Federal
Proposed Rule Would Tighten Work Authorization Eligibility for Certain Noncitizens
On June 5, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking titled “Clarification of Discretionary Employment Authorization for Certain Aliens.” The proposed rule would significantly restrict eligibility for employment authorization for three groups of noncitizens: individuals paroled into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons, recipients of deferred action, and individuals with final orders of removal.
Under the proposed rule, affected individuals would be eligible for employment authorization only if USCIS determines they warrant a favorable exercise of discretion. To qualify, applicants would generally be required to demonstrate economic necessity, submit biometrics for background screening, have no disqualifying criminal history, and show that they are not affiliated with a gang or criminal organization. The proposal would also require applicants to demonstrate that they are employed, or will be employed, by an employer enrolled in E-Verify. Notably, the proposed rule would not apply to DACA recipients, T visa applicants, or individuals granted deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture.
The proposed rule sparked concern among some stakeholders. Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum, highlighted that this rule “could exacerbate workforce shortages, disrupt economic stability, and hinder growth in sectors heavily reliant on immigrant labor.” She also noted that “Americans want fair, firm, and compassionate immigration solutions that secure legal immigration and end illegal immigration. Rather than target people who are working legally, Congress and the president should work together to make sure that legal immigration is benefiting all Americans.”
Senate Passes $72 Billion Reconciliation Bill
On June 5, the Senate passed a reconciliation package carrying approximately $72 billion in immigration enforcement funding after a contentious overnight session. The bill funds ICE operations for three years and represents one of the largest single legislative investments in immigration enforcement in recent memory. Republican leaders had spent days working to unstick the measure after it stalled on the floor amid disputes over several provisions. Democrats offered near-unanimous opposition throughout the vote-a-rama process, forcing Republicans to defend dozens of amendment votes through the night before securing final passage along party lines.
The legislation includes funding for additional detention beds, border security infrastructure, and immigration court operations — components the administration has framed as essential to sustaining its mass deportation agenda. The bill now heads to the House, where Republican leaders will need to reconcile it with their own version of immigration enforcement spending. Democrats have signaled they will continue to challenge the measure in the House and in the courts, arguing the funding levels are excessive and that several provisions raise serious due process concerns.
DHS Clarifies New Green Card Policy
On May 22, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued guidance announcing that most non-immigrants seeking to adjust to lawful permanent resident status would be required to leave the United States and complete the green card process through consular processing at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. A significant departure from the longstanding practice of allowing applicants to adjust status domestically, the policy would have affected an estimated 1.2 million backlogged green card applicants currently residing in the U.S. USCIS stated it would only allow domestic processing in “extraordinary circumstances.” Immigration attorneys expressed widespread confusion following the announcement, and legal challenges were quickly mooted.
On May 31, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified that the policy will not affect high-skilled applicants deemed to have national security or economic benefits to the country, will not impact existing green card holders or their ability to travel, and will not prevent any qualified person from being granted permanent residency. However, some non-immigrants will still be required to leave the U.S. and apply through Department of State consular offices abroad rather than with USCIS domestically. The majority of new green cards have historically gone to immigrants already living in the United States.
The policy has drawn particular concern from military families. DHS rescinded a 2022 policy in April 2025 that had treated a family member’s military service as a “significant mitigating factor” in immigration enforcement decisions, replacing it with guidance stating that “military service alone does not exempt aliens from the consequences of violating U.S. immigration laws.” Advocates warn that the combination of the new green card processing requirements and the removal of military family protections creates compounding vulnerabilities for mixed-status military households navigating an increasingly restrictive immigration system.
Rosario ‘Pete’ Vasquez Named as New Border Patrol Chief
After a two-week search, on Monday, June 1st, 2026, Rosario ‘Pete’ Vasquez was named the new Border Patrol Chief, succeeding previous chief Michael Banks. With twenty-six years of experience as an agent, most recently serving as chief patrol agent of the Border Patrol’s northwestern region in Blaine, Washington, Vasquez will now be overseeing about 20,000 agents and be responsible for securing 7,000 miles of international land borders. Upon announcing the appointment, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott praised Vasquez’s experience and leadership, saying he had spent “more than two decades leading from the front” and was well positioned to guide the agency moving forward. Vasquez’s selection also marks a transition from the immigration enforcement approach associated with former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, providing Secretary Markwayne Mullin an “opportunity to set a new tone on immigration enforcement.” According to the CBP, with this new search, they prioritized, “integrity, work ethic, a focus on the workforce, and experience more so than in past searches.”
Vasquez stated: “My focus is clear: support our agents, strengthen our operational capabilities, and ensure the U.S. Border Patrol remains the most effective border security force in the world.” Heading into the 2026 midterm elections, the effectiveness of Vasquez’s leadership and the administration’s broader immigration enforcement strategy will likely continue to face political attention and scrutiny.
Trump Administration Plans Sharp Cut to Embassies Handling U.S. Visa Applications
The U.S. State Department is set to close almost thirty U.S. consulates and embassies, reducing the number of visa-processing posts in Africa from about fifty to twenty, according to three U.S. officials and an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. The proposed closures would affect posts in Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Zimbabwe, and several other countries, leaving large portions of North and West Africa reliant on a limited number of remaining visa-processing “hubs”, most notably Lagos, Nigeria, and Lomé, Togo. Under the new rules, those applying for U.S. visas in a country without visa processing would need to travel to a nearby hub embassy or consulate for processing, increasing travel costs and barriers, many of which have been exacerbated by travel restrictions resulting from the Ebola outbreak.
According to news outlets, this marks yet another move by the Trump administration to reduce and disincentivize immigration to the United States. The measure follows a freeze on visa processing in 75 countries, including Somalia, travel bans affecting 38 countries, and requirements for nationals of more than 50 countries—many of them in Africa—to post bonds of up to $15,000 in order to apply for a U.S. visa. In its internal memo, the State Department claimed that it “is constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to deploy taxpayer resources in a way that advances America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible.” The memo further stated that this “includes a visa process that maintains rigorous standards of security screening and vetting and aligns resources and operational capacity with America’s national interests.” There was no set date for the closures, but officials say it is likely to happen by the end of June.
Internal DHS Plan Would Allow Rapid Asylum Rejections Without Interviews
Internal documents reviewed by CBS News reveal that the Trump administration is developing a plan that would allow asylum officers to reject applications without conducting individual interviews, a significant departure from longstanding asylum adjudication procedures. Under the proposal, officers could summarily deny claims based on written materials alone, bypassing the interview process that has historically served as a key safeguard for applicants to present their cases in person. Immigration advocates warn the plan would dramatically increase the risk of erroneous denials and would undermine due process protections for individuals fleeing persecution, while administration officials have framed streamlined processing as necessary to address what they describe as an overwhelmed and backlogged asylum system.
Legal
Immigration Courts Begin Mass Hearings to Accelerate Deportation Cases
Immigration courts across the country are beginning to hold “mega master” hearings, mass calendar sessions grouping 100 or more cases at a time, as the Trump administration pushes to dramatically accelerate the pace of deportation proceedings. The practice, which began surfacing in courts in Virginia, Chicago, and Boston in late May, has now spread to Fort Snelling, Minnesota; New Orleans; Concord, California; and San Antonio, Texas. Standard master calendar hearings typically involve 10 to 15 individuals, and attorneys say meaningful individual review is nearly impossible at the new scale. Courts are also moving to restrict virtual appearances, requiring more individuals to appear in person on short notice. In New Orleans, advocates say the mega hearings are being used primarily to generate in absentia removal orders against respondents who fail to appear, whether due to lack of notice, scheduling conflicts, or absence of legal counsel.
BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED
H.R. 9134
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to ensure that personally identifiable information provided in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is not used for immigration enforcement, and for other purposes
Sponsored by Rep. Emily Randall (D-Washington) (3 cosponsors)
06/03/2026 Introduced by Rep. Randall
06/03/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce
H.R. 9096
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to revoke the citizenship of any naturalized United States citizen convicted of a terrorism-related crime
Sponsored by Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Michigan) (2 cosponsors)
06/02/2026 Introduced by Rep. Huizenga
06/02/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.J.Res. 190
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to clarify the 14th amendment does not provide for automatic citizenship for the children of aliens
Sponsored by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) (0 cosponsors)
06/02/2026 Introduced by Rep. Mace
06/02/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9068
To strengthen hiring and screening standards for immigration enforcement officers and to strengthen uniform, identification, and professional conduct standards for such officers
Sponsored by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colorado) (3 cosponsors)
05/29/2026 Introduced by Rep. Neguse
05/29/2026 Referred to the Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Ways and Means
H.R. 9069
To limit the Department of Homeland Security from detaining children and individuals with a cognitive disability and to prohibit immigration enforcement actions at sensitive locations without a court-issued criminal warrant
Sponsored by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colorado) (3 cosponsors)
05/29/2026 Introduced by Rep. Neguse
05/29/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 9070
To improve immigration enforcement transparency, preserve civil rights, and improve the accountability of immigration enforcement personnel, and for other purposes
Sponsored by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colorado) (3 cosponsors)
05/29/2026 Introduced by Rep. Neguse
05/29/2026 Referred to the Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security
LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to be in session from Monday, June 8, through Friday, June 12. The U.S. House is scheduled to be in session from Monday, June 8, through Thursday, June 11.
UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
Markup: Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill and the Fiscal Year 2027 Homeland Security Bill
Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET (House Appropriations Committee)
Location: 2359 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION 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:
Medical Care in ICE Detention
The Consequences of Net Negative Migration in 2025: Implications for the U.S. Economy, Workforce, and Global Competitiveness
Reclassifying ‘Applicants for Admission’: How the Second Trump Administration is Reshaping Mandatory Detention
Why Businesses Should Support Immigration Reform
*As of publication (6/5/26 at 1:15PM 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@forumtogether.org. Thank you.