UPDATE 11/05/2020—The 7th Circuit federal appeals court has put the November 2 district court ruling on hold, as the government appeals. That means the on-again, off-again public charge rule is on again, at least until the next court ruling.

November 2, 2020 – This morning the federal district court for the Northern District of Illinois overturned the latest public charge rule for immigrants. The court ruled in Cook County, et al. v. Wolf, et al. that the newest public charge rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), exceeds the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) authority, is not in accordance with law, and is arbitrary and capricious.

The court’s decision takes effect immediately. That means that nationwide, DHS must immediately stop applying the revised public charge rule as of today, November 2, 2020. The court refused to stay its decision pending appeal.

“This is welcome news for hard working immigrant families,” said Veena Iyer, executive director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM). “The latest public charge rule was a heartless policy that attempted to impose a wealth test on immigrants.”

The public charge rule has been in place for over a century, but the administration sought to expand the rule to fundamentally alter the immigration system, making it much harder for low- and moderate- income immigrants to obtain Lawful Permanent Resident status (become a “green card holder”) and ultimately citizenship.

Even before taking effect, the proposed rule change was most concerning in its chilling effect, prompting families to withdraw from food assistance, secure housing, and health benefits for fear of being considered a public charge. Families disenrolled from programs such as school lunches that were rumored to be – but were not included – on the list of programs covered by the public charge rule. Even refugees, who are exempt from the public charge rule, considered withdrawing from programs to keep their families safe and health for fear that accepting such supports would hurt their chances of becoming lawful permanent residents.

Legal challenges to the newest public charge rule began as soon as it was published, with courts in different states issuing conflicting temporary injunctions. Today’s order is a final ruling on the merits of the case. The government is almost certain to appeal the ruling.

The Department of Homeland Security published proposed changes to the affidavit of support regulations on Oct. 2, 2020. These changes would greatly increase the paperwork and expense in applying for a family visa.

Among the proposed changes  are requirements that family members sponsors provide:

• Credit history and credit scores;
• Specific bank account information;
• Three years of tax transcripts instead of just one year’s tax return;
• List all public benefits received by a sponsor for preceding three years;

In addition, the new regulation would exclude the income of household members except for the sponsor and the sponsor’s spouse. That would mean that in households with extended families, fewer incomes would count and the larger number of people would make the family fall below the income threshold for sponsorship.

The deadline for commenting on these changes is Monday, November 2 at midnight. You can make a comment by going to this page, clicking on the “Comment” button beneath the title of the proposed rule, and entering your comment.

The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota has submitted a comment on this regulation. You can find a PDF of that comment here.

Your comment can be long or short. You can give examples of what you think is wrong with the rule. You can say how important you think asylum is for people fleeing persecution and violence. You can focus on a specific part of the proposed rule or on the rule as a whole.

The Administrative Procedure Act requires the government to give the public a chance to comment on proposed rules. Comments become part of the public record. They are available for anyone to read. After the comment period closes, the government agency that proposed the rule must read all of the comments. They must consider comments when drafting the final version of the rule. If a very large number of people comment, it will take longer for the final rule to be published and take effect. The agency may make amendments to the rule after considering the comments.

If you want to comment, but do not want your name to appear, you can enter your name as “anonymous anonymous.”

The comment period for this rule ends on Monday, November 2 at midnight. You can make a comment by going to this page, clicking on the “Comment” button beneath the title of the proposed rule, and entering your comment.

Some suggestions for comments:

• Credit history and credit scores are unnecessary to show the sponsor’s ability to satisfy the statutory financial requirements;
• Requiring specific bank account information is unjustified and will cause many potential joint sponsors to refuse to participate;
• Requiring submission of three years of tax returns instead of just one would be overly burdensome.
• There is no statutory basis for excluding the income of sponsors’ household members, and doing so would require them to find joint sponsors and make immigration more difficult; and
• A sponsor’s receipt of a public benefit up to three years ago is not reflective of their ability to satisfy the statutory financial requirements and should not disqualify them from being a sponsor.

 

MDH ILCM Contract Tracing FAQ - Karen

 

Click here for this FAQ in English. 

Haga click aquí para la hoja en Español.

Actual a partir del 23 de octubre de 2020.

¿Qué pasa si mi prueba de COVID-18 es positivo? 

Respuesta: Alguien del departamento de salud público se va comunicar con Ud.  Algún trabajador de salud que está entrenado llama a personas que según están positivos de COVID-19 para hacer preguntas de sus síntomas, como es que fueron infectados, y quienes hayan infectado.  Además, dan información en como Ud., su familia y la comunidad pueden estar seguros y estar saludable.

¿Qué es Seguimiento de Contacto?

R. Seguimiento de Contacto ayuda en ralentizar la propagación de COVID-19.  Seguimiento quiere decir que es buscar y hablar con las personas que están infectados de COVID-19, y luego buscar y hablar con personas con que han tenido contacto por si acaso han sido infectados.  Si todas estas personas se quedan en casa y no acercarse a otros, entonces no pueden ralentizar la propagación de esta enfermedad.  Es muy importante que todos se quedan en casa, porque, aunque algunas personas que tienen COVID-19, y no se sienten enfermos, todavía existe la posibilidad que pueden contagiar a otras personas.

¿Porque es notificado Departamento de Salud de Minnesota si soy positive de COVID-19?

R. Médicos, enfermeras, hospitales y laboratorios reportan los nombres de personas que son positivos de COVID-19 al Departamento de Salud, en la misma manera que reportan otras enfermedades contagiosas. Incluso, ellos dan los resultados de la prueba a los que son positive y dan información de los pasos que necesitan que tomar.

¿Puede el personal del Departamento de Salud preguntar de mi estado de inmigración o de mi familia? 

R. El personal del Departamento de Salud no va a preguntar de su estado de inmigración.   El personal del Departamento de Salud solamente está preocupado en prevenir la propagación de COVID-19.

¿Puedo yo negar en contestar las preguntas?

R. Usted tiene el derecho de negar de contestar cualquier o todas las preguntas.  Contestando las preguntas ayuda mucho porque el Departamento de Salud notifica a personas que quizá han sido expuestos y ellos puede ayudar en prevenir la propagación de este virus a otros.

Yo no quiero compartir información de mi familia o pareja.  ¿Puedo yo negar de dar esta información? 

R. Ud. puede negar dar información de su familia o pareja.  Contestando las preguntas ayuda el Departamento de Salud notificar personas que quizá han sido expuestos y ellos puede ayudar en prevenir la propagación de este virus a otros.

¿Porque el Departamento de Salud pregunta con quien yo ha tenido contacto si la prueba de COVID-19 es positivo?

R. El personal del Departamento de Salud quiere identificar a las personas que Usted ha tenido contacto para ralentizar la propagación de COVID-19.

¿Puede el Departamento de Salud compartir mi nombre u otra información con cualquier persona que yo ha tenido contacto antes de enterarme que soy positivo de COVID-18? 

R. Su información es guardado estrictamente confidencial solamente si Ud. da permiso de compartir su nombre.  En circunstancias raras, el Departamento de Salud quizá tiene que compartir su nombre con su empleo, escuela o centro de cuidar niños para proteger la salud y seguridad de otros, aunque Ud. no esté de acuerdo.   El Departamento de Salud hará cualquier esfuerzo de comunicarse con Usted y explicar porque su nombre tiene que ser compartido antes de hacerlo.

¿Puede el público tener acceso a la información que yo comparto con el Departamento de Salud?

R. Las respuestas que Ud. comparta son guardadas en una base de sistema seguro.  El público general no tiene acceso al base de sistema seguro.

¿Puede la policía o cualquier agencia judicial tener acceso a la información que yo comparto al personal del Departamento de Salud?

R. El Departamento de Seguridad al Publico tienen acceso a su domicilio si todavía está aislado por ser positive de COVID-19, pero no tiene acceso a su nombre u otros datos. Si Ud. no quiere compartir su domicilio con el Departamento de Seguridad al Publico entonces Ud. si puede negar de compartir o verificar su domicilio.

¿Puede Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) tener acceso a la información que yo comparto?

R. Si ICE tiene una razón oficial para ir al domicilio, ICE se puede comunicar con el despacho 911 y solamente se les dará información que en esa dirección una persona está aislado por tener COVID-19. ICE no tendrá acceso de su nombre o cualquier otra información.   Si Ud. no quiere compartir su domicilio con el centro de despacho 911, Ud. puede negar de compartir o verificar su domicilio.

¿Yo no quiero que mi información sea compartida a mi empleador, como puedo prevenir esto?

R. El personal no compartirá su información con su empleador, solamente si Ud. es trabajador de salud, o si Ud. trabaja en otro oficio y Ud. da permiso para que el personal del departamento de salud se comunica con el negocio. Si Ud. es trabajador de salud, el personal puede compartir su información con su empleador.  Esto es hecho para proteger los pacientes.

¿Puede el empleador desocuparme si la prueba resulta que soy positivo para COVID-19?

R. Es ilegal para un empleador de desocuparlo por ser positivo de COVID-19.  El Departamento de Salud le puede dar una notificación a su empleador que su prueba es positivo y que Ud. tiene que ser aislado.

¿Dónde puedo encontrar más información del COVID-19?  

• Personas pueden llamar a Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) COVID-19 Minnesota Línea de asistencia a:  651-297-1304 o 1-800-657-3504.
• Además, puede encontrar información en la red: http://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html.
• Información específica de Seguimiento de Contacto se puede encontrar en: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/tracing/html.

Recuerda: El propósito de Seguimiento de Contacto es para ralentizar la propagación de COVID-19 y tener el público seguro. 

Haga click aquí para encontrar el archivo PDF.

Click here for this FAQ in English.

Click here for this FAQ in Karen.

Current as of 10/15/20

Question. What happens if I test positive for COVID-19?

Answer. Someone from a public health agency will contact you. A trained health worker calls people who test positive for COVID-19 to ask about their symptoms, how they may have been infected, and who they may have infected. They will also provide information on how to keep you, your family and community safe and healthy.

Q. What is Contact Tracing?

A. Contact tracing helps to slow the spread of COVID-19. Tracing means finding and talking to people who are infected with COVID-19, and then finding and talking to all the people they may have infected. If all of these people then stay home and away from others, they cannot spread the disease. It is important for them all to stay home, because even though some people with COVID-19 never feel sick, they still can give the disease to others.

Q. Why is Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) notified if I test positive for COVID-19?

A. Doctors, nurses, hospitals, and labs report the names of people who test positive for COVID-19 to the health department, the same way they report other infectious diseases. They also give the test results to the person who tested positive, and tell them what to do next.

Q. Will public health staff ask me about my immigration status, or the immigration status of my family?

A. No. Public health staff will not ask for your immigration status. Public health staff is only concerned with preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Q. Can I refuse to answer questions?

A. Yes. You have the right to refuse to answer any or all of the questions. Answering questions helps public health staff to notify people who have been exposed so they can help prevent spreading the virus to others.

Q. I do not want to share information about my family and/or partner. Can I refuse to give that information?

A. Yes, you can refuse to provide information about your family and/or partner. Answering questions helps public health staff to notify people who have been exposed so they can help prevent spreading the virus to others.

Q. Why do public health staff ask who I have been in contact with if I test positive for COVID-19?

A. Public health staff want to identify those who you have been in contact with to prevent the spread of COVID.

Q. Will public health staff share my name or other information with anyone who I might have had contact with before I found out that I had COVID-19?

A. Your information will be kept strictly confidential unless you give permission for us to share your name. In very rare circumstances, MDH may need to share your name with your workplace, school, or childcare to protect the health and safety of others even if you didn’t agree. MDH will attempt to reach you and explain why your name may need to be shared prior to doing so.

Q. Does the public have access to the information I provide to public health staff?

A. No. The answers you provide are stored on a secure database. The general public does not have access to the database.

Q. Does the police or other law enforcement have access to information I provide to public health staff?

A. The Department of Public Safety (which includes law enforcement) has access to your address if you are still in isolation due to a positive COVID-19 test, but does not have access to your name or any other information. If you do not want your address shared with the Department of Public Safety, you can refuse to provide and/or verify your address.

Q. Does Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have access to information I provide?

A. If ICE has an official reason for going to an address, ICE can contact a 911 dispatch center and will be alerted that a person who is currently infectious with COVID-19 is isolating at the address. ICE does not have access to your name or any other information. If you do not want your address shared with 911 dispatch centers, you can refuse to provide and/or verify your address.

Q. I do not want my information shared with my employer, how do I prevent this?

A. Staff will not share your name with your employer, unless you are a healthcare worker, or if you work in another field and provide your permission for public health staff to reach out to the business. If you are a healthcare worker, staff may share your name with your employer. This is done to protect patients.

Q. Can my employer fire me if I test positive for COVID-19?

A. No. It is illegal for your employer to fire you because you test positive for COVID-19. Public health staff can provide a letter to your employer if you tested positive and you need to isolate.

Q. Where can I learn more about COVID-19?

A. People can call the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) COVID-19 Minnesota Helpline at
651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504. You can also visit the MDH website at https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html.
Specific information about Contact Tracing can be found at https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/tracing.html.

Remember: The purpose of contact tracing is to slow the spread of COVID-19, and to keep the public safe.

Downloadable PDF of this FAQ.

Haga click aquí para la hoja en Español.

Click here for this FAQ in Karen.

Frequently Asked Questions: COVID-19 Testing & Treatment Coverage.

October 21, 2020— U.S. asylum laws affirm our nation’s commitment never to repeat its failure to save thousands of Jewish refugees refused entry to the United States as they fled the Holocaust. Actions of this administration, including two new regulations, have eviscerated the U.S. asylum system. The first regulation denies asylum outright to many asylum seekers and the second makes procedural changes to block asylum applications.

“The asylum protections provided by United States law are sacred,” said Veena Iyer, executive director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM). “Obstacles to winning asylum are already high. So are the stakes for asylum seekers: we see continuing reports of deaths and brutalities endured by those who sought but were denied asylum. These regulations violate U.S. law, international human rights covenants, and common human decency.”

The first regulation, which will become final in 30 days, strips access to asylum for people with even minor criminal legal involvement and rejects others based on allegations of offenses for which they were never convicted.

The second regulation, which is only a proposal at this point, would impose procedural restrictions including impossibly short filing deadlines and a requirement that judges reject applications for minor technicalities, such as leaving a space for a sibling name blank rather than writing “None.”

An ILCM attorney describes preparation of the 12-page Application for Asylum as “a massive undertaking.” In addition to completing the form, the applicant must provide piles of documents and certified translations of any documents that are not in English. Requiring an asylum seeker to complete this process in 15 days will effectively result in the denial of relief.

“This regulation does an end run around U.S. law by imposing harsh and unnecessary conditions on asylum seekers,” said ILCM Executive Director Veena Iyer. “These requirements are being imposed for the sole purpose of denying people their rights.”

ILCM has filed a public comment opposing the proposed regulation as a violation of U.S. laws providing asylum and of international agreements. ILCM encourages everyone who is concerned about the protection of asylum seekers to file a comment before the comment period closes on October 23. Our comment and a link to file comments are posted on our website.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced it is implementing the Trump administration’s plan to expand expedited removal – a process where ICE can deport someone without allowing them to speak to a judge. Expanded expedited removal does not apply to most of the immigrants in the United States. Check out the resources below to find out about your rights in an encounter with ICE. If you are an ILCM client, call your case handler if you have any questions about expedited removal. If you are not an ILCM client, you can call our intake line to set up a consultation.

Call our office at 651-641-1011 or  1-800-223-1368 during the following intake hours to schedule an appointment to speak to a legal staff member:

Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursdays: 1-7:30 p.m.

For people possibly impacted:

Know Your Rights: ICE Enforcement Actions And Expanded Expedited Removal (National Immigrant Justice Center (NILC)) – This information can help you protect yourself and your family, and defend your rights.

1. Create A Safety Plan
2. Defend Your Rights
3. Be Prepared For Different Scenarios

PDF version of this “Know Your Rights” information here.

Conozca Sus Derechos: Paradas De ICE Intensificadas (NILC) – Esta información le puede ayudar a protegerse a sí mismo y a su familia, y a defender sus derechos.

1. Prepare Un Plan De Acción
2. Defienda Sus Derechos
3. Preparese Pare Escenarios Diferentes

Haga clic aquí para la versión PDF de esta información

English – Tahirih Justice Center

Español/Spanish – Tahirih Justice Center

Français/French – Tahirih Justice Center

For immigration practitioners and know-your-rights presenters:

Toolkit to Assist People Facing Expanded Expedited Removal (Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ilrc)) – These materials will help practitioners and presenters assist and counsel people who might be subject to this changed enforcement policy. Please read all information and instructions carefully. Expedited removal advice will
be highly case-specific, so it is important to follow the case-specific advice.

The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a new rule that requires visa applicants and many U.S. citizens to provide extensive biometric information, including iris scans, voiceprints, palm prints, fingerprints, and facial recognition data. The law already authorizes collection of fingerprints and photographs from visa applicants. The proposed new rule would vastly expand the types of information collected and the people required to furnish it, affecting more than 6 million people every year. You can file a comment opposing this rule.

Imagine this scenario: You studied abroad, you met the love of your life, and you want them to come spend the rest of their life in the United States with you. Now: get ready to bare your body and soul to the federal government. Immigration authorities want your iris scan, voice print, palm print, facial recognition data, and, of course, your fingerprints. They will store all of this information from you and your future spouse in a permanent database. They may share your personal information with U.S. law enforcement organizations. They might also share this information with law enforcement organizations in your future spouse’s home country.

The government is required to allow the public to read and comment on proposed rules. Comments are public records that anyone can read. The agency proposing a new rule must read all the comments and consider. The agency may make changes to the rule after considering comments. If a large number of comments are submitted, it will take longer to publish the final rule. You can read ILCM’s comment here.

The comment period for this rule ends on Tuesday, October 13. You can make a comment by clicking here and entering your comment.

Here are some details about the proposed rule:

• DHS proposes maintaining an extensive database of biometric data—including fingerprint, palm print, facial recognition, photographic, voice print, iris image, and DNA evidence—on any citizen or non-citizen who applies for an immigration benefit or is associated with an application for such a benefit.
• DHS estimates that it would collect this information on more than 6 million people every year. This would cost of billions of dollars. The increased work would slow down the already backlogged legal immigration system.
• A pilot facial scan system at the border was hacked last year. Thousands of facial recognition files were accessed. Some images were posted on the dark web. The proposed regulation would increase the danger of personal data being stolen.

The comment period for this rule ends on Tuesday, October 13. You can make a comment by clicking here and entering your comment.

 

(Current as of October 6, 2020) This information is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney for advice about your situation.

Haga click aquí para la hoja en Español.

Printable PDF version of this fact sheet here.

Photo version of this fact sheet here.

IMPORTANT: On September 29, 2020, a federal court ordered USCIS not to change their fees while a case challenging fee increases is being decided. Fees will remain the same while that court order is in effect.

What are the current fees and what are the new fees?

USCIS plans to increase fees for many applications, unless courts continue to stop them. The most common applications for which the fees are increasing are:

	Current Fee (per  court order)	New Fee (unknown when may take effect)	Percentage Increase
Citizenship (N-400)	$320/$640	$1,160 (online)/ $1,170 (paper)	266%/81%/83%
Lawful permanent residence (I-485)	$1,225	$2,195 ($1130 for application + additional fees for work and travel documents)
Asylum (I-589)	No fee	$50	N/A
Employment authorization (I-765)	$410	$550	34%
Application for someone who obtained lawful permanent residence through a U visa (victim of crime) to sponsor a family member (I-929)	$230	$1,485	546%
Waiver of unlawful presence needed for many applicants for lawful permanent residence (I-601A)	$630	$960	52%

 

The fee for asylum applicants would be the first in our nation’s history. Only three other countries in the world charge a fee to apply for asylum.

The fees were set to increase on October 2, 2020 but a court has temporarily stopped these changes. The list above is a partial list of some of the most common applications. There are many other proposed changes as well.

What kind of fee waivers are available now and what are the proposed changes?

Fee waivers allow low-income immigrants to submit applications without paying fees. Right now, fee waivers are available for some immigration applications, including:

• Citizenship
• Lawful permanent residence (initial application for a green card) for some groups of immigrants
• Self-petitions (protection for some victims of domestic violence)
• U visas (visas for some victims of violent crimes)
• T visas (visas for victims of trafficking)
• Employment authorization (except for DACA recipients)

USCIS was set to eliminate fee waivers for most applications on October 2, 2020, but a court has temporarily stopped this change. If the change goes into effect, fee waivers will only be available for immigrants who are submitting self-petitions or applications related to VAWA, U visas, T visas, Temporary Protected Status (protection for immigrants from certain countries that are in crisis) or Special Immigrant Juvenile Status who are in foster care.

What Can You Do?

Consult a qualified immigration attorney if you wish to file an application for citizenship, lawful permanent residence, or other immigration protections before the fee waiver process changes and/or fees increase. It is very important that you speak to a qualified immigration attorney before you submit any application to USCIS.  A qualified attorney will interview you about your immigration history. They will review all relevant documents. They will advise you if you are eligible to submit the application. They will also tell you whether you face any risks of the application being denied and/or being put into deportation proceedings.

You can contact the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota at 651-641-1011 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays from 1:30 pm to 7 p.m.