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The shutdown of the federal government that took effect on December 26th has caused the cancellation of an estimated 42,726 immigration court hearings to date.   It has been estimated by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, an agency which tracks data regarding immigration cases, that this number will increase by approximately 20,000 for every week...Read More

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced the launch of Project Golden Door, a major expansion to the current lineup of New York Immigration services available to immigrants. This new program will significantly increase access to legal services for newcomers to our country and immigrants who may be facing issues with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or...Read More

Despite harsh rhetoric and even harsher treatment of immigrants in recent years, the positive impact of these individuals and families on the economy and culture of the United States cannot be dismissed. Many of these immigrants came here on temporary visas or through sponsorship by family members already in residence in the United States. Both...Read More

The S visa is designed to provide added incentives for immigrants who have been convicted of serious criminal activities to testify against others. These visas are generally reserved for individuals who can provide valuable testimony about terrorist groups, drug operations and other major criminal organizations. The promise of an S visa can often elicit cooperation...Read More

A lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) on December 11, 2018, alleges that significant alterations have been made to the Risk Classification Assessment (RCA) software, allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain immigrants who pose little or no flight risk. According to the lawsuit, ICE made changes to the RCA...Read More

A large group of former federal and state judges has requested that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials add courtrooms and court buildings to their list of sensitive locations. This would prevent ICE agents from detaining or arresting immigrants in these facilities. The judges sent a letter to ICE on December 12, 2018, that...Read More

A recent decision by the New York Court of Appeals could provide added help for immigrants who have been charged with criminal offenses. According to the opinion delivered by Judge Leslie E. Stein, immigrants have the right to a jury trial even if their case would not rise to the level that normally would require...Read More

Officials in Mexico have announced that they will be taking steps to deport immigrants who attempted to rush the U.S. border on November 25, 2018, in an effort to enter the United States illegally. These immigrants have been traveling for weeks in a loosely organized caravan heading from countries in Central America toward the U.S.-Mexico...Read More

A recent ruling by a New York appellate court will stop local police stations from acting to detain immigrants on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. The case in question involved an immigrant who had pled guilty to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to time already served. Instead of releasing him, however, Suffolk...Read More

In what appears to be another transparent grab by the Trump administration, new rules were announced on November 8, 2018, that would allow President Donald Trump to deny asylum to almost all immigrants who cross the border illegally to seek protection in the United States. This represents a major change to the current policies in...Read More