Just have a minute? Here are the top stories you need to know about immigration. This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.
Washington D.C.
Biden’s fast-track asylum plan juices immigration courts:
Immigration courts are on pace to decide record numbers of cases this fiscal year, which will help reduce a backlog of 3.7 million immigration cases. — Axios
U.S. companies will be able to retain some H-1B visa workers:
The Department of Homeland Security announced a final rule that will significantly enhance U.S. companies’ ability to fill job vacancies in critical fields. — Homeland Security
What to know about U.S. visas Trump supporters are clashing over:
In cases in which more applications are received than visas are available, the USCIS effectively runs the H-1B program as a lottery, which detractors believe highlights a fundamental flaw in the system. — BBC
New York
How Documented’s reporting shaped 2024 — six ways we impacted NYC immigrants:
Our comprehensive reporting highlighted key challenges and victories for immigrant communities while demanding accountability from those in power. — Documented
Chinese Muslims, after finding a refuge in Queens, now fear Trump:
At a shelter in Flushing, Hui Muslims who fled oppression in China are concerned about the president-elect’s vows to tighten asylum policy. — The New York Times
Is New York really a ‘sanctuary state’?
A patchwork of statewide measures limit cooperation with immigration officials, but none entirely prohibit information sharing by local law enforcement. — City & State New York
Around the U.S.
Massachusetts immigrants worried about deportations under Trump:
Some immigrants who arrived in Sharon, Massachusetts, from Afghanistan currently have a special interest visa, but fear that could be taken away under Trump. — CBS News
Migrants accused of killing Mexican immigration agent:
A federal immigration agent in Mexico was killed by a group of migrants after asking to see their identification papers, the country’s migration agency said. Experts said the killing of an immigration agent in Mexico was rare. — The New York Times
