On June 5, 2026, a federal court in Rhode Island ruled that several United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) policies that placed immigration benefit applications on hold for individuals from designated travel ban countries were unlawful. The decision provides relief to foreign nationals whose applications for immigration benefits had been delayed or effectively frozen because of their country of origin.
Read moreFederal Court Vacates USCIS Processing Holds for Applicants From Travel Ban Countries
The Contributions of Foreign Students to American Culture
USCIS Issues New Guidance on Adjustment of Status: What Green Card Applicants Should Know
Right before the holiday weekend, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) issued a new policy memorandum addressing Adjustment of Status, the process that routinely allows certain green card applicants who are already in the United States to apply for permanent residence without leaving the country. The alternative is for applicants to complete immigrant visa processing at the US consulate abroad in their home country. USCIS’ announcement on May 22, 2026, changed the framework for Adjustment of Status suggesting that it will now be granted “only in extraordinary circumstances.”
Read moreState Department Suspends Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries
On January 14, 2025, the US Department of State (“DOS”) announced its intention to pause the processing of immigrant visas indefinitely for nationals of seventy-five countries, including Brazil, Iran, Russia, Pakistan, and Somalia. The suspension is set to take effect on January 21, 2026, and applies only to immigrant visas, which are used by individuals seeking lawful permanent residence (commonly known as Green Cards) through family sponsorship, employment, or other pathways. The suspension does not apply to nonimmigrant visas, including tourist visas or temporary work visas. DOS also specified that nationals of affected countries may still apply for and interview for immigrant visas, but no visas will be issued during the pause. Furthermore, dual nationals using a passport from an unaffected country are exempt, and no previously issued immigrant visas have been revoked. The administration has not indicated how long this temporary pause will be in effect.
Read moreTrump Expands Travel Ban
On December 16, 2025, President Trump executed a Presidential Proclamation expanding administration’s full and partial suspensions of immigrant and nonimmigrant visa issuance announced this past June to an additional twenty countries and the Palestinian Authority. With this expansion, there are now more than 35 countries subject to US travel restrictions. The new travel ban will be effective as of January 1, 2026.
Read moreTrump Administration Pauses Immigration Applications for Travelers From Restricted Countries
On December 2, 2025, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) paused processing of several types of immigration applications, including asylum, green cards, and citizenship requests, for individuals from 19 countries previously restricted under the administration’s updated travel policies while USCIS conducts additional security reviews. The decision comes after an Afghan national, who had been granted humanitarian parole into the United States based on his work with CIA counterterrorism unit in Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul, and subsequently granted asylum in April 2025, under the Trump administration, was identified as the November 26th shooter in Washington, D.C., that killed one National Guard member and left another in critical condition.
Read more“What’s so Funny About Peace Love and Understanding” by Adam Cvijanovic
This week, we visited the recently dedicated mural “What’s so Funny About Peace Love and Understanding” at the iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the heart of New York City, a work named in reference to the song popularized by Elvis Costello. Created by Brooklyn-based artist Adam Cvijanovic, the mural marks the first major art commission at the cathedral since 1949.
Standing at roughly 21 feet tall and comprised of four segments that frame the cathedral's entrance, the mural is a sweeping visual narrative. It depicts the arrival of immigrants to New York City in the 19th century and today, alongside powerful imagery of first responders and traditional Catholic iconography.
Cvijanovic’s work is an artistic feat that seamlessly blends Catholic tradition with American pluralism. Drawing inspiration from Baroque drama, Byzantine iconography, and modernist abstraction, the mural honors the diversity of New York and the immigrants who have shaped the city’s identity. This vibrant addition to St. Patrick’s Cathedral is both a spiritual and civic celebration, one that will continue to inspire for generations to come.
President Trump’s New Travel Restrictions
On June 4, 2025 the Trump Administration signed a proclamation barring nationals from twelve countries, primarily from Africa and the Middle East, from entry into the US and restricting the entry of nationals hailing from seven other countries. The travel ban is set to go into effect as 12:01 AM EST on Monday, June 9, 2025.
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