For many Americans, understanding the important role that undocumented immigrants play in keeping vital institutions running and in supporting our economy can be the first step in valuing these essential contributors fairly. Resistance to immigration reform and to creating a pathway to legal residency and citizenship for these individuals and families is creating a permanent...Read More

President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Alejandro N. Mayorkas as the head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under his administration. Mayorkas has previously served as a deputy secretary for the department, which has come under heavy fire under the Trump administration for appearing to bend to the will of President Trump. Mayorkas will be...Read More

Although he will not take office until January 20, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden has already signaled some big changes for immigration. Some of the new immigration policies that Biden has already planned include the following: Rescinding the travel ban for immigrants from a number of Muslim countries Putting in place a 100-day freeze on deportation...Read More

As Joe Biden and Kamala Harris celebrate their victory in the November elections and begin planning to take office in January 2021, many immigrant advocates see this shift in the political sphere as an opportunity to reverse many of the harshest and most unfair policies of the Trump administration. The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC)...Read More

On November 3, 2020, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration must vacate its policy of denying visas to immigrants based on an interpretation of the public charge rule. This rule has been used to deny green cards to immigrants who, in the view of the Trump administration, might require public assistance programs at...Read More

Help Navigating the Immigration System During World War II, about 6,000 soldiers from the Philippines fought alongside American soldiers as part of the war effort. These soldiers were granted U.S. citizenship in the years that followed these noble acts. In 2016, President Barack Obama issued an order that allowed relatives of these brave soldiers to...Read More

What the New ICE Deportation Policy Means Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have begun the process of putting in place a policy that would fast-track the arrest, detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States for less than two years. The expedited removal policy was initially blocked in...Read More

The Trump administration has tightened the rules for obtaining H-1B visas in the lead-up to the November election. Although the move is being presented as a way to protect American jobs during the pandemic, it will make it substantially more difficult for companies to obtain the skilled workers needed to perform vital tasks within their...Read More

Under current law, immigrants who have work permits and those who have lawful permanent residency status in New York City cannot legally vote in municipal elections. A bill introduced on January 23, 2020, however, is intended to provide a process for these immigrants to vote in local elections. This will allow these essential contributors to...Read More

After a brief pause in enforcement activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has returned to its harsh and aggressive tactics in arresting and detaining undocumented immigrants across the United States. Many of these individuals have lived and worked in this country for decades and have no outstanding criminal warrants or arrest...Read More