As we unofficially kick off summer and head into the long Memorial Day weekend, wanderlust has set in. We look forward to whiling away our weekend at the Venetian Pool in Miami. Built in a former rock quarry in 1924, this freshwater marvel beckons amidst tropical trees, coral rocks, grottos, and waterfalls, transporting us to a Mediterranean get away. Wherever your travels or staycations lead you, we hope everyone has the opportunity to unplug and relax. Have a good Memorial Day!
We All Have a Story
"Old Tree" by Pamela Rosenkranz
With its roots planted upon the High Line Plinth and standing twenty-five feet tall at the Spur on 10th Avenue and West 30th Street, Swiss artist Pamela Rosenkranz has cultivated a beaming reddish pink hued tree at the elevated New York City Park. “Old Tree” prompts us to consider the interrelation between human and plant life as its color and shape “resembles the branching systems of human organs, blood vessels, and tissue.” Known for her juxtaposition of what is natural and what is human Ms. Rosenkranz’ “Old Tree” is rooted in such a way “as if the tree would like to leave its planter”, in a quest to escape the urban jungle it will call home for the next eighteen months.
We are a Mosaic
Biden and the Border: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
With the expiration of Title 42 on May 11, 2023, we thought it apt to share the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver April 30, 2023 episode “Biden and the Border” which examines President Biden’s failure to deliver on a key campaign promise to asylum seekers allowing them back on US soil to file for asylum. The British-American comedian, political commentator, and television host, appropriately notes “we’re just entering a different phase of an immigration dystopia, particularly for asylum seekers.” Mr. Oliver shines a light on the administration’s “bad policy and s*itty apps”, namely the “CBP One” app.
Read moreUSCIS Releases Record FY24 H-1B Registration Numbers and Launches Investigation into Fraudulent Entries
Following up on its March 27, 2023 announcement that it had received enough initial registrations for the Fiscal Year 2024 (“FY24”) H-1B Cap, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has released data about the number of registrations received for the visa lottery. USCIS received a record breaking 780,884 H-1B registrations during the three week registration period. Of these over 780 thousand registrations, USCIS determined 758,994 were eligible registrations. This figure excludes duplicate registrations, those with failed payments, and those that were deleted by prospective employers prior to the closing of the registration period. The number of registrations for FY24 mark a sixty-one percent increase from 474,421 eligible registrations received for FY23. This significant increase has raised “serious concerns” and USCIS has begun to investigate potential employers who may have worked together to submit multiple registrations on behalf of the same beneficiary to increase their chance of being selected in the H-1B lottery.
Read moreArt and Migration
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for International Travelers to End May 11, 2023
As of May 12, 2023, international air travelers will no longer be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the US by air. The Biden Administration will also end the vaccine requirements for Federal employees and Federal contractors, on the same day which coincides with the end of the public health emergency. The vaccine requirements have been in place since November 2021 when the US government lifted the travel bans instituted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to help ease the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Biden Administration is ending the international air travel COVID vaccine requirement “at the end of the day” on May 11, 2023.
Read more“Making Sense” by Ai Weiwei
A modern-day Renaissance Man, Ai Weiwei, the renowned artist, activist, filmmaker, architect and collector, has collaborated with The Design Museum in London, to present “Making Sense” as “a commentary on design and what it reveals about our changing values.” The artist’s collection of objects, ranging from Stone Age tools to porcelain dating back to the Song dynasty, to iPhones and Lego bricks to recreate Monet’s Water Lilies, explore our material culture and tensions between construction and destruction as well as industrialism and craftsmanship. “Making Sense” of the dichotomy of consumption and the repression of the individual, Weiwei challenges us to make sense of our own values and the repression of the individual, all the while giving the middle finger to landmarks known as sites of power around the world.
CBP Stampless Entry and Electronic I-94s
In an effort to increase efficiency and streamline the admissions process, US Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) has simplified entry into the United States by instituting an automated I-94 process for most nonimmigrants arriving by air and sea. What began as a pilot program in certain ports of entry in April 2022, has become standard procedure across all US ports of entry.
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