TSA staff work unpaid as Homeland Security funding lapses, raising prospect of airport delays
Leaked plan shows $38 billion ICE build-out of new detention network by 2026
Immigration courts now deny nearly 80 % of asylum claims under accelerated Trump policies
Latest News
Federal judge orders U.S. to fly wrongly deported Venezuelans back to fight cases
Judge James Boasberg ruled that more than 130 Venezuelans deported without hearings must be flown back to the U.S. to pursue their immigration cases, underscoring judicial limits on mass expulsion policies. The decision offers a procedural safeguard for future foreign nationals, including employees, who might be swept up in emergency removals.
DHS Finalizes Weighted H-1B Lottery Rule, Favoring Higher-Paid Jobs from FY 2027
DHS confirmed that, beginning with the FY 2027 cap, USCIS will weight H-1B lottery entries by prevailing-wage level, giving higher-paid positions up to four chances of selection. Employers must document wage data and coordinate with candidates because one low-wage filing can reduce a beneficiary’s odds across all registrations. The rule benefits companies that can pay senior-level salaries but threatens entry-level hiring pipelines, making early planning essential.
CBP Says One Million ESTAs Approved for World-Cup Fans as Trusted-Traveler Enrollments Surge
CBP says it has surpassed one million ESTA approvals for citizens of World-Cup-qualified nations and processed 656,000 Trusted-Traveler applications in Q1 FY 2026. The agency is running mobile Global Entry and joint NEXUS events worldwide to prepare for a record tourism influx, urging visitors to enrol early to avoid airport bottlenecks. Employers should encourage frequent travellers to secure Global Entry or update existing ESTAs now.
FAA Temporarily Shuts El Paso Airspace After CBP Anti-Drone Laser Hits Party Balloon
The FAA briefly closed El Paso’s airspace after CBP used an anti-drone laser that accidentally targeted a harmless balloon, exposing gaps in agency coordination. The shutdown stranded travellers, disrupted cargo flows and triggered congressional scrutiny of CBP’s growing counter-UAS arsenal. Mobility and supply-chain managers should expect similar snap restrictions as border agencies deploy new technology.
Tech and Travel Groups Tell CBP to Scrap Mandatory Social-Media Disclosure for ESTA
SIIA and allied industry groups submitted comments on February 11 opposing CBP’s plan to make five years of social-media history a compulsory ESTA data field. They warn the move could deter business travel, invite foreign retaliation and undermine privacy without proven security gains. Employers should monitor the rule-making: if adopted, booking workflows and employee-privacy policies will require significant updates.