On Thursday, January 23, 2025, a federal judge in Seattle, Washington blocked enforcement of President Donald Trump’s recent executive order limiting birthright citizenship after four states (Washington, Illinois, Arizona, and Oregon) sought a temporary restraining order (TRO).
Articles Discussing General Topics In Employing Immigrants.
Trump Administration Day 1 Immigration Agenda: How Are Employers Impacted?
On Monday, January 20, the first day of the new presidential term, President Donald Trump issued a flurry of new executive orders1 related to immigration action items. Many of these orders address humanitarian and southern border immigration initiatives, as well as vetting and security procedures. We will focus on those orders
President Trump’s Executive Orders on Immigration and What They Mean for Employers
Following his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed several executive orders designed to advance his immigration agenda. The orders include:
Ending Birthright Citizenship Enhanced Vetting Creating “Homeland Security Task Forces” Ending Birthright Citizenship
This order directs federal agencies to refuse to recognize U.S.
President Trump Issues Six Executive Orders Pertaining to Immigration
As one of his first acts in office, on January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders covering various immigration-related policy decisions mere hours after taking his oath of office. The six executive orders discussed below cover a wide range of policy updates, all of which
President Trump Issues Executive Order Limiting Birthright Citizenship
As one of his first acts in office, on January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which asserts that citizenship may only be conferred to children with one or more parents who hold U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent
Immigration and Humanitarian Concerns
“A lot of employers have very innocent mistakes on their I-9s or employees have expired work authorization and they don’t even realize it. These are things immigration counsel can help with and protect employers from liability before the enforcement starts.”
The Year Ahead 2025: Immigration Issues
What can employers expect regarding changes in immigration and worksite enforcement under a second Trump administration? From pending asylum applications, temporary protected status, immigration benefits through humanitarian parole programs, DACA, raids and more, past experience and promises made during the campaign trail offer a reasonable roadmap.
Penalties for DHS Immigration-Related Violations Rise Again in 2025
As required under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015, the Department of Homeland Security Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), through the Federal Register, announced increases for penalties under the Immigration Reform & Control Act (IRCA), effective January 2, 2025. The higher penalties are for those cases where
DHS Final Rule: 540-Day Automatic EAD Extension Period Is Now Permanent
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a critical update for Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal applicants. Starting January 13, 2025, the automatic extension period for eligible EAD renewals will permanently increase from 180 days to 540 days. This change, making the previous temporary rule permanent, addresses delays
Immigration Hurdles Ahead: What Employers Can Expect from the Second Trump Administration
President-Elect Donald Trump is promising sweeping changes to the U.S. immigration system, with a focus on ramping up enforcement and the removal of
DHS Announces Permanent Rule for 540-Day Automatic Extension of Work Authorization Renewals
The 540-day automatic extensions of expiring employment authorization documents (EADs) will be permanent policy, according to a DHS final rule scheduled to be published on Dec. 13, 2024. The new rule will become effective on Jan. 13, 2025.
EAD applicants will be entitled to the 540-day automatic extensions if:
Travel Ban Fears? Why Foreign National Students Urged to Return to U.S. Before Jan. 20
Some colleges and universities, out of an abundance of caution, are advising their foreign national students and staff who are traveling abroad for winter
Recent O*NET Updates May Impact PERM and H-1B Filings
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently updated its Occupational Information Network (O*NET), resulting in readjustments to the “Job Zones”—five articulated categories correlated with the levels of education, training, and work experience necessary to perform certain occupations—that specific occupations fall under. These readjustments may adversely affect PERM and H-1B stakeholders.
USCIS Reaches FY 2025 H-1B Visa Cap
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it has received enough petitions to meet the congressionally mandated caps for H-1B visas for fiscal year (FY) 2025. This includes the 65,000 regular cap and the 20,000 U.S. advanced degree exemption, commonly known as the master’s cap.
Avoid Rejection: Form I-693 Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record Is Now Mandatory When Filing Form I-485
To streamline the application process and reduce delays, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced new requirements for certain applicants seeking permanent residency in the United States. Effective immediately, individuals filing Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, are required to submit Form I-693, Report of