Navigating US immigration Laws

With changes to the executive branch and other areas of government starting on January 20, 2025, many people seeking to enter the United States might find it difficult to know where they can turn to do so legally, especially as many of the legal paths for entry change on an hourly or daily basis. Whether an immigrant is an asylum seeker, student or worker, this guide covers everything current about navigating U.S. immigration laws. Read on to learn more…

Why Is Understanding Immigration Law Important?

The 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, has made it clear that he and his administration plan to crack down on illegal immigration and change the legal pathways. Given political changes in the House of Representatives and Senate, the laws are expected to change often and rapidly over the next four years of his presidency.

For example, within the first three days of his term, President Trump used executive actions to close U.S. borders to asylum seekers, even those who had pre-arranged appointments with immigration officials. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shut down the CBP One appointment app and canceled thousands of appointments and associated flights into the United States for visa-less asylum seekers (i.e., refugees). These cancelations included family members (i.e., men, women and children) of active military personnel.

Deportation changes were also enacted swiftly by the administration, which used the National Emergencies Act to send military troops to the southern border and permit federal officials to perform new law enforcement actions on domestic soil, such as arresting people suspected of undocumented immigration in specific places previously considered protected spaces. The House of Representatives also passed the Laken Riley Act, which allows law enforcement officials to immediately place in detention any undocumented people who have previously admitted to or been arrested for or charged or convicted with committing burglary, theft and other specific crimes.

Where Can Immigrants Find Up-to-Date Information?

At the time of this writing, rapid changes to the U.S. immigration systems and upheaval with associated processes show that anyone seeking to enter the country, even those approved to do so legally, face great difficulty. As noted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, people who wish to immigrate should refer to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Department of State (DOS), and Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) web pages.

Do Any Legal Routes Still Exist?

Again, at the time of this writing, anyone seeking to legally immigrate to the United States might discover that their options have become limited at any time because of hour-to-hour legal changes. That said, legal paths still do exist for current visa holders and specific groups seeking entry, such as students and people with work permits. Some groups of foreign nationals from specific designated countries who wish to enter the country at least temporarily for business or tourism purposes, via previously negotiated actions between those countries and the United States, can continue to do so under the U.S. Waiver program.

It’s important to note that changes to U.S. immigration processes and laws are expected to cause outages and slow updates to federal and state websites. As a result, the best ways to find up-to-the-minute details about both legal and illegal immigration and how to navigate U.S. immigration laws are by visiting the WhiteHouse.gov Presidential Actions page, Congress.gov, and breaking news media sites. An immigration lawyer can also answer important questions and provide guidance.