Weekly Round-Up: Visa Backlog; Detention Centers; Immigration Reform : Immigration Law Blog

U.S. Consulates to Prioritize Immigrant Visa Backlog

The Biden administration introduced this week that it was directing U.S. embassies and consulates a precedence on the processing of fiancé(e) visas and everlasting residence visas (higher often known as “inexperienced playing cards”). The announcement reverses course from the earlier administration, which had halted most inexperienced card functions filed overseas.

The brand new directive seeks to cut back an unlimited backlog of visa functions presently pending around the globe. Largely because of the earlier administration’s cessation of visa processing, the backlog grew from lower than 100,000 in January 2020 to virtually 500,000 in February 2021. Whereas embassies and consulates will proceed to offer excessive precedence to spouses, fiancés, and youngsters of U.S. residents, they may even course of functions from different family, together with dad and mom and siblings of U.S. residents and spouses and youngsters of everlasting residents.

The State Division is aiming to start out software interviews to clear the backlog by April 2021. Whereas the interviews usually are performed in-person, Julie Stufft, Appearing Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Providers, has said that they’re persevering with to contemplate other ways to securely conduct the interview course of.

Detention Middle for Immigrant Households Closes

On Sunday, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced that each one immigrant households had been launched from the Berks County Detention Middle in Leesport, Pennsylvania, and that the jail not had any immigrant inmates. Berks County was certainly one of three detention amenities in the USA devoted to housing immigrant households.

Senator Casey said that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official knowledgeable his workplace that the final of all households have been launched on Friday, February 26. The discharge of detainees was the results of an prolonged, devoted effort from immigration advocates to shut the power. Senator Casey famous that this was “an extended overdue step to ship justice to susceptible migrant households, together with kids.” The households have been launched to family and sponsors residing throughout the USA and can have the ability to proceed their instances with the immigration courts exterior of federal custody.

The way forward for the detention heart stays unclear: the power is owned by the county, which has a contract with ICE price $1.3 million per 12 months to deal with detained immigrants. Neither ICE nor the county has said what’s going to occur to the contract or how the power can be used transferring ahead.

Vote on Sweeping Immigration Reform Delayed as Narrower Laws Strikes Ahead

The Home of Representatives has delayed till April a vote on President Biden’s largest immigration reform invoice after Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided she didn’t have sufficient votes to go the invoice. The laws – which gives sweeping reforms to the U.S. immigration system associated to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, asylum eligibility, safety for crime victims who assist regulation enforcement investigations, and plenty of different points – was beforehand scheduled to go to the Home flooring for a vote in March. Consultant Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ) said that the invoice was “simply not fairly prepared but.”

However, votes on extra slim immigration payments can be transferring this month. One such invoice is the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which creates a pathway to legalization for present unauthorized agricultural staff, together with finally changing into a lawful everlasting resident of the USA, reforming the momentary agricultural employee visa program, and requiring all agriculture employers to implement an E-Confirm program to make sure their staff are licensed to work in the USA. The second invoice, the American Dream and Promise Act, would supply DACA recipients, these below Short-term Protected Standing, and people with Deferred Enforced Departure with safety from deportation and a possibility to acquire everlasting authorized standing in the USA.

The Norris McLaughlin Immigration Legislation Weblog, “Immigration Issues,” will proceed to watch these payments as they transfer by means of Congress.

When you have any questions on this weblog publish or another immigration considerations, please be at liberty to contact me at wcmenard@norris-law.com or 282-544-0022.