TASK FORCE INFORMATION:
As you know, we will NOT be meeting on December13th.  Our next meeting wlll be held via Zoom on January 10h. 

AFGHAN EVACUEE INFORMATION:
>> Understanding the Afghan Refugee Crisis  Thursday, December 16, 1-2:30 p.m.
This talk will offer a primer on Afghan society and politics for attorneys and others seeking to understand how to support Afghan refugees in the U.S. In offering context for the ongoing crisis, it will present an historical overview of the evolution of Afghan society and the effects of American intervention and the Taliban resurgence. It will highlight the emergence of various fault lines – ideological, ethnic, religious, and regional – that lay at the root of the crisis and that inform Afghans’ search for security and stability in the U.S. It will conclude with a 30-minute question-and-answer session. Register at the link below: 
https://info.supporthumanrightsfirst.org/event/understanding-the-afghan-refugee-crisis/e379029
>> Physician Examination waiver of signature:  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is temporarily waiving the requirement that the civil surgeon sign the medical exam form no more than 60 days before submission, until Sept. 30, 2022. The temporary waiver will benefit many applicants, including Afghan nationals evacuated under Operation Allies Welcome who have completed immigration medical examinations atgovernment-run facilities but were not able to apply for adjustment of status within 60 days of the completed examination.
GOVERNMENT REPORTS:
>>CRS released a Report entitled, “Immigration Arrests in the Interior of the United States: A Primer”. CRS provided information on ICE’s immigration enforcement in the interior of the United States. It explains general authority to arrest and detain, limitations to ICE’s arrest authority, worksite inspections, and recent congressional activity regarding ICE’s conduct of immigration enforcement actions. SEE: https://sgp.fas.org/crs/homesec/LSB10362.pdf
>> CRS released a  Report entitled,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Powers and Limitations: A Primer”   In this Report,    CRS provided information on CBP, explaining its general authority to arrest and detain, its routine questioning and investigative detentions, customs and immigration-related inspections and searches, and recent legislative activity concerning CBP’s ability to conduct searches and seizures.  SEE: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10559
NATIONAL NEWS:
>>Buzzfeed News reports that the DHS civil rights office raised an internal warning to immigration and border officials that deporting Haitians to their volatile home country risked violating U.S. civil and human rights obligations and advised them against the practice in late August.  SEE:  https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hamedaleaziz/haitian-deportations-dhs-memo?utm_campaign=HubSpot-AILA8-12-07-2021&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=192486238&_hsenc=p2ANqtz8tMqFYs5_jN2YRSIn2d1wYmNRfHXHqmvigl7r7KEQ5AkPBnp0iWObXvTL_1ikCjMmodWZxdOW7OCPdwLd1AiK2p688HQ&utm_content=192486238&utm_source=hs_email
>> The Hill reports that the Senate confirmed President Biden’s pick to lead CBP (Customs and Border protection)  in an almost party-line vote on Tuesday. Chris Magnus, the police chief for Tucson, AZ, will lead the agency in charge of overseeing border security and travel. SEE:  https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/584820-senate-confirms-bidens-nominee-to-lead-customs-and-border-protection?utm_
>> TRAC Report Finds Asylum Success Varies Widely Across Immigration Judges
TRAC released a report finding that asylum outcomes vary significantly from judge to judge and court to court. Findings include that half of all asylum cases are decided by just six immigration courts, and the majority of immigration judges have an asylum denial rate of 70% or more. https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/judgereports/.  If you access the Report and choose the Boston Immigration Court and then look at the denial rates of Judge Sullivan compared to Judge Furlong you will get the full impact of this Report.  I keep wondering why this is such a wide discrepancy among judges.  It is almost as if a flip of the coin determines the outcome of an asylum case.
LOCAL NEWS:
>>  DHS notice of the re-establishment of a matching program between USCIS and the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance to verify the immigration status of non-U.S. citizens who apply for federal unemployment benefits. Comments are due 1/3/22. (86 FR 68509, 12/2/21)

 Stay warm and safe
Gerry Rovner