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The U.S. Supreme Court declines to take action on DACA
President Trump suffered a significant loss when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the administration's plans to stop an Obama-era program. The program shielded 700,000 so-called DREAMers from deportation. As a result, grantees had more time to renew their status, giving them greater flexibility to work and go to school, along with an additional two years of legal standing("US Supreme Court Declines Action on DACA."). -
The Expanded Expedited Removal Policy
Border patrol agents were allowed to go after immigrants in any region of the country who couldn't prove they had been there for at least 2 years. Immigrants who were subject to expedited removals did not have hearings before immigration judges; instead, an immigration officer makes the decision, rarely giving the immigrant any opportunity for a fair case. Later in 2021, Biden directed that the 2019 notice on expedited removal be reviewed by the Department of Homeland Security(“Biden Ends..") -
The Trump Administration Implemented a Proclamation
The proclamation suspended entry of "aliens" who had recently visited a foreign country where serious COVID-19 outbreaks had occurred. Such as the Republic of Ireland, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the People's Republic of China, and the People's Republic of Europe are just a few of these countries and areas. The proclamation also prohibited many immigrants from entering in an effort to protect job possibilities for Americans hurt by the pandemic's economic effects(“A Proclamation..."). -
Biden Suspends New Enrollments in MPP
On the day President Biden took office, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) paused any new enrollment in the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), preventing any new people from being sent back to Mexico. By registering people through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Biden administration officially started to wind down MPP starting in February 2021. Enabling the processing of refugees so they can apply for asylum in the US. (“Migrant Protection Protocols"). -
U.S. ends asylum rule for solo children
According to a statement made by American health authorities, unaccompanied minors would no longer be denied asylum. The CDC neglected to provide an explanation for the ruling, which was the outcome of a Texas court complaint. Why were unaccompanied children exempt from Title 42, causing the CDC to withdraw the order only for unaccompanied children? It has been established that the protection of public health does not justify the removal of unaccompanied noncitizen children("U.S. Ends Asylu...") -
No Taxpayer Funds for Illegal Alien Abortions Act
The bill was introduced by Senators James Lankford and Roger Marshall in the belief that “No American’s tax dollars should pay for any illegal alien’s abortion." The bill would make it illegal for any ICE or HHS official to transport/arrange the transportation of any "alien" who is unlawfully present in the country in order to obtain an abortion. It also prohibited any funds provided for ICE or HHS from being used/made available to pay for an abortion unless in specific cases("A Bill..."). -
US Launches Online System to Seek Asylum on the Border
The Biden administration announces new legal entry points for certain refugees/ new features on an app called CBP that migrants can use to submit applications electronically. These efforts are intended to increase the number of legal channels for asylum seekers to enter the U.S. and decrease human smuggling. CBP was released in 2020 but gained lots of attention when Biden revealed new legal channels for migrants/asylum seekers indicating they may apply using the app("US Launches Online..."). -
Redesigns Green Card and Employment Authorization Document
For the first time since 2017, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made the new designs for Green Cards and Employment Authorization papers public in an effort to increase the security of these documents. Modern fraud protection features are built into the new cards to guard against document manipulation and forgery. This redesign is one strategy USCIS is currently utilizing to lower the likelihood of fraud(“USCIS Redesigns Green...").