Jan. 20, 2025: Changes in refugee resettlement program and more from new presidential executive orders
On Jan. 20, 2025, President Trump signed a number of executive orders which targeted policies related to immigration and refugees. These changes include halting the U.S. refugee resettlement program indefinitely, shutting down the CBP One app and cancelling all pending asylum appointments in that system, as well as other orders. A respected community partner, American Immigration Council, has posted a
high-level analysis fact sheet of these orders.
Nov. 7, 2024: Keeping Families Together parole process ended
On Nov. 7, 2024, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in State of Texas v. Department of Homeland Security, Case Number 24-cv-306 (E.D.T.X. Nov. 7, 2024) issued a final judgment vacating the Keeping Families Together (KFT) parole process, published at 89 Fed. Reg. 67,459 (Aug. 20, 2024).
Effective immediately, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is taking the following steps to comply with the Court's Order:
- Pending Form I-131F applications will not be adjudicated and intake of new Form I-131F applications will cease.
- Anyone with a future Application Support Center appointment in support of a filed Form I-131F should consider that appointment cancelled immediately. Anyone who appears for such an appointment will be turned away.
- External engagements on the KFT parole process are cancelled.
June 5, 2024: Presidential proclamation restricting asylum
- President Biden issued a Presidential Proclamation that now restricts access to asylum when the number of encounters between ports of entry reach 2,500 per day.
- This proclamation prohibits most migrants from being granted asylum if they cross the southern border without inspection. Customs and Border Protection can deport people who have entered between checkpoints without processing their asylum claims. People removed under this order can't reenter the U.S. for five years.
- Call the Equity Corps of Oregon at 888-274-7292 if you have questions or concerns. They are a state-funded immigration legal service. They offer free immigration legal services to people who are eligible.
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Information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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Analysis from the American Immigration Council
April 4, 2024: Extension of work permits for some immigrants