ABIL Immigration Insider • July 6, 2025
In this issue:
1. DOJ Announces Civil Division Enforcement Priorities, Including Denaturalization and Ending Sanctuary Jurisdictions – On June 11, 2025, the Civil Division of the Department of Justice issued a memorandum announcing its enforcement priorities under the Trump administration. Under the memo, among other things, a policy shift heightens the priority of civil denaturalization enforcement.
2. Federal Judge Blocks Early TPS Termination for Haiti – On July 1, 2025, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s recently announced early termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
3. USCIS Clarifies, Narrows Visa Policy for TN Nonimmigrants – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently updated its Policy Manual for the TN nonimmigrant classification. Eligibility for TN status has been clarified or narrowed for several occupations, including economists, engineers, computer systems analysts, physicians, and scientific technicians/technologists.
4. ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ Includes Immigration-Related Provisions, New Asylum Fees – Several immigration-related provisions are in the recently passed and signed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
5. Trump Again Floats ‘Temporary Pass’ Idea for Farmworkers – On a recent news program, President Trump alluded to a “temporary pass” being planned for farmworkers.
6. Supreme Court Decision Limits Nationwide Injunctions, Leaves Birthright Citizenship Issue Unsettled – On June 27, 2025, in a case implicating President Trump’s Executive Order on birthright citizenship, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision limiting federal courts’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions blocking executive orders and broad national policies. The decision did not address the merits or constitutionality of President Trump’s Executive Order on birthright citizenship. The decision means that there will be continuing and evolving uncertainties, including legal challenges to the Executive Order in the federal courts.
7. Supreme Court Pauses Lower Court Ruling to Allow the Trump Administration to Deport People to Third Countries Without Recourse – The U.S. Supreme Court paused a lower court ruling to allow the Trump administration to deport people to third countries without the ability to argue that they would face torture. Specifically, a group of men being held at a military base in Djibouti will be sent to South Sudan while their case continues in court.
8. E-Verify, SAVE Announce New Status Change Reports for Employers of Those Whose Parole Is Terminated – The Department of Homeland Security announced that it is revoking Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for certain people whose parole has been terminated. E-Verify and the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program have launched new Status Change Reports for employers to identify if any of their E-Verify cases were created with an EAD that has been revoked.
9. Many International Doctors Are in Visa Limbo, Risking Shortages in the United States – Hundreds of doctors who were expected to begin medical residencies at U.S. hospitals shortly are stuck in “visa limbo” because of delays, an inability to make J-1 visa appointments, or additional vetting, despite the Department of State’s recent announcement that interviews could resume. Others have been unable to enter the United States due to the Trump administration’s travel (entry) ban on 19 countries.
10. Uncertainty in Middle East Disrupts U.S. Visa Processing and Consular Services – Visa processing across the Middle East is facing renewed disruption due to developments such as tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Recent military activity involving Iran, and the U.S. government’s evacuation of non-essential personnel from multiple embassies across the Middle East, are significantly affecting visa processing in the region.
11. OFLC Publishes New List of Professional Occupations Effective July 1, 2025 – The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification has reviewed occupational and education data and published a new list of occupations on its website, as it does annually.
12. CNMI Wage Data Released – The Office of Foreign Labor Certification said it has approved the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ 2025 Prevailing Wage Study survey for 408 occupations and will issue updated CW-1 prevailing wages using the data from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The updated wage table includes prevailing wage data for a total of 848 occupations.
13. DOS Resumes Visa Processing for Foreign Students and Exchange Visitors, Announces Enhanced Social Media Vetting – The Department of State resumed visa processing for new and returning students and exchange visitors (F, M, and J nonimmigrants) but announced enhanced social media and online presence screening and vetting procedures. Consular posts may resume processing of expedited appointment requests and are directed to prioritize physicians applying for J visas and applicants studying at U.S. universities where international students constitute 15 percent or less of the total student body.
14. President Trump Backtracks on Pause in ICE Enforcement Against Hotel, Restaurant, and Farm Workers; Worksite Enforcement to ‘Massively Expand’ – President Trump has reversed the pause he called for a week ago on deportation-related raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on worksites in the agricultural, hospitality, and restaurant industries.
15. OFLC Reminds Employers of Three-Day Filing Window for H-2B Workers With October 2025 Start Date, Offers Filing Tips – The three-day filing window to submit an H-2B Application for Temporary Employment Certification (Form ETA-9142B and appendices) requesting a work start date of October 1, 2025, will open on July 3, 2025, and close on July 5, 2025.
16. Trump Administration Considers Expanding Travel Ban to 36 Additional Countries – Following the Trump administration’s issuance of a travel (entry) ban on 19 countries, President Trump is considering expanding the ban to up to 36 additional, mostly African, countries.
17. State Dept. Cable Orders Resumption of Harvard Student and Exchange Visitor Visa Processing After Court Order – After a court order, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a cable to the field ordering the resumption of Harvard international student and exchange visitor visa processing.
18. USCIS Releases Statement on Termination of CHNV Parole Programs – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released a statement on termination of parole programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans.
19. USCIS Changes Validity Period for Any Form I-693 Signed On or After November 1, 2023 – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services clarified that a Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023, is only valid while the application with which the Form I-693 was submitted is pending.
20. DHS Announces Fine Forgiveness for Those Who Self-Deport With CBP Home App – Undocumented persons who self-deport from the United States through the CBP Home App will receive forgiveness of any civil fines or penalties for failing to depart, the Department of Homeland Security said.
21. President Trump Authorizes Private Company to Construct and Operate a Border Crossing – President Trump released a memorandum permitting Green Corridors, LLC, to construct, maintain, and operate a commercial elevated guideway crossing on the U.S. border with Mexico in Laredo, Texas.
22. State Dept. Releases Visa Bulletin for July – The bulletin includes final action dates for employment-based preference cases, along with dates for filing of employment-based visa applications and updates on diversity visas (DV), including DV rank cut-offs that will apply in August.
23. Trump Issues Travel Ban on 12 Countries and Partial Ban on 7 Countries, With Exceptions – President Trump issued a proclamation, “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.” The proclamation includes a country-by-country list of restrictions and exceptions.
24. Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Trump Administration’s Block on Harvard International Student Visas – After an emergency request from Harvard University, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to stop the Trump administration from blocking visas for new international students coming to Harvard.
25. DHS Ramps Up ‘Crackdown’ on Visa Overstays – Following a Boulder, Colorado, attack perpetrated by an Egyptian national, the Department of Homeland Security said that U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will be “ramping up the review of immigration records and will take immediate appropriate actions” to crack down on visa overstays.
26. DHS Terminates TPS for Nepal and Cameroon in August – Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Nepal and Cameroon will take place in August.
27. USCIS Seeks Comments on New Biographic and Employment Identifiers on Immigration Forms – The new collection is intended “to establish enhanced screening and vetting standards and procedures.”
New Publications and Items of Interest – New Publications and Items of Interest
ABIL Member / Firm News – ABIL Member / Firm News
Government Agency Links – Government Agency Links
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ABIL Immigration Insider – July 2025
1. DOJ Announces Civil Division Enforcement Priorities, Including Denaturalization and Ending Sanctuary Jurisdictions
On June 11, 2025, the Civil Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a memorandum announcing its enforcement priorities under the Trump administration. Under the memo, among other things, a policy shift heightens the priority of civil denaturalization enforcement. The memo lists a variety of non-exhaustive prioritized categories for denaturalization. The Civil Division, however, “retains the discretion to pursue cases outside of these categories as it determines appropriate.”
The Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers advises foreign-born U.S. citizens with concerns about possible misrepresentations during the immigration or naturalization process or other issues to consider talking with an immigration attorney. Individuals concerned about denaturalization should also speak with an attorney before traveling abroad, as pending litigation or findings of fraud could impact re-entry or passport renewal.
Another priority under the memo is “ending sanctuary jurisdictions.” The memo states that “[c]onsistent with this directive, the Civil Division shall prioritize affirmative litigation to invalidate any State or local laws preempted by Federal law.”
2. Federal Judge Blocks Early TPS Termination for Haiti
On July 1, 2025, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s recently announced early termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
On June 27, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of TPS for nearly 500,000 Haitians living in the United States. DHS said TPS would end on August 3, 2025, and the termination would be effective September 2, 2025.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said she determined that “overall, country conditions have improved to the point where Haitians can return home in safety.” She further determined that “permitting Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest of the United States.” DHS encouraged Haitian nationals returning home to use the U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP Home app to report their departure from the United States. DHS noted that “Haitian nationals may pursue lawful status through other immigration benefit requests, if eligible.”
The Biden administration previously extended Haitian TPS until at least February 3, 2026. In a 23-page decision, the judge said that “[w]hen the Government confers a benefit over a fixed period of time, a beneficiary can reasonably expect to receive that benefit at least until the end of that fixed period.” The judge said the early termination violated the TPS statute, noting that many affected Haitians are working in jobs, attending school, or receiving medical treatment with the expectation that they would be allowed to remain in the United States at least through the end of this year.
3. USCIS Clarifies, Narrows Visa Policy for TN Nonimmigrants
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently updated its Policy Manual, Part P (Nonimmigrants) under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for the TN nonimmigrant classification. The new guidance, effective immediately, supersedes earlier guidance.
Among other things, the TN employer must be a U.S. entity. Eligibility for TN status has been clarified or narrowed for several occupations, including economists, engineers, computer systems analysts, physicians, and scientific technicians/technologists. The relevance of the degree held and alignment of job duties are prioritized.
4. ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ Includes Immigration-Related Provisions, New Asylum Fees
Several immigration-related provisions are in the recently passed and signed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” including:
- Imposing, for the first time, a $1,000 asylum application fee and $550 for related work authorization, along with a minimum $100 annual fee for a pending asylum application, and fees for those paroled into the United States;
- Imposing a requirement for renewal of work authorization every six months and a fee of at least $550 for renewal each time for asylum applicants and parolees, including those admitted under Temporary Protected Status;
- Excluding certain immigrants, including refugees/asylees and human trafficking and domestic violence victims, from Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;
- Adding a 3.5 percent tax on immigrants’ remittances for those without Social Security numbers (SSNs). Those with SSNs can receive tax credits to offset the remittance tax; and
- Earmarking additional funds for construction and improvement of immigrant detention facilities and checkpoints, and related border technology and hiring.
5. Trump Again Floats ‘Temporary Pass’ Idea for Farmworkers
On a recent news program, President Trump alluded to a “temporary pass” being planned for farmworkers. “We’re working on it right now. We’re going to work it so that some kind of a temporary pass where people pay taxes, where the farmer can have a little control, as opposed to you walk in and take everybody away,” he said. “[W]e’re going to do something for farmers, where we can let the farmer sort of be in charge. The farmer knows. He’s not going to hire a murderer. When you go into a farm and he’s had somebody working with him for nine years doing this kind of work, which is hard work to do, and a lot of people aren’t going to do it, and you end up destroying a farmer because you took all the people away, it’s a problem.” No further details were released as of press time.
The remarks follow Trump administration shifts back and forth about whether worksite raids might be paused in industries like hospitality, restaurant, and agricultural work, and whether undocumented farm and hotel workers might be allowed to work legally in the United States.
6. Supreme Court Decision Limits Nationwide Injunctions, Leaves Birthright Citizenship Issue Unsettled
On June 27, 2025, in a case implicating President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) on birthright citizenship, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision limiting federal courts’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions blocking EOs and broad national policies. It explained that in such cases, courts should normally only block federal policies for the individuals or organizations that bring a lawsuit, unless a statute or class action process allows broader relief. This ruling makes it less likely that a single lawsuit will be able to stop a federal policy from taking effect across the entire country.
The Supreme Court’s order incorporates a change to the effective date of the EO, which was agreed to by the government. The Court stated that the EO does not apply to children born since January 20, 2025, and for 30 additional days after the order. Under the decision, all children born in the United States before July 28, 2025, regardless of their parents’ immigration status, will be recognized as U.S. citizens by the executive branch of the federal government.
The decision did not address the merits or constitutionality of the EO. The decision means that there will be continuing and evolving uncertainties, including legal challenges to the birthright citizenship order in the federal courts. For example, filed within hours of the decision, a lawsuit in New Hampshire seeks to designate a nationwide class of children needing protection from the EO. Meanwhile, at a press conference on June 27, 2025, President Trump announced that the administration plans to take additional actions to end birthright citizenship. These efforts will likely take the form of new agency rules, policies, and guidance aimed at implementing the EO.
7. Supreme Court Pauses Lower Court Ruling to Allow the Trump Administration to Deport People to Third Countries Without Recourse
On June 23, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court paused a lower court ruling to allow the Trump administration to deport people to third countries without the ability to argue that they would face torture. Specifically, a group of men being held at a military base in Djibouti will be sent to South Sudan while their case continues in court.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. Justice Sotomayor said, “Apparently, the court finds the idea that thousands will suffer violence in farflung locales more palatable than the remote possibility that a district court exceeded its remedial powers when it ordered the government to provide notice and process to which the plaintiffs are constitutionally and statutorily entitled. That use of discretion is as incomprehensible as it is inexcusable.”
After the ruling, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said, “DHS can now execute its lawful authority and remove illegal aliens to a country willing to accept them. Fire up the deportation planes.”
8. E-Verify, SAVE Announce New Status Change Reports for Employers of Those Whose Parole Is Terminated
On June 20, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is revoking Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for certain people whose parole has been terminated. These revocations may be on a case-by-case basis or may be for groups, such as those paroled through the processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. DHS said it sent direct notifications to certain individuals who were paroled into the United States, terminating their parole and revoking their parole-based EADs.
E-Verify developed a new report to help employers identify any E-Verify cases created with an EAD that has been revoked. DHS said the new Status Change Report allows E-Verify employers to review their aggregated case data for employees who presented EADs for employment verification that have now been revoked by DHS. The report contains the document revocation date, case number, and A-number for each affected case. DHS said the data in this report “will be regularly updated as DHS revokes EADs, and this report replaces the use of Case Status Alerts for EAD revocations.” The DHS announcement includes instructions for employers and their agents on how to access the report and reverify their employees.
Also, on June 20, 2025, Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) announced that it created a self-service report that user agencies can generate when logged into SAVE using a web browser. The new report allows user agencies to identify SAVE cases created for one or more benefit applicants whose parole was terminated by DHS. Since DHS data is continuously updated, agencies should consider running this report on a regular basis, SAVE said.
9. Many International Doctors Are in Visa Limbo, Risking Shortages in the United States
According to reports, hundreds of doctors who were expected to begin medical residencies at U.S. hospitals shortly are stuck in “visa limbo” because of delays, an inability to make J-1 visa appointments, and/or additional vetting, despite the Department of State’s recent announcement that interviews could resume. Others have been unable to enter the United States due to the Trump administration’s travel (entry) ban on 19 countries. This year, more than 6,600 non-U.S. citizen doctors were accepted into residency programs. Many such residencies are supposed to start on July 1, 2025.
Concerns include the cost of medical exams and upending of international doctors’ plans to come to the United States; shortages of doctors in some communities, including medically underserved areas; and effects on U.S. hospitals and patients.
10. Uncertainty in Middle East Disrupts U.S. Visa Processing and Consular Services
U.S. visa processing across the Middle East is facing renewed disruption due to developments such as tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Recent military activity involving Iran, and the U.S. government’s evacuation of non-essential personnel from multiple embassies across the Middle East, are significantly affecting visa processing in the region, according to reports.
Although the Department of State recently authorized the resumption of F, M, and J visa interviews under new vetting protocols, the deteriorating security environment is likely to delay, or entirely suspend, implementation of that guidance at affected consular posts.
11. OFLC Publishes New List of Professional Occupations Effective July 1, 2025
On June 24, 2025, the Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced that it reviewed occupational and education data and published a new list of occupations on its website, as it does annually per a 2021 Federal Register notice. OFLC said the list of professional occupations “serves as a guide for employers to distinguish between professional and non-professional occupations in order to comply with the professional recruitment requirements of the PERM program.”
Appendix A to the Preamble–Education and Training Categories by Occupational Information Network (O*NET)–Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Occupations, which implements the new list of professional occupations for the July 2025 through June 2026 wage year, will be effective July 1, 2025.
12. CNMI Wage Data Released
On June 26, 2025, the Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced that it received the 2025 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Prevailing Wage Study survey from the governor of the CNMI for the CW-1 program.
OFLC said it approved the 2025 CNMI Prevailing Wage Study survey for 408 occupations and will issue updated CW-1 prevailing wages using the data from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The updated wage table includes prevailing wage data for a total of 848 occupations.
13. DOS Resumes Visa Processing for Foreign Students and Exchange Visitors, Announces Enhanced Social Media Vetting
On June 18, 2025, the Department of State resumed visa processing for new and returning students and exchange visitors (F, M, and J nonimmigrants) but announced enhanced social media and online presence screening and vetting procedures. All applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public” at their visa interviews. If the consular officer finds them otherwise eligible for the visa sought, the officer will issue the student an INA § 221(g) decision while they gather more information and documentation before issuing a final determination.
The guidance directs consular officers to review visa applicants’ online presence for “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States.” Consular officers will review more than just social media accounts with particular attention to applicants with a history of political activism. Officers will comprehensively screen every visa applicant “for potential security and non-security related ineligibilities.” Although the online content found may not alone be sufficient to deny a student’s visa, officers will conduct additional vetting to determine if the applicant will respect U.S. laws and “engage only in activities consistent with” their status. While some travelers have taken to temporarily wiping their social media accounts, consular officers will be taking screenshots during their vetting process to preserve records of their findings.
Lack of a public online presence or refusal to make sites accessible will raise a red flag. If no derogatory information is found, the officer may make a decision on the visa application. However, according to the guidance, “[i]f potentially derogatory information is found, post should refuse the case under the appropriate refusal code; or, if needed, post should call the applicant back for a follow-up interview.”
According to the guidance, consular posts may resume processing of expedited appointment requests and are directed to prioritize physicians applying for J visas and applicants studying at U.S. universities where international students constitute 15 percent or less of the total student body.
14. President Trump Backtracks on Pause in ICE Enforcement Against Hotel, Restaurant, and Farm Workers; Worksite Enforcement to ‘Massively Expand’
President Trump has reversed the pause he called for a week ago on deportation-related raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on worksites in the agricultural, hospitality, and restaurant industries. He said raids would be focused on “Democrat-run cities,” which he claimed on Truth Social are the “core of the Democrat Power Center.”
Tom Homan, the White House “border czar,” said that “[w]orksite enforcement operations are going to massively expand.” On June 16, 2025, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said that worksite operations “are very much a cornerstone” of the Trump administration’s enforcement efforts. “There is no safe harbor, whether it be a church or a courthouse or a worksite. We will come for you; we will arrest you; you will be deported.” Following President Trump’s latest comments, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement held a call with its agency leaders in the field, ordering them to resume raids on hotel, restaurant, and agricultural worksites.
The previous change in policy for those industries, implemented last week, came after President Trump posted on Truth Social, “Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace. … We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!”
According to reports, some public companies are now warning investors about disruptions in their workforces. Smithfield, a major meatpacking company, said in its securities filing in March, “Increased enforcement efforts with respect to existing immigration laws by governmental authorities may disrupt a portion of our workforce or our operations.”
15. OFLC Reminds Employers of Three-Day Filing Window for H-2B Workers With October 2025 Start Date, Offers Filing Tips
On June 20, 2025, the Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) reminded employers that the three-day filing window to submit an H-2B Application for Temporary Employment Certification (Form ETA-9142B and appendices) requesting a work start date of October 1, 2025, will open on July 3, 2025, and close on July 5, 2025.
This three-day period is the earliest an employer may file an application for an October 1, 2025, work start date, OFLC said, warning that “H-2B applications requesting October 1, 2025, work start dates will be denied if they are filed before July 3, 2025, at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time.” After the three-day filing window closes, OFLC said it will randomly order applications for assignment to analysts for review and processing.
OFLC offered the following filing tips:
- Only one H-2B Application for Temporary Employment Certification per job opportunity should be filed to prevent duplicate filings and delayed processing.
- If “yes” is selected for “Board, Lodging, or Other Facilities” under section F.d.5, Form ETA-9142B, and deductions other than those required by law may be made from the worker’s pay, details should be included about the deductions and amounts to cover the reasonable cost of board, lodging, and other facilities in section F.d.6.
- The employer must submit with its H-2B application a copy of the job order being submitted concurrently to the State Workforce Agency (SWA) serving the area of intended employment. The job order submitted must be a copy of the actual job order or a completed job order form used by the SWA for posting in its job clearance systems.
- Original signatures and dates on Appendix B must be current.
16. Trump Administration Considers Expanding Travel Ban to 36 Additional Countries
According to reports, following the Trump administration’s issuance of a travel (entry) ban/restrictions on 19 countries, President Trump is considering expanding the ban to up to 36 additional, mostly African, countries.
The 36 countries have 60 days to “mitigate ongoing vetting and screening concerns, develop corrective action plans to remediate deficiencies and evaluate progress.” A related cable reportedly said there were a range of concerns but did not specify what the concerns were for each country. In general, the cable cited concerns including unreliability in identity documents, criminal records, passports, and visa overstays, among other issues. The countries could reduce the concerns, the cable said, if they agree to accept deportees or asylees from other countries sent by the United States.
The countries on the new list reportedly include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
17. State Dept. Cable Orders Resumption of Harvard Student and Exchange Visitor Visa Processing After Court Order
After a court order, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly sent a cable to U.S. consular offices ordering the resumption of Harvard international student and exchange visitor visa processing, after having ordered posts to deny such visa applications recently based on a proclamation from President Trump.
The cable stated, “Effective immediately, consular sections must resume processing of Harvard University student and exchange visitor visas,” and “no such applications should be refused.”
Previously, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly sent a cable ordering U.S. embassies and consulates to deny visa applications for Harvard international students after President Trump issued a related proclamation and fact sheet. The proclamation singled out Harvard due to national security concerns. Under the proclamation, entry into the United States was to be suspended for any new Harvard nonimmigrant student under an F, M, or J visa, and Secretary Rubio was directed to consider revoking existing F, M, or J visas for current Harvard students who met the proclamation’s criteria.
The fact sheet said that the proclamation did not apply to those attending other U.S. universities through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program and exempted those whose entry was deemed in the national interest.
18. USCIS Releases Statement on Termination of CHNV Parole Programs
On June 6, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released the following statement on termination of parole programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans:
On May 30, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States issued an order lifting the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts’s April 14, 2025 Preliminary Injunction that stayed parts of the March 25, 2025 Federal Register notice titled, “Termination of Parole Process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV).” See Noem v. Svitlana Doe, 605 U.S. ___ (2025). With this decision, [the Department of Homeland Security] may proceed with terminating parole granted under the CHNV parole programs and with revoking any employment authorization based on being paroled under the CHNV parole programs. Aliens whose parole is terminated and whose employment authorization is revoked will receive notification in their myUSCIS account.
19. USCIS Changes Validity Period for Any Form I-693 Signed On or After November 1, 2023
On June 11, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is updating its USCIS Policy Manual to clarify that a Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023, is only valid while the application with which the Form I-693 was submitted is pending. If that application is withdrawn or denied, the Form I-693 is no longer valid. USCIS said this guidance is effective immediately and applies to applications pending or filed on or after June 11, 2025.
USCIS noted that under this updated policy, if a person submitted Form I-693 with their Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, and then they withdrew their Form I-485 or USCIS denied it, if they submit a future Form I-485, they must submit a newly completed Form I-693 signed by a civil surgeon.
USCIS also said that it may require a person who otherwise would not be required to undergo an immigration medical examination “to submit a Form I-693 as a matter of discretion, if the evidence indicates that there may be a public health concern.”
20. DHS Announces Fine Forgiveness for Those Who Self-Deport With CBP Home App
On June 9, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that undocumented persons who self-deport from the United States through the CBP Home App will receive forgiveness of any civil fines or penalties for failing to depart. Currently, DHS noted, a person can be fined nearly $1,000 per day on which they do not depart after a final deportation order. Additionally, a person can also be fined for failing to depart in a timely manner after a voluntary departure order.
DHS said it has issued more than 9,000 fine notices to undocumented persons for a total of almost $3 billion. In addition, DHS said it has made the CBP Home Mobile App more user-friendly by eliminating certain steps and making it easier for people to self-deport.
21. President Trump Authorizes Private Company to Construct and Operate a Border Crossing
On June 9, 2025, President Trump released a memorandum permitting Green Corridors, LLC, to construct, maintain, and operate a commercial elevated guideway crossing on the U.S. border with Mexico in Laredo, Texas.
The memo explains that the border facilities referenced in the permit:
22. State Dept. Releases Visa Bulletin for July
The Department of State’s Visa Office has released the Visa Bulletin for July 2025.
The bulletin includes final action dates for employment-based preference cases, along with dates for filing of employment-based visa applications and updates on diversity visas (DV), including DV rank cut-offs that will apply in August.
23. Trump Issues Travel Ban on 12 Countries and Partial Ban on 7 Countries, With Exceptions
On June 4, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation, “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.” The proclamation includes a country-by-country list of restrictions and exceptions.
The proclamation:
- Fully restricts and limits the entry of nationals of the following 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen; and
- Partially restricts and limits the entry of nationals of the following 7 countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
“These restrictions distinguish between, but apply to both, the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants,” the proclamation states. The restrictions, which were opposed by immigration advocacy organizations, do not apply to lawful permanent residents and certain other categories, such as athletes coming to compete in major sporting events (e.g., the World Cup), diplomats, and those granted asylum or refugee status. Kelli Stump, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said that the restrictions “prevent the best and brightest from contributing to our innovation, and harm U.S. businesses that are understaffed and may have to close because they cannot employ the already vetted and approved foreign workers.”
24. Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Trump Administration’s Block on Harvard International Student Visas
On June 5, 2025, after an emergency request from Harvard University, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to stop the Trump administration from blocking visas for new international students coming to Harvard. International students make up about a quarter of Harvard’s student body.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly sent a cable ordering U.S. embassies and consulates to deny visa applications for Harvard international students after President Trump issued a related proclamation and fact sheet. The proclamation singled out Harvard due to national security concerns. The fact sheet states:
- The Proclamation suspends the entry into the United States of any new Harvard student as a nonimmigrant under F, M, or J visas.
- It directs the Secretary of State to consider revoking existing F, M, or J visas for current Harvard students who meet the Proclamation’s criteria.
- The Proclamation does not apply to aliens attending other U.S. universities through the Student Exchange Visa Program (SEVP) and exempts aliens whose entry is deemed in the national interest.
25. DHS Ramps Up ‘Crackdown’ on Visa Overstays
On June 4, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is ramping up a “crackdown” on visa overstays following a Boulder, Colorado, attack perpetrated by an Egyptian national. DHS said that U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will be “ramping up the review of immigration records and will take immediate appropriate actions.”
According to the DHS statement:
26. DHS Terminates TPS for Nepal and Cameroon in August
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nepal and Cameroon:
- Nepal: The TPS designation for Nepal, which was set to expire on June 24, 2025, will terminate at 11:59 p.m. “local time” on August 5, 2025, according to a Federal Register notice published on June 6, 2025. After August 5, nationals of Nepal (and those having no nationality who last habitually resided in Nepal) who have been granted TPS under Nepal’s designation will no longer have TPS.
- Cameroon: The TPS designation for Cameroon, which was set to expire on June 7, 2025, will terminate at 11:59 p.m. “local time” on August 4, 2025, according to a Federal Register notice published on June 4, 2025. After August 4, nationals of Cameroon (and those having no nationality who last habitually resided in Cameroon) who have been granted TPS under Cameroon’s designation will no longer have TPS.
DHS noted that affected people can use the CBP Home app to report their voluntary departure from the United States.
27. USCIS Seeks Comments on New Biographic and Employment Identifiers on Immigration Forms
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) seeks comments on a new information collection of “certain biographic and employment identifiers on immigration forms.” USCIS said the collection is necessary to comply with section 2 of Executive Order (EO) 14161, “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.”
The new collection is intended “to establish enhanced screening and vetting standards and procedures to enable USCIS to assess an alien’s eligibility to receive an immigration-related benefit. This data collection also is used to help validate an applicant’s identity and to determine whether such grant of a benefit poses a security or public-safety risk to the United States,” USCIS said.
Comments will be accepted until July 28, 2025. All submissions received must include the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1615-NEW in the body of the letter, the agency name, and Docket ID USCIS-2025-0006. Comments should be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at https://www.regulations.gov under e-Docket ID number USCIS-2025-0006.
New Publications and Items of Interest
Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) report. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has released SEVIS by the Numbers: Annual Report on Foreign Student Trends. The report on SEVP and the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) highlights key SEVIS data trends, values, and information on F and M foreign students studying in the United States and J exchange visitors participating in U.S. Department of State-designated exchange visitor programs. It also examines data related to F-1 and M-1 student employment in the United States. The report compares data from calendar year 2024 with data from calendar year 2023.
Know your rights. A number of organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) (English and Spanish), the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., the National Immigrant Justice Center, and the Asian Law Caucus, have published resources highlighting immigrants’ rights in the United States, including “know your rights” information and what documents they may want to carry when traveling inside the United States. ACLU of Northern California also released Know Your Rights: U.S. Airports and Ports of Entry.
E-Verify webinars: E-Verify has added a webinar with a focus on acceptable documents for Form I-9 verification, and has updated its calendar of webinars.
SAVE webinars: Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) has updated its calendar of webinars.
Immigration agency X (formerly Twitter) accounts:
- EOIR: @DOJ_EOIR
- ICE: @ICEgov
- Study in the States: @StudyinStates
- USCIS: @USCIS
Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers: ABIL is available on X (formerly Twitter): @ABILImmigration
ABIL Member / Firm News
Flynn Hodkinson recently promoted Rikki Barrow to Partner. Also, Janice Flynn was asked to speak at the Democrats Abroad UK 4th of July picnic on U.S. visa and nationality issues.
Klasko Immigration Law Partners, LLP, warns that green card holders returning from abroad in 2025 should be aware that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers are using new tactics and screening permanent residents more strictly after trips abroad lasting more than six months. “While we do not wish to alarm you, we want to warn green card holders that applying for entry into the U.S. after an absence of six months or more could result in being placed in removal proceedings, and possibly detained, if you do not have a reentry permit or special immigrant (returning resident) visa,” the alert states.
Klasko Immigration Law Partners, LLP, has welcomed three attorneys to its expanding office in Washington, DC: Stacy Shore, Duncan Fulton, and Anabel Nataros. Ms. Shore will serve as Senior Counsel to augment Klasko’s expanding government relations, immigration compliance, and corporate practices; Mr. Fulton joins as a Senior Associate on the litigation and EB-5 teams; and Ms. Nataros joins as a Senior Associate on the corporate immigration team.
Klasko Immigration Law Partners, LLP, has published several new client alerts/blog posts: Supreme Court Decision Continues Legal Battle Over Birthright Citizenship, Regional Uncertainty Driven by Iran Tensions: Impact on U.S. Visa Processing and Consular Services, Proactive Prevailing Wage Strategies for Employers During the Second Trump Administration, DOJ Prioritizes Denaturalization Enforcement in New Civil Division Directive, State Department Implements Enhanced Online Vetting for F, J, and M Visas, Key Status Updates for Humanitarian Immigration Programs, 2025 Travel Ban: What Employers and Foreign Nationals Need to Know, and New U.S. Student Visa Restrictions Under Latest State Department Guidance.
Charles Kuck was quoted extensively by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about a birthright citizenship case and the overall political climate surrounding immigration, in Immigration Lawyer Talks Birthright Citizenship, Student Visas and Protests.
Cyrus Mehta authored several new blog posts: Supreme Court Decision Limits Nationwide Injunctions Giving More Power to Trump to Violate the Constitution, and Although DOS Resumes Visa Processing for Foreign Students, the Enhanced Vetting Guidance Undermines American Values of Free Speech and Expression.
Mr. Mehta was quoted by Forbes in Immigration Restrictions Pile Up on International Students. Commenting on the Mahmoud Khalil case, he said, “Assuming the Rubio memo knocked off in the habeas proceeding, the deportable ground under INA 237(a)(C)(4) may not be sustained.” Mr. Mehta said he thinks the Department of Homeland Security can continue seeking to deport Khalil for fraud or misrepresentation. “If Khalil cannot overcome this, he can seek a waiver in removal under INA 237(a)(1)(H) to waive entry fraud as he has a spouse who is a qualifying relative. Therefore, that would be the most practical way to deal with it rather than challenge the 212(a)(C)(6) ground in the Court of Appeals, where there may also be a jurisdictional bar as it would be a discretionary decision.”
Mr. Mehta and Ira Kurzban, of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt, were quoted by Forbes in Immigration Restrictions Mount Against Americans and Legal Residents. Discussing a new proclamation that includes an exception for spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens coming to the United States but requires U.S. citizens to overcome a new standard—clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship (e.g., DNA)—Mr. Mehta said, “This standard is higher than the preponderance of evidence standard that exists presently for U.S. citizens to claim their relationship to relatives they wish to sponsor for permanent residence. Normally, the standard only escalates to the clear and convincing standard in situations involving suspected fraud, such as when a respondent in removal proceedings marries a U.S. citizen or when there have been instances of prior fraud.” Regarding the Trump travel ban, Mr. Mehta said, “There seems to be a strategy to prevent immigration and future citizenship from … mainly African countries,” adding that he considers the ban on lawful permanent residents sponsoring their spouses or children “draconian.” He said that although “it may be difficult to challenge the entire proclamation on its face as unconstitutional under equal protection or First Amendment principles after Trump v. Hawaii, plaintiffs may try to take shots at challenging narrower provisions such as the provision rendering it harder for U.S. citizens to sponsor immediate relatives from the banned country.” Mr. Kurzban said the travel ban “doesn’t allow people to reunify with family members, and it forces people to remain in or be deported to conditions that the United States and the rest of the world have recognized as absolutely horrific.”
In the same article, Mr. Kurzban pointed out that the travel ban allows the government to deport Cubans and Haitians to Rwanda, Libya, El Salvador, or other places to which they have no connection and may be imprisoned. “Instead of being deported, many of these people could be doctors or nurses in the United States,” he said, adding that the ban “is supposed to be temporary, but that’s just a mirage, because not issuing the visas and ending the visa process means starting that backup will take substantial time. The decision to not only ban entry, but to ban the whole process of getting the visa, having it put in your passport, or if you’re an immigrant, going through the whole immigrant processing, is now, in effect, shut down.” Mr. Kurzban also said, “I think most Americans fail to realize that when you harm immigrants, you are hurting their American citizen or lawful permanent resident families.”
Mr. Mehta and Kaitlyn Box co-authored several new blog posts: The Inherently Moral Executive Actions on Immigration Cannot Die Under Trump and In the Walmart Case, the Government Cannot Have Its Cake and Eat It Too.
Stephen Yale-Loehr, of Miller Mayer, LLP, was quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle in Trump Administration Sues Los Angeles in Latest Attack on Sanctuary Cities. He said that Trump’s immigration enforcement in the Los Angeles area “prompted the massive protests, not the fact that Los Angeles was a sanctuary city.” Mr. Yale-Loehr also said the judicial climate seems to have changed: “The Supreme Court has taken up many emergency appeals by the Trump administration this year. Also, the court is more conservative now than in 2020. So we could see a ruling on sanctuary jurisdictions sometime this year.”
Mr. Yale-Loehr was quoted by the New York Times in What the Supreme Court’s Ruling Will Mean for Birthright Citizenship. He said, “The court decision today means that unless a court certifies a class action within the next 30 days, the Trump administration can start to implement its repeal of birthright citizenship.” Mr. Yale-Loehr also noted that “[t]he practical problems of ending birthright citizenship are both huge and unpredictable.”
Mr. Yale-Loehr was quoted by Newsweek in Supreme Court Rules on Birthright Citizenship: What to Know. Before the Supreme Court issued its decision, he said, “Although the case started as a direct challenge to President Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship, the issue before the Court is narrower: whether lower federal courts can issue nationwide injunctions to stop a president. I predict that is all the Court will decide today. Thus, we will have to wait another year or two before the merits regarding birthright citizenship reach the Supreme Court.”
Mr. Yale-Loehr was quoted by Travel Weekly in With Immigration Policy, Hotels Are Caught in a Political and Economic Tug-of-War. He said, “President Trump’s announcement that he [would] exempt hotels from his immigration crackdown means very little. Even if hotel workers are ‘safe’ at work, they could be picked up at home or on their way to or from work.”
Mr. Yale-Loehr was quoted by Mediapart in Los Angeles: Despite the Presence of the Army, the Mobilizations Continue (in French with English translation available). He said, “The Trump administration, which made immigration control a priority of its campaign, is now trying to deport a million people a year. To achieve this figure, it is using every tool imaginable. The administration is going everywhere today, including places previously considered sensitive—churches, courtrooms, schools, etc.—and is mobilizing other federal agencies, such as the FBI and local police. At the same time, it is trying to collect information from various agencies in order to build a database to facilitate the identification of undocumented citizens.”
Mr. Yale-Loehr was quoted by Vox in How a Little-Known Law Became Trump’s Weapon of Choice Against Immigration. Commenting on President Trump’s travel ban on certain countries, Mr. Yale-Loehr said that “court challenges to this travel ban are likely, but they may fail.” He noted, however, that “even if this expansion is legal, it is not good policy. We are not necessarily safer by banning immigrants from these countries.”
Mr. Yale-Loehr was quoted by Forbes in Travel Ban Reinstated By Trump With Mostly Muslim Countries. He predicted court challenges but warned that they may fail. However, he said, “Even if this expansion is legal, it is not good policy. Families will be separated, and we are not necessarily safer.”
Mr. Yale-Loehr was quoted by the Washington Post in Democrats Blast Trump’s Travel Ban, But Legal Challenges May Be Tough. He noted that the new ban includes specific rationales for each nation on the list and contains other measures that would probably shield the order from legal claims of arbitrariness, irrationality, or discrimination. “They’ve clearly learned from their first go-rounds.” He predicted that legal challenges would arise. For example, he said, advocacy groups might seek to pursue discrimination claims if the administration’s stated rationale for including a country in the ban also applies to nations not on the list.
Mr. Yale-Loehr was quoted by the Washington Post in The Boulder Suspect’s Family Faces Deportation. What Rights Do They Have? The article notes that people who have applied for asylum are generally protected from deportation while their cases are pending. However, Mr. Yale-Loehr noted, “It’s a gray area because filing for asylum doesn’t give you formal status. But until this administration, they would not be a target of deportation.” He said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement routinely arrests family members together for civil immigration violations in “collateral pickups.” Typically, he said, “what they will do is target one individual because they have a criminal arrest or conviction, and then when they go to their address, they happen to find other people who are out of status.” He said the grounds of deportability “apply to anyone who is not a naturalized U.S. citizen.” Mr. Yale-Loehr noted that being found deportable can lead to removal proceedings in immigration court, although individuals may be eligible to apply for relief depending on their circumstances. He also said that while overstaying a visitor visa is a civil violation and not a criminal offense, it can carry serious consequences.
Mr. Yale-Loehr was quoted by the New York Times in Colorado Suspect’s Uncertain Immigration Status Highlights Visa ‘Overstays’. He said, “Scholars have long recognized that visa overstays constitute a significant share of the undocumented population. This segment has not received nearly as much attention as people entering illegally across the U.S.-Mexico border because they are simply not as visible.”
Government Agency Links
Follow these links to access current processing times of the USCIS Service Centers and the Department of State’s latest Visa Bulletin with the most recent cut-off dates for visa numbers:
USCIS case processing times online: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/
Department of State Visa Bulletin: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html
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