We mourn the passing of Leader John Lewis, a true beacon of light throughout some of history’s darkest times. Lewis is kindly remembered by his family and colleagues as being a “Lion” – a fitting and endearing way to describe his larger-than-life reputation, his righteous courage, and his unwavering dedication to social justice. His timeless legacy is marked by his fight for voter and racial equality as one of the original “Big Six” civil rights leaders, “Freedom Riders”, and “Bloody Sunday” survivors, along with his 33-year tenure serving as U.S. House of Representative for Georgia’s 5th congressional district, from 1987
Continue Reading In Honor of John Lewis: Champion of Human Rights For All
Latest from McEntee Law Group - Page 3
O-1 Visas Are Not Covered by the Recent Business Visa Bans
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. immigration has seen many policy changes, including the many travel and visa “bans”. From closures of US consulates, embassies, and USCIS officers, to cancellations of visa interviews and appointments, hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals and their families have been impacted.The green card ban suspends the issuance of new immigrant visas from abroad like the EB-1A, EB-2, EB-3 immigrant visa categories.The business visa ban suspends the issuance of non-immigrant visas for those seeking to enter as: H-1B, H-2B, L-1A, L-1B, and some J-1 categories. Many of these employment-based visas, like the H-1B,
Continue Reading O-1 Visas Are Not Covered by the Recent Business Visa Bans
Trump Expands the Business Visa Immigration Ban
Last Monday, June 22nd, President Donald Trump issued an executive order restricting several employment-based visas until at least the end of the year. Citing those that “present a risk to the U.S. labor market following the coronavirus outbreak,” this order applies to would-be H-1B, H-2B, L-1, certain J-1 categories visa holders, and their dependents.Per the text of the executive order, it unequivocally applies only to those outside the U.S. on the effective date (June 24th) AND those without a valid visa stamp or travel document on that date. Given the crystal clear language in the order, our previous posts and
Continue Reading Trump Expands the Business Visa Immigration Ban
Trump's New Business Visa/Immigration Ban
President Trump has just issued his latest immigration ban. This one relates to temporary work/business visas. We’ve drafted a very quick summary of it. Note that this is not legal advice so please don’t rely on it as such and also note that the order has just been released so all we know are the below details. Effective Dates:
- It is effective IMMEDIATELY, which is pretty typical from this Administration. They don’t usually give notice or time to plan anything.
- It will remain in effect until the end of the year and it can be extended as “necessary.”
- There will
DACA Stands, Justice Prevails
Today is a great day in the U.S. It’s a great day for all immigrants but especially for the “Dreamers”. It’s a celebratory day for immigration attorneys and grassroots advocates. Today is a win for the American Dream.
A few hours ago, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued the long-awaited decision in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) case.
Over 650,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children had been granted work authorization and temporary protection from deportation through this Obama-era program known as DACA (the “Dreamers”).
On September 5th, 2017, the Trump administration
Continue Reading DACA Stands, Justice Prevails
National Take Out Night
In addition to it being Pride month, June is also Immigrant Heritage Month. To celebrate this, I Am An Immigrant is launching the first ever #NationalTakeoutNight, and it is happening this Thursday, June 18th! This campaign will highlight and support immigrant-owned restaurants, and also Black-owned restaurants in solidarity. The goal is to order from your favorite Black-owned or immigrant-owned restaurant, take a photo, and tag them with the hashtags #ImmigrantHeritageMonth & #NationalTakeoutNight.In advance of this, we have linked some articles listing Chicago-based Black-owned or immigrant-owned restaurants, as well as listing some of the McEntee Law Team’s favorite spots throughout
Continue Reading National Take Out Night
Immigration: Week In Review
Welcome back to our Immigration: Week in Review blog segment.Each week, we hope to bring you a central immigration news platform with snippets of immigration-related articles and full links if you want further info. Happy Reading!ICE Provides Clarification on “Cap Gap” for F-1OPT Students Changing Status to H-1BEarlier this week, ICE released a broadcast message clarifying when “cap gap” would apply to F-1 OPT students seeking an H-1B. Under certain circumstances, cap gap allows students who are applying for H-1B visas to bridge the gap between the end of their OPT period and the start of the H-1B period on
Continue Reading Immigration: Week In Review
Know Your Rights & Be an Ally to your Immigrant Friends at the Black Lives Matters Protest
We’ve heard reports of ICE showing up at some of the #BlackLivesMatters protests.
Here is some key info on your rights, and also tips on how to be an effective ally to your immigrant friends and neighbors.
Allyship would look like EVERYONE AROUND YOU REMAINING SILENT TOO!!!
Immigration: Week In Review
Welcome back to our blog segment Immigration: Week in Review.Each week, we hope to bring you a central news platform for what has been going on in the world of U.S. immigration in a short, concise way. For additional information on any of the below, the original article will be linked within each sub-section.We Stand in Solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Protests & Movement Here at McEntee Law, we stand firmly in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Protests and Movement. The anger and suffering we have seen over the past week is truly just a fraction of the
Continue Reading Immigration: Week In Review
Immigration: Week In Review
Welcome back to our weekly blog segment Immigration: Week in Review. Each week, we hope to bring you a central news platform for what has been going on in the world of U.S. immigration in a short, concise way. For additional information on any of the below, the original article will be linked within each sub-section. Happy Reading!Department of Justice Memo Shows EOIR Director Offered to Buy Out Immigration Board MembersA memo from the Department of Justice (DOJ) released on April 17th shows that the DOJ offered buyouts to pre-Trump Administration career members on its influential immigration appeals board as
Continue Reading Immigration: Week In Review
Immigration: Week In Review
Welcome to our new weekly blog segment Immigration: Week In Review.
Each week, we hope to bring you a central news platform for what has been going on in the world of U.S. immigration in a short, concise way. For additional information on any of the below, the original article will be linked within each sub-section.
Happy Reading!
USCIS Easing Visa Restrictions for Some Foreign Doctors
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is waiving certain visa restrictions so that foreign doctors assigned to rural communities may practice telehealth services outside their approved locations for the duration of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Continue Reading Immigration: Week In Review
How the Coronavirus Impacts International Students (F-1 Visa) & J-1 Visa Holders
At McEntee Law Group, we are all too familiar with the personal impact COVID-19 has on immigrants here in the United States. As a law firm founded by a former international student, Fiona McEntee, we are aware of the challenges international students face when applying to study in the U.S. under “normal” circumstances. We are also painfully aware of the added layer of uncertainty and unease that COVID-19 adds to these international students and J-1 visa holders.
We have drafted a short post highlighting some of the most common questions we are receiving from F-1 or J-1 visa holders,
Continue Reading How the Coronavirus Impacts International Students (F-1 Visa) & J-1 Visa Holders
BREAKING: Trump Signs "Immigration Ban"
During today’s Coronavirus Task Force Briefing, President Donald Trump announced that he had signed his “Immigration Ban” – an Executive Order temporarily suspending the issuance of new green cards to those currently outside the United States.
President Trump highlighted the Administration’s underlying policy rationales for the Order, claiming that immigrants have an adverse impact on the labor market during a period of high unemployment, that Department of State resources need to be preserved for U.S. citizens seeking assistance from consular offices abroad, and that immigrants allegedly strain the U.S healthcare system. Shortly after President Trump’s remarks, the White House posted
Continue Reading BREAKING: Trump Signs "Immigration Ban"
Trump’s Immigration Ban: What Does This Mean?
Last night, April 20th, President Donald Trump’s tweet created panic in immigrant households, businesses, and communities throughout the U.S. and abroad. He promised that he will be signing an Executive Order “temporarily suspending immigration into the United States.”
At the time of writing this post, there is no official statement or Executive Order from the White House. There is no clear guidance from the Administration. All the information we have at this time is President Trump’s tweet and the various new articles citing anonymous or otherwise unconfirmed sources. Nevertheless, we understand how confusing and stressful it is to have such
Continue Reading Trump’s Immigration Ban: What Does This Mean?
Mayor Lori Lightfoot Signs Executive Order Making Chicago’s COVID-19 Benefits Available to Immigrants and Refugees
The Mayor of the City of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, signed an Executive Order today April 7th ensuring that ALL Chicagoans, regardless of their immigration status, have equal access to the city’s COVID-19 related benefits.
In her press conference Tuesday morning, Mayor Lightfoot stated that the “Federal government has tried everything under the sun to stigmatize and scare them [immigrants] in to the shadows”, but Chicago has been unwavering in its “unqualified support” of the city’s immigrant and refugee community. In her opinion, this Executive Order is more than just a decree, it is a reflection of “our values as a
Continue Reading Mayor Lori Lightfoot Signs Executive Order Making Chicago’s COVID-19 Benefits Available to Immigrants and Refugees
CARES Act: Will You Be Getting a Stimulus Check?
Millions of tax-paying immigrants will not receive any financial assistance from the largest emergency aid deal in United States history.On March 27th 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law, authorizing sorely-needed economic relief for many families and businesses here in the United States. The $2 trillion stimulus package is an important step toward mitigating the economic impact of COVID-19, but it leaves millions of immigrants and “mixed-status” families, many of whom perform essential services in the U.S., in the dark. In this post, we will explore what the CARES Act is,
Continue Reading CARES Act: Will You Be Getting a Stimulus Check?