In the July 4, 2004 issue of Bender's Immigration Bulletin I published this essay . As we head into the long weekend...and an even longer 2024 election cycle in which immigration will loom large...it might be useful to review how we got here. Here are the opening and closing paragraphs: "If legislation could take out personal ads, the most forlorn entry would read: "CIR Seeks PLS": Comprehensive Immigration Reform seeks Perfect Legislative Storm. ... The next round of (positive) comprehensive immigration reform will require a perfect storm with the following elements: presidential leadership w ..read more

In this one-hour webinar, four experts explain what will happen next at the border. Essential viewing! Watch the recording here ..read more

Senate Joint Economic Committee, Dec. 14, 2022 "As the United States continues its recovery from the pandemic recession, immigrant workers are essential to the continued growth of the labor force and overall productivity. In order to continue adding jobs at a strong pace, the U.S. economy needs more foreign-born workers to drive innovation and business formation. The United States is currently experiencing a shortfall in the number of immigrant workers. This has exacerbated service disruptions and labor shortages in vital industries that rely on immigrant workers, like leisure and hospitality ..read more

Muzaffar Chishti, Kathleen Bush-Joseph, MPI, May 25, 2023 "U.S. border enforcement finds itself in an uncertain new era now that the pandemic-era Title 42 border expulsions policy has been lifted. The chaos predicted to occur in the days after the May 11 end of the public-health emergency declaration did not immediately materialize. The unexpected dip in arrivals could be seen as a sign of a new normal, but may also be a temporary pause before a renewed uptick. Strong migration push factors through much of the Western Hemisphere and beyond may mean that there is continued pressure on the U.S ..read more

OFLC, May 26, 2023 1. OFLC announces case submission for the Form ETA 9089 for PERM in FLAG on June 1, 2023 OFLC previously announced a delay to the date on which it will transition PERM submission and processing to the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) and the concurrent implementation of the revised Form ETA 9089. In response to stakeholder requests, OFLC used this delay to work with the Department’s Office of Chief Information Officer to provide filers the option to link prevailing wage determinations to a PERM application where users no longer have access to the FLAG account from wh ..read more

ACLU of Florida, May 22, 2023 "A group of Chinese citizens who live, work, study, and raise families in Florida, as well as a real estate brokerage firm in Florida that primarily serves clients of Chinese descent, are filing a lawsuit to combat Florida’s discriminatory property law, SB 264. Signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the legislation unfairly restricts most Chinese citizens — and most citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea — from purchasing homes in the state. Unless the courts act, the law will take effect on July 1, 2023. The plaintiffs are represented by the Amer ..read more

This document is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 05/26/2023 "The Department of State (the Department) is delaying the effective date of a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on March 28, 2023, to provide for a 60-day delay in the effective date after receipt of the final rule in the Congress. DATES: The effective date of the rule amending 22 CFR part 22 published at 88 FR 18243, March 28, 2023, is delayed until June 17, 2023 ..read more

ICE, May 2, 2023 "In February 2023, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) provided updated guidance that consular officers can now issue an F or M student visa up to 365 days in advance of an international student’s program start date. This new guidance does not change the requirement for issuing Forms I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), paying the I-901 SEVIS Fee or seeking admission into the United States ..read more

Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, May 24, 2023 "“Hundreds of people on our terrorist watch list are crossing our borders.” — Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), in his presidential announcement speech, May 22. In a speech formally announcing that he is running for the GOP nomination for president, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina made this claim as part of an attack on President Biden’s handling of immigration policy. It’s an interesting example of how politicians can twist facts and make a misleading impression. ... That brings us to the second part of Scott’s statement — that these people are “crossing o ..read more

Cyrus D. Mehta & Jessica Paszko, May 23, 2023 "Just a couple of months ago we considered the options available to terminated H-1B workers who want to become entrepreneurs . Since then, layoffs have not abated and we’ve continued thinking about the options available to laid off nonimmigrant workers. This time, we consider the options available to H-1B workers whose employers have filed I-485 adjustment of status applications on their behalf before they were laid off and the I-485 has been pending for less than 180 days. For starters, laid off workers can remain in the US while their adjustm ..read more