Many changes to immigration law have been initiated since Donald Trump took office in 2017. Not everyone understands what the new laws are, how the changes might ultimately affect their ability to stay on US soil, or under what conditions they can be forced to leave or be deported. According to immigration lawyers, although the US public has remained pro-immigration, several issues have developed over the course of last year that are important for anyone who is an immigrant in the US to know.
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DACA is no longer legal
Over the years, over 800,000 young individuals have been granted permission to stay in the US due to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Although DACA is no longer in action, there will not be a mass deportation, and children will not be denied the privileges of DACA immediately. The program will be winding down over the next two years, and it will be replaced with work cards for immigration.
Travel Ban
Within a week of being sworn into office, President Trump signed a new order prohibiting the entry of immigrants to the US from seven different countries. Although it’s been revamped several times due to widespread protests, arguments, and lawsuits against the White House, the ban has been reissued with fewer provision; however, it is still being challenged. The fight will probably proceed into 2018, when the legality of such a ban will finally be decided upon once and for all.
A curtailment of legal immigration
In April, President Trump signed the Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, which allows USCIS to use much more discretion and potential immigrants with more stringent guidelines and investigations. Many factors about who can immigrate and who can’t mean that the order ensures immigrants are put through rigorous questioning and investigation.
The number of those who request to immigrate to the US has been significantly decreased.
There are more detailed in-person interviews required before someone is eligible to immigrate, and all visas that are based on employment be vetted with much more scrutiny, which has likewise cut down on the number of those being granted immigration status. When someone refiles for a visa, they have to prove again that they meet the eligibility requirements, and that while they have been on US soil they have followed the conditions of their immigration status.
More efforts being put into enforcing immigration laws
In the past, most sanctuary cities and states have gotten a pass to do what they want at the state level. ICE has ramped up its target to find and to deport those who are not following the condition of their immigration status, have overstayed their visas, have been convicted of a crime, or are here illegally and without the proper documentation.
Whole-city sweeps have been done to check individuals’ immigration status, and if they are in violation, more ICE officers are following through with enforcing immigration laws and rules. It isn’t that ICE has put any more rules and laws into effect; it is that for the first time in a long time they are enforcing the laws that are on the books. They have also been given more authority and a bigger budget to make a difference and to enforce longstanding immigration laws that have been ignored in the past.
Ending TPS for Haitians, Sudanese and anyone else who was granted immigration due to major catastrophes
Many individuals were granted immigration status due to Temporary Protected Status, which allows those whose country has befallen natural disasters to come and work on American soil. The TPS status has been withdrawn for residents from Haiti and the Sudan, along with other countries like Honduras and El Salvador.
According to MyRights Immigration Law Firm If you are an immigrant in the US, it is more important now than ever to follow the conditions of your immigration duties. Since sanctuary cities are becoming a thing of the past and ICE has started to enforce laws that are already on the books, it is imperative that you follow the required conditions specified to remain in America. If you are facing deportation or having a problem with your immigration status, it is crucial that you hire an immigration attorney to help you stay on American soil, if that is what you want to do.
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