Permanent Resident Voting Consequences for Green Card Holders
A Cuban lawful permanent resident in Missouri has been indicted on two counts of illegal voting by an alien in federal elections, allegedly casting ballots across 15 elections over 20 years. USCIS assisted in the investigation leading to his arrest.
USCIS Charlotte asylum office to cover NC and SC
USCIS is opening a new Charlotte Asylum Office on October 13, 2026, to serve asylum applicants residing in North Carolina and South Carolina. If you have a pending asylum case in either state, your interview location and jurisdiction may be affected by this change.
Bronx ICE Shooting Sparks DHS and NYC Detainer Dispute
DHS has publicly disputed statements made by New York City’s mayor following an ICE shooting incident in the Bronx, releasing data showing nearly 15,000 ICE detainers went unhonored in New York since January 2025, linked to tens of thousands of criminal charges.
N-400 Criminal Conduct Questions and Fraud Risk
An Ohio doctor has been convicted of naturalization fraud after lying on his Form N-400 application and during a USCIS interview, concealing a prior guilty plea for attempting to poison his pregnant girlfriend. He now faces up to 10 years in prison and possible denaturalization.
F-1 OPT Fee Rule: $70,000 Per Student Proposed
DHS has proposed a rule that would require SEVP-certified schools to pay fees of $70,000 for initial F-1 OPT employment authorization and $30,000 for subsequent OPT, with public comments accepted through November 9, 2026.
Lying on N-400 About Voting: Tampa Indictment Explained
An Italian national in Florida faces federal charges for voting by an alien in the 2024 general election and allegedly lying about it on a naturalization application. If convicted on all counts, Andrea Catanese could face up to 10 years in prison.
Samir Ousman Alsheikh Sentencing: 60 Years for Torture
A former Syrian prison warden was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of torture and immigration fraud, including lying to U.S. officials to obtain a Green Card and pursue naturalization after entering the country in 2020.
SAVE Supreme Court Stay Restores Key Verification Tools
After the U.S. Supreme Court stayed a lower court ruling on September 25, 2026, USCIS has restored SAVE functionality, allowing agencies to once again initiate cases using Social Security numbers and the bulk upload tool that had been blocked since June.
Visa Bond Country List Updated for B1/B2 Applicants
The U.S. Department of State has updated its list of countries whose nationals may be required to post a visa bond when applying for a B1/B2 visitor visa. If your country is on the updated visa bond country list, your application process may look different.
Nonimmigrant Overstay Enforcement: What OIG Found
DHS OIG reviewed how ICE handled nonimmigrant overstay enforcement from FY 2021 to FY 2024 and reported few investigations and arrests tied to millions of leads, with one recommendation issued to strengthen ICE’s overstay enforcement efforts.