USCIS announced changes to its policy manual on April 24, 2020. These changes relate to “false claims to U.S. Citizenship,” a type of issues that many prevent immigrants from entering the United States or becoming Lawful Permanent Residents. It can also result in removal (deportation) as well as other negative effects. These changes are the…
On April 10, 2020, the Board of Immigration Appeals issued a new published decision titled Matter of K-S-E-. This decision deals with the issue of whether an asylum-seeker is prohibited from obtaining asylum because of “firm resettlement” in another country. The Board decided that an offer of permanent residency, even if not desired or accepted,…
On March 18, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) published a decision about the “flight risk” element of immigration bonds. BIA precedent requires that individuals demonstrate they are not a danger to the community nor a risk of flight for them to even be able to pay an immigration bond. Here, the BIA was addressing…
On January 31, 2020, the BIA issued a decision in Matter of J.J. Rodriguez, 27 I&N Dec. 762. The case concerns proceedings under the Migrant Protection Protocols, or MPP, which force asylum seekers to wait for court hearings under dangerous conditions in Mexico. Under these proceedings, asylum seekers are given court dates in the United…
The Board of Immigration Appeals issued a decision on January 22, 2020, titled Matter of Mayen, 27 I&N Dec. 755. This decision came following an appeal by an individual denied a continuance in immigration court. The reason for requesting the continuance was to allow time for USCIS to adjudicate a pending U Nonimmigrant Status Petition,…
The BIA published a new decision on December 12, 2019. Matter of Y-I-M-, 27 I&N Dec. 724 (BIA 2019), discusses findings of adverse credibility in the context of an asylum application in removal proceedings. The BIA held that: (1) An Immigration Judge may rely on inconsistencies to support an adverse credibility finding as long as…
