Advocates Wary as DACA Rule Approaches Finalization
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is wrapping up its final regulation to protect Dreamers from deportation, and immigration advocates are concerned about a provision in the draft rule which decouples work authorization from a grant of Deferred Action.
The DHS released its proposed rule in September 2021, and the proposal is similar to the original DACA program implemented in 2012. DACA 2012 shielded undocumented young people from deportation, and also provided them work authorization in the United States.
While 2012 (and the current) DACA program requires that the request for DACA be filed at the same time as an application for employment authorization, the proposed rule separates the DACA application from the work authorization application, making the application for work authorization optional.
“A Day Without Immigrants” Revives With Support From TikTok Influencer and Congress Members
In 2017, “A Day Without Immigrants” gathered supporters from across the nation, rallying against former President Trump’s restrictive immigration policies. Demonstrators refused to go to work or school, highlighting the contributions of immigrants to America’s culture and economy.
Fueled by TikTok influencer Carlos Eduardo Espina this year, “A Day Without Immigrants” gained traction once again. Espina expressed frustration about President Biden’s stalled promise to provide a pathway to citizenship.
Countries Around the World Lift Pandemic Restrictions
It’s been a long two years since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and countries around the world are signaling they’ve had enough. Several countries, including France, Sweden, and Australia, have started to lift COVID restrictions, despite the World Health Organization urging countries to remain vigilant against the disease.
Australia, which has closed its borders to most travelers since early 2020, announced that it would reopen to vaccinated international travelers later this month.
GOP Immigration Plan Reveals Party Rifts
A new GOP bill is highlighting rifts in the Republican party when it comes to immigration. The bill, which proposes a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants, is likely to be shot down by more conservative party members who are reluctant to support reform without concessions on border security.
USCIS rolls back harsh standard for refugee spouses
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released guidance this week rolling back the previous administration’s policy that prevented refugees from bringing their spouses to the U.S. if they couldn’t prove their marriages were recognized by the legal authorities where the marriage took place.
The new guidance returns USCIS to its long-standing policy that allows a degree of leeway for informal marriages among refugees and asylum-seekers. These couples are more likely to be part of an informal marriage for various reasons, including living in a refugee camp, where informal social structures are not usually recognized by local law, or LGBTQIA+ or interfaith couples who aren’t able to get married in their home countries.