Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Qualifying for a National Interest Waiver Visa
We recently discussed the very high standards to meet the requirements of the so-called “Einstein Visa,” a Visa that requires that applicants have national recognition in their field, have won national awards in their home country, or who are simply recognized as the best and brightest in whatever they do—even if their profession is… Read More »
Supreme Court Saves DACA Program-For Now
The U.S. Supreme Court recently turned back the government’s attempt to end the DACA program, which protects immigrants who have become known as “dreamers.” What is DACA? The DACA program protects immigrants brought here at a young age by parents who were in the country illegally, or who were undocumented. Started by the Obama… Read More »
Immigration’s Transfer of Detainees Makes Spread of COVID-19 Even Worse
Among the many problems that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been causing, you might not expect that they would be causing a larger outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. But ICE’s practice of transferring detainees could be doing just that. Detention in Holding Centers As you can imagine, among the many other human rights… Read More »
Government Proposes New Rules Making it Harder to Seek Asylum
We have written in the past about the plight of asylum seekers, and about how they are among the most vulnerable and desperate of all the people who cross our borders. However, despite all of this, it seems the government is once again making it even harder for these very desperate people to find… Read More »
Coronavirus-Related Immigration Law Changes
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is seemingly everywhere, and the shutdowns and lockdowns that the disease is causing raise problems in the world of immigration. Immigration laws and policies are being announced that affect applicants, individuals and businesses that are under time constraints to provide immigration documentation. What To Do With Denied Visa Applicants? Normally, if… Read More »
It’s Easier Than You Think to Lose Your Green Card
So you’ve gone through the process, completed your application, and you are legally in the country under one of a number of Green Card opportunities. Congratulations. You are on the path to permanent citizenship. That is, unless you do something to lose your green card and face deportation. Before you think that could never… Read More »
Families of Immigrant Doctors Treating COVID Patients Risk Deportation
A while back, we wrote about how immigration courts were carrying on as normal during the COVID-19 crisis, putting the health and safety of immigrants, their lawyers, and the court personnel in jeopardy. It seems that the government is again ignoring the pandemic when it comes to immigrants, but this time, the immigrants that… Read More »
CARES Act Excludes Financial Relief for Immigrants and Their Families
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in March, Congress passed the CARES Act. Among other things in the law, CARES provided for money for families, to assist them during this time of economic uncertainty and downturn. However, in yet another stab at immigrants, the Act had a little poison pill for many immigrant families,… Read More »
Temporary Changes to the H-2A Visa Program for Agricultural Workers
Recently, most of the news about immigration and how it’s been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic has been generally negative, like stories of cramped detention holding facilities, or the refusal to delay immigration cases in recognition of the lack of social distancing in immigration law courts. But recently, some good immigration news is coming… Read More »
It’s Business as Usual in Immigration Courts During the Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic that has shut down most of the United States and the world, has put a halt to most of the country’s basic, core functions. Courts, businesses, social services, and numerous government offices have been shuttered in the name of public safety. There is, however, one place where you would think that… Read More »
