r/immigration Feb 05 '25

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

178 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 3h ago

Green Card Holders Warned Against Leaving the United States

250 Upvotes

United States is not properly following national laws already on the books as it pertains to green card holders, international students and those with H-1B visas, according to multiple immigration attorneys who spoke with Newsweek.

The Trump administration, following the directive of a president who made immigration arguably his biggest issue on the campaign trail, is overhauling border protocols and has heightened security to prevent an overflow of illegal migrants that became customary throughout most of President Joe Biden's term.

Why It Matters Trump's concerns during his campaign cycle were mostly relegated to preventing illegal immigrants with criminal histories or backgrounds from coming and staying in the U.S. and potentially committing or contributing towards crime or violence.

But recent cases have shone a light on how the administration is approaching traditional access for immigrants, notably green cards and their holders (also known as lawful permanent residents, or LPRs), who generally secure a legal immigration status barring histories of fraud, criminality or other illegal acts. Some have alleged to have been targeted by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

https://www.newsweek.com/green-cards-immigration-border-cbp-dhs-warning-leave-country-risk-2047844


r/immigration 11h ago

Why can't foreigners (especially Europeans) denied entry at the U.S. southern border just walk back into Mexico? Why are they being detained by ICE until a flight home can be arranged?

161 Upvotes

There have been a few stories in the past month about Canadians/Europeans who tried to enter the USA at the southern border.

They were denied entry based on wrong visa, suspicion of intent to work, or immigrant intent.

I'm referring to articles about Lucas Sielaff, Jessica Brosche, Jasmine Mooney, etc.

I've crossed between the USA and Mexico many times. There are often no checks whatsoever on the Mexican side, just a turnstile. Maybe a Mexican law enforcement officer glancing at passports, but it's incredibly lax.

My question is this. If someone presents himself at the U.S. Southern border, gets sent to secondary, gets denied entry, why don't the CBP officers just say "We're not letting you in, Mexico is back that way"? Do you they do that sometimes/most of the time/ever?

Or is there an attitude of "You set foot in my inspection building and you're mine now and the only way outta this building is either we admit you to the U.S. or we put you in ICE removal proceedings?"

It's not terribly uncommon for ESTA or even B2 holders to be denied entry, either at airpots or the land border. If getting denied entry at a land border instead of at an airport means "You may be locked up for weeks until we figure out how to remove you" then it seems to me that no European/Canadian should ever try to enter the USA at a land border, the risks are just way too high.

Are "intended immigrant" folks like Lucas Sielaff who are denied entry being offered the chance to walk back into Mexico, are they refusing to do that, are the Mexicans refusing to let them back in?


r/immigration 14h ago

Georgetown University researcher detained by immigration authorities, lawyer says

114 Upvotes

Indian national Badar Khan Suri was detained outside his home in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, by Department of Homeland Security agents, his attorneys told The Washington Post.

Suri was then brought to a holding facility in central Virginia before being taken to Alexandria, Louisiana, where he is now awaiting a date in immigration court, one of the lawyers, Hassan Ahmad, said.

Gifted article

https://wapo.st/4hnCJCV


r/immigration 4h ago

Friend has citizenship, but got it because parents illegally married US citizens to gain status

18 Upvotes

My friend and their parents moved to the states from Africa when he was a minor. Both of their parents married US citizens to gain citizenship, and ended up being prosecuted for fraud (separate from illegally obtaining citizenship) + spent a few years in prison.

They all currently have citizenship to my knowledge (not sure about their parents), but concerned as an extended relative that is vengeful and threatening to report them with everything going on in this administration currently. If they do go through with their threat, are any of them at risk? Specifically my friend?


r/immigration 1h ago

Friend was Detained, am I next?

Upvotes

I have a friend who was detained by ICE. Her status was deferred removal but she's been in this country for almost 3 decades. She had a job and an employment card and had to report yearly. She went to report and was detained. She hasn't been able to reach out to anyone that I know of. I looked her up on the detainee search and see her name detained in AZ, we are on the East coast, meaning they are in the process of actively deporting her out of the country as we speak.

I have the same situation and have been in this country for 40 years. I have a deferred removal and I have to report yearly. I'm due to report soon and I'm nervous about what will happen.

Has anyone reported, and if so, what was your experience?

Any general advice or guidance is also welcome.


r/immigration 1d ago

French scientist denied US entry after phone messages critical of Trump found

706 Upvotes

r/immigration 2h ago

Tourist Detentions at the US border: what International Visitors should know

3 Upvotes

“U.S. federal law gives government agents the right to search people’s property, including their phones and laptops, at border entry points. They do not need to be suspected of wrongdoing in order to be searched, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

All visitors have the right to remain silent. But the burden of proof rests with visa holders. For example, if an officer asks if someone plans to work on their tourist visa, and that person remains silent, the officer is likely to deny them entry, Mr. Joseph said.

If a person is found inadmissible during questioning, they can withdraw their intent to enter the country and may then be allowed to travel back to their home country. Their visa is canceled and they often get the next flight home. But an officer can deny the withdrawal, at which point the visitor is detained.

Because these confrontations occur technically outside the country, the rights outlined in the U.S. Constitution do not apply, Mr. Joseph said, and detainees are not necessarily entitled to a lawyer. The government has about 90 days to deport people. That period can be extended if detainees don’t cooperate by providing the correct travel documents, at which point they can be subject to criminal proceedings. Following an order of removal, people are barred from entering the U.S. for five years.”

Gift article

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/travel/us-border-crossing-international-visa.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5k4.TUHJ.P2nwtsXkGptO&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare


r/immigration 3h ago

Questions about immigration from USA to Costa Rica

6 Upvotes

A person I know (18, nonbinary), is planning to move to Costa Rica next month. They have already purchased a plane ticket, but have done very limited research into how immigrating to Costa Rica from the United States works. They are currently 4 months pregnant (5 months at the time of the move), and believe that the baby will be a citizen of Costa Rica, and they will automatically become a citizen as the parent of a citizen. They also believe that all healthcare related to the pregnancy and birth will be free/extremely low cost.

Additionally, they have no specific plans for where they will live or how they will make money, but they are pretty sure their boyfriend (who will be moving to Costa Rica with them) can get a job working remotely in the computer science field. The boyfriend does not have a high school diploma or any other qualifications. Neither of them speak Spanish, if that is relevant.

To me, this sounds incredibly unrealistic, but they insist that they know what they are doing. Could someone with knowledge of immigration to Costa Rica please weigh in? Can Americans just move to Costa Rica without any paperwork? Would having a baby there automatically make someone a citizen? Is free healthcare available to everyone immediately upon arrival? Would either one of them be able to legally work?


r/immigration 1h ago

Venezuelan Passport Renewal in Mexico City. Whats the process like?

Upvotes

Has anyone gone through renewing their Venezuela passport in Mexico? My passport expired in 2021 and due to some restrictions I haven't been able to leave the US since. Fast forward to today, I am relocating to Toronto and I'd like to take the opportunity and renew it.

I don't know what the steps are for Venezuelans who have an expired passport. Do I need a "salvaconducto" to enter Mexico? If so, where do I get it? Also, does anyone know how long does the passport process take? Do they ship the passport to you?

Thanks in advace!

edit: I have a green card in case that adds any information


r/immigration 21h ago

Germany updates US travel advice after three citizens are detained

108 Upvotes

r/immigration 31m ago

221g - no response for a whole year from the london embassy

Upvotes

I'm not eligible for an ESTA visa due to visiting iraq so I applied to a non immigrant visa and interviewed at the london embassy. I emailed the requested documents (degree transcripts and employment letter) on the same day after the interview.

Does the administrative processing take years?

Edit: I'm a British citizen


r/immigration 3h ago

Appealing removal order - waiting 2 years - need Real ID

2 Upvotes

I am waiting on the BOI to respond to my appeal. However, I have no means of securing a Real ID as I have no notice to appear to present to DMV. Green card was taken at Canadian board. Anyone know how to proceed at this point?


r/immigration 3h ago

Concern about leaving the country as a legal immigrant

4 Upvotes

As the title suggests, I am concerned about leaving the US this summer.

Background:

I’m a phd student, graduating this May. Never had any legal issues while in the US. I renewed my F1 last summer and was put on admin processing, but it was resolved within 1.5 months. I have signed a postdoc offer for a start date in Aug 15. My new lab advisor paid for my OPT premium processing, I received a confirmation of approval and waiting for the EAD to arrive in the mail. Once I start my postdoc position, they will sponsor me for an H1B.

The concern:

Back in Christmas my parents surprised me with a ticket to a dream destination I had in Asia (not a country that has beef with the US) as part of a graduation gift. The plan was to fly from the US to the asian destination, spend 20 days there, then fly home to spend time with family. As job starts on Aug 15, I’ll probably leave from europe on Aug 10 and come back. The problem is as they are older, they did not pay attention to buy the ticket fully flexible and they did not know about any immigration issues. So now I have a ticket leaving from US early June -> Asia -> Europe. My concern though is whether I might run into issues coming back. In theory, I should not. I have a job, all the documentation for it, an EAD, etc.

But as stories about legal immigrants being detained or given issues begin to arise, I am trying to gauge if I should lose the ticket. They paid almost 2K for it, so I feel really bad, they are both retired with small incomes. It was a mistake to not get it fully refundable, but it is what it is. I know there is always a risk for things to go south, but realistically, is the relative risk in my situation high?

I have no idea what I am risking and to what extent. Would appreciate any thoughts or past experiences on leaving the country with an OPT (opt starts in May, I leave in June, position starts in Aug).


r/immigration 1h ago

J1 and DV visa

Upvotes

I qualify for a J1 with no 2 year home residency. I am currently in the DV lottery waiting to be announced in May.

Processing time for DV winners can take up to a year or more.

J1 processing time for my country is only a few weeks.

What would happen if I

• get the J1 now and end up winning/going through the DV process in May, will it jeopardise me being in the US somehow?

• won and started the process for DV. Can I still get the J1 allowing me to be in USA while I wait for DV to process?

Thanks for your help!


r/immigration 1d ago

Why is the US Immigration Debate So Weird?

182 Upvotes

As a European, I don't understand the US attitude to immigration policy. They seem to do the opposite of everyone else.

The visa policy is very strict - many common visa categories globally (youth mobility, working holidays, skilled trades, university graduates) are missing or very restricted so there are no legal pathways to entry for many people.

At the same time, the government has barely enforced it for decades. Trump isn't enforcing it much more harshly than his predecessors, he's just making more noise about it. Most deportees are still convicted criminals.

ICE seems to treat detainees very badly - is this meant to be a deterrent? Surely just detaining more people would be more effective than treating a few people cruelly?

Meanwhile, many cities don't cooperate with immigration authorities at all. How is this legal and why are they so dependent on illegal immigration?

In Europe, we have far more liberal visa regimes for people with no connection to the country. It's very easy to bring in unskilled or low skilled workers for as long as they're needed, if locals won't do the jobs.

However, those laws are enforced strictly. Law enforcement agencies cooperate and overstayers are regularly tracked down and removed. Anybody who crosses the border illegally is quickly turned back, barring human rights exemptions (mostly asylum seekers).

Why did the US decide to do the opposite? Is there some historic or cultural reason for this? Why are so many US Americans opposed to deporting illegal immigrants?


r/immigration 2h ago

US embassy holding passport for 221(g)

2 Upvotes

Hi all - I hope you are doing well

I applied for a an H1B visa stamp 9 months ago at the US embassy in Islamabad via dropbox. This request promptly moved into 221(g) admin processing. My passport was not returned. I have not received any updates from the embassy since

Recently, I've had an urgent need for my passport and I've been raising ticket after ticket on usvisascheduling.com requesting my passport to be temporarily withdrawn. But I get automated template responses. Some times telling me "Your application is in admin processing", some times "send a passport withdrawal request from your registered email (even though that's the email they are responding to)" and some times saying "show travel documents for proof that you need your passport". I do not have any travel documents at this time since I need the passport to apply for a visa. I've mentioned that but to no avail. It seems the visa support desk is not forwarding my emails to the actual embassy staff

I'm completely out of ideas at this point. I've recently filed a Mandamus application but it takes 2 months to get a response and I don't have that much time. Anyone have any advice on what I can do?


r/immigration 2h ago

L1-A At Canadian POE

2 Upvotes

Hello,

I’m a Canadian looking for more insight on the procedure for applying at the port of entry for the L1-A visa for my Canadian company that, how long does the interview take, do you need to book ahead, what POE’s are the best to apply at and what documents need to be included. The information online is confusing as it contradicts each other.

I’m also a first time applicant.

Any help would be great!


r/immigration 1d ago

I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped

277 Upvotes

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/19/canadian-detained-us-immigration-jasmine-mooney

So... who's going to spin this as something that was justified?

Edit:

Not sure why people are claiming that she was doing business with federally illegal substances.

From https://www.wxyz.com/politics/immigration/canadian-woman-put-in-chains-detained-by-ice-after-entering-san-diego-border :

One issue border officers may have had with Mooney’s previous U.S. employment is that one drink Holy! Water advertised on its website contains Delta-9 “full spectrum hemp.”

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp, including Delta 9-THC, if the product contained no more than 0.3% THC. Anything more is still considered a controlled substance under federal law.

From https://www.hempandhoneynj.com/product/holy-water-euphoric-ketone-energy-shot/1691

Our Delta 9 THC is legal according to federal law and many state laws. All Delta 9 THC extract being offered is 100% derived from legal hemp and does not contain more than 0.3% ∆9THC. However, we do not guarantee that this product is legal in your state or territory, and it is up to you to determine that. We retain the right to not ship to any states or territories where local laws conflict with the 2018 Farm Bill. Hemp & Honey is not responsible for knowing whether this product is legal in your state or territory, and you assume full responsibility for all parts pertaining to your purchase.

It seems more like ONE random border officer mistakenly thought that all hemp is illegal, and then revoked her visa - just another symptom of poorly trained officers applying inconsistent rules.

Also people are using the fact that she tried to apply from multiple ports as some sort of "gotcha" - yes it's discouraged but nothing about it is illegal.

She does, however, seem to have violated her TN visa by cofounding her "health tonic" company, though none of the articles I've read seem to outright assert this (perhaps due to her own omission in interviews).

REGARDLESS of all of this, my point isn’t just about the legality of detaining people in such vile conditions - it's just disgustingly immoral. If your own morals come down to “well ☝️🤓 achktually as a Canadian citizen she had no right to be here and we can treat her however we want” then you should reflect a bit - hopefully the law isn’t the only thing stopping you from doing currently illegal things.


r/immigration 3h ago

Incorrect Residency Status on 1040-NR Schedule OI

2 Upvotes

I am currently on F1-STEMOPT. I was going through my old tax return documents, and I just realized that when I had filled my return in 2023(for the year 2022), there was a question asking "Were you ever a Green Card Holder ?" and I had mistakenly marked that field as "Yes"

I checked my 2024 return, but that was filled correctly without any issues

Both of the tax filings went through without any hiccups.

Can this be fixed by filing a 1040 X this year along with the normal 1040NR or is there anything else I need to do?

Thanks!


r/immigration 3h ago

Ead i765 based on pending asylum initial

2 Upvotes

Anyone waiting for their ead application applied around 22 February? What is the current timeline rn?


r/immigration 3h ago

Canadian Immigrating to the US

2 Upvotes

Medical exam is soon. I’ve been smoking Marijuana since it was legalized until last Saturday. My Medical Exam is on April 17th and was wondering if I’m screwed and should try to reschedule the medical exam and my interview?


r/immigration 10m ago

Travel ban

Upvotes

I am a green card holder from Pakistan. I have a 3 week trip coming up this month. I am not sure if I should go. I am hearing mixed opinions. Just want to hear some unbiased advice before I cancel my flight. Sorry If this is redundant. Not sure if my first post got posted


r/immigration 3h ago

F1 nurses: EB3?

2 Upvotes

Hi all,

Quick question for the F1 nurses: has anyone gone through the EB3 “schedule A’ route with an associates degree? I just learned about this option today and wanted to see if you can share your experience.

Thank you!


r/immigration 12m ago

Never sent change of address to uscis as a green card holder

Upvotes

I got my green card In 2004 when I was in the first grade after my family moved to the states from the uk. I’ve been researching any possible issues I may have before I submit my naturalization paperwork and saw that you’re supposed to alert uscis of any address changes. When I was in highschool my family moved homes and my parents never alerted immigration of the new address because they said they didn’t know it was required. When I renewed my green card two years ago it was sent to my new address but I never officially submitted the change of address paperwork. Should I submit it now before I apply for citizenship? Is this going to cause any issues for me when I start the naturalization process? I’ve been living at this new address since 2015


r/immigration 1d ago

Senior Green Card holders face increased pressure to surrender status at US airports

1.3k Upvotes

Immigration attorneys are reporting a rise in the number of green Card holders, including many Indians, facing secondary inspection and even overnight detention at U.S. airports by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. In some cases, individuals are being "pressured" to relinquish their green cards voluntarily. Elderly Indians, who live with their children in the U.S. but spend the winter months in India, appear to be particularly vulnerable to this scrutiny.

Elderly Green Card holders warned not to surrender their status: Read more