Happy Memorial Day!
Memorial Day is celebrated every year on the last Monday in May. This year it falls on May 25th. This national holiday was created to honor U.S. soldiers who died in service. Originating in 1868, it was first called Decoration Day and created to honor the soldiers who died in the Civil War. Memorial Day has now become synonymous with the beginning of the summer season.
CENSUS SHOWS RECORD IMMIGRANT POPULATION GROWTH BY 2023
The Center for Immigration Studies analyzed U.S. Census figures to determine that within the next decade, by 2023, there will be 51 million legal and illegal immigrants living in the United States. This will be a brand new record and the highest immigrant population since 1910! Broken down, it means that one in seven U.S. residents will have been born abroad. Going further, by 2060 there will be approximately 78 million immigrants, which is about one in five residents. This immense surge in the population will certainly have a large impact on many aspects of the country including schools, workers, congestion, the environment, and more.
DACA RENEWAL REQUESTS
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced last month that they are now mailing DACA renewal reminders to participants 180 days before their current DACA term expires. They had previously mailed the reminders out 100 days before the term expiration. USCIS also encouraged DACA participants to submit their renewal request at least 120 to 150 days before the expiration date. Please contact the office if you have any questions about your DACA renewal.
IMMIGRATION EXECUTIVE ACTION UPDATE
On April 17th, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had a hearing to decide if the temporary injunction on President Obama’s immigration executive action should be lifted. The session lasted 2.5 hours and each side had the opportunity to state their argument before a three-judge panel. Judge Jennifer Elrod and Judge Jerry Smith were skeptical about the Obama administration’s arguments for lifting the injunction. Both judges had been appointed by Republican presidents. The third judge, Judge Stephen Higginson, was a bit more open to the Obama administration’s position. He was appointed by President Obama. Legal analysts have warned that there is no way to predict how judges will rule based on their tone and questions.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office!