United States
Saigon Sentinel · Section
Coverage of US politics, immigration policy, courts, and federal news as it affects Vietnamese-American communities across the country.
- 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.
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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…
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FAA Proposes Mandatory Replacement of Trent XWB Engine Oil Conduit Lines on Airbus A350 Aircraft
The FAA has just released a proposal to mandate repairs to Trent XWB engines on the Airbus A350 fleet after detecting abnormal oil pressure, with estimated costs exceeding half a million USD for U.S. carriers.
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IRS finalizes mandatory Roth rules for retirement catch-up contributions
The IRS's new rule requires high-income workers aged 50 and older to direct all catch-up contributions to retirement plans in the form of post-tax Roth contributions, rather than receiving a pre-tax tax deduction as befo…
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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…
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Father kills entire family in Kansas: Why warning signs failed to prevent tragedy?
A father in Kansas called 911 to report he had killed his entire family and was about to take his own life — police had received warnings about his unusual behavior just weeks earlier. The incident raises broader questio…
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US Tax Agency Automatically Waives Penalties, Opens New Window for COVID-Era Refunds
The IRS is replacing its request-based penalty relief program with an automatic mechanism starting in the summer of 2026, while simultaneously confirming that a federal court decision could enable tens of millions of peo…
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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.
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Medicaid and CHIP Halt Coverage of Hormone Therapy and Gender Transition Surgery for Minors
CMS confirms that Medicaid and CHIP will stop paying for puberty blockers, hormones, and gender transition surgery in minors starting in October 2026, but will provide a six-month transition period for children currently…
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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.
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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.
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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…
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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…
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Vietnamese Nail Salons, Restaurants May Get Tax Relief Under New Part-Time Worker Rules
The new IRS notice opens the door for small businesses to calculate the paid leave tax credit based on insurance premiums, rather than only on wages as before, while also lowering the employee tenure requirement to six m…
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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…
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Washington bans outdoor fires statewide amid record wildfires
Washington's governor issues a statewide outdoor burning ban extending through late September, while three fires combined near Spokane have destroyed hundreds of structures in just one night.
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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…
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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.
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Spokane Wildfires: Why Fire Spreads So Fast and Who Is Being Evacuated?
Intense wildfires around Spokane have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced 60,000 people to evacuate in just a few days. Here is what you need to know about the cause, scale, and unusual nature of this fire outbreak.
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IRS Automatic Penalty Exemption — No Application Needed, Starting This Summer
The IRS will automatically remove failure-to-file, failure-to-pay, and failure-to-deposit penalties for taxpayers with a good compliance history, with no need to submit an application—a change that could help over one mi…