On June 23, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision in Blanche v. Lau, in which it held that a border officer can determine that a lawful permanent resident (LPR) returning to the United States after a trip abroad is an applicant for admission based on the commission of a crime, even without clear and convincing evidence to support that finding. Mr. Lau, an LPR, traveled abroad while a criminal charge was pending against him for a potential crime involving moral turpitude (CIMT).
This advisory is part II of a two-part advisory on the federal immigration consequences of California Proposition 36 enacted in December 2024. Part I on Prop 36 and controlled substance offenses is found here.
This advisory seeks to clarify which provisions of the new BIA Procedural rules are currently in effect, and which are not.
This step-by-step guide will walk you through the steps for filing your first petition for habeas corpus (immigration) in the Northern District of California.
This practice alert is intended to help advocates and practitioners grapple with the latest policy memo on discretion and adjustment of status dated May 21, 2026.
The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (TSRA) was passed on January 23, 2026, and provides new federal post-conviction relief options for those convicted of certain federal offenses that were committed as a direct result of having been a victim of human trafficking. This practice alert discusses the new law and potential benefits for noncitizen defendants.
This explainer provides information and context for the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed rule seeking to change Form AR-11, Change of Address. DHS proposes to add questions seeking information about a person’s employment or current schooling and whether they have received any means-tested benefit. The proposed form change is over-broad and will result in confusion for applicants who are required to update the government about their address changes. This rule is proposed and is NOT in effect yet.
USCIS has exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate certain applications for immigration relief that protect survivors of crime and other forms of abuse. Many people who are in active removal proceedings are eligible for one or more of these forms of relief. In the past, it was often possible to postpone or terminate removal proceedings to pursue such relief at USCIS. However, current policies at the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and increasingly negative caselaw from the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) have made navigating removal proceedings for these applicants extremely challenging. The challenges are exacerbated due to visa backlogs and USCIS adjudication delays for these forms of relief. This advisory provides an overview of affirmative relief for immigrant survivors, summarize recent BIA cases on point, and offer practice tips for protecting against removal.
On April 10, 2026, USCIS issued a new memo again terminating the SIJS deferred action (DA) policy (“April 10th Memo”). Under the April 10th Memo, USCIS will no longer automatically consider granting DA to young people granted SIJS. This termination memo does not, however, go into effect until May 10, 2026, and only applies to SIJS petitions filed on or after that date. This practice alert discusses what the April 10th Memo means for SIJS petitions and SIJS DA renewals filed prior to and on or after May 10, 2026, including helpful charts.