Students, tourists, and other travelers beware! New visa vetting rules could result in delays.

Despite objections from privacy experts and academic and scientific communities in the U.S., the Trump administration has approved new rules that will allow State Department officers to request visa applicants’ last five years of social media handles, email addresses, and phone numbers, and the last fifteen years of residential, employment, and travel history. See full Reuters story here, click. 

These new rules will give even more discretion to visa officers than they already have.  Get ready for longer processing times at U.S. Consulates and an increase in visa denials, many of which will be based on innocent mistakes by applicants. Allegedly, the requests for additional information will be “voluntary”, though applicants who refuse to voluntarily provide the requested information may find their visa applications delayed or even denied. Stay tuned….

Timothy R. Bakken
Founder

Deportation efforts increasing dramatically under new regime.

As reported in USA Today, ICE has arrested 38% percent more undocumented immigrants so far this year as compared to last year.  More disturbing, though, is the fact that arrests of those with no criminal record increased 156%!

Timothy R. Bakken.

Ineffective in most areas, Trump has succeeded in attacking immigrants in his first 100 days.

BAKKEN LAW: Trump has been one of the least effective presidents early in his first term when it comes to tangible legislative and policy results.  However, he has been extremely effective at creating a climate of fear and anxiety in immigrant communities as well as in businesses and industries that rely on immigrants. Read this CNN article about Trump's first 100 days here.  

Time will tell if this anti-immigrant tone and approach will translate to comprehensive changes in the law.  At the very least, it seems likely that the United States under Trump will be less welcoming to, and provide less opportunities for, immigrants whether they seek to enter the U.S. to protect their lives, to support their families, or to contribute positively in all the ways immigrants have for centuries.

Timothy R. Bakken
Founder
 

Trump’s aggressive deportation actions are ripping apart families.

Despite Trump’s assertions that he is focusing on deporting immigrants with serious criminal convictions and those who pose risks to national security, the reality is starkly different.  As this article in The Guardian describes, Trump’s immigration policies are being enforced by ICE agents who are arresting, and placing in removal proceedings, people with very minor, or no, criminal records.  

A recent poll shows that a large majority of Americans favor immigration rules that do not punish those who have been in the U.S. illegally if they have been working, paying taxes, and have not been convicted of serious crimes. 

Clearly, the Trump administration’s immigration proposals and its current actions related to deportation policy are out-of-step with the views of most Americans.

Timothy R. Bakken