Immigration
Saigon Sentinel · Section
Immigration policy, visas, deportation, asylum, naturalization — the issues that define diaspora life.
- US
Green Card Application Form I-485 Updated; Old Version Rejected from September 18
USCIS will replace the green card application form I-485 starting September 18, 2026 to comply with new Public Charge regulations, and will provide no grace period for applicants who late-submit using the old version.
- Gulf Coast
ICE accused of ignoring court orders: what limits exist for those facing deportation?
An ICE official faces contempt of court charges for re-arresting a person three times despite a federal judge's release order. The case reveals a broader pattern: court orders protecting people from deportation are not g…
- US
USCIS Tightens 'Public Charge' Rule for Green Card Review Starting 18/9/2026
USCIS has issued new guidance implementing a federal regulation effective September 18, 2026, that broadens the scope of public benefits that may affect green card review — while the Department of Homeland Security has y…
- SoCal
The Mechanism for Determining 'Flight Risk' — A New Legal Gray Area for Immigrant Arrests in Los Angeles
Nearly 80 percent of immigrant arrest records in Los Angeles contain no proper assessment of flight risk as required by 1946 law — and a federal judge is now preparing to compel agents to prove each specific case.
- US
Forms I-539 and I-765 Updated; Old Versions Rejected from September 15, 2026
USCIS confirms there will be no transition period for the two most commonly used forms in nonimmigrant immigration cases, making the choice of the correct submission date a decisive factor in whether an application is ac…
- Guides
Which state? Texas, California, Georgia and Washington, compared in numbers
Our earlier guide to work in America carried one piece of advice: pick the state first, then the occupation. The advice was right but unfinished, because it never said which state.…
- US
USCIS Extends Work Authorization for El Salvador Citizens Until September 9, 2026
USCIS announces that expired work permits for certain Salvadoran citizens will be automatically extended until September 9, 2026, just before the entire temporary protection designation ends.
- Guides
Reading the Visa Bulletin: how to find where your petition stands in the queue
Every month the U.S. State Department publishes a set of tables called the Visa Bulletin. For many Vietnamese families it is the only document that says how much longer a sponsorship petition has to wait.…
- US
Somali TPS Work Permit Extended to August 12, 2026 Pending Court Ruling
A Massachusetts court order is keeping work permits for Somali nationals under temporary protected status valid, even though termination was announced at the start of the year.
- US
IRS Finalizes Backup Withholding Rule for App-Based Payments
The IRS has finalized a 24% backup withholding rule applying to payments made through PayPal, Venmo, and similar platforms, with the reporting threshold returning to $20,000 after years of continuous changes.
- Politics
ICE Body Cameras: Safer or Just Transparency Window Dressing?
ICE pledges all personnel will have body cameras by the end of August 2026, but policy still allows the agency to unilaterally decide when to release footage — even after deaths. This is more noteworthy than the equipmen…
- Guides
Applying for asylum in America: the process as it actually works, and the new fee few people know about
Since 29 May 2026, applying for asylum in the United States is no longer free. It is the largest change to this procedure in years, and it is something many people still do not know when they start looking into it.…
- US
From Lost Status to Electronic Ankle Monitors: ICE's New Enforcement Mechanism
Electronic ankle monitors with GPS tracking are not just a surveillance tool for Haitians who lost temporary residency status, but rather a coercive model being tested by ICE that affects both employers and those who spe…
- Guides
The Path to U.S. Citizenship: Benefits, Requirements, and Application Steps to Know
A green card allows legal residence and work, but only citizenship unlocks voting rights, broader family sponsorship, and near-absolute protection from deportation. This article outlines each concrete step along that pat…
- US
Family-Sponsored Green Card Applications Can Be Filed Earlier Than Employment-Based in August
In August 2026, USCIS confirms that family-sponsored applicants can use the earlier dates for filing table, while employment-based applicants must wait for their priority date to become truly current before submitting th…
- US
Why Do People Held by ICE Keep Dying in New Jersey?
A 41-year-old Salvadoran man died at Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey on August 2, 2026, the second death in less than a year at the facility — and a sign of a larger trend in the U.S. immigration detention sy…
- Politics
Texas Senate Race: Polling Gap Narrows, but Neither Candidate Has a Lock on Victory
Polls on the Texas Senate race between Talarico and Paxton are swinging in different directions, but the real story lies with Latino voters and immigration policy — two factors that could directly affect Vietnamese-Ameri…
- World
Outsourced Borders: Why Ceuta Bleeds and No One Takes Responsibility
Death tolls in Ceuta range from 67 to 88 people depending on the source, and how Morocco and Spain are handling this discrepancy nearly mirrors the responsibility-concealment pattern that occurred in Melilla in 2022.
- US
Social Security Administration Eliminates Paper Checks, Switches Entirely to Electronic Transfers
The Social Security Administration will stop sending paper checks, requiring beneficiaries to receive payments entirely through bank accounts or Direct Express cards — part of a series of technical reforms that have been…
- US
South Sudan TPS Work Permit Extended to August 6, 2026
A federal court order is keeping numerous South Sudanese work permits valid until August 6, 2026, even though the administration officially terminated Temporary Protected Status as of November 2025.