Zakaria Law Firm

02/24/2026

This was not announced until now by DHS:

ICE HSI agents killed a US citizen almost a year ago. Newsweek reports that DHS told the outlet that HSI agents were involved in the March 15, 2025, shooting of 23‑year‑old Ruben Ray Martinez in South Padre Island, Texas, and that an HSI agent fired “defensive shots” after a vehicle allegedly ran over another federal agent.

How many of us really believe that ICE is telling the truth this time? We all watched videos of two killings of US citizens in Minnesota and how ICE and DHS lied to us. Why should we believe them this time? Where is the body camera footage?

02/24/2026

DHS announced stricter rules for issuing work authorization to asylum seekers in the US.

Key Aspects of the Proposed Rules (Feb 2026):

Extended Waiting Period: The time an asylum seeker must wait to apply for an initial EAD increases to 365 days.

Processing Suspensions: DHS may pause the acceptance of initial EAD applications if the average processing time for asylum applications exceeds 180 days.

Goal: The rule supplosedly intends to reduce incentives for filing fraudulent or non-meritorious asylum claims. But in reality, it’s designed to make life difficult for immigrants who fled persecution.


Recent Related Changes (Late 2025/Early 2026):

Reduced Validity: As of December 5, 2025, new EADs for asylum seekers are valid for only 18 months, down from 5 years.
Fees: As of early 2026, it costs $560 to apply for a first work permit as an asylum seeker, which was previously free.

No Auto-Extensions: Automatic extensions for work permit renewals were halted for those filed on or after October 30, 2025.
These proposals represent a significant tightening of work access for those with pending asylum cases in the U.S

02/20/2026

Department of Homeland Security has decided to arrest more refugees. DHS released a policy memorandum that explains that refugees who have not filed for a green card within one year of entring the US will be arrested and detained.

02/06/2026

In my 34 years career as a lawyer, I have never heard or seen an attorney ask a judge to hold that attorney in contempt of court. But according to news reports this is exactly what happened.

Justice Department attorney Julie Le told a Federal Judge in Minnesota that ICE is NOT responsive and that there is a systemic failure. She called it “a broken system.” She apparently told the Judge that if she was held in contempt of court, she might be able to get much needed sleep. She was overworked.

Shortly after, she was removed from her temporary post and returned to DHS. The crisis has prompted contempt threats from federal judges, resignations and staffing shortages in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The Trump Administration's so-called immigration enforcement plan in Minnesota has so far seen two American citizens get murdered and hundreds stopped and/or arrested in violation of the constitution.

This is not about enforcing immigration law. This is about creating fear and anxiety. Minnesota is an experiment that will soon be coming to every neighborhood in the country.

02/03/2026

According to Bloomberg, the Trump Administration is buying warehouses with plans to convert them into jails. A large facility in El Paso, Texas could become the largest ICE jail with up to 8,500 beds. ICE has identified as many as 23 sites for detention centers. The new facilities, combined with expanded enforcement actions, will increase the number of immigrants jailed by ICE.

01/14/2026

The Trump Administration has commenced reexamining thousands of refugee cases that were approved between January 21, 2021, and February 20, 2025. This reexamination is called operation PARRIS. The Program's initial focus is on 5,600 refugees in Minnesota, and once those cases are complete, it will be expanded to other cities.

Please keep in mind that several US Department of Justice prosecutors resigned in protest today because they were being forced to investigate the widow of the ICE shooting victim in Minnesota. It is evident that the Trump Administration is doing everything possible to disrupt and destroy people of Minnesota and other blue states.

01/14/2026

The Trump Administration wants Congress to pay for an additional 44,500 immigration detention beds in the Fiscal Year 2026. This funding request represents poor stewardship of taxpayer dollars that will primarily enrich private prison corporations and misses a critical opportunity for congressional oversight. DHS and these private prisons have stood in the way of inspections by members of congress. Even a court has held that ICE detention facilities are not operating or maintained in accordance with health and safety codes. We need a better and practical immigration policy.

12/13/2025

USCIS announced the establishment of the USCIS Vetting Center, a new specialized center to be headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The agency states that the center will “centralize the enhanced vetting” of applicants and “allow the agency to respond more nimbly to changes in a shifting threat landscape.”

12/13/2025

An update you on the lawsuit filed by afghans for delayed processing of asylum application during Biden Administration. On November 26, 2025, USCIS issued a Public Status Report under the Ahmed v. DHS settlement, providing asylum data for Afghan class members who arrived under Operation Allies Welcome. As of the report, 21,370 of 22,305 class member asylum applications have been adjudicated, with 20,462 grants, 121 denials, 744 administrative closures, and 35 referrals to immigration court; 935 applications remain pending, including 750 pending more than 150 days. The report covers applications filed between July 31, 2021, and November 12, 2025.
According to the govt's stats, about 1000 applications remain pending. Of the 21,370 cases adjudicated, a denial was issued in 121 cases.

12/12/2025

USCIS introduced Form I-140G, the Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program. Before filling out Form I-140G, applicants must first register on trumpcard.gov and receive confirmation that their submission was accepted. The filing fee is $15,000 per individual, including the principal beneficiary, spouse, and any children, as applicable. According to The Guardian, the program permits foreign nationals to obtain U.S. residency by paying $1 million for a “gold card” visa, with a $5 million “platinum” option under development that would allow holders to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. without being subject to U.S. taxes on non‑U.S. income.

The Trump Gold Card application

12/10/2025

Recently, USCIS ordered an indefinite pause on all immigration processing for individuals from the 19 travel ban countries, including naturalization and adjustment of status, and directed officers to re-review every benefit granted to people from these countries since January 20, 2021. At the same time, the Trump Administration halted adjudication of all asylum applications nationwide.

12/10/2025

We are seeing reports that many US Consulates, including in India, Ireland, and Vietnam, have unilaterally rescheduled certain H-1B and H-4 visa appointments originally set for December 2025, citing operational constraints tied to DOS’s new online presence review requirement. Beginning December 8, 2025, applicants with interviews scheduled on or after December 15 have received notices instructing them not to appear on their original dates and to attend the newly assigned appointments instead. Multiple posts, including Hyderabad and Chennai, have issued similar notices informing applicants that their original appointment dates cannot be honored due to operational constraints.