By Leon Rodriguez, Dawn M. Lurie and Isabella Cohen
Seyfarth Synopsis: On Aug. 19, 2024, DHS posted for public inspection a Federal Register notice implementing the “Keeping Families Together” process for certain noncitizen spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens. “Keeping Families Together” enables noncitizen spouses and stepchildren of U.S.
Continue Reading New DHS Parole Policy for Long-Term Undocumented Spouses, StepchildrenThe trend of recent months to curtail employment-based immigration, purportedly prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, continues unabated. On August 3, 2020 President Trump issued yet another executive order, this one entitled, “Executive Order on Aligning Federal Contracting and Hiring Practices With the Interests of American Workers” (“EO” or “Executive Order”). The new EO focuses on federal contractors (and their subcontractors) who employ H-1B and other nonimmigrant foreign workers. While the Executive Order itself imposes no new entry or other immigration restrictions, it instructs the Department of Labor (“DOL”), Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), and other agencies and departments to take steps that undoubtedly will lay the groundwork to limit H-1B employment in the near future.
Continue Reading Another Day, Another Immigration Executive Order: Now Federal Contractors are Targeted
On May 29, 2019, forty-seven members of Congress wrote a letter to Attorney General Bob Barr and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan registering their disagreement with the application of USCIS policy guidance to those who have been employed in the legal cannabis industry.
The letter’s signatories, led by
Continue Reading Too Natural for Naturalization: An Update
Seyfarth Synopsis: As a number of states and the District of Columbia have moved to permit possession, use and sale of marijuana for both medicinal and recreational purposes and the business of legalized cannabis distribution has grown exponentially, federal law banning such activity remains unchanged. Deeming the trend in state law irrelevant, federal immigration authorities have in fact moved in the opposite direction. Last month, on April 19, US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced policy guidance “to clarify that violations of federal controlled substance law, including violations involving marijuana, are generally a bar to establishing good moral character for naturalization, even where that conduct would not be an offense under state law.”
Continue Reading Too Natural for Naturalization: Even Decriminalized Marijuana Can be a Bar to US Citizenship
Seyfarth Synopsis: On Friday, March 22, 2019, Seyfarth Shaw’s Immigration Compliance and Enforcement Group invites you to join the first webinar in our new Compliance Chatter Series: Inside E-Verify
While, following the federal government shutdown, E-Verify has returned to a modicum of normality, increasing audits and other government oversight
Continue Reading Upcoming Webinar: Compliance Chatter Series Part 1: Inside E-Verify
Seyfarth Synopsis: As the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the administration generally, signals increases in immigration enforcement activity, businesses are advised to implement clear protocols for the conduct of key personnel in the event of a visit by a federal officer, particularly Special Agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”). This guidance identifies the likely purposes of an ICE visit and sets forth critical steps for key personnel should such a visit occur. Businesses are advised to work with legal counsel to tailor this general guidance to their specific industry and business processes.
In light of the Trump Administration’s promises of increased immigration enforcement, employers and employees are growing more concerned about the prospect of government worksite visits either to effectuate arrests or to conduct investigations and audits. To be clear, the Department of Homeland Security’s (“DHS”) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) agency has clarified that there has been no directive to initiate worksite enforcement (aka raids) against employers. Notwithstanding, it does appear that recent ICE arrests have swept not only individuals either alleged to have committed a crime or for whom an immigration warrant is outstanding, but also others accompanying the intended arrestee who are found to lack legal status in the U.S.
In addition to arrests, other investigative and audit activity looms on the horizon. Chatter continues about a possible increase in Form I-9 audits by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Unit (HSI), and similar activity by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fraud Detection National Security Unit [1] as well as it’s E-Verify Monitoring and Compliance branch [2]. Additionally, the Department of Justice’s newly named Employee and Immigrant Rights Office (legacy Office of Special Counsel), will continue to pursue investigations into citizenship, national origin discrimination and document abuse matters. This Alert focuses on a visit by the folks at HSI, a separate Alert will be focused on USCIS site visits and investigative visits by other agencies.Continue Reading Quick Guidance: What To Do In The Event of a Visit By The DHS-ICE Agents
Seyfarth Synopsis: Although longstanding policy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorizes searches of electronic devices in the possession of travelers arriving in the United States, recent reports of such searches have heightened businesses’ concerns when their employees travel. In the event of such a search, this guidance informs employees about what they can expect, and provides employers with recommendations to ensure against loss, corruption or misuse of company information.
Overview
United States’ Customs laws and regulations (See, 8 U.S.C. § 1582, 19 C.F.R § 162.6) authorize customs officers to inspect, search and/or detain any person, baggage, and/or merchandise arriving in, and or departing from, the United States. This authority extends to inspections, searches and temporary detentions of electronic devices possessed by travelers, including mobile telephones, tablets, and laptop computers. Increasingly searches are becoming more common, and employees traveling with company data and/or information should carry this guidance when returning from foreign travel. “Supreme Court decisions have upheld the doctrine that CBP’s search authority is unique and does not violate the fourth amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.”[1] This exception allows CBP to conduct “routine” searches on luggage, devices, vehicles or persons without a warrant. “However, with this authority, CBP expects all of its officers to conduct their duties in a professional manner, and treat each traveler respectfully.”[2]
Who May Be Chosen for an Inspection
United States Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) guidance states that a variety of circumstances can lead agents to select a traveler for inspection, search and/or detention of electronic devices, including: travelers holding incomplete travel documents or lacking proper documents and/or visa; travelers who have previously violated a law that CBP enforces; travelers with a name that matches a person of interest in government enforcement databases; and/or travelers randomly selected for such a search. Selection for a search does not necessarily mean that CBP believes that you have done something wrong. A 2012 CBP Directive noted that “in the course of a border search, with or without individualized suspicion, an Officer may examine electronic devices and may review and analyze the information encountered at the border”.
At this time, CBP has not articulated policies that consider a traveler’s nationality as a factor supporting a search; however, not all criteria applied by CBP have been made public. CBP has also not disclosed whether travel to certain countries could draw scrutiny. There have been reports of foreign visitors as well as United States citizens being subjected to inspections.
What Will Occur During the Search
The manner in which a search is conducted may vary widely depending on a number of factors. A customs official may simply conduct a search through the device and then return it to you. At the other times, CBP may elect to take temporary custody (‘detention’) of the device for further examination. If CBP decides to detain your electronic devices, the customs officer will issue you a written receipt (Form 6051-D), which will detail what items are being detained, who at CBP will be your point of contact, and your own contact information in order to facilitate return of the items within a reasonable time.Continue Reading Searches of Devices at the U.S. Border