Biden Administration to Crack Down on Migrant Child Labor
The Biden administration announced Monday it would create a task force to crack down on the exploitation of child laborers in the United States following a surge in the illegal employment of migrant children.
Since 2018, the Labor Department has seen a 70% increase in the number of children working for companies big and small across the U.S.
According to a New York Times investigation published this week, many of these children are unaccompanied migrants who after entering the U.S. were released to relatives or other sponsors while their immigration cases work through the courts.
Americans Sponsor More Than 200,000 Ukrainian Refugees
A year since Russia invaded Ukraine, Americans have applied to sponsor 216,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict.
Two months after Russian forces descended upon Ukraine, the sudden arrival of thousands of refugees to the U.S. prompted the Biden administration to set up the sponsorship program that, so far, has allowed over 115,000 Ukrainians to enter the country. The “Uniting for Ukraine” program allows Americans to assist an unlimited number of refugees through a free online application system that clears cases within days or weeks.
Immigrant Meat Plant Workers Win $1.7 Million Settlement Over 2018 Raid
Immigrant workers at a Tennessee meat processing plant reached a $1.7 million settlement over a 2018 raid by federal agents, who they say illegally targeted them.
Roughly 100 workers will receive $550,000, or around $5,700, each. The federal government will also pay six named plaintiffs $475,000 each to resolve their Federal Tort Act claims, which provides compensation for excessive force and unlawful arrest by federal agents.
Immigrant workers were rounded up by federal agents in April 2018 after an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) service found that the owner of the plant near Morristown, Tennessee, was evading taxes by paying the workers in cash.
USCIS News
Student Visas Can Now Be Issued Up to One Year in Advance
F and M student visas can now be issued up to 365 days in advance of the I-20 program start date, allowing more time for students to apply for a visa. Students are still not allowed to enter the U.S. on a student visa more than 30 days before their program start date.
USCIS Releases 2023 Minimum Sponsor Income Requirements
USCIS updated the minimum sponsor income requirements for 2023. The minimum annual income for a family of two increased to $24,650 from $22,887.