Immigration and Firm News

Denver, Colorado was within 90 percent coverage of the sun for the solar eclipse today.     Here's some of the Kolko & Associates, PC staff,  (safely) enjoying the view.   

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a policy implemented by an Obama Executive Order in 2012 that protects young undocumented immigrants, is in the news again as both supporters and those in opposition to the program push the Trump Administration to make a decision about DACA’s future. Ten state Attorneys General, led Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, sent a letter on June 29, 2017 to U.S. Attorney General Jeff...

The United States Department of State has issued a final rule change, effective February 29, 2016, which codifies new regulations affecting the Teacher category of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. The Teacher category of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program permits foreign teachers to teach full-time at accredited public or private primary or secondary schools (K-12 and Pre-K) and in some language immersion programs offered by accredited primary schools. In addition to other...

Today, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the United States Department of State (DOS) announced new procedures for determining when applicants may file their applications to receive permanent residency in the United States. The changes will be reflected in a new monthly Visa Bulletin, published by DOS. Previously, the monthly Visa Bulletin provided only one set of dates: the priority dates which had become current (i.e., available for an...

In a decision issued this past Friday, a federal judge in the District Court for the Central District of California found that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was in violation of a court settlement agreement due to its practice of detaining families who were apprehended as part of the “surge” of asylum-seekers crossing the Southern border since last summer. The Judge also strongly admonished DHS for the “deplorable” conditions in...

Last month, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson made a major announcement regarding the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy of detaining women and children asylum-seekers from Central America in family detention centers in remote parts of Texas and New Mexico. Secretary Johnson announced that detained families who have passed the initial step in the asylum process – showing that they have a credible or reasonable fear of persecution in their home...

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) published new guidance in June on the care of transgender adults in immigration detention, in a Memorandum titled "Further Guidance Regarding the Care of Transgender Detainees." The Memorandum provides guidelines in several areas of detainee care, including intake procedures, determining housing placement, medical care, conducting searches, and access to clothing and commissary hygiene products. Notably, the guidance provides that transgender individuals may be assigned housing...

On February 16, 2015, a federal judge in Texas issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts the implementation of the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans & Residents (DAPA) programs. The expansion of DACA and the DAPA programs were announced as a part of President Obama’s Executive Immigration Action plan on November 20, 2014. Effect of the Temporary Injunction on...

The Mexican government announced this month that starting January 15, 2015, all Mexican consulates in the United States will begin issuing certified copies of birth certificates for births registered in Mexico. This new policy will be of great assistance to the many Mexican nationals residing the United States in obtaining these vital records. In order to obtain a certified copy of their birth certificate, Mexican nationals will need to visit their...

As a part of President Obama’s executive actions announced on November 20, 2014, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced that it will allow the spouses and children of lawful permanent residents and the adult children of U.S. citizens to apply for the Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver, also known as the I-601A Waiver. The Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver is a powerful tool that helps reduce the amount of time...

On November 20, 2014, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced a new program to promote citizenship and the naturalization process. Beginning in 2015, USCIS will be conducting a program aimed at lawful permanent residents who are eligible to apply for naturalization.  The program will seek to promote citizenship education and raise public awareness. To further encourage eligible permanent residents to apply for naturalization, USCIS will also be accepting...

On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced a range of executive measures that the administration will take to improve the functioning of the United States immigration system. As a part of these measures, the administration is changing the eligibility requirements for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to increase the number of individuals who are eligible to apply. DACA was first announced on June 15, 2012 as an administrative...