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Immigration Resources

Immigration Policy Updates

In response to this ruling, UFCW International President Milton Jones said:

“This decision upends the lives of thousands of immigrant workers and families under Temporary Protected Status and denies them the stability they have worked hard to achieve. Many of them have built their lives here and become the friends, neighbors, and coworkers that we rely on.” Read President Jones’ Full Statement.


Temporary Protected Status

The Supreme Court’s June 25 decision also negatively impacts TPS for other countries. The Supreme Court said that courts have very limited ability to review the government’s TPS decisions. Many other lawsuits are challenging the termination of TPS for other countries, and the June 25 decision will make these lawsuits much harder for immigrants to win.

To learn whether you may qualify for other immigration options, take the quiz (also available in Spanish).  

For more information about the asylum program, visit our Video Resources Library, the Asylum Seekers Alliance Project (ASAP), and more immigration resource options.



Click on your country below for more information:

Work Permits & Asylum: Proposed DHS Rule

On Feb. 20, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed suspending new work permits to asylum applicants until the average processing time for asylum applications falls below 180 days — a backlog DHS says could take between 14 and 173 years to resolve under current conditions. 

The proposal would increase the waiting period before asylum seekers can apply for a work permit from 180 days to a year. It would also restrict eligibility to people who told immigration officials within 48 hours of entering the country that they were fleeing persecution. 

The rule has not taken effect. The proposal is subject to a 60-day public comment period before it can be finalized [dhs.gov]. The policy would not affect asylum seekers renewing existing work permits

Who should care: Asylum seekers, employers hiring asylum applicants, legal aid organizations.

You can learn more about work permits and policy updates visiting ASAP Together with available information in English and Spanish.

Refugee & Humanitarian Policies

A new DHS internal policy memo from February 18, 2026, may permit detention and additional inspection of certain refugees if they have been in the U.S. for one year or more but have not become green card holders yet.

Under this policy, refugees are expected to “check back in” with DHS for a required review after one year; if they didn’t apply for a green card, or don’t show up for the required inspection/appointments, DHS says it can arrest and detain them in order to complete that review, and keep them detained while the review is happening.

After the review, DHS will either approve the person for a green card or may place the person into immigration court and even try to remove them if DHS decides they are not eligible. Legal challenges are expected as immigration advocates review the guidance.

U.S. Pauses Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries

  • On January 21, 2026, the U.S. government paused processing of immigrant visas issuance at U.S. embassies in 75 countries.
  • All family-based visas and employment-based immigrant visas (EB-1 to EB-5) are on hold. These visas grant lawful permanent resident status (often leading to a Green Card) for people outside the U.S.
  • No official end date announced, and pause is tied to public charge policy review.
  • Non-immigrant work visas (H-1B, H-2B, H-2A, TN) and student/visitor visas (F-1, B-1/B-2) are NOT affected.
  • Adjustment of Status applications filed inside the U.S. continue normal processing.

Countries Affected by Visa Pause

Countries A-FCountries G -MCountries N-Z
AfghanistanGeorgiaNepal
AlbaniaGhanaNicaragua
AlgeriaGrenadaNigeria
Antigua and BarbudaGuatemalaNorth Macedonia
ArmeniaGuineaPakistan
AzerbaijanHaitiRepublic of the Congo
BahamasIranRwanda
BangladeshIraqRussia
BarbadosJamaicaSaint Kitts and Nevis
BelarusJordanSaint Lucia
BelizeKazakhstanSaint Vincent and the Grenadines
BhutanKosovoSenegal
Bosnia and HerzegovinaKuwaitSierra Leone
BrazilKyrgyz RepublicSomalia
BurmaLaosSouth Sudan
CameroonLebanonSudan
Cape VerdeLiberiaSyria
ColombiaLibyaTanzania
Cote d’IvoireMoldovaThailand
CubaMongoliaThe Gambia
Dem. Rep. of the CongoMontenegroTogo
DominicaMoroccoTunisia
EgyptUganda
EritreaUruguay
EthiopiaUzbekistan
FijiYemen

Disclaimer: This is not intended as legal advice. By sharing this information, UFCW aims to help members and their families access safe, reliable information, learn about their immigration options, and avoid scams. |  For additional resources, please contact your Union Representative or visit www.ufcw.org/immihelp.

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