American Council on Education: Immigration-Related Campus Concerns
The American Council on Education (ACE) has published a detailed brief addressing immigration-related campus concerns for: international students, faculty, and staff; students with discretionary status; and Dreamers and undocumented students. The brief is available here.
Notice to universities, hospitals, health clinics, and churches: “sensitive places” are no longer protected from ICE
During his first week back in office, President Trump rescinded previously longstanding guidance that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from conducting immigration enforcement at “sensitive locations,” which are schools, hospitals, health clinics, and churches. ICE is now able to enter these spaces to question people and arrest noncitizens who ICE accuses of violating immigration law. The National Immigration Law Center has published a factsheet detailing this new policy and its impacts; the factsheet is available here.
Under the Fourth Amendment, schools, hospitals, health clinics, and churches do not have to allow ICE into their spaces unless ICE has a judicial warrant from a state or federal court judge. An administrative order or warrant from an immigration judge or the Department of Homeland Security is not a judicial warrant and does not permit ICE entry without consent. Consent may be withheld. Individuals at schools, hospitals, health clinics, and churches also do not have to provide ICE with identification documents unless ICE has a judicial warrant. Additional information on immigration rights is available on the American Civil Liberties Union’s website here.
Trump directs agencies to make reports on Israel-Palestine campus protest activities
On January 29, 2025, President Trump announced the Executive Order, “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism,” which directs all federal departments and agencies to submit a report of all civil and criminal authorities that the respective department or agency can use to “curb or combat anti-Semitism.” The report must also contain a list of all pending administrative complaints and court cases against or involving institutions of higher education “alleging civil-rights violations related to or arising from post-October 7, 2023 campus anti-Semitism.” The Secretary of Education is specifically directed to include an inventory and analysis of all Title VI complaints and administrative complaints related to anti-Semitism within the Office of Civil Rights that were pending or resolved after October 7, 2023. These reports will likely include campus protest activities and arrests relating to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Lastly, the Executive Order requires the Departments of State, Education, and Homeland Security to make recommendations for familiarizing institutions of higher education with the national security-related grounds of inadmissibility for noncitizens. These reports might require or request that institutions of higher education “monitor and report” noncitizen students and staff activities “relevant to” the national security-related grounds of inadmissibility and “ensure” that the reports lead to investigations and deportation “if warranted.”
We’re Hiring! Are you an Experienced Immigration Paralegal?
Position: Experienced Immigration Paralegal
Location: Boston, MA
Employment Type: Full-Time
Are you an experienced Immigration Paralegal ready to make an impact at a thriving law firm dedicated to changing lives? Join our close-knit team of 8 attorneys and 15 paralegals and support staff, where collaboration, compassion, and excellence drive our mission to guide clients through the complexities of immigration law.
About Us
At Iandoli, Desai and Cronin, PC, we are more than a law firm—we are a supportive team helping serving professionals, businesses, and academic institutions. Our clients are leaders in medicine, engineering, bio-technology, and academia. With a strong commitment to providing outstanding legal services, we empower our clients with information, skillfully tackle challenges, and ensure they feel cared for every step of the way.
Your Role
As an Experienced Immigration Paralegal, you will be a key player in managing cases end to end, communicating with clients, and supporting attorneys in delivering outstanding results.
Key Responsibilities
Case Preparation & Filing: Assist attorneys in the preparation and filing of employment-based immigrant (EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3) and nonimmigrant (H-1B, E-3, TN, L-1, L-1B, O-1, E-1/E-2) petitions, as well as adjustment of status and naturalization applications.
Client Communication: Act as a point of contact, providing compassionate and clear updates to clients on their case progress.
Document Review & Case Management Software: Review and organize documents and ensure accuracy in all submissions, as well as use specialized case management software to monitor deadlines and expirations and draft petitions and applications.
Coordination: Liaise and communicate with individual clients, HR representatives and government agencies.
Team Collaboration: Work seamlessly with attorneys and staff, contributing to an environment of mutual support and growth.
Qualifications
Must have a Bachelor’s Degree
At least 2–5 years of paralegal experience in business immigration law.
Proficiency in case management software (e.g., LawLogix/Immigration Case Management and Microsoft Office Suite.
Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple deadlines.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Passion for helping individuals and families navigate complex legal processes.
What We Offer
A welcoming, friendly, collaborative team environment.
We have a hybrid model and allow for up to 2 days of working from home.
Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, PTO, and more.
The opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our clients and their families.
How to Apply
If you are passionate about immigration law and thrive in a team-oriented environment, we want to hear from you! Please send your resume and a cover letter detailing your experience to careers@iandoli.com.
Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No JDs, LLBs, LLMs, or current/matriculating law students please. No phone calls please. Absolutely no recruiters.
Together, we’ll guide clients through life-changing journeys, one case at a time.
January 2025 Visa Bulletin
The Department of State publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin which identifies all immigrant visa “preference” categories and indicates whether a backlog exists for each one. The categories are separated into two charts: a “Final Action” chart and a “Dates for Filing” chart for both family and employment-based immigration.
USCIS has determined that Chart B (Dates for Filing) must be used in January 2025. EB-2 and EB-3 preference categories remain backlogged for all countries, which means that individuals in these categories may not file Form I-485 applications until their priority dates become “current.”
Link: Visa Bulletin For January 2025
If you have questions about planning, please schedule a consultation with one of the attorneys at Iandoli, Desai & Cronin (info@iandoli.com).
IDC NEWS - “Post-Election Immigration Landscape” presented by IDC to the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts
Last month Partners Richard Iandoli, Prasant Desai, Madeline Choi Cronin and Mary E. Walsh presented on the “Post-Election Immigration Landscape” for the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts. The presentation covered what to expect in the first 100 days of the new Trump administration and action items for colleges and universities to take to support their non-citizen student populations. A copy of the presentation can be found at the link below.
Resumption of Visa Processing at US Embassy in Lebanon
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut has resumed regular nonimmigrant and immigrant visa processing. Nonimmigrant visa interviews are expected to be scheduled beginning January 1, 2025. Applicants should be aware that supporting documents such as marriage certificates may take a bit longer than normal to secure from various Lebanese municipalities and Ministries due to the backlog caused by the recent hostilities.
Continuing Issues with National Visa Center’s Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC)
Since Fall 2024, users have reported intermittent technical issues when attempting to upload documents or pay fees for immigrant visa applications on CEAC. As of the end of December, several technical fixes have been implemented by the National Visa Center and more are planned. Users are directed to the DOS troubleshooting page for guidance on workarounds for specific error messages they may receive.
Link: Troubleshooting
Final Rule Permanently Increases the Automatic Extension Period for Certain Employment Authorization Document Renewal Applicants
DHS finalized the temporary rule published in the Federal Register in April 2024 that permanently increases the automatic extension period of employment authorization and the EAD document from up to 180 days to up to 540 days from the expiration date stated on the expiring EAD card for certain renewal applicants who have timely filed a Form I-765. The measure reduces the likelihood that eligible renewal EAD applicants will experience a lapse in employment authorization or employment authorization documentation while USCIS processes their renewal applications. The automatic extension period for eligible renewal EAD applications that were pending or are filed on or after May 4, 2022, is up to 540 days. An EAD that is expired on its face is considered unexpired when combined with a Form I-797C receipt notice indicating a timely filed EAD renewal application, assuming all other automatic extension requirements are met. Individuals and their employers may use the USCIS Automatic Extension Eligibility Calculator to confirm eligibility requirements and determine an auto-extended EAD expiration date. This final rule will be effective on Jan. 13, 2025
Report Showing Key Findings on Wages, Occupations, Locations of Black Immigrant College Graduates
The Immigration Research Initiative and the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Administration issued a joint report entitled “Black Immigrant College Graduates: Where they live and where they work.” Based on analysis of the 2022 American Community Survey 5-year data, the report focuses on individuals who identified as Black and said they had at least a bachelor’s degree. Immigrants were defined as anyone living in the US and born in another country, except if their parents were US citizens when they were born. Three types of Black immigrants were distinguished: childhood arrivals; international students; and foreign educated. Key findings included:
Nearly 1 in every 5 Black college graduates are first-generation immigrants.
Of the 5.3 million Black college graduates in the US, 18% are immigrants and
82% are US born.
There are 976,000 Black immigrant college graduates working in the US as of 2022
The most common jobs for Black immigrants with college degrees are in healthcare, education, and business.
Immigrants account for almost one-fifth of all Black college graduates in the labor force.
Nearly 74% of all Black immigrant college graduates live in ten states: NY, FL, TX, MD, GA, CA, NJ, MA, VA, and PA.
Details of the report can be found at: Black Immigrant College Graduates: Where they live and where they work - Presidents' Alliance