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☆ Dept. of Homeland Security embraces AI and other federal agencies are likely to follow
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Bob Violino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during the third annual Axios What's Next Summit at the Planet Word Museum on March 19, 2024 in Washington, DC. When the White House issued an executive order last October to promote safe and responsible development and use of artificial intelligence in the federal government, one of the first agencies to say it was on board the AI train was the Department of Homeland Security. In one pilot, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will test AI to help in investigative processes focused on detecting fentanyl and combatting child exploitation. The unprecedented speed and potential of AI's development and adoption presents both opportunities and risks, according to Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security. What DHS learns from the pilot projects will be beneficial in shaping how it can effectively and responsibly use AI across homeland security moving forward, he said.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden, Mayorkas, — Organizations: Word, White House, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, United, United States Citizenship, Immigration Services, Homeland Security, DHS, Mayorkas, Republican Locations: Washington ,, United States

☆ ICE draft plan would release thousands of immigrants in order to cover budget shortfall
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —Immigration and Customs Enforcement has drafted contingency plans to cut detention capacity and release thousands of immigrants as a result, according to a source familiar with the plan. The draft plan comes as ICE faces a dire budget shortfall amid stalled congressional action on the White House supplemental request. President Joe Biden has repeatedly implored Congress to give him more resources to deal with the situation at the US-Mexico border, assigning blame on Republicans for not doing more. Over recent years, ICE has assisted Customs and Border Protection in its border mission as that agency is also overwhelmed. Homeland Security officials have attributed the decline to ongoing high-level talks between the US and Mexico, which has doubled down on enforcement, but caution that encounters historically drop in January before ticking up again.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mayorkas, ” Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, Troy Miller Organizations: Washington CNN — Immigration, Enforcement, ICE, White, Department of Homeland Security, GOP, impeaching, DHS –, The Washington Post, Administration, Homeland Security, CBP, Protection, Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration, US Border Patrol, DHS Locations: Mexico, Congress, Venezuela

☆ Uncle Sam just overhauled the H-1B visa lottery, and that's good news for startups
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA new reform to the US H-1B visa program aims to ring out some of the uncertainty for migrant workers and employers. Each year, tens of thousands of foreign nationals wind up at venture-backed companies through the employment-based visa program. However, obtaining an H-1B visa remains challenging due to high demand. Data shows much of the increase was due to a record-breaking number of employers submitting multiple H-1B registrations for the same person. "This led to many individuals being entered into the lottery multiple times, through different companies, and ultimately decreasing the odds of being selected in the lottery," Finkelman said.

Persons: —, Jason Finkelman, Finkelman, USCIS, Sophie Alcorn, Alcorn Organizations: Service, Immigration Services, Business, Tech Locations: Austin, Hyderabad, Beijing, Silicon Valley

☆ Here are the 25 startups that sponsor the most H-1B visas for immigrants looking for work
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Melia Russell | Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The H-1B visa has served as a prominent pathway for skilled foreign labor into the American job market. The H-1B visa program is the nation's largest temporary work visa program, with over 600,000 workers across 50,000 employers. However, obtaining an H-1B visa remains challenging due to high demand. According to data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the 2024 H-1B visa lottery saw applications rise to a record-breaking 780,000. Using recent data from the US Office of Foreign Labor Certification, Business Insider put together this ranking of the top H-1B startup employers between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023.

Persons: USCIS, Jason Finkelman, Finkelman Organizations: Business, Citizenship, Immigration Services, White, Information, Regulatory Affairs, of Foreign Labor Locations: Hyderabad, Beijing

☆ Fact Check-Illinois bill only allows certain non-citizens to become police officers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Illinois House Bill 3751 only allows non-citizens who are eligible to work in the U.S. and are authorized to possess firearms under federal law to become police officers. Contrary to confusion on social media, the bill does not extend this right to all non-citizens or those who are not legally allowed to work in the country. The text in one Facebook post (here) reads: “Illinois Governor signs bill allowing illegals to become police officers. They CAN’T!”“Illinois Governor signs bill allowing illegal aliens to become police officers and arrest US citizens,” reads another post (here). Illinois House Bill 3751 allows non-citizens who are eligible to work in the U.S. under federal law to become police officers.

Persons: Bill, Olivia Kuncio, Illinois Governor J.B, Pritzker, That’s, “ DACA, ”, Lauren Aronson, “, Kuncio, ” Aronson, Read Organizations: Illinois Governor, Reuters, U.S . Citizenship, Immigration Services, federal, University of Illinois College of Law, Illinois Locations: Illinois, U.S, “ Illinois, United States, California

☆ Biden's new asylum policy strands some migrants at Mexico border
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Daniel Becerril | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Officials said the regulation and other Biden immigration policies are reducing illegal border crossings that have hit record highs in recent years. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asylum screenings, down to 46% for single adults from an average of 83% from 2014 to 2019, according to government data contained in a court filing. * A sharp rise in time spent in Border Patrol custody, according to previously unreported U.S. government data obtained by Reuters. A senior Biden administration official told Reuters the policy was working. Government figures show the number of migrants caught crossing illegally has dropped by 69 percent in one month.

Persons: ”, “, Pena Organizations: Biden, Citizenship, Immigration Services, . Immigration, Customs Enforcement, Patrol, Reuters, Customs and Border Locations: U.S, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico

☆ Opinion: It’s time to bring these US military veterans home
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Opinion Saúl Ramírez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Bartolomé, a US military veteran, has spent the last 15 Fourth of July holidays in Mexico. “It’s a stab in the back.”Between 2013 and 2018, 250 US military veterans were placed in removal proceedings and 92 were deported. Unfortunately, an accurate count of deported veterans is nonexistent, because Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not keep a comprehensive record of removed US veterans. Veterans who did not receive a dishonorable discharge are entitled to a military burial in the United States. As a result, the urgency in addressing noncitizen military members’ precarious situation is particularly palpable now.

Persons: CNN —, he’s, Saúl Ramírez Christopher Smith Bartolomé, ” Bartolomé, ”, “, Joe Biden, Mark Takano, Sen, Alex Padilla, “ I’m, I’m, ‘ I’m, ’, Bartolomé, ‘ Don’t, they’ve Organizations: Harvard University, CNN, US Armed Forces, Pew Research Center, United States, Judiciary, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration, Immigration Services, Department of Defense, Immigration Systems, New, of State, Department of Justice, DHS, of Homeland Security, Committee, Veterans Affairs, Veterans, Los, Twitter, Facebook, Bartolomé Locations: Mexico, United States, Los Angeles

The number of migrants caught crossing the border illegally since Title 42 ended on Friday dropped sharply from highs last week, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official Blas Nunez-Neto said on a call with reporters. Nunez-Neto said migrants crossing illegally "now face tougher consequences at the border, including a minimum five-year bar on reentry and the potential to be criminally prosecuted if they try again." Title 42 allowed U.S. authorities to expel migrants to Mexico or other countries without the chance to request U.S. asylum. The Biden administration has also expanded legal pathways that allow more people to enter the U.S. without crossing illegally, including the CBP One appointments and applications available abroad for humanitarian parole and refugee status. The number of migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally dropped to an average of 5,000 per day since Title 42 ended, down from daily highs of over 10,000 last week, Nunez-Neto said, cautioning that the situation "is very fluid."

WHAT IS TITLE 42? The COVID restrictions, known as Title 42, were first implemented under Republican then-President Donald Trump in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. The Biden administration intends to lift Title 42 next Thursday when the U.S. COVID public health emergency ends. In April, the U.S. Border Patrol apprehended some 183,000 migrants, according to preliminary data provided by Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a 13 percent increase from March. U.S. border cities are bracing for a possible rise in migrants when Title 42 ends.

None of the agencies disputed the allegation, and each paid penalties of $5,050, the maximum state levy for a child labor violation. The U.S. and Alabama investigations began after a Reuters report last July first exposed the use of child labor at Hyundai parts makers in the state. The U.S. Department of Labor said in February the number of child labor violations in 2022 had soared by nearly 70% compared with the tally recorded in 2018. They said false documentation, even shoddy credentials like those filed by the boy's employers, makes child labor laws difficult to enforce. An Alabama labor department spokesperson told Reuters the agency is still working to determine who exactly hired the child to work at Hyundai Glovis.

☆ Laid off from a startup and on an H-1B visa? Here are 3 main things immigrant workers should know, according to experts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Here are three steps laid off visa holders should take, according to tech industry experts. Though, it appears that laid off immigrant workers are having success finding new roles. Insider spoke with immigration attorneys, venture capitalists, and recruitment experts and compiled the three most important steps laid off H-1B visa holders should take during their 60-day window. Look into other visa categoriesAn attorney can also advise on what other visa categories a worker could be eligible for. "Companies started by immigrant workers employ a lot of immigrant workers too," she said.

WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The United States is poised to start using fast-track asylum screenings at the U.S.-Mexico border, part of U.S. President Joe Biden's recent efforts to address a record number of illegal crossings, five sources told Reuters. A group of Biden administration officials visited the U.S.-Mexico border this week in preparation for the new effort, said two of the sources, both U.S. officials. It was unclear when the fast-track screenings will begin. Under the plan, asylum seekers detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would have remote interviews with a U.S. asylum officer within days, the sources said. Reuters first reported in December that the fast-track screenings were under consideration.

☆ A proposed H-1B visa fee increase threatens to kneecap Silicon Valley's ability to hire the foreign talent it needs to compete
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The tech industry relies on skilled-work visas for foreign hires in a system critics say is broken. Now the USCIS is proposing fee hikes for visa applications, at a time when it's already challenging. It would be another hurdle on top of recent tech layoffs and scarce visa availability, experts say. While the proposed fee hikes are presented as a solution to end backlogs and address bureaucratic headaches, experts say they would make it more difficult to hire foreign talent. Are you an H-1B visa holder and have a story to share?

☆ First on CNN: Biden administration to pilot new portions of citizenship test next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The naturalization exam is a crucial step to an immigrant’s path toward US citizenship, potentially impacting hundreds of thousands of immigrants who seek citizenship annually. The trial civics portion is expected to be redesigned in a multiple-choice format, instead of it being fill in the blank. Currently, applicants study 100 civics test items and are required to answer six of 10 civics questions correctly to pass. The citizenship test was a target of the Trump administration, which tried to curtail legal immigration and doubled down on citizenship. Last year, the Biden administration rolled back the controversial Trump-era naturalization civics test, reverting to a prior version of the exam.

☆ Foreign workers on H-1B visas laid off by Meta asked to stay on the company payroll longer to avoid having to leave the US, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

H-1B workers laid off by Meta asked to stay on for two extra months, BuzzFeed News reportedLaid-off H-1B workers only have 60 days to find a new job or they have to leave the country. Hours after Meta announced plans to lay off 11,000 employees, foreign workers on the H-1B visa drafted a letter to the company's human resources department. An H-1B visa allows companies to hire foreign professionals to stay in the US temporarily, according to the USCIS. 65,000 H-1B workers are permitted to stay in the US per year. Several laid off Meta employees told BuzzFeed News that they received a packet on immigration guidance for "general information purposes only," which didn't offer access to legal advice.

☆ Tech firms sponsored 45,000 H-1B workers in the past 3 years, report says. Many are now laid-off and struggling to stay in the US.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Major tech firms sponsored 45,000 H-1B workers in the past three years, Bloomberg reported. Some H-1B workers are staying at Twitter out of fear of being "forced out of the country," per CNN. The US allows 65,000 H-1B workers per year who are permitted to stay between three to six years. USCIS did not immediately respond to a request for comment about H-1B workers being laid off by tech firms, made outside normal working hours. "You have to spend months preparing for some of these jobs," he told Bloomberg over the phone.

☆ How small-town Maine embraced a family that fled the Taliban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Elyse Lightman Samuels | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +36 min

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — Last November, at about midnight, Omid was lying in bed in his new home in Cape Elizabeth, Maine — exhausted, but unable to sleep. On this night, and on many nights during Omid's first few months in Maine, Nasir was soon at his door. Omid's family arrived in Maine just before Halloween in 2021 and recently celebrated one year in Maine. Catholic Charities, the local refugee-resettlement organization in Maine, was working with Omid's family to help them resettle. After Omid's family escaped Kabul, members of his extended family came by to collect some of their more precious items, and gave other things away.

☆ U.S. extends protected migrant status to mid-2024 for six nationalities
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN SALVADOR, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The United States has extended a protected status program that prevents migrants from being deported to mid-2024 for citizens of six countries, including Haiti and three Central American nations, its immigration service said on Thursday. The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will be extended to June 30, 2024, for citizens of Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Sudan, Honduras, and Nepal, according to a document filed by the U.S. The TPS program provides recipients work permits and can protect them from deportation if their home countries go through extraordinary events such as natural disaster or armed conflict. The extension will affect about 392,000 people, of whom some 242,000 are citizens of El Salvador, according to USCIS data. "Thanks be to God," said Salvadoran Ambassador to the United States Milena Mayorga, tweeting a link to the document.

☆ Hundreds of Twitter employees on H-1B visas fear being deported if Elon Musk fires them
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hundreds of Twitter employees on special visas could be deported after Elon Musk's job cuts. A Forbes report suggests nearly 700 Twitter employees were on H-1B employment-tied visas. According to data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Twitter has given "initial approval" to 168 H-1B visas since 2020. It is unclear what departments visa-tied Twitter employees work for, or how susceptible their positions are to layoffs. He previously reprimanded Donald Trump in 2017 for the then-President's decision to suspend the special work visas.

☆ Workforce at Alabama chicken plants includes migrant teens
▼ + stars: | 2022-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +20 min

At Amelia’s request, Reuters agreed not to identify her hometown, the chicken plant where she now works, or the exact job she performs there. She said she was determined to get here because Rosa told her she could find work quickly. Amelia provided her new credentials to a staffing firm that supplies laborers to a local chicken plant, she said. Some firms deduct as much as $40 a week from employees’ paychecks for the service, four workers told Reuters. She rarely leaves Rosa’s trailer except to head to and from the chicken plant.

☆ It took me 19 years to become a US citizen. Here's how my journey compares to the average immigrant.
▼ + stars: | 2020-07-01 | by ( Shayanne Gal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

In March 2017, almost 19 years later, I became a naturalized citizen at 24. There are a number of different ways to qualify for a green card, including through family, marriage, employment, or asylum status. From the time when we filled out the application to our official citizenship ceremonies, it took about two years. Since we lived in New York, the volume of citizenship applications was among the highest nationwide, so the processing time took longer. My journey to citizenship followed a specific path, but it is in no way unique.

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