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Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, USCIS will accept all benefit forms and documents with reproduced original signatures; a wholly original signature will not be required on every form. This change was effective starting March 21 and will continue for the duration of the national emergency. – Weekly Immigration Briefing by Olivia Hester, Immigration Law Analyst at Docketwise

Originally published by Leslie Dellon, March 26th, on Immigration Impact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) completed its first registration period on March 20 for H-1B petitions. The H-1B visa category allows highly educated foreign workers to temporarily work for employers in the United States. This was the first year USCIS used a new registration process for […]

On March 25, USCIS announced that its offices in Rome, Italy and Nairobi, Kenya have temporarily closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Both offices will reschedule all appointments and will continue to respond to emails.  – Weekly Immigration Briefing by Olivia Hester, Immigration Law Analyst at Docketwise

On March 13, ICE announced that all social visits to detention centers would be temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. Immigration detainees are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of disease because of their close quarters and often compounding health issues. – Weekly Immigration Briefing by Olivia Hester, Immigration Law Analyst at Docketwise

On March 13, the full DC Circuit Court of Appeals said it would consider two cases on whether the judiciary can get involved in disagreements between the other branches of the federal government. This decision will affect, among other things, the fight between Congress and President Trump over border wall funding. Because the entire DC Circuit is […]

On March 25, USCIS extended the temporary closure of USCIS offices to April 7 at the earliest. The closure is in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. USCIS will continue to provide limited emergency services. – Weekly Immigration Briefing by Olivia Hester, Immigration Law Analyst at Docketwise  

ICE announced on Wednesday that it will temporarily postpone most arrests and focus primarily on those who pose safety risks and those subject to mandatory detention on criminal grounds. For other people ICE would normally arrest, ICE will use discretion to delay enforcement actions. – Weekly Immigration Briefing by Olivia Hester, Immigration Law Analyst at Docketwise  

The Supreme Court has indefinitely postponed arguments in half a dozen cases that were scheduled for later this month. The court will remain open for official business and filing. – Weekly Immigration Briefing by Olivia Hester, Immigration Law Analyst at Docketwise

On Thursday, ICE confirmed that a member of the medical staff at Elizabeth Detention Center has tested positive for COVID-19. The detention center houses almost 200 detainees and is privately run by the company CoreCivic. ICE has reiterated that there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among detainees throughout the United States. – Weekly Immigration Briefing by […]

The DOJ announced Tuesday night that 10 immigration courts around the country are closing through April 10. The immigration judges’ union commended the decision, but were concerned over the late-night decision and lack of explanation. Cities with closed immigration courts include Seattle, Atlanta, Charlotte, Louisville, Memphis, New York (2 courts), Newark, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. – Weekly […]