July 28, 2026Asylum
USCIS Can Now Send Asylum Cases to a Judge Without an Interview
A rule effective July 28, 2026 lets asylum officers refer applications to immigration court based only on the paperwork — no interview first.
Read full update →What's New
Immigration policy updates, explained in plain language.
July 21, 2026Legal
Court Temporarily Pauses Penalties for Unpaid Asylum Fees
A judge blocked USCIS from rejecting asylum cases and stripping work permits over the annual asylum fee — but the pause is temporary and the fee is still owed.
Read full update →July 16, 2026Policy
New Public Charge Rule Takes Effect September 18, 2026
DHS rescinded the 2022 public charge regulation. From September 18, officers may weigh Medicaid, SNAP, and housing assistance when deciding green card cases.
Read full update →June 30, 2026Legal
Supreme Court Strikes Down the Birthright Citizenship Order
On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to children born in the US, ending the executive order permanently.
Read full update →June 29, 2026Policy
Registration Is Now Mandatory — and Most People Are Already Registered
DHS finalized the alien registration rule on June 29, 2026. Failing to register can mean a fine up to $5,000 and up to six months in jail — but most immigrants do not need to file anything.
Read full update →June 25, 2026Policy
Supreme Court Clears the Way for More TPS Terminations
A June 25, 2026 ruling let the administration end Temporary Protected Status for Haiti and Syria, leaving only four countries with active designations.
Read full update →June 5, 2026Asylum
Federal Court Strikes Down the USCIS Processing Freeze
A June 5, 2026 ruling invalidated the policies that had frozen green cards, work permits, and asylum decisions for nationals of about 39 countries.
Read full update →May 21, 2026Policy
Green Cards From Inside the US Are Now Discretionary
A May 21, 2026 USCIS memo tells officers that meeting every requirement for adjustment of status is no longer enough to be approved.
Read full update →April 27, 2026Policy
Expanded Background Checks Are Delaying Cases Across the Board
New FBI screening that began April 27, 2026 has slowed green card, naturalization, and asylum decisions — and a new unit is re-examining existing green card holders.
Read full update →January 1, 2026Policy
New 1% Tax on Cash Money Transfers Sent Abroad
Starting January 1, 2026, sending money out of the US with cash, a money order, or a cashier's check costs an extra 1% — bank and card transfers are exempt.
Read full update →December 16, 2025Travel
Travel Ban Expanded to 39 Countries
Proclamation 10998, effective January 1, 2026, more than doubled the list — 19 countries face a full entry ban and 20 face partial restrictions.
Read full update →October 20, 2025Policy
Citizenship Just Got Harder: New Civics Test and Deeper Vetting
A longer civics test applies to N-400s filed on or after October 20, 2025, alongside a broader good moral character review and revived neighborhood investigations.
Read full update →July 4, 2025Policy
New Immigration Fees — Including a Yearly Fee to Keep an Asylum Case Open
The budget law signed July 4, 2025 created fees that cannot be waived: $100 to apply for asylum, about $100 every year the case is pending, and $550 for a first work permit.
Read full update →June 4, 2025Travel
New Travel Ban Blocks Entry from 12 Countries
A June 2025 proclamation bars nationals of 12 countries from entering the US and imposes partial restrictions on seven more — effective June 9.
Read full update →March 25, 2025Policy
CHNV Parole Program Officially Ended, Affecting 532,000 People
The Biden-era parole programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans were formally terminated after the Supreme Court lifted a court injunction.
Read full update →February 5, 2025Policy
Venezuela TPS Protections Revoked by DHS
DHS revoked a Biden-era extension of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, putting hundreds of thousands at risk of losing work authorization and protection from deportation.
Read full update →January 22, 2025Asylum
US Refugee Admissions Program Suspended Indefinitely
The US halted all refugee resettlement starting January 22, 2025, leaving thousands of approved refugees with cancelled flights and no timeline for arrival.
Read full update →January 21, 2025Enforcement
ICE Significantly Expands Enforcement Operations Across the US
Since January 2025, ICE has dramatically increased arrests in major cities, and the Trump administration has threatened to cut federal funding to cities that limit cooperation with federal agents.
Read full update →January 20, 2025Enforcement
ICE Can Now Make Arrests at Schools, Churches, and Hospitals
A longstanding policy that discouraged immigration arrests near schools, houses of worship, and hospitals was formally revoked on January 20, ending decades of protection.
Read full update →January 20, 2025Legal
Birthright Citizenship Executive Order Blocked — Current Law Unchanged
Trump's order to end automatic citizenship for US-born children of undocumented parents was immediately blocked by federal courts and has never taken effect.
Read full update →January 20, 2025Asylum
Trump Suspends Asylum Processing at the Southern Border
An executive order signed January 20 ends routine asylum processing at the US-Mexico border and cancelled all pending CBP One app appointments immediately.
Read full update →January 17, 2025DACA
Fifth Circuit Rules Parts of DACA Rule Unlawful — Renewals Still Allowed
A January 2025 federal appeals court ruling found parts of the DACA program unlawful but left existing renewal protections in place nationwide.
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