Appeals Court Blocks Controversial Texas Migrant Law
In response to this week’s Supreme Court ruling, a federal appeals court blocked a controversial Texas immigration law that would allow state officials to arrest and detain migrants suspected of entering the country unlawfully.
Earlier this week, a divided Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Texas would be allowed to implement the new law, despite the Biden administration’s claims that the measures constitute a clear violation of federal immigration authority.
Indian Students Received Most Student Visas in 2023
International students from India received a total of 130,839 F-1 student visas in 2023, marking a 14% increase from the previous year. 2023 was also the second year in a row where Indian students received more student visas than students from any other country.
Overall, 2023 saw a significant rise in the total number of F-1 visas issued, reaching nearly 446,000 total. This represents the largest number of student visas issued in a single year since 2016.
Biden Administration Cracks Down on Asylum Screening Process
According to recent data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), asylum screening interviews and rejections at the U.S.-Mexico border have skyrocketed in the last year, as part of the Biden administration’s tougher stance on border security.
DHS officials completed more than 115,000 “credible fear” interviews of asylum seekers between last May and February, but harsher asylum policies were still unable to keep up with the steady influx of migrants into the country during the same period. “We are maxing out the system, and it hasn’t kept pace with the increase,” said one DHS official.
U.S. Government Implements New Facial Recognition Rule for Migrants
Migrants without passports will now have to undergo facial recognition during airport security in order to board domestic flights in the U.S., under a new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) policy.
It is unclear when the new policy took effect, and immigrant advocacy groups say the change has caused confusion for many migrants traveling by plane for immigration court hearings. Some migrants have reported being denied boarding, as TSA officials were unable to match their identity to previous immigration records.