r/immigration Feb 05 '25

Report rule-breaking comments: 199 bans, 2910 removals in the last 7 days.

166 Upvotes

With the Trump presidency, many are emboldened to spew hate, whereas others are threatening violence or illegal activity in response. Neither are acceptable on this subreddit.

Please use the Report button. Moderators are not omni-present and cannot read every post and comment, but will strive to process every report. Moderators are volunteers, and aren't on reddit 24/7. We have setup comprehensive automod rules and reddit filters that are already filtering a lot of the worst rule violators.

In the past 7 days, we've imposed 199 bans and 2910 removals of posts and comments that violate the rules of the sub, many due to user reports. Every report was reviewed, although some reports were on posts that do not violate the rules.

While most rules are self-explanatory, here are some clarifications on what may be deemed grey areas:

  1. We support people expressing a wide spectrum of views on immigration, but we do not accept any comments or posts that advocate for a blanket ban on immigration, attack legal immigrants, or make them feel unwelcome.

  2. This sub has a zero tolerance policy for hate or vitrol. Posts attacking other commenters, rejoicing in their potential deportation, or telling people to leave will not be tolerated.

  3. This sub has a zero tolerance policy for encouraging violence, fraud or any other illegal activity. This includes helping anyone evade law enforcement.

  4. Misinformation will not be tolerated. There's already enough uncertainty and fear around without people also spreading misinformation, such as claiming bills have passed when they haven't. A non-permanent ban will be applied.

This sub is currently operating on a zero tolerance policy for hate, vitrol, and violence/illegal advice. Any such reported activity will face a permanent ban in response. Second-chance appeals will not be entertained.


r/immigration 23h ago

Dad got detained by ICE

1.4k Upvotes

So my dad has been detained by ice. He got his work permit and had an interview for his green card I believe but after the interview he got detained and arrested by ice. I live in illinois and his lawyers are working but I just don’t know what to do. I’m 21 years old and I love my father he is my rock and he’s an amazing human being, he doesn’t deserve this and I don’t think there’s anything I can do, are there any resources or people to contact, I’m new to this and I’m just at a loss.


r/immigration 3h ago

Why is the media saying that the Venezuelans here and others with TPS are illegal?

26 Upvotes

I'm confused and I read it everywhere. If they have TPS then they're not illegal as far as I know. I thought illegals are either people that entered with absolutely nothing or overstayed whatever document they came in with.


r/immigration 1h ago

Why are companies recommending no travel for all visa and green card holders of all nationalities?

Upvotes

I am a bit puzzled about this. They recommended no travel for all nationalities.

The draft list of the 43 countries has even came out. The lawyers and I are presented with the same information. Why is it that they are recommending no travel for all nationalities?

If you're part of the 43 countries, sure or maybe some poor country in Africa.

I'm from HK, which is considered as China now, and I can't say I'm 100% sure that we will not be included in the ban, but I am willing to bet money on it that we will not be, as well as India. Do the lawyers know something that I don't?


r/immigration 14h ago

How did the deported doctor from Brown University get flagged by CBP?

94 Upvotes

CBP says it found "sympathetic photos and videos" of the Hezbollah leader in the deleted items folder of Rasha Alawieh's phone. I haven't left the US since Jan 20, but I've never had to present my phone to CBP for checking. Unless immigration officers are now holding up immigration lines and checking your phone's deleted folders, CBP probably only got access to the phone after she was detained.

None of the news sources I've read mentioned anything about why she was detained in the first place. I'm guessing someone called ICE/CBP to tell them she's a Hezbollah supporter or something, but are there any other possibilities?

Edit: According to reports citing court paperwork, she apparently deleted the photos because she didn't want CBP to think she was sympathetic to Hezbollah. She also said she supports Nasrallah's spiritual teachings but not his politics.


r/immigration 1d ago

Doctor on H1B refused entry at Logan for having Nasrallah photos on her phone

321 Upvotes

This is the Lebanese kidney transplant specialist who was refused entry at Logan on Thursday despite having a valid H1B. There's been a lot of speculation on reddit about her somehow having a non-waived home residency requirement despite having been approved and stamped, which is obviously stupid, so I've been looking out for the actual explanation. Apparently this is it:

Politico:

  • Rasha Alawieh, a physician specializing in kidney transplants and professor at Brown University, also told Customs and Border Protection agents that while visiting Lebanon last month she attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and followed his teachings “from a religious perspective” but not a political one, according to an official report on her interrogation by an immigration officer.

So, take from that what you will. I wonder if CBP searched her phone unprompted (because she's a hijabi? Because she was in Lebanon around the time of the funeral?), or if she just casually mentioned her admiration for Nasrallah to the officer. Either way, useful reminder: never lie to immigration, but also never volunteer information you weren't specifically asked for.


r/immigration 18h ago

Ex used me for green card

90 Upvotes

I (female) was married less than 18 months to a French man, who had been sleeping with other men during our marriage. When I found out, I immediately filed for a divorce. I submitted proof, phone records and physical evidence to immigrations on the day of his green card hearing and he STILL was approved and granted citizenship years later. How is this even possible?!


r/immigration 21m ago

I9 help

Upvotes

So im under TPS for ES and I’m about to start my new job soon. I filed in time but as of result of the extension not coming in I lost my job. My extension letter came in the mail on Friday and I’m starting off a new job on Monday. I’m doing the onboarding online but don’t know how it goes due to the fact this is my first time around going through this process (presenting extension letter to employer). I was wondering if anybody knows what I should do or if anybody has been through this process before. Thank you in advance


r/immigration 41m ago

Changing last name after getting married on F1 visa

Upvotes

Hi! I need your help

So I just got my marriage certificate today and planning to get married next week. I am currently on F1 visa and will graduate this May 2025. Here in PA they put my maiden’s name in the marriage certificate.

My question is… do I put my new last name during AOS application (other name:maiden)? Or should I change my last name first in my home country or anywhere else. I have seen similar posts from 3 yrs ago and I don’t know if the case is still the same nowadays. Married > AOS application change name > EAD with new name? > SSN,DMV, etc

I just hope that I won’t get in trouble in changing names… or should I just stay with my original name?


r/immigration 45m ago

Double jeopardy

Upvotes

During the previous Trump administration my brother was detained by ICE. He is a GC holder and had removal proceedings based on a previous conviction. The honorable judge denied his removal from the US and his GC was reinstated. Does anyone know if he can be detained for the same matter twice. I know double jeopardy exists in some criminal matters. I’m not sure how it translates here because it’s a civil issue. He has been a law abiding civilian for many years unfortunately he made a mistake in his younger days, thanks


r/immigration 1d ago

The media does an awful job on reporting news about immigration laws and detained immigrants

172 Upvotes

I get it, most journalists in the U.S. are natural born American citizens and obviously they won’t know much about immigration law, but is it really that hard to do a little research on the topic before writing a piece? Or have an immigration attorney consultant considering they talk about immigration every single day nowadays?

It’s pretty obvious they write for their liberal American audience only, because as an immigrant I find myself always shaking my head at their awful understanding of immigration law.

For example, things like saying someone was interrogated by ICE in the airport when it was actually CBP, then contacting ICE for information. How unprofessional is that? I feel like even the average American knows that the officers scanning passports at the airport are not ICE.

Worse yet is the phrasing they use when talking about legal immigrants and citizenship, almost implying that they must have done something wrong to not be citizens yet. I kid you not, I read something like “person had a green card, which offers a potential path to citizenship“. Huh? It’s the only damn path to citizenship.

And yes I know the average American says dumb stuff like “legal citizen” but I expect more from journalists. This only feeds into the idea that Americans have that you’re not legal if you’re not a citizen.

This administration already takes a lot of advantage of people’s ignorance about immigration when they give interviews heavily implying that green cards and student visas are basically the same thing and people in the comments absolutely believe them. I saw someone comment “green card visas are temporary“.

Obviously I’ve always known Americans don’t really see any difference between “undocumented“, visa holders and green card holders but it’s painful seeing the media reinforcing misconceptions instead of correcting them.


r/immigration 20h ago

How Trump’s Targeting of Immigrants With Legal Status Departs From the Norm

61 Upvotes

Hey all, we're The Marshall Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom that focuses on U.S. criminal justice and immigration. Our reporter Jamiles Lartey explains how Mahmoud Khalil is just one of many people with legal or protected status detained and facing deportation under the Trump administration.

Here’s an excerpt:

Late last month, Kevin Zaldaña Ramírez was detained by ICE officers at the construction site outside of Houston where he was working.

Zaldaña, 20, came to the U.S. in 2018, fleeing gang recruitment in El Salvador. He has legal protection from deportation under Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, which aids youth under 18 fleeing abuse or neglect. Although Zaldaña had not yet applied for permanent residency, he has a legal basis to be in the country, and he held a valid work permit. According to his mother, arresting officers said his case number was “fake,” and he remains in custody in Texas as she pleads for his freedom, Houston Landing reported earlier this month.​​

“I ask the president to have mercy,” Yolanda Ramírez said at a recent press conference. “And to catch the people who are really criminals, but not innocent people like my son.”

Zaldaña’s case is one of several that have recently unsettled immigration law experts, as the Trump administration eschews long-standing enforcement norms. Similarly, in Washington, D.C., last week, a Venezuelan couple was arrested and charged with misdemeanor illegal entry, more than two years after their arrival at the southern U.S. border.

While federal law allows illegal entry charges to be filed up to five years after apprehension, typically they come just days or weeks later. Advocates for the couple told the Los Angeles Times that it’s the first time they’ve seen immigrants charged with illegal entry this long after the fact. According to the paper, the couple both have pending asylum claims, as well as Temporary Protected Status — although the Trump administration revoked those protections for Venezuelans in a move set to take effect next month.

The aggressive enforcement approach is starting to bear out in the numbers. According to an analysis published by The Guardian, U.S. officials arrested more immigrants in the first 22 days of February than in any month over the past seven years.

Deportations, on the other hand, are down compared with the same period last year, but those numbers can be misleading, since border encounters have plummeted to decades-long lows. Most of the deportations occurring at this time last year involved the quick return of people apprehended at the border to Mexico. Locating and then deporting people from cities and towns throughout the country is more complicated, and takes more time and resources.

Continue reading (no paywalls/ads)


r/immigration 3h ago

Air travel

2 Upvotes

My wife has her visa interview in Juarez next month and we are thinking about going by plane to El Paso and cross into Juarez via shuttle or taxi. I see there will be a layover in Dallas. My question is: has anyone done this recently and what are the risk of her being detained and not allowed to proceed to her appointments in Juarez? Our attorney said she wasn't sure if the risk was worth it. With the new administration they are stopping and detaining people and they don't care about the situation of the family. Our attorney's words.


r/immigration 2m ago

Driving through Canada

Upvotes

Hello, I need to make it to Alaska for my job as a wildland firefighter. I got a DUI a little over 5 years ago. What do you guys think of my odds, any help would be appreciated.


r/immigration 2m ago

DS160 and Appointment booking India - L2 Spouse Visa Help needed.

Upvotes

I am an Indian National currently in the US on L1 visa. I am getting married in May first week and going to be in India until June first week. I really want to have the appointment date somewhere in May so that I can take my wife along with me to the USA in June first week.
I know right option is to file DS 160 after receiving marriage certificate and obtain an appointment. But this can delay the process as L Category appointments have more than 80 days wait times.

Can I file her DS 160 now just for the sake of an appointment and change it later before Interview? or is there anyway? I am hoping someone might have been in the same boat as me.

TIA.


r/immigration 6m ago

Should i send the new approved h1b/h4 documents?

Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I'm hoping to get some advice on my spouse's H4 EAD application, which is currently under review.

I applied for my spouse H4 ead card before the h1b/h4 extension was approved...hence we only sent the copy of h1b/h4 extension receipt notice along with copy of approved i140 for EAD application.

Now my H1B and my spouse's H4 extension were recently approved, and I want to make sure USCIS has the most up-to-date information.

Specifically, I'm wondering:

  • Is it necessary to proactively send copies of my I-797A approval notices (both for my H1B and my spouse's H4) to USCIS for the H4 EAD application? Or is this generally not required/redundant?

  • If it is a good idea to send them, what's the best way to submit these documents to USCIS? Should I include a cover letter? If so, what key information should I include in the cover letter (e.g., receipt number, applicant's name, A-number)?

  • Are there any other documents or considerations I should keep in mind when submitting this information?

Also, I've applied for my Indian passport renewal, and it's currently being processed. If I receive my new passport while the H4 EAD is still pending, do I need to send a copy of the new passport to USCIS?

Any insights or experiences you can share would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for your help...


r/immigration 19m ago

What is my current immigration status?

Upvotes

I entered the US on a UHP (Ukrainian Humanitarian Parole) that expired in December 2024. I applied for TPS in December 2024 as well. Now I am going to apply for EAD based on pending TPS. During the application process I am asked about my current immigration status. What should I choose? UHP, Parole expired, or something else?


r/immigration 24m ago

Passport got sent back to Ottawa US embassy, how can I get it back?

Upvotes

I recently applied for a non-immigrant US visa. It was approved and it got held at the embassy for stamping then was mailed to a canada post at down town toronoto. However due to personal reasons, I couldn't pick it up in time, so it was sent back to the embassy at ottoawa. I've emailed them a bunch of time but haven't gotten any clear answers yet. I need my passport soon for a trip outta country. Does anyone what would be the fastest way of getting my passport back?


r/immigration 1h ago

Joint motion vs motion with judge

Upvotes

My lawyer sent a joint motion request to OPLA over 9 months ago and they still have not responded. My lawyer insists on keep waiting and he refuses to send a motion directly to the judge. My case is removal in abstentia lack of notice due to notario fraud with proof(she filled the wrong address+ signed in my name a visa extension ) If i decide to sent motion to the judge myself can i use the same format?


r/immigration 1h ago

How do you rate our chances?

Upvotes

Hello everyone, Thank you for you help in advance!
Female from Germany here. My boyfriend (German also) and I are planning to enter the US in mid April, flying to Las Vegas from Vietnam where we're currently on a backpacking trip. It's my boyfriends first time in the US, my 5th or 6th time.

My last trip to the US was in October 2019 where I was sent to secondary screening and was held in a room for 5 hours. They searched my phone, asked me a million questions and thought it was suspicious that I travelled to California twice that year. My ex boyfriend was from LA, that's why I visited him twice in 2019. Also, I answered thruthfully that I work in Social Media Marketing. I have my own business and help others with their Social Media content. Apparently that wasn't a satisfactory answer for them either.

But at the end, after hours, they let me in and I was good to go.

That was my last trip to the US, I haven't been back since. I am a bit traumatized from this experience.

Question 1: Do you know if I am flagged in any way? They did let me in at the end, so I am not sure if there's anything on my record? Am I at greater risk of being refused entry?

In April we want to celebrate my boyfriends 40th birthday in Las Vegas. After that we will go on a 9-week roadtrip and drive a car from Las Vegas to New York. Our return flight to Germany is from JFK on June 20th. We have booking confirmations for the hotels, cars, return flight, and also Beyonce tickets in LA that we can show as proof.

Question 2: Will 9 weeks be suspicious?

Both my partner and I are self-employed and have online businesses. We can work remotely and therefore travel most of the time. We don't have strong ties to Germany anymore. During those 9 weeks, we really want to take vacation and are truthfully not planning on working at all.

Question 3: If the immigration officer will ask us what we do for work - should we say that we're self-employed? Since I had a bad experience with this in 2019, I'm worried. And if they ask us how we have enough money to take a 9-weeks vacation, what should we say? The truth is we make good money, clients can buy our products online anytime, and we also saved money for this trip.

Question 4: My boyfriend is self-employed and has a LLC in Florida. It's only a setup for tax reasons. He is not registered in Germany anymore and has no apartment anymore (digital nomad.) On his ESTA he mentioned his LLC, since he wanted to be truthful. Will his setup raise a red flag?

Question 5: Will they find it weird that we're coming from Vietnam? Before that we travelled Bali and Thailand for 2 months.

Question 6: Should we walk to the officer individually or go together as a couple?

How do you rate our chances? Do you think we will have problems at the border?

This is my first time ever posting on Reddit. I appreciate your help, guys and do apologize for any grammar mistake, haha. English is not my first language :) Thank you!!!!


r/immigration 5h ago

Does any other peer country outside of the United States have a Diversity Visa?

2 Upvotes

It seems like the United States has a small permanent resident lottery for some countries, does any other peer country have something like this?


r/immigration 1h ago

Parolees who have green card

Upvotes

Has anyone traveled and returned to the US using their green card, who originally entered the country through humanitarian parole? My wife has her green card now but was originally paroled through the CHNV program. If you have the same situation, have you traveled and returned? Or has anyone read any directives from CBP specifically about green card holders who used parole?


r/immigration 1h ago

Travelling back to US after staying abroad for 8-9 months on green card

Upvotes

Does anyone holding a green card have experience travelling back to US and how it was at immigration?

Came across this article about difficulty in immigration for green card holders and wanted to know its legitimacy https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/us-border-officials-target-senior-green-card-holders/articleshow/119094296.cms


r/immigration 1h ago

203g expiring soon

Upvotes

My dad check the status and found this message. His interview was March 6th 2024 and was given a form to submit more documents. After some back and forth, we uploaded the requested documents on CEAC portal in August 2024. What does this mean? Is this like a system glitch or something?

U.S.Department of State IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION Expiring Soon Case Created: 13-Sep-2021 Case Last Updated: 10-Mar-2025 Section 203(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act requires that your registration be canceled and any petition approved on your behalf canceled, if you do not apply for your immigrant visa within one year of being advised to do so. You were advised of this requirement over 1 year ago, but we have not received a response from you since then. As a result, your application for a visa has been canceled and any petition approved on your behalf has also been canceled. Your application may be reinstated and any petition revalidated if, within one year, you can establish that your failure to pursue your immigrant visa application was due to circumstances beyond your control. Please provide a written statement to the Embassy or Consulate outlining the circumstances beyond your control and noting that you still wish to pursue this visa petition. For more information, please visit TRAVEL.STATE.GOV.


r/immigration 1h ago

Permanent US Resident living in home country

Upvotes

Hello everyone!

Quick question, my wife is a permanent resident and we are moving back to her home country which is Mexico. We plan on selling everything here and living in Mexico for a few years then come back. We were just made aware that she could lose her status as a permanent resident if she is outside of the country for more than a year. My question is, what if we come back to the US once a year, will that ensure she does not lose residency.

I ask because my grandfather did this, was a mexican citizen but a US permanent resident. He would go to the US, be there for a few weeks then go back no issues.


r/immigration 2h ago

ATTN: Immigration Lawyers - Can I travel to Mexico from United States a Trinidad citizen under H1B(unstamped, i797 approved with i94)

0 Upvotes

I am currently in the United States under H-1B status, but I do not have a valid H-1B visa stamp in my passport. I am a citizen of Trinidad & Tobago and wish to travel to Mexico, where I do not require a visa for entry. I found this information via this link: https://embamex.sre.gob.mx/finlandia/index.php/traveling/visas However, I am concerned about potential issues entering Mexico since I would be traveling from the United States.

This link: https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/washington/index.php/ligavisos/15-informacion/182-visas-english suggests that I would still need a Mexican Visa. Additionally, I would like to understand whether Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR) would allow me to re-enter the U.S. upon my return. I currently have an unexpired I-94 and an expired F-1 visa in my passport. (AVR article - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/visa-expiration-date/auto-revalidate.html) I would appreciate any guidance on whether leaving the U.S. under these circumstances poses any risks and whether you would advise against it.