American Immigration Weekly Recap – July 17th to 21st

Criminal Histories to Be Examined Before Protected Status Is Given

Public benefit usage and criminal histories of immigrants living in the U.S. on Temporary Protected Status will be scrutinized by the Trump administration. Only after that, the administration will decide whether or not to extend their stay in the U.S.

15,000 Temporary Worker US Visas Granted

The federal government is granting 15,000 additional U.S. visas for temporary seasonal workers. This is to help American businesses to recover from the labor shortage.

Record Numbers of American Homes Bought by Foreigners

Record number of residential properties in the U.S. have been bought by foreigners. Chinese nationals are the biggest buyers. Read on to know more.

Immigration Agents Deployed to Sanctuary Cities

Thomas Homan, the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said that immigration agents will be sent to arrest undocumented immigrants living in sanctuary cities. ICE is now focussing on undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S. as the number of those trying to illegally cross the border has fallen.

Grandparents Excluded from Travel Ban

Grandparents and other relatives will no longer be included in President Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban. Grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins of those in the U.S. legally will now be counted as close family relationships. They will be granted entry into the U.S. even if they are from a country on the list of banned countries.

 Undocumented Immigrants Scared off by Rhetoric

Jeh Johnson, the former Secretary DHS, credited President Donald Trump for reducing illegal immigration to the U.S. He said that Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric has prevented immigrants from trying to get into the U.S. illegally.

New Dream Act Could Give Young Immigrants Amnesty

Two U.S. Senators, Illinois Democrat Senator Dick Durbin, and South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, introduced a new bipartisan bill that would give amnesty to undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as children. Their 2017 Dream Act would give permanent amnesty to most of the DREAMers living here.