By Michael D. Baker The Supreme Court told the country whom the President may fire. It refused to say where the firing stops. Trump v. Slaughter, No. 25–332 (June 29, 2026), took the heads of the independent agencies and handed them to … Continue reading →
Continue Reading The Referee Problem — Preview

By Michael D. Baker They wanted you to watch birthright citizenship. That was the bright object, the thing waved in front of the crowd. On June 30, 2026, the Court told the country that a child born on American soil … Continue reading →
Continue Reading Trump v. Slaughter: The Court Uncaged the Presidency. Everyone watched birthright citizenship. The Court’s real blast came the day before — and it rewired the executive branch.

Law Offices of Michael D. Baker, Chicago U.S. Supreme CourtOct. Term 2025 A green card is supposed to mean you belong here. Blanche v. Lau says it means that only until a border officer decides it does not — and … Continue reading →
Continue Reading A Charge Is Enough: Blanche v. Lau and the Green-Card Holder’s New Limbo. Proof Can Wait. Your Status Can’t: Blanche v. Lau and the Returning Resident’s New Limbo

How a three-decision trilogy and the U.S.–Ecuador Asylum Cooperative Agreement let the government deport a pro se Venezuelan to a country the State Department tells Americans not to enter — by asking the wrong legal question. Maracaibo, Venezuela → Guayaquil, … Continue reading →
Continue Reading Matter of A-C-M- and Removal to Ecuador on the Papers: Summary Judgment Comes to Immigration Court

Adjudicator’s Field Manual — Working Reference Law Offices of Michael D. Baker Adjudicator’s Field Manual Working reference · 163 sections · 30 chapters Live Superseded Reserved ⚖ Caselaw Introductory — Overview & General Interest Ch. 1  Organization and Content of the Adjudicator’s Field Manual … Continue reading →
Continue Reading The Adjudicator’s Field Manual, Made Usable: A Searchable Reference with Live USCIS Status and Caselaw

PM-602-0198  ·  Matter of Santiago-Santiago, 29 I&N Dec. 589 (BIA 2026)  ·  PP 10949 & 10998  ·  REAL ID Act, Pub. L. 109-13  ·  8 C.F.R. § 274a.12  ·  18 U.S.C. §§ 2721–2725 (DPPA)  ·  625 ILCS 5/6-105.1  ·  5 … Continue reading →
Continue Reading Filed on Time. Still Waiting. DACA Renewal Delays, Advance Parole Traps, SIJ Deferred Action, and the Illinois License Cascade That Nobody Warned Anyone About

🏛️ Immigration Court Watch One Judge, One Hundred Respondents, One Morning The Justice Department is bunching more than a hundred people into single “mega master” hearings, advancing dockets by years, and counting on the ones without lawyers to stumble. The … Continue reading →
Continue Reading One Judge, One Hundred Respondents, One Morning: Inside DOJ’s “Mega Master” Hearings

Post Title USCIS Declares Adjustment of Status “Administrative Grace,” Not a Right — What PM-602-0199 Does to Your I-485 Slug uscis-adjustment-status-discretion-pm-602-0199 Meta Description USCIS Policy Memo PM-602-0199 rewrites adjustment of status as extraordinary discretionary relief. What the new standard means … Continue reading →
Continue Reading USCIS Declares Adjustment of Status “Administrative Grace,” Not a Right — What PM-602-0199 Does to Your I-485

BIA Kills Two PSG Claims in One Month — mikebakerlaw.com/blog MikeBakerLaw Immigration & Criminal Defense ⚖ BIA Precedent  ·  Immigration Law  ·  Asylum New BIA Precedent  ·  May 2026 BIA Kills Two PSG Claims in One Month: Domestic Violence and … Continue reading →
Continue Reading BIA Kills Two PSG Claims in One Month: Domestic Violence and Mental Health Claims Fail the Same Test

⚖️ Multi-Decision Alert — BIA & USCIS — April–May 2026 Matter of Santiago-Santiago, 29 I&N Dec. 589 (BIA 2026)  |  Matter of C-P-Y-, 29 I&N Dec. 610 (BIA 2026)  |  USCIS PM-602-0198 (Apr. 10, 2026) Thirty days. Three rulings. The … Continue reading →
Continue Reading The Floor Drops Out — Three Rulings in Thirty Days Dismantle the Deferred Action Safety Net for SIJ and DACA Recipients

⚖️ BIA Precedent Decision · May 8, 2026 BIA Kills “Married Mexican Women Unable to Leave” as a Cognizable Social Group in Matter of V-A-B- — And Reverses the IJ on Marriage, Government Protection, and Internal Relocation Decision Matter of … Continue reading →
Continue Reading BIA Kills “Married Mexican Women Unable to Leave” as a Cognizable Social Group in Matter of V-A-B- — And Reverses the IJ on Marriage, Government Protection, and Internal Relocation

BIA & Federal Courts ⚖️ D.C. Circuit · April 2026 📋 Case No. 25-5243 D.C. Circuit Kills Trump’s Border Invasion Removal Order in RAICES v. Mullin — Every Summary Deportation Without Asylum Review Violates Federal Law Refugee and Immigrant Center … Continue reading →
Continue Reading D.C. Circuit Kills Trump’s Border Invasion Removal Order in RAICES v. Mullin — Every Summary Deportation Without Asylum Review Violates Federal

Second Circuit: Long-Term Interior Residents Are Not “Seeking Admission” — Bond Hearings Required, Circuit Split Now Open Cunha v. Freden, No. 25-3141 (2d Cir. April 28, 2026) | Judge Bianco, writing for the panel (Cabranes, Bianco, Nathan, Circuit Judges.) The … Continue reading →
Continue Reading Second Circuit: Long-Term EWI Residents Are Not “Seeking Admission” — Bond Hearings Required | Cunha v. Freden