US Immigration Continues to Make Headlines

Unrest Over Immigration Raids Continues

This month has seen several days of demonstrations in Los Angeles against immigration raids by the federal government and the unrest is spreading to more cities including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Omaha and Seattle.

Protests started last week after a number of large raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers focusing on the city’s large Hispanic population.

Around 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines have been deployed, and more than 350 people have been arrested with LA now under a nightly curfew.

US Travel Ban Now in Place for 12 Countries

Meanwhile, a travel ban introduced by President Donald Trump has come into effect.  This means citizens of:

Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will be unable to enter the US. While nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be partly restricted from travelling to the country.

The travel ban means no new visas will be issued to people from the named countries unless there are exceptional circumstances. However, it is expected that those already issued with visas will still be able to come to the US and there is likely to be exceptions for players involved in next year’s FIFA World Cup.

According to an official statement from the White House, the “common sense restrictions” aim to “protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors”.

In contrast, the UN’s human rights chief, Volker Turk, said: “The broad and sweeping nature of the new travel ban raises concerns from the perspective of international law.”

How Can IAS Help?

If you are concerned about potential travel changes and how this may could affect your plans to visit or move to the US then reach out to IAS for the latest advice.

Our experienced team at IAS are on hand to support you in applying for the correct US visa, checking documentation, advising on compliance or assisting with a Green Card rejection.

Contact IAS today for personalised advice on +1 844 290 6312 or use our live chat to keep up-to-date with all US immigration policy changes.