On August 26, 2019, the Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) published an interim final rule, effective immediately, with a request for public comments by October 25, 2019. ILRC posted a templated comment urging programs to send in their own responses.
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center created this template to help you draft your own comments in opposition to this interim rule with request for comment. The new rule can be found here. Comments are due by October 25, 2019. We are very concerned about this rule’s “reorganization” at EOIR that eliminates OLAP, the office that has operated the Recognition and Accreditation (R & A) Program and the legal orientation programs until now. The rule places the remaining functions of OLAP under an Office of Policy.
On June 5, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a third notice regarding its plans to dramatically change fee waiver eligibility and process. The June 5 notice attempts to provide additional justification for its plan to eliminate means-tested benefits as a basis for requesting a fee waiver, among other changes, following April 5 and September 28 notices that lacked rationale for why such changes to fee waivers are justified. Now, USCIS is also claiming lost fee revenue as a reason for its proposed changes to fee waivers, making clear its intention to reduce the number of fee waivers that are granted. If finalized, these proposed changes will discourage eligible individuals from filing for fee waivers and immigration benefits and place heavy time and resource burdens on those who do still apply for fee waivers.
This comment period has closed. Click here respond to the latest notice of proposed fee waiver rule change.
On August 8, 2019 the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted a second opportunity for notice and comment on the new USCIS Tip Form to collect information from the public regarding purported immigration fraud.
This comment period has closed. Click here respond to the latest notice of proposed fee waiver rule change.
This statement from a coalition of immigrant rights organizations urges members of Congress to vote no on the FIRST STEP Act of 2018 (H.R. 5682). This bill excludes a wide swatch of immigrants, further criminalizes aspects of migration, and fails to address root systemic causes of incarceration nor advance any meaningful criminal justice reform.
Letter from 500+ national, state, and local organizations requesting that the Dream Act of 2017 sponsors adopt more flexible requirements in regards to expungements and misdemeanors.
Letter from 300+ national, state, and local non-profit organizations to the U.S. Senate opposing Lee Francis Cissna's nomination for director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and asking senators to "hold" his nomination.
Letter from 400+ national, state, and local non-profit organizations opposing H.R. 3003, the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, and H.R. 3004, Kate's Law.