Palmer Polaski Blog

A popular way many skilled professionals seek immigrant visas is through EB-2 National Interest Waivers. This pathway allows applicants to self-petition and bypass labor certification (PERM), which is time-consuming and outside of the control of the beneficiary. Since FY2018, applications surged nearly 500%; however, approval rates dropped to 43% in FY2024. Pending cases also rose […]

Employers are required to use the Form I-9 to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired and employed in the United States. Employers must maintain a copy of a completed Form I-9 for each employee for three years after their hire date, or one year after their employment is terminated, whichever is later. […]

From enhanced vetting, sporadic SEVIS terminations (that were later reinstated), targeted visa revocations, ICE arrests, social media monitoring, crackdowns on activists, and temporary pausing of visa interviews (that were also reinstated), the Trump administration has shown great animosity to foreign students and scholars during its first months. These draconian policies harm the future of the […]

President Trump has claimed ramped up ICE enforcement activities, arrests, and removals since his inauguration. However, data from Syracuse University’s TRAC system show that daily arrests are only slightly (2%) up when compared to arrests under President Biden. Biden’s arrests were a result of thousands of apprehensions at the border while Trump’s are in the […]

Effective June 6, 2025, USCIS rescinded the policy of categorically considering deferred action for special immigrant juveniles with an approved Form I-360. While no longer automatically granted deferred action, SIJS applicants with approved I-360s still are eligible to apply for deferred action benefits with USCIS and the protections can be granted on a case-by-case basis; […]

On June 4, 2025, the White House issued new travel bans. Effective June 9, 2025, people from certain countries are completely banned from traveling to the United States, while people from others are partially banned. The ban applies to people who are outside of the United States and do not have a valid visa as […]

After a month’s long battle, on May 30, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling giving a green light to the Trump administration to terminate the CHNV parole program. CHNV refers to the four humanitarian parole programs for certain individuals of four countries – Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela – with sponsors in the […]

On June 4, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a press release announcing that the agency will enhance its efforts to detain, and deport if it can, nonimmigrants who failed to depart at the end of their authorized stay in the United States. According to the press release, DHS is “ramping up the […]

In recent months, the Trump administration announced termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nepal, Venezuela, and most recently Haiti, amidst contentious litigation in federal court. On May 13, 2025, DHS announced that Afghanistan’s TPS designation will formally terminate on July 14, 2025. Afghanistan now joins Cameroon (ending August 4, 2025), Nepal (August […]

USCIS initiated deportation proceedings against over 26,700 foreign nationals since updating its guidelines in late February. On April 9, 2025, USCIS began reviewing social media activity of foreign nationals for evidence of antisemitic activity as a basis for denying immigration benefits. On April 11, 2025, EOIR issued a policy memorandum permitting immigration judges to pre-termit […]