On July 30, 2020 a federal judge in New York temporarily blocked the Trump administration from carrying out two rules that bar immigrants from living in the U.S. if officials believe they will use too many public benefits, such as food stamps or Medicaid. Judge George Daniels of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a nationwide injunction stopping the administration from enforcing the requirements, citing the urgency of the coronavirus pandemic

On July 21, 2020, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several trade associations have sued the Trump Administration over the anticipated economic impacts of Presidential Proclamation 10052 issued on June 22, 2020. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to block President Trump’s recent proclamation suspending new nonimmigrant visas over concerns about the economic harm caused by the loss of critical workers who help drive the American economy. For more information and other current imm

The White House issued an executive order on Hong Kong normalization on July 14. The order deprives Hong Kong of a number of privileges that set it apart from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). As of now, persons born in Hong Kong will be chargeable to the “China-Mainland Born” chargeability area, rather than to the “Rest of the World” area, as before. They will now face much longer waiting periods before they can become permanent residents, since the cutoff dates applicab

On July 17, 2020, the State Dept. provided a list of exceptions under recent Presidential Proclamations that suspended the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants into the U.S. Some of the exemptions include travel as a healthcare professional, or researcher to alleviate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel by an au pair that prevents an individual in lawful status from becoming a public health charge, specialized teachers in accredited educational institutions, and oth

Don't forget to register for the 2020 National Bar Association virtual Convention. Link here: https://www.nationalbar.org/NBA/Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=CONV95&WebsiteKey=0131bda0-b8d6-42ea-88ce-2447f3c18193 I am excited to join Allen Orr, President-Elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and Sheldon A. Smith for a discussion on “Emergent Immigration Law Issues in the Age of Trump and COVID-19” on June 26th from 3:15 to 4:30 PM EST.... #Immigratio

On July 26, 2020, Managing Attorney of Williams Global Law, Simone Williams will be speaking at the National Bar Association (“NBA”) virtual conference on a panel entitled, “Immigration Law – Emergent Immigration Law Issues in the Age of Trump and COVID-19”.    The panel of expert immigration attorneys will be discussing current immigration issues, policy changes and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. DETAILS ON PANEL: Immigration Law – Emergent Immigration Law Issues in

Special congratulations to Managing Attorney of Williams Global Law, Simone Williams for being appointed as Chair of the International Business Committee at the DC Chamber of Commerce! With over 1,700 members, the DC Chamber of Commerce has been an avid advocate, support, and resource for the small, medium, and large businesses in Washington DC for the past 75 years. Congratulations to Ms. Williams on her new role with the DCC!

On June 29, 2020, President Trump issued an amendment to his Presidential Proclamation issued on June 22, 2020. The initial rule restricted foreign workers who did not hold a valid U.S. visa stamp in their passports but appeared to exempt individuals who held any type of valid U.S. visa (i.e., individuals who held a B-1/B-2 visa would still be able to get one of the specified work visas to enter the United States). U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) released

On July 14, 2020, the Trump administration has agreed to rescinda directive that would have barred international college students from the U.S. if their colleges offered classes entirely online in the fall semester. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) rule change, released last week, announced that those on F-1 and M-1 student visas would need to leave the U.S. or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online when they reopen in t

On June 22, 2020, President Trump issued “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak,”suspending the issuance of new L-1, H-1B, H-2B and J-1 nonimmigrant work visas for the remainder of 2020 to applicants who are currently outside the United States. These new restrictions took effecton June 24, 2020.    Late on June 24, 2020, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) received confirmation fr