Cyrus Mehta, May 29, 2023 "I write this blog in fond memory of Mark Von Sternberg who passed away on May 16, 2023. Mark was a brilliant lawyer, scholar and writer who worked very hard on behalf...
Portillo v. DHS "Gerardo A. Portillo petitions for review of a decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA") affirming his order of removal and denying his application for adjustment...
State Department, May 30, 2023 "Document Submission to KCC suspended for DV-2024 and onward. Effective for the Diversity Visa (DV) program for fiscal year 2024 (DV-2024) and onward, selectees...
In this document , provided by a "veteran immigration practitioner," ICE claims that its attorneys need not be present in every case in Immigration Court. Read more at PWS's latest post ...
This document is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 06/01/2023 "This final rule (TFR) temporarily amends Department of State (Department) regulations to provide that Afghan nationals...
"Since the time of the respondent's hearing, the Board has issued several decisions addressing the issue of particular social group. See Matter of M-E-V-G-, 26 I&N Dec. 227 (BIA 2014), and Matter of W-G-R-, 26 I&N Dec. 208 (BIA 2014) (clarifying what is required to establish a particular social group); Matter of A-R-C-G-, 26 I&N Dec. 388 (BlA 2014) (holding that, depending on the facts and evidence in an individual case, married women in Guatemala who are unable to leave their relationship can constitute a cognizable particular social group for purposes of seeking asylum and withholding of removal). The Immigration Judge in this case did not make findings regarding these issues, in part because the respondent's abuser, her former husband, was murdered in Honduras many years ago. However, as discussed above, we find that the respondent's' asylum application was timely filed. Thus, should she be found to have suffered past persecution on account of a protected ground, she could be eligible for asylum despite the death of her abuser. See, e.g., Matter of M-S-, 25 I&N Dec. 705 (BIA 2012). On remand, the parties should be given the opportunity to make any additional legal and factual arguments regarding particular social group and nexus as they may apply to this case." - Matter of M-R-, Nov. 24, 2014, unpub. [Hats off to Matthew L. Hoppock!]