Palmer Polaski Blog

The Acting EOIR Director issued a flurry of policy memoranda eroding independence and procedural due process rights of individuals in the immigration court system. Some of the more notable memoranda include identifying immigration judges and appellate immigration judges as inferior officers, rescinding a 2023 policy that prohibited enforcement actions from occurring in or near immigration […]

Shortly after being inaugurated, President Trump fired four senior officials at the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). In mid-February, he fired 13 of the 28 members of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), 13 newly appointed immigration judges (IJs) who had not yet been sworn in, and five Assistant Chief Immigration Judges. This is […]

Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the federal government will use AI-assisted reviews of tens of thousands of social media accounts of F-1 visa holders in search of sympathies or support of terrorism. The federal government already revoked many student visas from foreign nations because of participation in controversial protests as a result of […]

The Trump Administration enacted a pause on all immigration applications filed by certain applicants from Latin America and Ukraine who entered the United States legally under humanitarian and family reunification parole programs. Those affected include beneficiaries of: Uniting for Ukraine, the CHNV parole program, and a family reunification program for Colombians, Ecuadorians, Central Americans, Haitians, […]

Nearly all foreign nationals must report a change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving. Failing to do so may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor and could result in fines and imprisonment. This requirement excludes A and G visa holders and visa waiver (ESTA) visitors, but includes permanent residents (green card holders). Failing to […]

All foreign nationals who are registered and are 18 years or older must carry proof of registration or face criminal penalties, including fines of up to $5000 or imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both. We recommend that all noncitizens carry with them one of the following, as applicable: I-94, I-485 receipt notice, or […]

USCIS has promulgated a new regulation, effective April 11, 2025, that governs the requirements of noncitizens who are present in the United States. While many of the requirements are not new law, most had not been enforced and, even when they were, the penalties were not severe. The new penalties for noncompliance include large fines, […]

In this heightened era of security, travelers entering the United States should anticipate stricter scrutiny from immigration inspectors. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers had begun asking ESTA travelers for social media account information upon entry — the theory being that this will enable CBP and DHS to better spot individuals with ties to terrorist […]

President Trump ended the enforcement priority system put in place by President Obama and modified by President Biden, which classified targets for removal based upon the seriousness of their crimes, among other factors. While during the first term of President Trump, immigration arrests appeared to be largely indiscriminate, the current term appears to focus on […]

On March 21, 2025, DHS abruptly closed three critical offices: the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman. On January 22, 2025, USCIS waived the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for Adjustment of Status Applicants. The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm Kristi […]