MARCH 26, 2020 NY IMMIGRATION LAWYERS

NEW ICE
ENFORCEMENT
POLICIES
DHS/ICE TEMPORARILY
IMMIGRATION COURT USCIS INTERVIEW VISA EXTENSIONS &
SUSPENDING MOST CLOSURES CANCELLATIONS & WORK
IMMIGRATION ALL 3 NEW YORK CITY CLOSURES AUTHORIZATION
ENFORCEMENT IMMIGRATION COURTS ARE ALL INTERVIEWS SUSPENDED F1 STUDENTS ELIGIBLE

EFFECTS OF COVID-19 IN NY

CLOSING IMMIGRATION
USCIS Must Extend All Deadlines COURTS & SUSPENDING
Thousands of legal immigrants in the US have filings that are USCIS DEADLINES WILL
due in the comings days, weeks, and months. The SAVE THOUSANDS OF
Washington Post addressed this in an article they published LIVES

yesterday titled, “Suspending immigration filing deadlines

MORE MUST BE DONE
would save lives.” They note that, U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) has the power to extend WWW.FLUSHINGIMMIGRATIONLAWYER.COM

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MARCH 26, 2020 NY IMMIGRATION LAWYERS

deadlines with, “a simple website notice, a stroke of

DHS/ICE Immigration
the digital pen.” Doing so could save thousands of
Enforcement Policy
lives, potentially, and reduce the risk of people falling
ill from the novel coronavirus. During COVID19

When people can’t file paperwork because of the Pandemic

coronavirus pandemic, foreign nationals in the United US Immigration and Customs
States risk sacrificing their lawful status, or traveling Enforcement (ICE) has
when it’s unsafe. provided updated policies
regarding Immigration
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA),
E n f o rc e m e n t d u r i n g t h e
sent USCIS a letter March 16, 2020, followed by a
public health crises of the
March 23, 2020, demand that USCIS: COVID-19 pandemic.

• extend statutory or regulatory deadlines for https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/

immigration benefits; updated-ice-

In light of the ongoing

• suspend all deadlines during the time of the
COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 national emergency; and
response, ICE will temporarily
• extend any nonimmigrant status and otherwise adjust enforcement
maintain the status quo for purposes of eligibility for beginning March 18, 2020.
protection and immigration benefits processed by ICE Enforcement and
USCIS from the date the President declared a Removal Operations (ERO)
national emergency on March 11, 2020, until 90 will focus on the public safety
days after the emergency proclamation ends. risks and individuals subject

AILA’s demand further states that if no action is taken by to mandatory detention

March 27th then they will be forced to take more drastic based on criminal grounds.

steps to compel USCIS to suspend deadlines and adopt, For individuals who do not fall

“common-sense emergency measures that other agencies into those categories, ICE/

have already adopted.” ERO will exercise discretion to

delay enforcement actions
AILA threatens litigation against USCIS stating, “ we will until after the crisis or utilize
have no choice but to view USCIS’s inaction as a deliberate alternatives to detention, as
attempt to use the current crisis to paralyze the
appropriate.
immigration bar and jeopardize the lawful status of
hundreds of thousands of law-abiding foreign nationals.
Failure to implement these measures will only further
aggravate a dire situation.”

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MARCH 26, 2020 NY IMMIGRATION LAWYERS

AILA further notes in their letters that USCIS’ failure to close NO IMMIGRATION
is not only putting legal immigrants and their immigration
ENFORCEMENT AT
status in jeopardy but it will also but immigration lawyers,
their staff, and other immigration advocates in grave HOSPITALS,
danger by forcing them to return to work during the DOCTORS’ OFFICES,
nationwide lockdown. These deadlines are forcing URGENT CARE, OR
individuals to travel on mass-transit, meet face-to-face, and
OTHER HEALTH CARE
in soon will have to gather in groups of hundreds in USCIS
waiting rooms. FACILITIES

The agency should and must act right now. During the COVID-19
crises, individuals should

EOJ/EOIR Immigration Courts not avoid seeking

All non-detained hearings scheduled through April 10, medical care because
2020, have been postponed. they fear civil
Most Immigration Courts in the US are currently open but i m m i g r a t i o n
you should check the EOIR Website to check the status of
the Immigration Court in your area. https:// enforcement. 
www.justice.gov/eoir/eoir-operational- status-during-
coronavirus-pandemic
During this crises, ICE
In New York City, all three Immigration Courts are currently
closed but the Immigration Court on Broadway is open for will not carry out
filings only.
enforcement operations
Immigration advocacy groups and immigration lawyers
throughout the US are pleading with the Department of at or near health care
Justice (DOJ) to close the Executive Office of Immigration facilities. ICE has publicly
Review (EOIR) Immigration Courts during the COVID-19
global pandemic. stated that this includes:
We will keep you informed of any updates as the hospitals, doctors’
information becomes available.
offices, accredited health
clinics, and emergent or
For the latest news & information please visit our website:
www.nyimmigrationcourt.com or www.jbclawoffice.com urgent care facilities,
except in “the most
If you have any questions about how this will affect an
ongoing immigration case or a potential future case, or if extraordinary of
you would like to discuss your immigration matter with an
experienced immigration attorney you can email our office circumstances.”
at: jbc@jbclawoffice.com https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/updated-ice-

statement-covid-19