Developments in the Immigration | May 2025 Newsletter
Index
Hello,
May was a month of major developments in immigration, especially with new policies that directly impact international students. The cancellations of SEVIS records created uncertainty and concern for many F-1 visa holders.
At Gozel Law, we have been actively supporting international students during this time, helping them navigate SEVIS issues and protect their status. We provide legal guidance to ensure your applications move forward properly, your status is maintained, and potential risks are avoided.
If you are in the U.S. on an F-1 visa and are facing issues with your SEVIS record, you can reach out to us at info@gozellaw.com or call our office at 862-799-2200.
In this month’s newsletter, we are also continuing to share general updates in the immigration system and highlight some of the successful cases we have recently handled.
Recent Updates in Immigration
DHS Suspends USCIS Ombudsman’s Office
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has placed all staff members of the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman on administrative leave for 60 days, claiming that the office was slowing down immigration enforcement. This decision effectively shuts down the office, preventing it from handling any cases during this period.
What Was the Role of the Ombudsman’s Office?
The Ombudsman served as a crucial support mechanism for addressing delayed, wrongly denied, or stalled applications at USCIS. It provided effective solutions particularly for H-1B workers, F-1 students awaiting OPT extensions, and immigrants waiting for Green Cards. Throughout 2024, the office had helped positively resolve more than 30,000 cases.
Mandamus Lawsuits Are Now the Only Effective Solution
Previously, applicants facing USCIS delays could seek assistance from members of Congress or the Ombudsman’s Office. However, these channels are now either ineffective or completely unavailable. As a result, filing a mandamus lawsuit has become the primary and most effective way to push pending cases forward.
Is Your Case Stuck Too?
If your immigration application has been pending for months without progress, pursuing a mandamus lawsuit could be a strong option to expedite your case.
Fill out our Mandamus Eligibility Form.
If you are eligible, our team will contact you soon.
For more information about the Mandamus Lawsuit, you can check out our blog post:
Speed Up Your U.S. Immigration Applications: Understanding Mandamus Lawsuits
Trump Plans to Impose $998 Daily Fines on Immigrants Who Defy Deportation Orders
The Trump administration is planning to impose fines of up to $998 per day on immigrants who have received final deportation orders but have not left the United States. Additionally, they plan to seize the assets of those who fail to pay these fines.
The fines are based on a 1996 law and were first enforced in 2018. They may also be applied retroactively for up to five years.
This policy could result in some immigrants facing penalties exceeding $1 million.
The fines could impact not only undocumented immigrants but also U.S. citizen and Green Card holder family members who share a household with them. According to estimates by FWD.us, around 10 million immigrants live in such mixed-status households.
What Are Experts Saying?
Immigration advocates argue that this policy is not a legitimate legal measure but rather a tool intended to instill fear.
Scott Shuchart, who served as a policy advisor at ICE during the Biden administration, stated that while these fines could be legally challenged, the threat itself may have a strong deterrent effect.
There is no official start date announced yet for the implementation of this policy.
Legal Status of Migrants Entering the U.S. Through the CBP One App Has Been Terminated
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has revoked the "parole" protections for migrants who entered the United States through the CBP One app during the Biden administration, effectively terminating their legal status. Migrants have been urged to leave the U.S. immediately. Those who entered through the app are now instructed to apply for voluntary departure through a new system called CBP Home.
The CBP One app was introduced in 2023 to help control border crossings and encourage orderly entries. However, after taking office, the Trump administration suspended the program, halted new entries, and forced thousands to remain at the Mexican border.
In its statement, DHS claimed that Biden was the president who used the "parole" authority the most extensively, arguing that these policies led to “the largest border crisis in U.S. history.” The Trump administration maintains that such use of parole undermined national security and made it harder to control the borders.
Groups Affected:
Families from Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico
532,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who previously entered by air with financial sponsors
600,000 Venezuelan and 500,000 Haitian migrants who are under threat due to potential termination of their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) (currently paused by court orders)
Migrants whose status has been terminated in this way will also face fines of up to $998 per day.
DHS Begins Reviewing Immigrants’ Social Media for Antisemitic Activity
USCIS has announced that antisemitic social media activity and physical harassment of Jewish individuals will now be considered valid grounds for denying immigration applications. This new policy will impact Green Card applicants, international students, and foreign nationals affiliated with educational institutions allegedly linked to antisemitic activities.
The decision aligns with a series of executive orders issued by former President Trump aimed at combating antisemitism. DHS stated that foreign nationals associated with organizations supporting antisemitic terrorism—such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or Ansar Allah (Houthis)—will not be permitted to remain in the United States.
Under the new guidelines, if an individual shares content on social media that endorses, supports, or promotes antisemitic activities, USCIS may factor this into its discretionary review and use it as a basis for denying the application.
This policy has gone into immediate effect.
Click here for more information.
Asylum Applications Deemed Unfounded May Be Denied Without a Hearing
The new Department of Justice policy, effective as of April 11, 2025, grants immigration judges the authority to deny asylum applications without a hearing if they are deemed "legally insufficient."
This policy could significantly restrict asylum seekers' ability to present their cases in court. Immigration law experts and human rights advocates argue that the policy undermines procedural safeguards and violates the right to a fair hearing.
What Does This Mean?
The goal is to reduce the backlog in immigration courts, where nearly 4 million cases are currently pending.
However, thousands of individuals who file applications without legal representation may submit incomplete or insufficient petitions.
As a result, even those fleeing genuine persecution could face removal without ever having their claims properly reviewed.
Applications that do not clearly establish a legal basis, those delayed due to statute of limitations issues, or cases that appear weak at first glance could now be denied at the judge’s discretion.
If you are considering filing for asylum or are currently in the process, it is more critical than ever to ensure that your application is complete and built on strong legal grounds from the very beginning.
Seeking assistance from an immigration attorney has become essential under these new circumstances.
SEVIS Records Are Being Canceled Without Cause: Students' Status at Risk!
As of April 4, 2025, the SEVIS records of hundreds of international students have been canceled without any stated reason or prior notice. Reports indicate that these sudden cancellations have affected students across more than 50 universities.
Students often first learned about the termination of their status through an automated email from their university. In many cases, there was no court decision or ruling against them, yet their records were marked in the system as having a "criminal record."
This development places students who are just weeks away from graduation at serious risk of losing job offers, internship opportunities, and graduate school plans.
What Should Students Whose SEVIS Records Were Canceled Do?
The most appropriate course of action is to file a lawsuit in Federal Court, arguing that the SEVIS cancellation violates the constitutional right to due process and administrative procedural protections, and requesting that the cancellation be overturned.
While students may attempt to recover their status through a process called "reinstatement," this route carries significant risks and typically yields limited success. Reinstatement is only available under certain conditions and, during the application process, the student would not be authorized to work or apply for OPT. Furthermore, reinstatement applications are adjudicated by USCIS, which is under DHS—the same agency responsible for the cancellations—and they often result in denial. Filing a lawsuit in federal court challenging the legal basis of the SEVIS cancellation remains a more effective solution.
What Should Students Do Now?
Regularly check your email and university announcements.
Contact your Designated School Official (DSO) to confirm whether your SEVIS record remains active.
If a reinstatement option appears in your SEVIS profile, it should be visible—if not, take a screenshot as evidence.
Keep digital copies of all important documents:
I-20 forms, passport, visa, EAD card (if applicable), I-94 records, and SEVIS profile screenshots.
Fighting SEVIS Terminations: A Success Story from Gozel Law ✨
Since the recent developments, we have been actively preparing multiple lawsuits related to SEVIS cancellations.
As part of these efforts, in a case we filed on behalf of a Turkish student client in Washington, D.C., a federal judge issued a temporary order halting the SEVIS cancellation.
A key reason cited in the decision was DHS’s failure to provide official notice of the cancellations to the students and their schools.
If you have discovered that your SEVIS record has been deleted or are facing visa revocation or similar issues, we encourage you to contact us without delay.
To protect your status and initiate the legal process, you can email us at info@gozellaw.com or call our office at 862-799-2200.
You can check out our blog post for more details:
SEVIS Record Terminated? Contact Our Immigration Team Immediately for Help
There are no comments yet. Be the first to comment!