COVID-19
Note: Policies are rapidly changing, so please verify information on the relevant government websites and with colleagues on listservs as best you can.
EOIR Status Overview & EOIR Court Status Map/List: Hearings in non-detained cases at courts without an announced date are postponed through, and including, November 13, 2020. [Note: Despite the standing order about practices upon reopening, an opening date has not been announced for NYC non-detained at this time.]
TOP NEWS
ICE moves to quickly deport more immigrants without court hearings
CBS: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is implementing new rules unveiled in July 2019 that allow agents to expand their use of “expedited removal,” a fast-tracked deportation process created by a 1996 law that bars certain immigrants from seeking relief before an immigration judge.
New Trump Administration Rule Further Restricts Asylum Eligibility
USNWR: Under the regulation, having fake identification documents, including a fake ID, will render an immigrant ineligible for asylum in most cases. Unlawfully receiving public benefits will similarly bar someone from being granted asylum, as will a conviction for drug possession or possession of drug paraphernalia, with the single exception of having 30 grams or less of marijuana. An immigrant with two DUI convictions, or a single DUI conviction that resulted in the harm of another person, will be ineligible for asylum protections. The rule also bars immigrants convicted of domestic violence, stalking, child abuse and similar crimes, no matter the severity, from asylum. It also notably deems ineligible for asylum any immigrant whom an asylum officer “knows or has reason to believe” engaged in acts of battery or extreme cruelty – regardless of if the immigrant was arrested for such a crime.
‘Stunning’ Executive Order Would Politicize Civil Service
Gov Exec: Positions in the new Schedule F would effectively constitute at-will employment, without any of the protections against adverse personnel actions that most federal workers currently enjoy, although individual agencies are tasked with establishing “rules to prohibit the same personnel practices prohibited” by Title 5 of the U.S. Code. The order also instructs the Federal Labor Relations Authority to examine whether Schedule F employees should be removed from their bargaining units, a move that would bar them from being represented by federal employee unions. [It is unclear at this stage how/if this would affect the BIA, IJs, and other immigration officials.]
U.S. weighs labeling leading human rights groups ‘anti-Semitic’
Politico: The Trump administration is considering declaring that several prominent international NGOs — including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam — are anti-Semitic and that governments should not support them, two people familiar with the issue said.
Lawyers say they can’t find the parents of 545 migrant children separated by Trump administration
NBC: Lawyers appointed by a federal judge to identify migrant families who were separated by the Trump administration say that they have yet to track down the parents of 545 children and that about two-thirds of those parents were deported to Central America without their children, according to a filing Tuesday from the American Civil Liberties Union.
John Oliver Explains the Three Other Ways Trump Has Been Cruel to Asylum-Seekers
Slate: In the video above, Oliver breaks down three other policies the Trump administration has used to deter asylum-seekers that don’t have the same notoriety that family separation does but are nonetheless important to know about: migrant protection protocols, safe third country agreements, and Title 42.
Inside the Refugee Camp on America’s Doorstep
NYT: The members of this displaced community requested refuge in the United States but were sent back into Mexico, and told to wait. They came there after unique tragedies: violent assaults, oppressive extortions, murdered loved ones. They are bound together by the one thing they share in common — having nowhere else to go.
Senators seek IG probe of border agency’s warrantless use of phone location data
WaPo: When people use any one of a broad assortment of weather, gaming and other apps, their location data is bundled and resold by companies such as Venntel to advertisers, commercial buyers — and, in recent months, federal agencies such as CBP, which have argued the data is a powerful tool for investigating crime.
Chron Higher Ed: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security today announced the arrest of 15 international students as part of an investigation into fraud in optional practical training, or OPT, the work program for international graduates. Another 1,100 will lose their work authorizations.
Study finds no crime increase in cities that adopted ‘sanctuary’ policies, despite Trump claims
WaPo: Cities that have adopted “sanctuary” policies did not record an increase in crime as a result of their decision to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, according to a new Stanford University report. The findings appear to rebut the Trump administration’s rhetoric about the policies’ dire effects on public safety.
19 women allege medical abuse in Georgia immigration detention
LA Times: The medical experts found an “alarming pattern” in which Amin allegedly subjected the women to unwarranted gynecological surgeries, in most cases performed without consent, according to the five-page report, which was submitted Thursday to members of Congress.
MPP Cases Highest Since Start of Pandemic
TRAC: In September 2020, the Immigration Court recorded 1,133 new MPP cases, up from a low of 136 in May, and the highest since the start of the pandemic in March when 2,282 MPP cases were filed. A total of 24,540 MPP cases are currently pending before the Immigration Court.
The Pandemic and ICE Use of Detainers in FY 2020
TRAC: Average weekday detainer usage, already trending downward this year, began to show some reduction starting in mid-March when it fell below 400 per weekday, and by the first of April had fallen below 300. By the second week of April the daily weekday average fell to around 240. However, after mid-April usage started climbing back up. By the end of the first week in May it was back up to a weekday average of around 300, and by mid-May usage had recovered completely.
#ICEAir #DeathFlights Week of October 19, 2020.
Witness at the Border: We believe #ICEAir ramp up over the last 4 weeks reflects more CDC/Title 42 order expulsions. 27 deportations to 7 different countries in LA & Caribbean (high possibility of deportation to India, not yet confirmed). 106 total flights – 4th week in a row over 100.
LITIGATION/CASELAW/RULES/MEMOS
ICE Implements July 23, 2019, Expedited Removal Designation
ICE announced that due to an order issued by the DC Circuit Court, ICE can now expedite the removal of certain individuals pursuant to the 7/23/19 Designation of Aliens for Expedited Removal. The announcement provides information on which individuals, except for UACs, can now be subjected to ER. AILA Doc. No. 20102230
USCIS and EOIR Final Rule on Bars to Asylum Eligibility
USCIS and EOIR final rule that adds seven additional mandatory bars to eligibility for asylum, among other changes. The final rule is effective 11/20/20. (85 FR 67202, 10/21/20) AILA Doc. No. 20102031
CLINIC: even Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries — who live in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and Miami, Florida — and the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in their suit against the Trump administration for unlawfully blocking TPS beneficiaries’ path to permanent U.S. residence.
Canadian Judge May Extend Contested Asylum Deal With US
Law 360: A Canadian appellate judge indicated at a Friday hearing that he may delay the effect of a lower court ruling striking down the country’s asylum-sharing agreement with the U.S. while the government appeals, but stressed he had a “difficult decision to make.”
RESOURCES
NYCBA: Report on the Independence of the Immigration Courts
NYSBA: New Ethics Opinion: COVID-19 and Client Representation
UnLocal: Bilingual Expedicted Removal Fact Sheets
CLINIC: Department of State Shifts Human Rights Reports Comparison Charts
CLINIC: Practice Advisory: Adjustment Options for TPS Beneficiaries
CLINIC: The Unlawful Presence Bars: Do They Continue to Run After Reentry to the United States?
CLINIC: DVP Updated DACA Resources
ILRC: 100+ Policy Changes that Have Devastated Immigrants and Asylum Seekers
ILRC: National Map of 287(g) Agreements
AILA: Practice Advisory: Telephonic Appearance of Attorneys at USCIS Interviews
AILA Featured Issue: USCIS’s Blank Space Policy
AILA: Asylum Cases on Standard of Review
AILA: Asylum Cases on Social Group
AILA: Asylum Cases on Political Opinion
AILA: Asylum Cases on Serious Nonpolitical Crime
AILA: Asylum Cases on Miscellaneous
AILA: Asylum Cases on Material Support Bar
AILA: Asylum Cases on Deferral of Removal Under CAT
AILA: Practice Alert: USCIS Increased Premium Processing Fees Effective October 19, 2020
AILA Bite-Sized Ethics: Withdrawing When a Client Goes MIA
EVENTS
- 10/27/20 Seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status in Removal Proceedings
- 10/27/20 Immigration, COVID-19, and the 2020 Election
- 10/28/20 Advanced U Visa Hot Topics
- 10/28/20 The Ecology of State-Building: Moving Capitals in Indonesia
- 10/28/20 Roundtable: Navigating Detention Conditions
- 10/29/20-10/30/20 2020 Crimes & Immigration Seminar
- 10/29/20 Presenting the Case
- 10/29/20 Marijuana: Bridging the Divide Between State and Federal Law
- 11/4/20 Program Strategies for Removal Defense Practice
- 11/5/20 Introduction to Asylum Law w/ I-ARC
- 11/9/20 Asylum Based on Fear of Gangs w/ CALA
- 11/9/20, 11/12/20 Intimate Partner Violence 101
- 11/10/20 Practicing in Video Teleconference Courts
- 11/10/20 Pursuing Immigration Pro Bono Opportunities in Private Practice
- 11/10/20 CMS 2020 Academic and Policy Symposium
- 11/11/20 Climate Change and Oceanic Migrations
- 11/12/20 Defying Non-Reviewability: How to Proceed After a Consular Denial
- 11/12/20-11/13/20 Public Charge Training of Trainers
- 11/17/20, 11/19/20 Trauma Informed Interviewing
- 11/17/20 Make the Government Pay! Attorney fees in Immigration
- 11/17/20 Employment-Based Immigration Opportunities for Immigrant Youth
- 11/18/20 Gender-Based Asylum w/ CGRS
- 11/18/20 Applying for Asylum and Related Relief for Clients with Convictions
- 11/24/20 VAWA Self-Petitioning Fundamentals
- 11/30/20 Perfecting a Winning Strategy for Asylum Applications
- 12/2/20 Migration, Climate Change, and Human Adaptation
- 12/2/20 An Overview of Naturalization
- 12/2/20-12/3/20 Legal Remedies for Immigrant Survivors: Introductory Seminar Series
- 12/3/20 Representing Permanent Residents in LPR Cancellation Cases
- 12/3/20 2020 AILA Crimes and Immigration Virtual Conference
- 12/3/20-12/4/20 53rd Annual Immigration and Naturalization Institute
- 12/8/20 Litigating Your Way Out of Delay
- 12/9/20 Public Charge in Consular Processing
- 12/15/20 Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude
- 12/16/20 LPRs and Public Charge
- 12/16/20 Program Strategies for Removal Defense Practice
- 2/4/21 Basic Immigration Law 2021: Business, Family, Naturalization and Related Areas
- 2/5/21 Asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Crime Victim, and Other Immigration Relief 2021
ImmProf
Monday, October 26, 2020
- Severed families, raided workplaces and a climate of fear: Assessing Trump’s immigration crackdown
- John Oliver: Asylum
- Guest Post — Minyao Wang: Chinese Voting in NYC in the Time of COVID-19
- Naturalization Fees: A Poll Tax Hidden in Plain Sight
- Immigration Article of the Day: Immigrants in Shifting Times on Long Island, NY: The Stakes of Losing Temporary Status by Kati L. Griffith, Shannon Gleeson, and Vivian Vazquez
Sunday, October 25, 2020
Saturday, October 24, 2020
- NYT Visits Refugee Camp on US Border in Matamoros
- At the Movies: The Undocumented Lawyer
- Immigrant Women and Girls in the United States: A Portrait of Demographic Diversity
Friday, October 23, 2020
- YLS Book Talk from Deborah Kang
- Discussing Ming Hsu Chen’s Book Pursuing Citizenship [UPDATED]
- Latino voter support for Trump Explained by Gender Gap
- ‘Criminal’: Trump and Biden square off on immigration
Thursday, October 22, 2020
- Family Separations Continue In South Texas, Years After They Allegedly Ended
- Trump Administration Implements Expansion of Expedited Removal
- Lawyers say they can’t find the parents of 545 migrant children separated by Trump administration
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
- DHS Arrests International Students, Threatens College Leaders for ‘Willful Ignorance’ of Student-Visa Program
- 545 Migrant Children Separated from Parents Cannot Be Reunified
- An executive order worth $100 billion: The impact of an immigration ban’s announcement on Fortune 500 firms’ valuation
- Activists call for Biden to Bring Immigrants and Immigration into Presidential Debate, Even if NBC and Trump Won’t
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
- Your Playlist: Elbow
- AILA, Others Sue to Enjoin “Wage Protections” Rule
- Immigrant-Origin Students in U.S. Higher Education
- The Pandemic Continues: U.S. Borders With Canada and Mexico Will Stay Closed Another Month
- Thoughts on the President and Immigration Law by Cristina Rodríguez and Adam Cox
Monday, October 19, 2020
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OECD: COVID-19 crisis puts migration and progress on integration at risk
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Supreme Court Takes Up Border Wall Funding, Migration Protection Protocols Cases
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Immigrant of the Day: Julio Urias, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers
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DHS & DOJ need comprehensive leadership changes, major reorganizations, re-examination of missions, effective ethical reforms, and thorough housecleanings to restore American democracy and achieve social justice and racial equality.
The key, to borrow from “Moscow Mitch,” is political power! “Moscow” and his GOP Senate buddies have just demonstrated in “real time” how they can turn the Supremes into an anti-democracy adjunct of the RNC. Because they can! And “tough noogies” for the majority of Americans they don’t represent!
Conversely, by voting the Trump regime and the GOP out, we can regain control of our Government and get broken, incompetent, and biased institutions like DHS and EOIR working for the people, rather than a White Nationalist minority with an anti-American, anti-democracy, anti-social-justice, anti-equality agenda!
Vote like your life and America’s future depend on it. Because they most certainly do!
Turn out the vote for Joe, Kamala, and all Dem candidates! Restore due process, compassion, and human decency! Take our nation back from the forces of darkness, bias, and failure that are destroying it and needlessly endangering the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of our fellow Americans with no plan whatsoever for addressing the current public health, social, and economic disasters crushing our nation!
Put racism, intolerance, hate, and institutionalized inequality “in the rear view mirror!” Move forward as a nation of justice, peace, innovation, rationality, compassion, prosperity, strength, and the courage to look beyond our own lives to the best interests of humanity! Make the “American Dream” a reality for all Americans rather than an unfulfilled promise available to some but “off limits” to others!
Due Process Forever! 🇺🇸🗽⚖️
PWS
10-27-20