DEVELOPMENTS IN IMMIGRATION POLICY THIS WEEK
Here, we summarize some of the most important recent developments in immigration policy on the federal, legal, state, and local levels.
Federal
Administration’s H-1B Visa Overhaul Creates Confusion and Disruption
The Trump administration’s proclamation on September 19 of new H-1B visa policies sparked immediate confusion among employers and workers. The changes, which took effect September 21, impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications. The abrupt implementation timeline prompted immigration attorneys and major technology companies to advise H-1B workers traveling abroad to return immediately before the deadline, creating widespread panic and travel disruption. In addition to the proclamation, on September 24, the administration published a notice of proposed rulemaking that would give beneficiaries with higher wages more entries into the H-1B lottery, replacing the current random selection method.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated the changes aim to encourage companies to hire American workers, explaining that immigration should prioritize hiring Americans while ensuring only “the top, top people” enter the country. Critics warn the fee increase could drive skilled workers to other countries and disproportionately harm startups that lack the resources of major technology firms to absorb the costs. The administration has indicated additional H-1B program reforms are under consideration.
Fatal Shooting Targets Dallas ICE Field Office
On September 24, a gunman opened fire on a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office, killing one immigrant in detention and critically wounding two others. The 29-year-old shooter fired from a nearby rooftop using a legally purchased rifle, targeting a transport van in the facility’s secured entryway where immigrants were being processed. Federal investigators found marked ammunition and handwritten notes indicating the shooter intended to terrorize ICE agents. Authorities said he likely acted alone and had planned the attack over several months, using applications to track ICE agent’s locations and researching Department of Homeland Security facilities. The attack was the third shooting this year targeting ICE or Border Patrol facilities in Texas.
President Trump Targets Migration at the United Nations
In his September 23 speech to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, President Trump sharply criticized the organization and its member states for their approach to global migration. He warned that “uncontrolled migration” was threatening Western nations and accused the UN of “funding an assault on Western countries and their borders” by providing shelter and transportation for migrants. Trump called for an “end to the failed experiment of open borders,” urging European leaders to adopt stricter border policies in line with his administration’s approach.
On the sidelines of the General Assembly, U.S. officials held discussions with several countries to gauge support for a major overhaul of international asylum processes. The administration argues that the current system is “susceptible to abuse.” Human rights groups expressed alarm, saying the U.S. proposal “looks like the first step in a bid to tear down the global refugee system.”
Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Syria Announced
On September 19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria. The termination will take effect on November 21, 2025, 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Syria was first designated for TPS in 2012 and was redesignated multiple times, including under the first Trump administration. The program was set to expire on September 30 following the latest extension by the Biden administration. More than 6,000 Syrians will lose protection from deportation and work authorization unless they have other legal status.
This decision is part of the administration’s broader effort to terminate TPS for a growing list of countries, including Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua. A federal judge blocked the administration from ending TPS for Venezuela and Haiti, preserving protections for those countries amid ongoing litigation. Observers warned that return for many Syrians remains unsafe despite official statements about improved conditions.
Legal
Firing of Immigration Judges Continues
Nearly 20 immigration judges received termination notices in September, bringing the number dismissed by the Trump administration in 2025 to more than 80. Unions and advocates warn that removing experienced judges undermines the integrity of the courts and contributes to growing delays. The backlog of immigration court cases stands at nearly four million, with some hearings now delayed as far as 2029. These firings have disproportionately affected those with high asylum grant rates, but the administration has provided little rationale for many dismissals. Observers have raised concerns about due process and the independence of the courts as the Justice Department lowered the requirements and authorized up to 600 military lawyers to serve as temporary immigration judges.
States Win Lawsuit Protecting Food Stamp Recipients’ Data from Federal Immigration Requests
A coalition of 21 states and Washington, D.C. secured a court order blocking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from requiring states to hand over personal information about millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. The USDA had directed states to provide sensitive data, including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and immigration status, for every SNAP applicant since 2020, referencing an executive order expanding federal access to state program data. States that did not comply faced the threat of losing essential federal funds for administering SNAP.
State attorneys general argued that the information could be used to locate people for immigration enforcement or other unrelated purposes, chilling participation in vital food assistance programs. SNAP currently supports over 40 million people nationwide, including many U.S. citizen children in mixed-status families. Non-citizens can apply for SNAP benefits on behalf of their citizenship-holding children but cannot receive SNAP benefits themselves.
State and Local
Governor Newsom Signs Law Banning ICE Agents from Wearing Masks in California
On September 20, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law prohibiting ICE and other law enforcement agents from concealing their faces in the performance of their duties. His action comes in response to videos surfacing in recent months depicting masked and armed immigration agents arresting people across the United States. Although there is no precedent for law enforcement officers masking in the United States, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has defended the practice, citing concerns over doxxing and officer safety. Though federal agents have broad authority to arrest and detain individuals charged or suspected of crimes, it is standard and common law practice to identify yourself as soon as possible while conducting operations.
Federal agents have historically been granted some immunity from state prosecution, and the legislation is almost certain to face legal challenges. UC-Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky summarizes, “the issue of whether ICE agents can be prosecuted under state law for wearing masks while apprehending people turns on the question of whether it is reasonable for them to do so.” There have been efforts to nullify potential challenges with proposed legislation at the federal level. Current law requires ICE agents to identify themselves only as authorized to perform arrests, but observers warn that the protection of civil rights depends on effective and honest reporting by federal agencies.
BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED
It’s challenging to keep up with the deluge of proposed legislation in the 119th Congress. So, every week, we round up federal legislative proposals that have recently been introduced and that are relevant to immigration policy.
H.R.5534
To add the Republic of Korea to the E-3 nonimmigrant visa program.
Sponsored by Rep. Thomas R. Suozzi (D-New York) (0 cosponsors)
09/19/2025 Introduced by Rep. Suozzi
09/19/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R.5528
America’s CHILDREN Act of 2025
The bill would allow certain “Documented Dreamers” — children of parents who obtained a temporary nonimmigrant visa to work in the United States — to apply directly for lawful permanent resident status if they have lived in the United States at least ten years and meet other requirements.
Sponsored by Rep. Deborah K. Ross (D-North Carolina) (19 cosponsors)
09/19/2025 Introduced by Rep. Ross
09/19/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.Res.754
Recognizing the psychological impact of immigration enforcement overreach on individuals, their families, and their community.
Sponsored by Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-Illinois) (9 cosponsors)
09/19/2025 Introduced by Rep. Ramirez
09/19/2025 Referred to the House Committees on the Judiciary and Energy & Commerce
LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR
The U.S. House of Representatives session for the week of Monday, September 29 has been cancelled. The U.S. Senate will be in session from Monday, September 29, through Wednesday, October 1.
GOVERNMENT REPORTS
Reports by bodies such as the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General provide invaluable information on immigration policy and practice. Here, we give brief summaries of new immigration-related reports, with links to the resources themselves in case you want to learn more.
Congressional Research Service (CRS); The Department of Homeland Security’s Authority to Expand Expedited Removal; Publicly Released September 18, 2025
This legal sidebar analyzes DHS’s statutory authority under Immigration and Nationality Act Section 235(b)(1) to expand expedited removal to its fullest extent, as implemented through the January 24, 2025 Federal Register notice. The report examines how the Trump administration rescinded Biden-era limitations and restored expedited removal authority to apply to any noncitizen encountered anywhere in the United States who cannot prove continuous physical presence for two years and lacks proper entry documents.
Congressional Research Service (CRS); Immigration Parole; Publicly Released September 18, 2025
This report examines immigration parole authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act, analyzing the Trump administration’s termination of categorical parole programs through executive orders issued on the first day of his second term. The report provides comprehensive coverage of parole’s legislative history, various categories of parole implementation.
Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG); Results of August 2024 Unannounced Inspections of CBP Holding Facilities in the San Diego Area; Publicly Released September 23, 2025
This report presents findings from unannounced inspections of two U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) holding facilities: the San Diego Soft-Sided Facility and Chula Vista Border Patrol station. The inspections assessed compliance with National Standards on Transport, Escort, Detention, and Search procedures, examining facility conditions, detainee treatment, and operational practices during the August 2024 inspection period and found multiple areas of noncompliance.
SPOTLIGHT ON FORUM RESOURCES
The Forum is constantly publishing new policy-focused resources that engage with some of the most topical issues around immigration today. Here are a few that are particularly relevant this week:
Explainer: President Trump’s Presidential Proclamation on H-1B Visas
Our explainer analyzes President Trump’s September 19, 2025 Presidential Proclamation that introduces a $100,000 “visa integrity fee” for H-1B visa applications. The resource examines how this represents the most restrictive H-1B measures in decades, explores potential legal challenges based on statutory authority and Administrative Procedure Act violations, and details the policy’s impact on employers who may relocate operations abroad and foreign workers facing fewer opportunities and increased uncertainty.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS): Fact Sheet
Our fact sheet provides a comprehensive overview of Temporary Protected Status, a government protection for foreign-born individuals unable to return home safely. It details the Trump administration’s systematic termination, the resulting federal court challenges that have blocked or delayed many of these terminations and includes data showing TPS holders’ geographic distribution across and their economic contributions.
Explainer: Training Under the Revived 287(g) Task Force Model
This explainer explores how the Trump administration has fast-tracked training requirements for the revived 287(g) Task Force Model, cutting the previous four-week in-person program to just 40 hours of online training for officers who can investigate immigration status during routine patrols and community encounters.
Bill Summary: Protect Adoptees and American Families Act
Our bill summary details the bipartisan Protect Adoptees and American Families Act, which would provide automatic U.S. citizenship to individuals born outside the United States who were adopted as children by American parents. The legislation would fix a loophole in the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, leaving them susceptible to deportation and unable to travel or work legally despite being legally adopted by U.S. citizens.
*As of publication (9/26/25 at 4:30PM EST)
This Bulletin is not intended to be comprehensive. Please contact Nicci Mattey, Senior Policy & Advocacy Associate at the Forum, with questions, comments, and suggestions for additional items to be included. Nicci can be reached at nmattey@immigrationforum.org. Thank you.