Federal Court Rules Against DACA But Leaves Program Intact
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was unlawful, but ordered a review of Biden administration revisions to protect and fortify the policy. The three-judge panel agreed with a lower court ruling that the Department of Homeland Security did not have the authority to create the DACA program.
In late August the Biden administration released the final version of a rule to codify and fortify DACA in an attempt to protect the program and its recipients from ongoing legal threats.
Registration Opens for 2024 Diversity Visa Lottery
The State Department has started accepting online applications for the 2024 Diversity Visa lottery. Applicants have until November 8, noon eastern time to register.
The government will make 55,000 green cards available to foreigners from countries that have a low immigration rate to the U.S.
The State Department recommends registering early during the registration period to avoid any website delays. Registration is free, and only application is permitted per person.
Biden Excludes Undocumented Immigrants from Marijuana Pardon
President Biden pardoned Thursday thousands of people convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana.
The pardon will affect around 6,500 people and excludes undocumented immigrants.
Immigration advocates argued that excluding undocumented immigrants means they can still be arrested and deported for marijuana possession, because the drug is still illegal on the federal level. Other advocates are calling for immigration laws that are more representative of evolving cannabis laws at the state level.
Biden Administration Falls 80% Short of Expected Refugee Admissions
According to a new report from CBS news, the Biden administration resettled 25,000 refugees total in all of 2022, filling only 20% of the 125,000 spots available for refugees this year.
The U.S. refugee program has been slow to recover since the former Trump administration slashed the refugee cap to 15,000 in 2020. Although President Biden previously signed an executive order to expand the program, 2021 saw a record low of 11,411 refugees admitted.
The latest figures do not include at least 130,000 Afghans and Ukrainians who were admitted to the U.S. in 2022 under humanitarian parole, a program that grants temporary protected status to nationals of specific countries.
Investigators Search For Mystery Recruiter in Martha’s Vineyard Migrant Scheme
A series of investigations are diving deeper into Florida Gov. Ron Desantis’ migrant transfer scheme, which left 48 unsuspecting asylum seekers stranded in Martha’s Vineyard. Little is known about the program itself, but new information shows that many of the migrants may have been coerced into joining the flights by the same recruiter.
Several of the migrants involved claim a woman approached them in San Antonio and offered free flights to Massachusetts.
The alleged recruiter identified herself only by her first name, Perla, and investigators have confirmed they are now searching for a woman named Perla Huerta in connection with the program.