the policy of the previous administration which prioritized criminals and threats to our […]
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DACA Is Alive and Well, Renew NOW!
On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration’s reason for ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was “arbitrary and capricious.” Judge John Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not have a valid reason […]
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Benefits of Immigration Bonds
En Español Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Officials are being very aggressive in enforcing immigration laws. As a result, more and more foreign nationals are being arrested and placed in immigration detention for removal proceedings. However, in some cases, the detained individual may be eligible for a bond. A bond allows the individual to be […]
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USCIS – Mission Statement (New Policy)
En Español On February 22, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was directed to re-write its mission statement. Per the new policy, part of the change included removing the phrase “a nation of immigrants.” The following day I had the honor of attending a Naturalization Ceremony for one of our beloved paralegals. […]
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Duval County’s 287g program
As of the writing of this entry, there are only a few counties in Florida counties with a 287g agreement (can be seen here). These agreements between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement agencies are expected to increase significantly throughout Florida under the Trump administration. While pitched to localities as enhancing community […]
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USCIS Increasing Application Fees Beginning December 23, 2016
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be raising the fees associated with immigration applications beginning on December 23, 2016. Any applications mailed on or after December 23, 2016 will need to include the higher fee. On average, there will be a 21% increase in fees! But who pays the fee? Find out more here. […]
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Eleventh Circuit Gives Hope to Detainees Subject to Prolonged Mandatory Detention
In Sopo v. Attorney General, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that the mandatory detention statute at U.S.C. § 1226(c), “authorizes detention for a reasonable amount of time. When this reasonable period is exceeded, the government must provide a bond hearing to determine whether the person’s continued detention is permissible. Such continued detention would […]
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USCIS Expands the I-601A Provisional Waiver
Certain individuals who are not eligible to adjust status in the United States can only apply to become a Lawful Permanent Resident by departing the U.S. and consular processing. Often one major hurdle for applicants is that those who have been unlawfully present in the U.S. for certain periods of time, will trigger a three […]
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