Law Office of Christine M. Stouffer

On June 15 the current administration proposed an alarming new rule that will rewrite our asylum laws and completely gut protections for people fleeing life-threatening persecution. Please, everyone take just a moment and use your voice to speak out and submit a public comment against the rule by 11:59 pm ET on WEDNESDAY JULY 15. COMMENTS MATTER! (link below in the post's comments)... https://msmagazine.com//an-american-mother-on-asylum-trum/ See more

The Supreme Court Upholds DACA! Today’s 5-4 Supreme Court decision ruled against the current administration’s attempt to end DACA. This means that for now DACA is still alive. We’re so relieved for those currently in DACA status who have been in limbo feeling the weight of this upcoming decision on their shoulders. But the fight is not over! The decision unfortunately leaves the door open for future attacks. Below is general information provided from what we know so far. Ple...ase consult with an experienced immigration attorney if you need specific legal advice. You're always welcome to contact our office at 510-540-4149. I have DACA status. Can I renew? Yes. If you are in DACA status or have had DACA status before, you should be able to send your application to renew to USCIS. I have DACA. Can I apply for advance parole that allows me to return to the U.S. after foreign travel? The Supreme Court concluded that DACA was terminated unlawfully, so advance parole should be reinstated. Given that USCIS had stopped accepting advance parole applications for DACA, it may take some time for them to reopen the DACA policy for advance parole requests consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision. We cannot know how long this might take. Please feel free to contact us at 510-540-4149 if you would like discuss ways to prepare for filing if/when the advance parole process reopens. I have not applied for DACA yet. Can I submit an initial application? It would be consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision for USCIS to again receiving initial DACA applications. But it may take some time for USCIS to reopen the DACA policy for initial application requests. We cannot know how long this might take. Please feel free to contact us at 510-540-4149 if you would like discuss ways to prepare for filing if/when the initial DACA filing process reopens. So did the Supreme Court say DACA is here to stay? Unfortunately, no. The decision focuses on how the DHS ended DACA in 2017 and found DHS failed to provide a reasonable explanation for ending DACA. The decision does leave DACA open to future attack. If and when and in what form future attacks might come are hard to predict. We will be following any new developments as they are made available. Please feel free to contact us at 510-540-4149 if you need any help. https://www.nytimes.com//18/us/trump-daca-supreme-court.ht

Executive Order of April 22, 2020 In short, it is limited and does not have a sweeping impact. What Does The New Executive Order Mean?... *New immigration into the US is suspended for 60 days for some categories of people not currently physically in the US. Who Is Impacted? *Only people currently outside the US now who do not yet have a visa as of April 22, 2020 and who seek to come live permanently to the US. Who Is Not Impacted? 1. Anyone filing for immigration status who is now inside the US. 2. Spouses and children under 21 of US citizens. 3. Green card (adjustment of status) applicants already in the US. 4. US military members, spouses and children. 5. Lawful permanent residents, or green card holders. 6. Medical professionals and scientists working on COVID-19. 7. EB-5 Investors, National Interest Visa (NIV) applicants. 8. SI or SQ special immigration categories. 9. Adoptees in the Immediate Relative (IR-4) or IJ-4 categories. 10. Non-immigrant (temporary) visa categories like B1/B2 visitor, F1 student, H1B, etc.*But, note the order does leave room for modification in 30 days to address these categories. When Does The Executive Order Take Effect? *The Proclamation takes effect on at 11:59 p.m. eastern daylight time on April 23, 2020 and will expire after 60 days. https://stoufferlaw.com/blog-executive-order-on-immigratio/ Check out a version in Spanish on our website's blog.

Our website now has a compilation of COVID-19 resources (unemployment, stimulus checks, health access, funds for families in need) in English and Spanish. https://stoufferlaw.com/blog/