Many immigrants flee their home countries due to violent and dangerous situations that put them and their families at risk. Recently, the U.S. changed its policies and ended requirements that made it harder for immigrants to come to the U.S. seeking asylum from violence.

According to AP News, Attorney General Merrick Garland provided updated instructions for immigration judges to use when making decisions about asylum grants for immigrants fleeing domestic or gang violence. This action undid rules from the Trump administration that made it harder for immigrants to qualify for asylum.

Individuals facing the immigration process generally live with a certain level of fear and uncertainty until everything is resolved. With paperwork errors, missed deadlines or allegations of fraud all potentially resulting in removal proceedings, the couple is usually met with an unending sense of unease until the matter is finalized.

Even couples who have done nothing wrong might feel the pressure of proving their relationship is legitimate. Marriage fraud is a common issue that could prevent a foreign spouse from obtaining a green card. The United States government is always on high alert for relationships that were created for the main purpose of evading immigration laws. Marriage fraud often has devastating consequences including deportation and jail time.

In a setback to the Biden administration’s plan to revise the country’s immigration system, a federal judge on Feb. 23 in Texas blocked the president’s 100-day moratorium on deportations. The case came to the forefront after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government.

In Tipton’s ruling, the federal judge sided with Paxton, declaring that the suspension of deportations threatened financial harm in Texas. The moratorium, Tipton ruled, also violated certain administrative laws and procedures. The federal judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Tipton took office in June after former President Trump appointed him.

The US State Department published reports on the human rights violations carried out by Cameroonian government officials. These violations include torture and the ongoing persecution of women and people identifying within the LGBTQ community. Cameroon is currently in a civil war and presents a harrowing reality for those forced to return. These events and the continual unrest have led many to flee to the US and other countries to seek asylum.

Documenting the alleged abuse

Unfortunately, a report from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SLPC) in conjunction with Freedom for Immigrants documented the claims of abuse and coercion endured by those detained while attempting to seek asylum. The alleged abuse occurred at the hands of corrections officers and ICE officers at various detainment facilities. The asylum seekers from Cameroon were forced to sign documents under duress and threatened with abuse and lengthy detainment while housed amongst federal prisoners.

Asylum seekers deserve protection under the law

The people included in the report were seeking asylum and face dangerous repercussions if sent to Cameroon. One of the refugees reported a physical attack after being refused an attorney. Detainees also reported being forcibly stripped and enduring multiple threats with many witnesses present. Between 2010 and 2019, around three-quarters of asylum seekers from Cameroon were granted asylum.

USCIS announced the extension of TPS (Temporary Protected Status) for certain nationals of El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal, Haiti, and Sudan. The much awaited news bring a sense of relief to more than 400,000 immigrants.

If you have TPS, this means that you can continue to legally live and work in the United States at least until October 4, 2021. Your employment authorization document under TPS should also be automatically extended until that date.

If you have questions about TPS or want to discuss your immigration case, feel free to give us a call for a consultation.