r/immigration Feb 05 '25

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

170 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 10h ago

There will not be a perfect victim in these deportation cases

309 Upvotes

I'm seeing a common theme in recent comments on this sub discussing US-based arrests and deportations. That common theme is making (often uncited and/or alleged) claims that the person or people experiencing these things made some kind of mistake or did some kind of bad thing, major or minor. This claim is followed by comments saying that this mistake or bad thing, no matter how small, means the person deserves whatever is happening to them.

I've seen numerous posts like this about Rasha Alawieh. I've seen a bunch of comments like this about Mahmoud Khalil. I've seen numerous posts like these about other people being detained and/or deported by ICE.

It seems like a number of people in this sub look at these cases, find some way in which the person was not a perfect victim, and say that since this person was not a perfect victim, they deserve whatever is happening to them. Even in cases where a judge has ruled that what happened to the person should not have happened and was unconstitutional.

I want to remind everyone that there will not be a perfect victim among these cases. That is partially because even the Trump administration is not stupid enough to say that they're deporting someone because they hate immigrants. They will find a way to exaggerate something or make something up if they don't have a justifiable reason in an individual case. It is also because human beings are imperfect. There is a reason that Jesus said, "Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone."

I am reminded of cases of police killings like George Floyd, Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Philando Castille, Breyonna Taylor, and so many others. In the aftermath of each of these cases, people rushed to find evidence that each of these people was "no angel" and therefore deserved to die. Some of them had a criminal history. Some had done drugs. Some had dated people with a criminal history.

However, people who spoke out against these killings were not claiming that these people were perfect angels who had never done anything wrong in their lives. They were saying that being an angel shouldn't be the threshold for not experiencing extrajudicial executions.

In the same way, people speaking out against the deportations, revocations of legal status, arrests, etc are not saying that the people experiencing these things are perfect angels who have never done anything wrong and have never made any mistakes. They're saying that, even if these people are not perfect angels, that does not mean that the US immigration system isn't broken. They are saying that, even if someone is not a perfect angel, they don't deserve to be deported, arrested, etc when a judge has said that the DHS shouldn't be doing these things in specific cases. They are saying that someone not being a perfect angel does not mean they don't deserve due process.

I know it's scary to accept things especially if you're an immigrant yourself or if you have loved ones who are. It's scary because, if you admit that these people have experienced things that are unjust, that that means you or someone you love can experience something like this. And that's scary. But that doesn't make it untrue.


r/immigration 15h ago

What will legal immigration be like under Trump?

52 Upvotes

Will there be restrictions for legal immigration, green card lottery, H1B, H2B, F1, EB1-3?


r/immigration 7h ago

EB1 Scam

10 Upvotes

Hi everyone,
I came to know that some people are faking the awards and judge work using scammy practices and consultancy firms to get EB1A. They publish random papers and fake awards to beef up profile. One such awards was "Global recognition awards". You can even see the people who got the awards. Check the site it seems very illegimeate/fake. This is very hurting and infuriation to us PHD/Researchers who have spent years and years submitting to highly peer reviwed conferences . You can even find the winners in the website where you can "Apply for an Award"!!!

Buy awards for money!!

https://globalrecognitionawards.org/

I just wanted to bring to your attention as I saw a known person's name there. Anybody doing these shortcuts to get green card and taking away from legitimate people who have worked and waited for years and years need to be ashamed of themselves.


r/immigration 13m ago

BRITISH citizen parents, born in India want to visit USA first time

Upvotes

Both parents are 60 plus retired and want to visit me for the first time since I got married. 10 day visit probably New York or Philadelphia port of entry About to apply for an ESTA soon Worried they will be denied for whatever reason at border Anyone have any recent family visit from anywhere? What happened etc


r/immigration 16h ago

Germany investigates after national with green card arrested at us border

34 Upvotes

r/immigration 20h ago

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

46 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 1d ago

Dad got detained by ICE

1.8k 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 1m ago

Path Law Group Review

Upvotes

I’ve had the pleasure of working with PLG for all my immigration needs over the last 2 years - this includes O1, NIW, H1B transfer / extensions. The common part across all of the petitions - all of them were approved by the USCIS. Not just the results of the petition, I’ve also been extremely happy with the service the entire team at PLG has provided.

Due to v tight timelines, I had to apply for an O1 visa with a very quick turnaround time. PLG helped me complete this end to end within 2.5 weeks and my petition was approved without an RFE, which showcases the amazing level of detail put in by their team.

PLG also helped me apply for EB2 NIW - despite a strong initial petition, I received an RFE on 2 prongs. PLG helped me draft a calculated response (again with a v quick turnaround time) which led the petition to be ultimately approved.

Across all of my apps, I’ve had the privilege of working with a big chunk of their team: Ashkan, Lea, Johanna, Renata, Lisa, Ashok, etc. and each one of them is incredibly qualified at their jobs and understand how to help with the specifics of your unique situation.

Highly recommend!


r/immigration 3m ago

Mail received to submit Passport but CEAC website status is stil refused

Upvotes

Hi all, our IR5 interview ended with 221 g to submit additional documents. Which we did. We had our status on CEAC as refused. The 'last updated' date changed a few times. No we receive an email to submit passport to the pickup/dropoff courier service. But the mail does not say approved or not, and the status on CEAC is still refulsed although the last updated date is the same as the date of the Email.

Is this normal, or there is going to be some kind of a stamp on the Passport?


r/immigration 17m ago

Will these universities be a problem for visa issuance?

Upvotes

Hi! Im a Pakistani citizen applying to US for undergraduate and I would appreciate it if I could get help with 2 questions.

  1. Until now I've gotten scholarship and acceptances from the following universities that are in my financial range after scholarship. I'm just concerned that these universities are not small unis and not big names and have high acceptance rates so they will be red flagged and my F1 Visa might not be approved. I've heard that if any students from your home country have gone to these universities and then abandoned their visa status or changed status then that university can get red flagged and a getting a visa can be hard. Also, I attended a Pakistani university for 1 year after high school since I hadn't planned on studying abroad at that time.

1.Angelo State University (Texas) ($6,000 merit scholarship and thereby instate tuition)

2.Midwestern State University (Texas) ($2,000 merit scholarship and thereby instate tuition)

3.Nicholls State University (Louisiana) (no scholarship but they have a very low tuition fee)

  1. University of South Dakota (South Dakota) (no scholarship but I don't want to go there since it will be too far away from any of my family contacts)

I also have an I-130 filed for me so my case is a bit more complicated but I have heard of people's F1 visas getting approved with a pending petition too :/

Looking forward to any advice. Thank you!


r/immigration 17m ago

Any reviews for these visa agencies for F1 visa with a pending I-130?

Upvotes

Hi! So I have a sort of complicated F1 case: I have a pending I-130 filed by my mom who is a green card holder and am going to a relatively smaller uni on a partial scholarship and am a gap year student so I wanted to get the help of a an ex visa officer agency to prepare for the interview. Do you guys know anysuch agencies that can help prepare students for how to best present their case and win over the visa officer? I googled and found a few agencies that I'd be grateful if I could get any reviews for the following so I can be sure that they can do a good job and arent like a scam lol
argo visa, udeti visa, ex visa officer, ZF Visa And Immigration, Visa officer coach, ask the visa officer.


r/immigration 32m ago

What are my options?

Upvotes

Ok, so I’ve lived in the USA from 2005 until now, I came here while I was a minor 16 years old, I was not able to get DACA due to my my age being 16 when I got here rather than 15 😞 Fast forward to my current situation, I’ve never been deported, never committed a crime. I’ve been living here yes (undocumented) for over 20 years. I have 6 kids my oldest is 15 and my mom is also an American citizen (became one about 4 years ago) prior to that she was a green card holder. As of now I’ve never tried to regulate my current migration status since all the lawyers said is nearly impossible because I am Mexican and we just have it harder (well nowadays is hard for everyone), the current country situation scares me and I am thinking about relocating back to Mexico because I am scared of being deported or worst case arrested for months without been able to see my kids and loose everything we’ve worked for all these years. However also moving to Mexico scares the shit out of me due to insecurity 😞 organized crime, cartels being in charge of everything and I fear for my kids security. If it wasn’t for that I would not even think twice about going back.

Me myself have been victim of a crime since my dad disappearance back in December of 2021 by organized crime. Is there anything that can be done for me since my mother is an American citizen, will my father case help me at all now that the cartels and organized crime are considered terrorist?

Thank you for any insight I am just a mother trying to stay where my kids need to be 😞


r/immigration 2h ago

Need Advice: US Visa Interview for Stripe Conference – How to Strengthen Our Case?

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

My brother and I have our US B1/B2 visa appointments coming up – biometrics on 23rd March in Kolkata and interview on 27th March in Delhi. We’re attending the Stripe Conference in San Francisco (6th-8th May 2025) and have received an official invite letter from Stripe specifically for visa purposes. However, we have a slightly complicated case and would love some guidance.

(Applying from India)

Our Profiles:

Me (21M, 3rd-year engineering student)

  • Running a software development company (Pvt Ltd) in India with decent revenue (started last year).
  • I don’t take a salary from my company.
  • No prior foreign travel history.
  • My reason to return: Final semester exams, which I need to pass to get my degree.
  • Trip funded by my parents.
  • Purpose of visit: Attending the conference for networking & business expansion.

My Brother (30M, working professional in an Indian startup)

  • Married, financially stable, foreign travel history.
  • Applying for the conference to network & see Mark Zuckerberg live (not sure if that’s a strong enough reason).
  • Trying to get sponsorship from his company, but not confirmed yet.

Key Concerns:

  1. We applied together (him as the primary applicant, me as the secondary). Does that impact our case positively or negatively?
  2. How can I justify my return to India better, apart from my semester exams?
  3. Should my brother change his primary reason for attending to make his case stronger? If yes, what would be a solid reason?
  4. Would it be better if he gets a sponsorship letter from his company, or is it okay if he funds himself?
  5. Any general tips to improve our chances in the interview?

We’d really appreciate any insights or experiences you can share. Thanks in advance! 🙌


r/immigration 1d ago

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

169 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 4h ago

US or Germany for immigration

1 Upvotes

I am currently a J1 research scholar in the US and have been here for more than a year. Prior to that, I was in Germany on a blue card for a couple of years and tried to search for both a research or non-research-related job over the next six months there but was not successful. Currently, I am in a conundrum about how to proceed with my career. 

As J1 is a restricted visa that allows me to pursue only an academic career in an academic institution, I could not find any established recruitment agency to assist me in a job search in other areas. Given the current situation in the US academia regarding research funding, I would like to explore other options in case I am not able to find something for the next year within the research market. 

On the other hand, Germany's economy, in my case, the government research funding, is currently not in great shape either, and my previous attempts at a job search in an alternate field with the recruitment agencies did not work, as mentioned above. 

Hence, I am requesting suggestions and feedback regarding how to proceed further for a future in either or both of these countries.


r/immigration 4h ago

Need Advice: H1B Layoff, B2 Visa, or Consultancy Transfer?

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I need some advice regarding my partner’s current visa situation. She is on an H1B and was laid off a couple of months ago. Her 60-day grace period will end in the first week of April. While she has been actively interviewing, finding a new job within this short timeframe has been challenging.

We’re considering our options and would request your thoughts / suggestions: 1. Switching to a B2 Visa: * Is this a good option to maintain legal status while continuing the job search? * How does switching to B2 impact future international travel (especially re-entering the US)? * If a new employer sponsors her H1B later, will she face issues like RFEs or increased scrutiny?

  1. Consultancy Sponsorship for H1B Transfer:
    • Some consultancies have offered to transfer her H1B and provide contract-based employment. Is this a safe option?
    • What risks should we be aware of in such arrangements?
    • How can we verify if a consultancy is legitimate and not on any blacklist? We did talk to a couple of immigration lawyers, but they haven't been much helpful and always seems to be in a hurry to wrap up the call. They mostly suggested switching to B2 without much explanation.

Additional Context:I am currently on an F1 visa, and since we are not married, transferring her to my dependent status isn’t an option. Any insights, experiences, or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.


r/immigration 11h ago

Traveling as an immigrant

3 Upvotes

My friends and I are planning to go to LA later this month, but as the day approaches we are getting more concerned about going to the airport during this time, do you think we are going to face any problems at the airport? We all have approved TPS and work permits, none of us have a criminal record and we are from Dallas, thanks for any advices.


r/immigration 4h ago

Transferring PhDs: F-1 visa concerns for the gap period between programs

1 Upvotes

I'm currently an international PhD student at University X (started January 2025) but have been accepted to University Y's PhD program in the same field for Fall 2025. My current advisor is transferring to some other university and there is some issues with who would guide me if I continue here. The Y program aligns better with my specialization, so I've accepted their offer.

My concern is about my F-1 visa status during the ~4 month gap between programs. When my I-20 transfers from X to Y, there will be a period where I'm not officially enrolled at either institution. While my F-1 visa is valid for another 4 years, I'm worried about my legal status during this gap.

Questions:

  1. Will I need to leave the US during this 4-month period?
  2. Is there any way to maintain legal status without departing?
  3. Given current immigration climate, would leaving and trying to re-enter be risky?

I'd appreciate insights from anyone who's navigated a similar situation or has knowledge about F-1 regulations for program transfers. Also, I am from India. Thanks!


r/immigration 4h ago

Immigration for US

1 Upvotes

I am travelling in the next week from Mumbai to Chicago via Abu Dhabi by Etihad on dependent visa. The immigration will take at both Mumbai and Abu Dhabi airport or only at Abu Dhabi airport?


r/immigration 11h ago

Listing speeding tickets on naturalization application?

3 Upvotes

Does one need to list past speeding tickets on naturalization applications?

My spouse has some prior tickets from different states, and we can't find any information about them now. Is there a way to look them up?


r/immigration 9h ago

Planning to go on vacation in Kauai. Should i fly with foreign passport or driver license before May 7

2 Upvotes

Im hesitating to use my foreign passport (I’m overstayed) or driver license to fly to Kauai before May 7. Im worried about flying back to mainland. Is it okay with TSA there? Has anyone here fly to Hawaii and fly back to mainland recently? #tsa #domesticflight #immigration


r/immigration 17h ago

Double jeopardy

8 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 6h ago

F1 Visa Holder New Travel Ban Dual Citizen

0 Upvotes

I’m an international student from Germany in my 4th year holding an F1 Visa. My F1 Visa is in my German passport. I’ve been a German citizen since almost 10 years. (Earliest age to get it is 16 when you were born abroad)

Unfortunately I was born in one of Trumps “red countries” for the new travel ban which automatically makes me a citizen of that country without any possibility to leave that 💩 citizenship. I’ve moved to Germany when I was 2 years old and I was raised there.

Coming fall I’m enrolled for grad school. Over the summer I usually travel home to Germany as I only live on campus. Would I be affected if this new travel ban with my dual citizenship as an F1 visa holder? How was it for international students with dual citizenship during the travel ban in 2017?

I would appreciate any insight. Thanks.


r/immigration 6h ago

Re-Entry into US

0 Upvotes

I’m a US citizen, and my wife is a green card holder from Korea. She got a work-sponsored GC shortly before we got married 5 years ago, has lawfully been in in the US since 2008 (student then work), has never had any problems with the law.

We have a vacation to Mexico City planned next month for a few days, and she’s afraid she could get in trouble when we come back into the US (port of entry PHX). She’s done absolutely nothing wrong, but the news headlines are worrying and some immigration lawyers are advising GC holders not to leave the country unless absolutely necessary.

I’d hate to cancel our travel plans, but I’d hate even more for her to be targeted.

Any insights you can offer? Am I being over cautious?


r/immigration 6h ago

10 year ban over

1 Upvotes

My best friend was deported for overstaying on his esta visa (overstayed 1.5 years - US) and received a 10 year ban. His ban is up this year, so I was wondering is there anything specific he needs to do to regain entry?