As immigration topics inspire heated debate across the country, Americans may see more storylines about the immigrant experience on television this upcoming fall. While some shows—including One Day at a Time, Jane the Virgin, and Ugly Betty—have all dealt with various aspects of the immigrant experience at one time or another, seven upcoming projects for the pilot season feature immigrants as lead characters dealing head-on with deportation, the DACA program, access to health care for immigrants, and the refugee experience. While these projects are still in the development stages and not guaranteed to be picked up for a full series by the networks, they demonstrate that the entertainment industry is realizing how important, powerful, and compelling these stories are.
Read moreVulture: “Why You Could Be Seeing a Lot of Immigrant Stories on TV This Fall”
OPINION: How the Immigration Landscape Changed in 2017
When Donald Trump won the election, many immigrants and their advocates feared the worst. Now that President Trump has been in office for over a year, I wish I could write that everyone’s fears were overblown, but that simply isn’t true. The administration’s actions have met and in some cases exceeded the worst fears of many immigrants and immigration practitioners.
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Politico: “Trump targets 11 nations in refugee order”
President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to restart the refugee resettlement program, after it was suspended for 120 days as part of the president’s travel ban issued earlier this year. The order will resume refugee admissions but will initiate a new 90-day review period for officials to conduct an “in-depth threat assessment” of eleven countries. While neither the executive order nor the White House named these eleven countries, Politico says that based on statements from senior administration officials these countries appear to include: Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen—all majority-Muslim countries except for North Korea and South Sudan.
Read moreUSCIS to Expand In-Person Interview Requirements for Certain Permanent Residency Applicants
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will soon begin the process of expanding in-person interviews for certain applicants seeking permanent residency. This policy change stems from President Trump’s executive order, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States,” which in addition to banning travel for certain citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries also called for uniform screening standards and procedures for all immigration programs.
Read moreState Department Issues Guidelines for Revised Travel Ban
The State Department issued guidelines for the revised travel ban after the Supreme Court partially lifted orders blocking the revised ban earlier this week. The State Department announced that the partial ban would go into effect worldwide beginning at 8pm (EDT) on June 29, 2017. The travel ban affects nationals of six countries—Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen—but does not apply to any applicant who has a credible claim of a “bona fide relationship” with a person or entity in the US.
Read moreNew York Times: “They Adopted Refugee Families for a Year. Then Came ‘Month 13.’”
The Canadian refugee program is one of the most unique in the world. In addition to government sponsorship and resettlement, the Canadian government allows private sponsorship for refugees. Private sponsors—who can be a mix of major organizations and smaller groups and individuals—are involved at every step of the resettlement process, from initial paperwork, maintaining communications pre-arrival, assisting with the screening process, and providing financial support for numerous aspects of the refugees’ lives in Canada, including travel, accommodation, and food, although the government still assists with certain expenses.
Read moreFinally, I Am American
President Trump Signs Revised Executive Order Banning Travel from Six Muslim-Majority Countries and Suspending the US Refugee Program
On Monday, March 6, 2017, President Trump signed a revised executive order temporarily banning travel to the US for certain citizens of six-predominately Muslim countries as well as temporarily suspending the US refugee program. The executive order, “Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States,” supersedes the original order issued January 27, and was revised to better withstand legal scrutiny in the courts (which his initial executive order had failed to do). According to Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, the order will “make America safer, and address long-overdue concerns about the security of our immigration system.” The travel ban and refugee resettlement suspension is set to go into effect on March 16, 2017.
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