January 15, 2013 – Napolitano Stays at DHS, Immigration Reform Advocates Cheer
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will remain at her post during President Obama's second term, a development that could have implications for the debate over immigration reform. Officials from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to ABC/Univision on Monday that Napolitano will stay in her current job. Read the full story here...

January 11, 2013 – US Chamber Pushes For Immigration Reform to Include Boost in High-Skilled Visas
Thomas Donohue, the head of the U.S. Chamber, said Thursday that immigration reform would drive economic growth and help the U.S. stay competitive with other countries. He said changes to the current system should include expanding the caps for high-skilled visas and boosting the number of green cards, where appropriate, for foreign-born graduates with master's degrees and Ph.D.s, among other initiatives. Read the full story here...

January 7, 2013 – New USCIS Online Policy Manual Released Today
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) started today its move to an online manual of immigration policies by its release of volume number one of the new online USCIS Policy Manual, which involves citizenship and naturalization. Policies in this volume will begin to be implemented by the USCIS on January 22, 2013. Read the full story here...

January 2, 2013 – New DHS Immigration Rule Eases Family Separations
The Department of Homeland Security has published a rule it says will cut the time "U.S. citizens are separated" from relatives seeking lawful residency status. The final rule, published in the Federal Register, establishes a process that allows specific individuals to apply for a "provisional unlawful presence waiver" before they leave the United States for immigrant visa interviews in their home countries, the department said in a release Wednesday. Read the full story here...

December 20, 2012 – US House Names New Immigration Panel Head
Trey Gowdy, a former South Carolina prosecutor who was part of the GOP freshman wave of 2010, will head the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security. Gowdy opposed the Obama administration’s decision to grant deferred deportations to some young illegal immigrants. He co-sponsored a law titled the “Prohibiting Back-door Amnesty Act” aimed at reversing that decision. And he co-sponsored a bill that would have stopped the Department of Justice from suing states such as Arizona, Alabama and South Carolina that passed tough illegal immigration laws. Read the full story here...

December 19, 2012 – ACLU sues Michigan Secretary Of State for Denying Driver's Licenses To Undocumented Immigrants
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan is suing Secretary of State Ruth Johnson on behalf of a youth organization and three undocumented immigrants who cannot obtain driver's licenses here despite a new federal program that allows them to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation. Read the full story here...

December 13, 2012 – New USCIS Immigrant Fee Starts February 1, 2013
Foreign nationals who seek permanent residence in the United States and receive an immigrant visa will need to pay a USCIS Immigrant Fee beginning February 1, 2013. The new fee of $165 was established in USCIS’s final rule adjusting fees for immigration applications and petitions announced on Sept. 24, 2010. USCIS has worked closely with the Department of State (DOS) to implement the new fee which allows USCIS to recover the cost of processing that is performed in the United States after immigrant visa holders receive their visa packages from DOS and are admitted to the United States. Read the full story here...

December 11, 2012 – State’s Voter-Approved Immigration Law Faces Court Challenge
An immigrant advocacy group, the state’s largest union and a Montana resident who was born in Canada filed a lawsuit Friday aimed at reversing a statewide initiative that prohibits state agencies from providing certain state services or benefits to undocumented immigrants. Read the full story here...

December 10, 2012 – Illinois Considers Licenses For Undocumented Immigrants
Illinois could become the third state after Washington and New Mexico where undocumented immigrants can obtain driver's licenses. The legislation is halfway there. A bill that passed the state Senate 41-14 last Tuesday has bipartisan support. The legislation would allow undocumented immigrants to get specially marked three–year driver's licenses. Applicants would have to prove residency in Illinois and provide a passport or consular ID, and they'd be subject to Illinois' mandatory liability insurance requirements. Read the full story here...

December 7, 2012 – Immigration Board Hears Deportation Appeal from Former Nazi Guard, 88, Living In US
A former Nazi concentration camp guard who has lived quietly in western Pennsylvania for more than 50 years took his fight against deportation to the nation’s highest immigration court Thursday, arguing that he shouldn’t be punished because he served in Hitler’s army against his will. Read the full story here...

December 6, 2012 – Republicans’ Immigration Bill Blocked by Senate Democrats
Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday blocked consideration of a bill Republicans passed last week in the House of Representatives that would give 55,000 permanent resident visas to foreigners graduating from American universities with advanced degrees in science or technology. Read the full story here...

December 4, 2012 – George W. Bush to Host Conference on Immigration
Former President George W. Bush is set to give opening remarks at a conference on the benefits of immigrants to the U.S. economy. The Tuesday conference is hosted by the George W. Bush Institute and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. It is part of a Bush Institute initiative on finding ways to achieve a 4 percent gross domestic product growth. Read the full story here...

December 1, 2012 – House Votes to Ease Visa Limits for Some Foreign Workers
A divided House of Representatives voted Friday to ease visa restrictions for a limited pool of foreign workers. The bill the House approved by a vote of 245 to 139 — with just 27 Democrats supporting it — stands little chance of advancing in the Senate, where Democrats have control. And the White House has come out in opposition to the bill, calling it too “narrowly tailored” and incompatible with President Obama’s vision for a more comprehensive approach. Read the full story here...

November 30, 2012 – STEM Immigration Reform Bill up for House Vote Today
A Republican bill, named the STEM Jobs Act, will come to a vote today that would grant 55,000 US permanent resident visas, otherwise known as green cards, to foreign nationals who graduate from US colleges with advanced degrees in the technology fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Read the full story here...

November 21, 2012 – Illinois Bill Would Grant Driver Licenses to Undocumented Immigrants
New law would allow undocumented immigrants to qualify for temporary licenses if they can provide a valid passport or identification card issued by a consulate, plus proof of Illinois residency. Applicants must pass a vision, written and road test and obtain insurance. The licenses could not be used as a form of identification. Read the full story here...

November 19, 2012 – Massachusetts to Widen Tuition Breaks to Include Undocumented Immigrants
Young undocumented immigrants will qualify for resident tuition once the federal government halts deportations. Governor Deval Patrick will direct state colleges and universities Monday to allow young undocumented immigrants to pay the lower resident rate for tuition and fees as soon as they obtain work permits through the new federal program. Read the full story here...

November 15, 2012 – Federal Judge Upholds South Carolina Law Allowing Immigration Checks
A federal judge has ruled that a South Carolina law allowing police to check people's immigration status can go into effect during a lawsuit but kept in place a ban on other parts of the state's tough new legislation. Read the full story here...

November 14, 2012 – Cubans Can Leave, But To Where And With What?
For decades, Cuba has been a country whose government would not let its people leave. But in October, it announced a lifting of the despised travel ban to begin in January. But the expense of a visa from the destination country, the cost to travel and the fine print in the government announcement will probably keep most Cubans home. Read the full story here...

November 12, 2012 – Immigration Reform Effort to Begin In Senate Post-Inauguration
A Democratic Senate source who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the full push for reform won't happen immediately, but will begin soon after Obama starts his second term. The Dream Act, which would give legal status to undocumented young people who came to the U.S. as children, will be included in the efforts, according to the source. Read the full story here...

November 5, 2012 – USCIS Reminds Individuals Affected by Hurricane Sandy of Temporary Immigration Relief Measures
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds customers affected by Hurricane Sandy of certain U.S. immigration benefits or relief that may be available to them. USCIS understands that a natural disaster can affect an individual’s ability to maintain lawful immigration status or obtain certain other immigration benefits. Eligible individuals may request or apply for temporary relief measures Read the USCIS announcement here...

October 19, 2012 – US Appeals Court Struck Down Key Provision of The Defense of Marriage Act
A federal appeals court in New York today struck down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, (DOMA) ruling that section 3 of the federal law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution. “DOMA’s classification of same-sex spouses was not substantially related to an important government interest,” Chief Judge Dennis Jacobs wrote for the 2-1 court, “Accordingly, we hold that section 3 of DOMA violates equal protection and is therefore unconstitutional.” Read the full story here...

October 18, 2012 – Courts Hand Arizona a Victory on Immigration Law, But Say No to Part of Alabama's
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed an appeal by a coalition of civil rights groups that are challenging the “show me your papers” provision of Arizona’s immigration law, known as SB 1070. The provision calls on police, while enforcing other laws, to question the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally. The U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned parts of the Arizona enforcement law known as SB1070 but ruled that a key provision on requiring police to ask people about their immigration status under certain circumstances can be implemented. Read the full story here...

October 17, 2012 – Nearly 4,600 DREAMers Approved for Deferred Action
Nearly 4,600 young undocumented immigrants have been granted temporary permission to live and work in the United States, according to statistics released today from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Just under 180,000 requests have been accepted for processing through the program, which halts deportations for qualifying DREAMers and allows them to apply for work permits. Read the full story here...

October 15, 2012 – LA Mayor Wants ID Cards for Undocumented Immigrants
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s call for a special city identification card that could be used as an official ID by undocumented immigrants is the latest move by L.A. city officials on behalf of undocumented immigrants who live in the city. Villaraigosa’s plan is for an ID that can also be used as a prepaid ATM card, so undocumented immigrants could more easily access banking services. Read the full story here...

October 12, 2012 – Deferred Action for Undocumented Immigrants Stymied by Fear
Fear of immigration officials is keeping young undocumented immigrants away from the federal government's deferred action program. There is uncertainty as people may want to see who will be the president before they apply. But earlier this month, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he would not rescind the program. Read the full story here...

October 8, 2012 – Phoenix City Council Considering Local ID for Undocumented Immigrants
Phoenix, Ariz. - A member of the Phoenix City Council is exploring the possibility that the local government could create a form of identification card for undocumented immigrants to identify themselves to police when they enforce the portion of Arizona's SB 1070 law, which requires suspected undocumented immigrants to show ID to police. Read the full story here...

October 5, 2012 – LA Police Chief Wants to Protect Arrested Immigrants from Deportation
In a move against the federal government, the Los Angeles police chief said Thursday he wants to protect immigrants who are arrested for minor offenses from being deported. Chief Charlie Beck said he wants to stop honoring federal immigration detention requests in the hope of regaining the public's trust. Read the full story here...

October 3, 2012 – Romney Won't Revoke Immigrant Work Visas Under Obama's Temporary Plan
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he would honor temporary work permits for young undocumented immigrants who were allowed to stay in the U.S. because of President Barack Obama's new temporary Deferred Action policy. “I'm not going to take something that they've purchased," Romney said, promising to put a comprehensive immigration reform plan into place before those visas expire. Read the full story here...

October 2, 2012 – Prosecutorial Discretion for Same-Sex Couples Now Recognized By Immigration Officials
Homosexual couples are now considered by immigration officials to be "family relationships" according to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who issued the order to federal agencies. Read the full story here...

September 28, 2012 – Deferred Action Applicants Turning Out In Lower Than Expected Numbers
82,000 applications for deferred action have been received as of Monday, only 5.9% of the total (1,400,000) considered by most observers to be eligible for deferred action. Of those, 29 applicants, or 0.035% of the total received, have been processed and approved. Read the full story here...

August 24, 2012 – USCIS Granted 10,000 Visas to Crime Victims Who Assist Law Enforcement
The USCIS approved 10,000 visas for immigrant victims of crime who agreed to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation and prosecution of crimes, the agency announced this week. The visas grant "U nonimmigrant" status to those who are victims of specific crimes, such as kidnapping, rape, and domestic violence. The visa is valid for four years and allows the person to request a work permit. After the third visa year, individuals can apply for permanent residency. Read the full story here...

August 12, 2012 – Justice Department Opposes Undocumented Immigrant's Bid To Practice Law
An undocumented Mexican immigrant seeking to practice law in California has received support from the State Bar of California, but not from the Obama administration. In a brief to the California Supreme Court, the U.S. Department of Justice said federal law prohibits giving a public benefit, such as a bar license, to an "unlawfully present alien." Read the full story here...

August 10, 2012 – DHS Document Shows Obama Administration Wrestling with ‘DREAM Act' Policy
Nearly two months after President Obama announced a controversial decision to bypass Congress and use his executive powers to spare younger undocumented immigrants from the threat of deportation, Fox News has obtained a draft document that shows officials at the Department of Homeland Security wrestling internally with how to implement the new policy. Read the full story here...

August 9, 2012 – Health Care Reform Law Could Expose Undocumented Immigrants
Undocumented immigrants worry that their ability to access healthcare will become even more risky once President Barack Obama's healthcare law takes effect. The reform requires all U.S. citizens and permanent residents to obtain health insurance, either through the government-run Medicaid program for the poor or by purchasing private insurance via state exchanges starting in 2014. It also bars undocumented immigrants from participating. As more low-income citizens receive insurance, the fear is that many of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants will be easier to identify just because they lack coverage. Read the full story here...

August 8, 2012 – Undocumented Immigrant Can be Lawyer, Florida Bar Decides
The Florida Board of Bar Examiners says that an undocumented immigrant born in Mexico appears to qualify for a law license, but it still wants an advisory opinion from the state Supreme Court before making a final decision. Read the full story here...

August 6, 2012 – Gay Immigrants Could Stave off Deportation under New Rule
Homeland Security officials said Friday that a foreigner's longstanding same-sex relationship with a U.S. citizen could help stave off the threat of deportation. Binational gay couples are eligible for consideration under a federal program designed to focus resources away from low-priority deportation cases and let officials spend more time tracking down convicted criminals, said Marsha Catron, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security. Read the full story here...

August 3, 2012 – Organizations Denounce Exploitation of Detained Immigrants
Undocumented immigrants are not allowed to work legally in the United States, but they can do so for $1 a day in the privately run detention centers where they await deportation. People who are being detained only while they await an immigration court audience and not for punitive reasons are being forced to work for a dollar a day and this not only seems to violate the minimum wage laws, but also the 13th Amendment against slavery. Read the full story here...

August 1, 2012 – Young Immigrants Prepare for New U.S. Deferred Action for DREAMers Policy
Details about how immigrants can apply for the program, which administration officials announced last month, have not been released. But already young people are flooding Mexican consular offices around the United States, trying to get the citizenship documents they'll need from their home country in order to ask for a reprieve from U.S. immigration officials. Read the full story here...

July 31, 2012 – Deferred Action for DREAMers May Be Golden Opportunity for Scammers
Several states are already anticipating large-scale fraud and deceit surrounding the Deferred Action process as the date when applications will start being accepted nears. State governments are understandably concerned that unlicensed people billing themselves as "immigration consultants" or notarios will prey on the public's lack of understanding of our complex legal system and the intricacies of applying for deferred action. Read the full story here...

July 30, 2012 – Deferred Action for DREAMers: A Checklist for Your Application
The Deferred Action for DREAMers program is expected to become available on August 15. The Program promises to grant relief from removal to certain undocumented immigrants and provide work authorization. It is anticipated that 1.4 million people may be eligible to apply. There are several things you can do to speed up your application and also improve your chances of having it granted. Read the full story here...

July 26, 2012 – Initiative Aims to Shield Undocumented Immigrants from DREAMer Fraud
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration will pursue wide-ranging steps intended to thwart the potential for fraud and unscrupulous practices in response to President Obama’s decision to allow many undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children to remain here without fear of deportation. Cuomo’s plan calls for a multilingual news media outreach campaign, community programs and the mobilization of lawyers across New York State to help immigrants navigate the Obama administration’s policy, which was announced last month. Read the full story here...

July 25, 2012 – DHS Immigration Plan Could Cost $585M, Report Says, As Questions Remain Over What Fees Would Cover
The Obama administration's plan to let thousands of young undocumented immigrants stay in the country and apply for work permits reportedly could cost more than $585 million to carry out. Undocumented immigrants will be able to request permission to stay in the country and apply for a work permit starting Aug. 15. USCIS could receive more than a million applications in the first year alone, costing $467 million to $585 million to process. Read the full story here...

July 24, 2012 – 'DREAMer' Day Urges Immigrants to Prep For Deferred Action
The Mexican Consulate in Brownsville is urging young undocumented immigrants who may qualify for deferred action by the U.S. government to begin assembling their documents now. On June 15, President Barack Obama announced that the Department of Homeland Security will stop deporting young undocumented immigrants who meet certain conditions, primarily that they were brought here by their parents before age 16 and are now younger than 31. Read the full story here...

July 23, 2012 – Drop In Apprehensions for Immigration Violations
The government says apprehensions of people for federal immigration violations have dropped to the lowest level in 40 years, reflecting a decline in the northbound traffic of illegal immigrants from Mexico. At the same time, the number of suspects booked by the U.S. Marshals Service for criminal immigration offenses has gone up dramatically, a function of tougher law enforcement on the U.S. side of the border. Read the full story here...

July 20, 2012 – Trial Begins Over Whether Latinos Are Racially Profiled In Ariz. Sheriff’s Immigration Patrols
A group of Latinos is arguing in federal court that Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s deputies carried out racial profiling as part of policy of discrimination. The civil lawsuit involving Arpaio — the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America — has put his anti-illegal immigration patrols on center stage. Read the full story here...

July 19, 2012 – Arizona Immigration Law Opponents File New Offensive Aimed At Blocking Status Check
A coalition of civil rights groups, religious leaders and business organizations filed a new request seeking a court order that would prevent authorities from enforcing a rule that requires police to check the immigration status of people they stop for other reasons. The groups are asking U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton to block enforcement of the requirement before it takes effect, arguing that Latinos in Arizona would face systematic racial profiling and unreasonably long detentions under the contentious section of the 2010 law. Read the full story here...

July 18, 2012 – States To Use U.S. Immigration List For Voter Purges
Several presidential battleground states are moving quickly to reach agreements with federal officials to access a U.S. immigration database to purge noncitizens from voter rolls. The states, including some with large Latino populations, are following Florida, which last week reached its own pact with the Department of Homeland Security to use a database that contains information about immigrants who are in the U.S. legally. The states' efforts had initially been blocked by DHS until the agency relented. Read the full story here...