The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says it has closed the office that monitored conditions in immigration detention and reporting. The Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) handled complaints about misconduct, excessive force, and other rights violations, its webpage has been archived by the DHS.
For more information, please read the UPI news article, “Homeland Security shuts down immigration detention watchdog“.
Source of Information:
UPDATE: Explore American Immigration Council’ interactive map to get more comprehensive information on U.S. immigration data and its impact!
The American Immigration Council (AIC) has released all fifty states and the District of Columbia, for a total of fifty-one updated state-by-state fact sheets highlighting immigration data and facts. These fact sheets highlight the demographic and economic impact of Immigrants in each state.
With national immigration policy being discussed, we thought that it would be a good time to provide some statistics on the Immigrant population in the United States as provided by this AIC research. Once a week we will be posting a blog with information on three states at a time. This week we will highlight; North Carolina, North Dakota and Ohio!
You can now check USCIS processing times online at the USCIS web site. All you need to enter is your form number, and the office processing your case. USCIS has made processing times easier to understand and provide a more realistic date range.
The processing time range is how long it is taking for USCIS to process your type of case from the date they received it. USCIS processes cases in the order they receive them, and they normally update this information monthly. The estimated time range displayed is based on data captured over the last two months. Frequently Asked Questions About Processing Times
We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.
If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.
Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, May 8, 2026. Act now and submit your questions!
The second allocation of returning worker H-2B visas for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, 27,736 visas for April start dates have been reached as of April 21, 2026. No more petitions are being accepted under this cap.
For more information, please read the USCIS news alert, “Cap Reached for Second Allocation of Returning Worker H-2B Visas for Fiscal Year 2026“!
Source of Information:
The American Immigration Council (AIC) created an interactive dashboard of USCIS Immigration Filing Trends so that the data can be visualized! This dashboard visualizes a decade of USCIS immigration data, showing trends in application volume, processing times, approval rates, and backlog growth to make the system easier to understand.
For more information and to view and use the AIC dashboard, please click the link, “Tracking Applications, Approvals, and Processing Times by Fiscal Year“!
Source of Information:
Mint is an India based business and financial daily newspaper published by HT Media. They also have a YouTube Channel (@livemint) where they recently posted a video entitled, “Legal Immigration To U.S. Plunges As H-1B, Student & Family Visas Collapse Under Trump Policies“! In their opinion, the biggest decline in the U.S. Immigration under the Trump Administration has been legal immigration.
To view the complete YouTube @livemint video, please click the link, “Legal Immigration To U.S. Plunges As H-1B, Student & Family Visas Collapse Under Trump Policies”!
Source of Information:
The Department of State has released its latest Visa Bulletin.
Click the link to view the May 2026 Visa Bulletin
List of some of the Top News Stories related to “DACA Deportations”:
U.S. Senator Padilla Office (padilla.senate.gov), 4/15/26, Press Release:
MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.
You should not be working during your grace period for anyone. Your new employer must file an H-1B transfer/extension petition on your behalf with USCIS before you are able to begin working for a new employer.
H1B Visa Lawyer Blog