On April 3, 2022, Principal Legal Advisor Kerry E. Doyle issued a new memo that provides guidance to ICE attorneys about exercising prosecutorial discretion in immigration cases.
Certain Chicago Immigration Judges have announced that they will be holding all hearings via WebEx, which raises concerns about due process protections for noncitizens in removal proceedings, particularly asylum seekers.
A new standing order for the Chicago Immigration Court orders parties to confer in advance of hearings regarding the ICE OPLA enforcement priorities memorandum.
The Attorney General has vacated three decisions that restricted the ability of asylum seekers to obtain protection: Matter of A-B-, 27 I&N Dec. 316 (A.G. 2018) (A-B- I), Matter of A-B-, 28 I&N Dec. 199 (A.G. 2021) (A-B- II), and Matter of L-E-A-, 27 I&N Dec. 581 (A.G. 2019) (L-E-A- II).
Pro bono attorneys must file new asylum applications, including for derivative applicants who need to seek asylum independently as well, prior to January 11, 2021 in order to avoid being subject to a new asylum regulation.
On November 2, 2020, USCIS changes its procedures for filing the asylum applications for individuals who are derivatives on the application of a parent or spouse, but are also independently eligible for asylum and wish to file their own application as a principal applicant.
This summary provides an update on two new attacks on the U.S. asylum system and employment authorization eligibility for asylum seekers.
*Updated September 30, 2020*
In light of the administration's expanded asylum bans, attorneys must ensure they are preserving protection for derivative asylum seekers by filing independent asylum applications for them.
As of January 1, 2020, recreational use of cannabis will be legal in the state of Illinois, but because it is still illegal at the federal level, it still has immigration consequences for noncitizens. Here's what you need to know
On May 31, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a memorandum changing its internal policy for assessing asylum office jurisdiction over asylum applications filed by previously designated unaccompanied immigrant children.
The phone number for the Chicago Detained Immigration Court, located at 536 S. Clark Street, recently changed. The new number is (312) 294-8400. The old number is no longer operational.
NIJC released the following practice guidance in response to the Board of Immigration Appeals' published decision in Matter of M-A-C-O-, 27 I&N Dec. 477 (BIA 2018),