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☆ 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

☆ Uncle Sam wants migrants. Facing shortages, military recruiters trade citizenship for service.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The biggest challenges have been identifying geographic pockets of immigrant populations, finding ways to reach them and helping any of those interested navigate the complex military recruiting applications and procedures. The Air Force effort began this year, and the first group of 14 graduated from basic training and were sworn in as new citizens in April. As of mid-May there were about 100 in basic training who had begun the citizenship process and about 40 who had completed it. Thomas said the program required changes to Air Force policy, coordination with U.S. By the time Air Force recruits finish their seven weeks of training, the process is complete and they are sworn in as American citizens.

Persons: —, Bidari, Kalden Lama, Ed Thomas, Thomas, Natalia Laziuk, I've, Christine Wormuth Organizations: US Army, Navy, Service, U.S . Army Reserves, Army, Air Force, Army Staff, Dallas, Marine Corp, Defense, . Citizenship, Immigration Services Locations: Nepal, Dallas, U.S, America, American, United States, Cameroon, Jamaica, Kenya, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Chicago, Mexico, Haiti, Nigeria, Ghana, Colombia, Dominican Republic

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.

Immigration lawyer Ksenia Tchern's office is getting calls from worried clients, she said. The delay caused by the strike comes as Canada's immigration system is playing catch-up from pandemic delays. Immigration department spokespeople, whose work has been affected by the strike, could not provide details on the strike's impacts on immigration services. An immigration system perceived to be dysfunctional could complicate efforts to woo talented immigrants, said immigration lawyer Guidy Mamann. "It just gives our immigration system a black eye.

☆ U.S. Says Some Companies Cheat H-1B Lottery, Driving Record Applications
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Michelle Hackman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Citizenship and Immigration Services has laid out its findings on the H-1B visa lottery in a notice to employers. Photo: Pete Marovich/Washington Post/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—The Biden administration says it has found evidence that several dozen small technology companies have colluded to increase the chances that their prospective foreign hires will win a coveted H-1B visa for skilled foreign workers in this year’s lottery. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency that awards H-1B visas, said it has found that a small number of companies are responsible for entering the same applicants into the lottery multiple times, with the alleged goal of artificially boosting their chances of winning a visa. The findings were laid out in a notice to employers viewed by The Wall Street Journal and set to be released Friday.

☆ Companies Are Colluding to Cheat H-1B Visa Lottery, U.S. Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Michelle Hackman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Tech Companies Are Colluding to Cheat H1-B Visa Lottery, U.S. Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Michelle Hackman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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.

☆ America's immigration system is a nightmare, and it's forcing tech companies to move jobs outside of the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Leaders like Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff have begun walking back their initial praise of remote work, worrying that it leads to employee underperformance. The most existential question raised by remote work, however, is whether working from home makes workers more replaceable. But remote work has just been a facilitator, they suggest, and the real culprit may very well be America's broken immigration system. The flawed US immigration system is forcing companies to hire elsewhereIt's no secret that the US immigration system is flawed. Remote work makes it possibleRemote work makes it all possible, says Job Van Der Voort, founder of Remote, a startup that helps companies hire workers internationally.

Many of the arrivals abandoned plans to seek asylum in the United States, deterred by long processing times and restrictive definitions for asylum, according to aid officials and interviews with asylum seekers. "We want to help asylum seekers stabilize their lives whether in New York City or elsewhere." REUTERS/Christinne Muschi Acquire Licensing RightsThe Quebec government has said the increase in asylum seekers is straining its capacity to house people and provide basic services. The federal government said it has relocated more than 5,500 asylum seekers to other provinces since June, the first time it has done so. Immigration experts said closing off the border to asylum seekers could push migrants to take even riskier routes.

Persons: Zulema Diaz, Maryangel Diaz, Carlos Osorio, Diaz, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Sean Fraser, Alejandro Mayorkas, Trudeau, Biden, Zulema, Eric Adams, Kate Smart, Fabien Levy, Smart, Ilze Thielmann, Raymond Theriault, Theriault, Christinne, Pierre, Luc Bouchard, You’re, Jamie Chai Yun Liew, Anna Mehler Paperny, Ted Hesson, Denny Thomas, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, New, . Homeland, Washington , D.C, Ottawa, New York City, Department of Homeless Services, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Reuters Graphics Canada, United, Colombian, Immigration, Refugee Board, Canadian, Reuters, U.S, . Citizenship, Immigration Services, TLC, Border Patrol, University of Ottawa, Thomson Locations: U.S, Quebec, Niagara Falls , Ontario, Canada, CHAMPLAIN , New York, WASHINGTON, Peru, United States, New York City, Plattsburgh, Washington ,, New York State, New York, Haitian, Syracuse, El Paso, West Virginia, Niagara Falls, Guatemala, Champlain , New York, Montreal, Canada's province, Manitoba, Washington

[1/5] Asylum seekers board a bus after crossing into Canada from the U.S. in Champlain, New York, U.S., February 28, 2023. Many of the arrivals abandoned plans to seek asylum in the United States, deterred by long processing times and restrictive definitions for asylum, according to aid officials and interviews with asylum seekers. "We want to help asylum seekers stabilize their lives whether in New York City or elsewhere." The Quebec government has said the increase in asylum seekers is straining its capacity to house people and provide basic services. Immigration experts said closing off the border to asylum seekers could push migrants to take even riskier routes.

☆ 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.

Uber Freight has laid off 150 employees, or about 3% of the segment's total headcount. The layoffs impact the division's Digital Brokerage team, Uber Freight CEO Lior Ron said in a Monday message viewed by CNBC. Uber launched its freight unit in 2017 with a belief that trucking companies and laden goods could be matched using the same concept that underpinned the company's ride-hailing technology. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he isn't planning companywide layoffs. In Nov. 2022, delivery service DoorDash laid off 1,250 workers, or 6% of its headcount, weeks after ride-sharing platform Lyft cut 13% of its headcount.

☆ Venezuelans describe dangers and desperation amid U.S. asylum changes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Albinson Linares | Noticias Telemundo | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

MEXICO CITY — Mariantonela Orellana spent nine days in the dangerous Darien Gap jungle in the Colombia-Panama border, and she described her nightmarish ordeal. Now back in Mexico, migrants wrestle with whether to try to stay in Mexico, keep trying to seek asylum in the U.S. or return to Venezuela. According to Department of Homeland Security data, the flow of Venezuelan migrants to the U.S. increased by almost four times compared to the year prior. Mexican authorities approved 61% of asylum applications from January to November, including at least 90% of approvals for Hondurans and Venezuelans. “I left Venezuela because the discrimination against the LGBT community is terrible; we are trampled on and attacked every day.

☆ Former Russian mercenary commander flees to Norway and seeks asylum
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Caroline-Radnofsky-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A former member of an infamous Russian mercenary group who fought in Ukraine says he staged a dramatic escape to Norway, where he is seeking asylum and offering to cooperate with international war crimes probes. Medvedev said he had crossed into Norway and surrendered to local police before claiming asylum in the country, which shares an Arctic border with Russia. The former mercenary recounted his defection from his former employer, which he joined last year on a four-month contract after serving time in prison. Medvedev said he climbed through barbed-wire fences, evaded border patrol dogs, ran away from guards' bullets and ran through a forest and over an icy lake to make it into Norway. Norwegian soldiers patrol the border with Russia near Korpfjells, Norway.

☆ 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?

☆ Biden on immigration: We will continue efforts to address root causes of migration
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBiden on immigration: We will continue efforts to address root causes of migrationPresident Joe Biden joins Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, at a press conference in Mexico and discusses U.S. efforts to improve immigration services.

☆ Canada and the U.S. both face labor shortages. One country is increasing immigration.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julia-Ainsley-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julia Ainsley | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

In as little as a decade, there will be one retiree for every two workers in Canada. How outdated U.S. immigration policies push top talent to other countries,” Lofgren said, “The last major overhaul of our legal immigration system occurred in 1990. University Health Network began a program this year to bring in more internationally educated nurses and help them get the additional training they need in Canada. New immigrants to Canada and new Canadians take part in the 5th Annual Newcomer Day at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on May 16, 2019. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it "is committed to fairly and efficiently administering the lawful immigration system, increasing access to eligible immigration benefits, restoring faith and trust with immigrant communities and breaking down barriers in the immigration system, and the agency will continue to uphold America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve."

☆ Advocates Urge Congress to Pass Permanent Residency Status for Afghans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesConvincing Republican senatorsThe House version of the Afghan Adjustment Act has 143 co-sponsors, including 10 Republicans. Demonstrators gather to support Afghan evacuees outside the Capitol on Nov. 16, 2022. At the moment, one prospect to advance the Afghan Adjustment Act is by attaching it to that larger spending bill, advocates say. But negotiations on the omnibus are ongoing, and whether the Afghan Adjustment Act will be included is up in the air. Yet without a deal by then, passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act appears doomed, advocates say, keeping Afghan evacuees in perpetual legal limbo.

The number of people granted asylum in immigration courts hit a historic high this fiscal year under the Biden administration's adjustments to the asylum process, a recent data analysis shows. The TRAC report, released in late November, said the 2022 number was the largest number of individuals granted asylum in any year in the courts' history. However, the analysis also showed that grants of asylum have slowed, with 50% of cases granted asylum in June falling to 41% of cases in September. Also, those released from detention had better asylum grant rates, 54% this fiscal year, compared to those who were detained, 15% of whom were granted asylum. Just 23% of people from Ecuador, or 3,380, were granted asylum, placing the country near the bottom.

☆ 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.

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