Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Immigration
-
June 12, 2024
DHS Watchdog Says Agency Must Improve Vetting, Screening
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is unable to effectively and fully screen and vet asylum-seekers with applications that have been pending for a while, along with noncitizens seeking admission to the U.S., the inspector general has found.
-
June 12, 2024
Feds Urge 5th Circ. Against Fast-Tracking Parole Suit
The Biden administration rebuked a Texas-led coalition's efforts to fast-track its challenge to an immigration program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, telling the Fifth Circuit the states won't suffer financial injury from the program while the case is underway.
-
June 12, 2024
Construction Co. Owes $353K For H-2A Violations, DOL Says
A Nebraska construction company operating in California must pay nearly $353,000 in back wages and fines for denying 43 workers their full wages and rights under the H-2A temporary worker program, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday.
-
June 11, 2024
DOL's H-2A Protections Rule Flouts Labor Law, GOP AGs Say
The U.S. Department of Labor's final rule including protections for foreign farmworkers within the H-2A visa program doesn't comport with federal labor law, a group of Republican attorneys general claimed in Georgia federal court, saying the rule doesn't give the same rights to U.S. citizen workers.
-
June 11, 2024
Ore. Horse Stable Hasn't Justified Adding 2 H-2B Trainers
A U.S. Department of Labor judge rejected an Oregon stable's efforts to hire two horse trainers through the H-2B guest worker visa program, saying the stable hadn't shown why it specifically needed two extra workers.
-
June 11, 2024
4th Circ. Unconvinced Migrant Siblings' Abuse Was Retaliatory
The Fourth Circuit has refused to revive an asylum application from two Salvadoran siblings fleeing an abusive uncle, unconvinced that the uncle had targeted the pair in retaliation for their mother's reporting him to the police.
-
June 11, 2024
NC Hair Braiding Biz Loses H-2B Bid Over Year-Round Need
A North Carolina hair braiding business won't be able to hire three shampoo assistants after a U.S. Department of Labor appeals board found that an increase in business doesn't qualify as temporary need under the H-2B temporary foreign labor program.
-
June 11, 2024
NY Courts Agree To Boost Translation Services After Bias Case
New York state court officials instituted reforms and sealed an agreement with federal prosecutors on Tuesday related to claims that an upstate county denied Spanish-speaking defendants translation services in violation of their civil rights.
-
June 11, 2024
Immigration Firm Says Rival Poached Workers And Stole TM
A Washington immigration law firm specializing in visas for domestic violence and sex trafficking victims is accusing a competing Texas firm of poaching its employees and stealing a Spanish phrase covered by its trademark — "Arreglar sin salir!" — which translates to "fix without leaving."
-
June 10, 2024
Permanent Residents Say Iowa Removal Law Will Ensnare Them
Immigrant advocacy group Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice responded on Monday in Iowa federal court to the state's argument that lawful permanent residents are exempted from a law empowering officials to arrest and remove previously deported noncitizens, saying no such exception exists.
-
June 10, 2024
Labor Shortage Can't Justify Bid For H-2B Caregivers
A U.S. Department of Labor judge rejected a home healthcare company's efforts to use an alleged national labor shortage to push through an application to hire foreign workers, saying the company hadn't shown the labor issue was likely to end.
-
June 10, 2024
Ohio Judge Won't Free Feds From Wife's Visa Delay Suit
An Ohio federal magistrate judge refused to free the U.S. Department of State from a lawsuit challenging a delayed green card application, rejecting officials' claims that an application pushed into administrative proceedings was outside the court's purview.
-
June 10, 2024
Migrant Cleaners Rebuff Colo. Hotel's Bid To Ditch Wage Suit
The migrant contractor staff that cleaned a Colorado luxury hotel slammed the hotel's efforts to escape claims of underpaying its workers, telling a Colorado federal court Monday that the hotel set the terms of their employment.
-
June 10, 2024
Texas Urges 5th Circ. To Prioritize DHS Parole Program Appeal
Texas has urged the Fifth Circuit to expedite its bid to revive a challenge to the Biden administration's parole program for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, saying time is of the essence because the case has major implications on federal immigration policy.
-
June 07, 2024
Fla. Urges Judge To Reconsider Block Of Immigration Law
Florida has urged a federal judge to reconsider an order blocking a state law that criminalizes the transportation of unauthorized immigrants, saying its argument that opposing parties failed to state the law is federally preempted was never addressed by the court.
-
June 07, 2024
Judge Doubts Ethnicity Questions Deserve Jury Bias Probe
A Washington appellate judge pushed back Friday against a Filipino family who claimed a hospital's questions about their ethnicity at trial required a bias inquiry, noting race is "something that can't be ignored" in any courtroom filled with people who look different from one another.
-
June 07, 2024
DC Circ. Won't Let Gov't Toss Sped-Up Timeline For Ally Visas
The D.C. Circuit on Friday refused to terminate a plan requiring the U.S. Department of State to speed up visa processing for Iraqi and Afghan nationals, ruling that some judicial involvement is still necessary to address delays.
-
June 07, 2024
Judge Asks Impact Of New Border Policy On CBP App Suit
A California federal judge has asked for briefing on the impact of a new executive order on asylum seekers who enter between ports of entry on a pending lawsuit challenging a requirement that migrants use a smartphone app to submit applications.
-
June 07, 2024
Vehicle Repair Co. Gets New Shot At Hiring H-2B Mechanic
A maintenance and vehicle repair company will have another chance to apply for an H-2B certification for a diesel mechanic, a U.S. Department of Labor appeals board ruled, saying that a certifying officer arbitrarily anticipated the deadline for submission.
-
June 07, 2024
Ex-Director In NYC Mayor's Office Charged With Bank Fraud
A former director in the New York City Mayor's Office during the Bill de Blasio administration has been indicted on charges that he schemed to defraud over a dozen banks out of about $10 million using illegitimate fraud reports to induce reimbursements.
-
June 06, 2024
5th Circ. Presses Feds On 'Perplexing' Razor Wire Arguments
A three-judge Fifth Circuit panel had terse words Thursday for the government's argument that the court couldn't consider new facts on Texas' use of concertina wire at the border when deciding whether to issue a new injunction preventing federal agents from removing the wire, asking how it was "supposed to even react" to that claim during oral arguments
-
June 06, 2024
7th Circ. Says Courts Can't Help Canadian Waive 10-Year Ban
The Seventh Circuit on Thursday said its hands were tied on getting a Canadian man a quick decision on whether he can stay in the U.S. while he seeks to waive a requirement he stay abroad for 10 years.
-
June 06, 2024
Judge Consolidates Suits Targeting Okla. Immigration Law
A federal judge has combined two lawsuits challenging a new Oklahoma law making it a crime for undocumented immigrants to live in the state, joining separate cases lodged by the Biden administration and a nonprofit immigrant advocacy group.
-
June 06, 2024
Wash. Labor Dept. Wants To Back AG In ICE Inspections Suit
The Washington state labor and health departments want to throw their support behind efforts in the Ninth Circuit by the state's governor and attorney general to defend a state law that allows surprise inspections at private immigration detention centers.
-
June 06, 2024
'Brothel' Manager Violated Bail After $5.7M Sting, Feds Say
A manager and bookkeeper facing federal charges connected to a COVID-19 grant and tax fraud scheme at a Connecticut strip club violated his bail conditions by showing up at the facility and "hanging out" with a potential witness, federal probation authorities have alleged.
Expert Analysis
-
Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.
-
Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
-
Tips For Student Visa Applicants Mired In Processing Delays
Notwithstanding procedural changes at the U.S. Department of State that provided hope for more timely and predictable visa processing outcomes, international student applications continue to risk becoming bogged down in administrative processing, but certain steps may improve the situation, say Carl Risch and Lauren Epstein at Mayer Brown.
-
5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices
The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.
-
Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees
The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
-
What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.
-
Series
Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
-
How A Gov't Shutdown Would Affect Immigration Processing
While a government shutdown would certainly create issues and cause delays for immigration processing, independently funded functions would continue for at least a limited time, and immigration practitioners can expect agencies to create reasonable exceptions and provide guidance for navigating affected matters once operations resume, say William Stock and Sarah Holler at Klasko Immigration Law Partners.
-
Opinion
Smart Immigration Reform Can Improve Health Care Access
With the U.S. health care crisis expected to worsen due to ongoing nationwide physician shortages, immigration reform can provide one short-term solution to bring more trained doctors to medically underserved areas, says Sarah Peterson at Fragomen.
-
Opinion
Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues
Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
-
How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI
When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.
-
How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth
Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.
-
Opinion
Time To End Double Standard On Kids' Green Cards
Recent changes to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services rules have helped many children qualify for green cards, but the government's failure to extend these changes to consular processing unfairly leaves out children stuck abroad who need visas to join their parents in the U.S., says Edward Ramos at Kurzban Kurzban.
-
Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics
X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.
-
Litigation Can Facilitate EB-5 Investor Visa Determinations
Processing times in the EB-5 investor visa program continue to rise, but filing a mandamus claim in the right venue against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services may offer applicants mired in delay a means to expedite processing, says Mark Stevens at Clark Hill.