Coronavirus demands changes in immigration policies

The spread of COVID-19 is very accelerated and it seems to be inevitable for now since the cure has not been discovered yet.

The immigration policies of the US are affected by the changes that Trump’s government has declared lately.

Most of the decisions they have made over the past week regarding immigration are an initiative to curb the spread of the virus on a large scale.

The most important immigration changes

1. Asylum policy

   President Trump announced last Wednesday that he does not want his immigration officers to be at risk at the country’s borders. He decided to close the borders for a period of time as the spread of the virus slows down.

   Thus, services such as requesting asylum at borders could be suspended as well. Every day fewer immigrants arrive at the borders because the immigration system is collapsed due to the pandemic.

2. Refugee policy

   Another decision that President Trump made was to suspend the entry of refugees into the country.

   The refugee program is not available until April 16 at least, but that date may change depending on the spread of the virus.

3. Deportation stops

   Many deportations were planned for the month of March.

   Given the current circumstances of the Coronavirus, on March 18 it was announced that deportation processes for Italy, China and South Korea are canceled for now, since these countries are at high risk of COVID-19 contagion.

4. Borders between Canada and the US

   The two countries decided to close borders for everything that is not essential. Therefore, tourism is not allowed at this time.

5. ICE changes

   The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) stated that it will decrease all current processes because of the global pandemic.

   They mentioned that they are focusing only on undocumented immigrants who may be a threat to society. the other cases won’t be priority for now.

6. Immigration courts

   Several immigration courts are already closed in the country. On the other hand, the services have been reduced considerably for the ones that are still operating.

7. USCIS suspends services

   The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has temporarily suspended all face-to-face services.

   USCIS continues to receive online applications and they offer citizen support over the phone.

   They also announced that they would offer face to face appointments only in cases of extreme emergency.

Inform yourself correctly in immigration processes

Changes in immigration policies are constant due to the situation we are facing as society.

Therefore, it is always best to have the correct support to properly apply for any immigration permit.

The current situation of the Coronavirus forces countries to take extreme measures, but we cannot forget that they are temporary changes.

At Motion Law we offer you the best guide with experienced experts in all areas of immigration to the US.

To make sure everyone is safe, we have decided to resolve inquiries over the phone and fill all the applications virtually.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in Progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.