Appeals court blocks controversial Texas migrant law
In response to this week’s Supreme Court ruling, a federal appeals court blocked a controversial Texas immigration law that would allow state officials to arrest and detain migrants suspected of entering the country illegally.
Earlier this week, a divided Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Texas would be allowed to implement the new law, despite the Biden administration’s claims that the measures are a blatant violation of federal immigration authorities.
Indian students received most student visas in 2023
International students from India received a total of 130,839 F-1 Student Visas in 2023, an increase of 14% compared to the previous year. 2023 was also the second year in a row that Indian students received more student visas than students from any other country.
Overall, 2023 saw a significant increase in the total number of F-1 visas issued, reaching almost 446,000 in total. This represents the highest number of student visas issued in a single year since 2016.
Biden administration cracks down on asylum screening process
According to recent data According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), screening interviews and asylum denials at the U.S.-Mexico border skyrocketed last year, amid the Biden administration’s tougher stance on border security matters.
DHS officials conducted more than 115,000 “credible fear” interviews with asylum seekers between last May and February, but stricter asylum policies still failed to keep up with the steady influx of migrants in the country during the same period. “We are optimizing the system, but it has not kept pace with the increase,” a DHS official said.
US government implements new facial recognition rule for migrants
Migrants without passports will now have to submit facial recognition during airport security checks to board domestic flights in the United States, under a new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) policy.
It’s unclear when the new policy took effect, and immigrant advocacy groups say the change has caused confusion for many migrants traveling by plane for immigration court hearings. Some migrants reported being denied boarding because TSA agents were unable to match their identities with previous immigration records.