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Amid the continuing protests against police brutality and systemic racism, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) presents a mural series titled “Chalk That Talk” that is an “artistic response to the injustices our community has faced through history.” Their statement: “We are students and creatives alike that are unwilling to abide by a $ystem that was designed to work again$t us.”
After suspending routine visa services at US Embassies/Consulates worldwide in March due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the US Department of State (DOS) announced this week that US Embassies and Consulates abroad will begin the phased resumption of routine visa services with some posts reopening for limited routine visa services as of July 15, 2020. The resumption of routine visa services will occur on a post-by-post basis, the DOS said, and each post will coordinate with the “Department’s Diplomacy Strong framework for safely returning our workforce to Department facilities.”
Read moreThe Trump administration is now allowing international students to enter the US to attend colleges and universities even if all their courses for the fall 2020 semester are online. The administration rescinded a temporary rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their college or university held classes entirely online because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The rescission of the temporary rule comes after Harvard, MIT, and other colleges and universities filed suit, and university leaders, students, and educational advocates criticized the temporary rule noting that it would have jeopardized the health of students, teachers, and university staff and led to a potential dramatic loss of revenue for many educational institutions and the towns where they are located.
Read moreThe US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) Texas Service Center (TSC) moved to a new address on June 26, 2020. USCIS states that the new facility will "help streamline processes by consolidating operations in the new location" and that the TSC "will continue to provide prompt and efficient service in processing requests for immigration benefits." Although the move was scheduled for June 26, USCIS could not accept mail at the new address until Monday, June 29. The updated address for the service center is:
Texas Service Center
6046 N Belt Line Rd.
Irving, TX 75038-0001
Those filing cases with the TSC should consult the filing address pages on USCIS.gov to find the specific address information, including suite numbers, that applicants should include when they are submitting. USCIS also adds a reminder that service centers do not provide in-person services, conduct interviews, or receive walk-in applications or petitions or questions.
President Trump today issued a proclamation temporarily suspending certain employment-based work visas for those outside the United States through December 31, 2020. This order, which does not affect foreign national workers already in the US in any category, could effectively bar hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals from coming to work in the US. President Trump claims his actions are necessary to protect US jobs amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Today our office is closed in observance of the Juneteenth Holiday, which over the last thirty years has gained "prominence as an African American celebration of freedom and heritage," writes journalist Afi-Odelia Scruggs. (Scruggs also dispels five myths about Juneteenth). Originally celebrated as the anniversary of when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued orders to free enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865 (almost two years after the Emancipation Proclamation), the holiday is receiving additional attention this year amid protests against police brutality and racial violence.
This morning we visited the #BlackLivesMatter mural on Fulton Street between Marcy and Tompkins Avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Artists and local residents will add to the mural names of those killed due to racial violence in the US. “We would hope that this would be a plaza where we can come and gather, and really have conversations about the future,” Councilman Robert Cornegy Jr. tells CBS New York. “And really just a focal point for the change that we seek.”
Many are calling for Juneteenth to be a federal holiday. “Recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday would be a small gesture compared with the greater social needs of black people in America,” musician and entrepreneur Usher writes. “But it can remind us of our journey toward freedom, and the work America still has to do.” He adds: “As we celebrate today, let’s stay open to possibility. Let’s support black-owned businesses today and every day. Let’s uplift our resilient history. Let’s honor our people. Happy Juneteenth, America.”
The Supreme Court today rejected the Trump administration's attempt to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to United States as children from removal (commonly called deportation) and provides them work permission. This decision provides a reprieve, if only temporary, for nearly 650,000 recipients commonly referred to as “Dreamers.” Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. wrote the 5-to-4 decision and he was joined by the court’s four liberals.
Read moreUS Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that the agency will resume premium processing for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, in phases over the next month. On March 20, USCIS previously announced the temporary suspension of premium processing for all Form I-129 and I-140 petitions due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Read moreUS Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced they are continuing to prepare some domestic offices to reopen and resume non-emergency public services on or after June 4, 2020. Previously, on March 18, USCIS temporarily suspended routine in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). USCIS announced in April they were planning on reopening offices in June. The latest information on the status of individual offices can be checked on the office closures page at USCIS.gov.
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As we head into the long Memorial Day weekend, we hope that everyone can (safely) enjoy the unofficial start of summer and take some time to watch a beautiful sunset. Whatever you do, stay safe, and have a good Memorial Day.