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Immigration News Briefs

Provided by Humera Subhani

December 2024

Trump’s immigration plans: What to expect

With the advent of another Trump presidency looming, immigrants are rightfully anxious about the new agenda and transformation of U.S. immigration policies. Trump’s plans include mass deportations of undocumented migrants, using the military as enforcement, the “Remain in Mexico” asylum policy, making (yet another) border wall with increased border guards, workplace raids, and the infamous Muslim ban, which would test the ideology of immigrants from certain countries. He has also again mentioned instituting a Birthright Citizenship Ban, which is in direct conflict with the U.S. Constitution and would require that any child born in the US have at least one permanent resident or U.S. citizen parent in order to be a U.S. citizen.

The legality, humanity and ethics of these policies will no doubt be questioned as he begins to implement them. Should these measure move forward it will be a dramatic and dark shift in the future of U.S. immigration.

Ruling ends keeping families together program

On November 7, 2024, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in State of Texas v. Department of Homeland Security, Case Number 24-cv-306 (E.D.T.X. Nov. 7, 2024) issued a final judgment vacating the Keeping Families Together (KFT) parole process, published at 89 Fed. Reg. 67,459 (Aug. 20, 2024).

Effective immediately, USCIS is taking the following steps to comply with the Court’s Order:

Pending Form I-131F applications will not be adjudicated and intake of new Form I-131F applications will cease.
Anyone with a future Application Support Center appointment in support of a filed Form I-131F should consider that appointment cancelled immediately. Anyone who appears for such an appointment will be turned away.
External engagements on the KFT parole process are cancelled.

In the coming days, USCIS will publish additional information on how it will handle pending cases and paid application fees.

Permanent residence and naturalization updates

On November 14, USCIS issued policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify that a naturalization applicant’s burden to demonstrate they have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence applies only to their initial admission as a lawful permanent resident (LPR) or adjustment to LPR status.

USCIS clarifies that an applicant for naturalization must show that they have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence in accordance with all immigration laws in effect at the time of admission or adjustment. Consistent with the 4th Circuit Decision in Azumah v. USCIS, 107 F.4th 272 (4th Cir. 2024), USCIS will consider whether a naturalization applicant was lawfully admitted for permanent residence or was lawfully adjusted to permanent resident status at the time of theirinitial admission or adjustment, regardless of whether they were lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of any subsequent reentries to the United States. This guidance, contained in Volume 12 of the Policy Manual, is effective immediately and applies to requests pending or filed on or after the publication date.

APPLICATION FINAL ACTION DATES FOR DECEMBER 2024

FAMILY	India	Pakistan/Bangladesh
1st	22Oct15	22Oct15
2A	01Jan22	01Jan22
2B	01May16	01May16
3rd	15Apr10	15Apr10
4th	08Mar06	01Aug07

EMPLOYMENT	India	Pakistan/Bangladesh
1st	01Feb22	Current
2nd	15Aug12	15Mar23
3rd	01Nov12	15Nov22
Other	01Nov12	01Dec20
4th	01Jan21	1Jan21
5th	01Jan22	Current1B

DATES FOR FILING VISA APPLICATIONS - DECEMBER 2024

FAMILY	India	Pakistan/Bangladesh
1st	01Sep17	01Sep17
2A	15Jul24	15Jul24
2B	01Jan17	01Jan17
3rd	22Apr12	22Apr12
4th	01Aug6	01Mar08

EMPLOYMENT	India	Pakistan/Bangladesh
1st	15Apr22	Current
2nd	01Jan13	01Aug23
3rd	08Jun13	01Mar23
Other	08Jun13	22May21
4th	01Feb21	01Feb21
5th	01Apr22	Current1B