ICE Enforcement Surge and 287(g) Expansion
Key Questions
What is the current status of the $100,000 H-1B visa fee?
A federal appeals court has kept the fee blocked during appeal, creating a circuit split that may reach the Supreme Court. The fee remains in effect only for consular processing.
Has the FY2027 H-1B cap been reached?
Yes, USCIS announced the cap was reached at 85,000 registrations with no second lottery. Registrations dropped 38.5% due to the proposed fee.
What is the DOL IG investigating regarding H-1B and PERM?
The DOL Inspector General has launched a nationwide fraud probe with subpoenas targeting staffing firms for benching, fee-shifting, and misrepresentation.
What major changes are proposed for the PERM process?
DOL has proposed the biggest PERM overhaul since 2004, including new recruitment and documentation requirements that could reshape employment-based green cards.
What is the deadline for EB-5 investors holding H-1B status?
H-1B holders must meet the September 2026 EB-5 deadline before stricter rules potentially take effect.
How does the new USCIS signature rule affect filings?
Effective July 10, only handwritten signatures are accepted; typed names or stamps result in denial with no cure and fee forfeiture.
What does Sen. Sheehy's bill propose for H-1B visas?
The bill would pause H-1B visas for three years, impose a $200k wage floor, eliminate dual intent and student work authorization, and ban federal contractors from using the program.
How are Texas H-1B restrictions affecting research?
Restrictions are creating a chilling effect on foreign-born scientists at institutions like MD Anderson Cancer Center.
ICE interior enforcement at record levels: 51,000 arrests in July, 70% no criminal record. 287(g) Task Force Model expanding to IN, OK, WY, and now North Carolina (SB 153). New proposal to subsidize liability insurance for 287(g) officers up to $500k reduces accountability. 4th Circuit blocks ICE enforcement at 1,400+ churches. Mega master hearings driving in absentia removals. SCOTUS mandatory detention case pending with circuit split. New viral video shows ICE agents using racial slurs during LA sweeps, ACLU lawsuit. San Diego County cutting ICE/CBP training access. New class-action lawsuit over Houston police holding man for ICE on traffic stop. Border Patrol detained families in Billings, MT. McCook ICE jail protests continue, governor doubles down, $14.6M paid, 70% no criminal record. Federal judge in Michigan tosses Trump admin lawsuit trying to force local cooperation, upholding anti-commandeering doctrine. ICE deports 160+ Haitians after Supreme Court ends TPS. Massachusetts court orders ICE health records released. CBP plans to expand I-19 checkpoint in Arizona despite local opposition. Big Bend backlash: Texas Republicans break ranks, bipartisan pressure pauses construction. New: ICE using electric shock gloves, breaking promises of humane tactics. Also: ICE deporting Mexicans to Guatemala/Honduras as third-country tactic. New: Border Patrol detaining immigrant truckers in Arizona targeting non-domiciled CDL holders with expired work permits due to FMCSA rule; industry support but drivers forced to abandon loads. New: Deployed sailor's father detained by ICE despite work permit and pending green card, raising morale concerns. New: Five-year-old picked up by ICE in Austin, sent to Dilley family detention center after father's traffic stop arrest. New: This Week by the Numbers (Aug 23) reports TPS termination affecting 1M of 1.3M beneficiaries, 23,000 third-country transfers, and Dilley family detention averaging 38 days. New: Louisville mother detained after voluntarily attending green card interview, sparking bipartisan outrage. New: ICE detains 29 Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, including a pastor, with ankle monitors and jail overcrowding. New: Operation Stonegarden in NY pays local cops to help Border Patrol despite Hochul's anti-ICE law — 24 immigrants turned over since 2023. New: San Diego Border Patrol checkpoint upgrades with 100 arrests since Oct 2025. New: Ninth Circuit allows Border Patrol to resume stops in California, overturning state ban. New: CBP agent threatened to shoot detainee, kicked others — judge ordered releases. New: Asylum seeker detained by ICE at SEA Airport. New: Wife of active-duty Army sergeant deported to Honduras — seventh known military spouse deportation. New: ICE enforcement quietly reshaping Colorado schools — teacher reports student self-deporting mid-year. New: Cary teacher (green card holder) detained at ICE check-in. New: Supreme Court ruling expands ICE detention authority (2025). New: Foreign policy price of deportation analysis highlights disparities.