By Thomas M. Lee Losing a job is disorienting under the best of circumstances, and it becomes even more confusing when you suspect the termination wasn’t legal. California has some of the strongest worker protections in the country, but it also operates under the doctrine of at-will employment, which means many employees are left wondering…
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By Thomas M. Lee If you have unlawful presence in your immigration history, a trip abroad on advance parole may no longer be the safe move it used to be. On August 13, 2026, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) issued a precedential decision — Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, 29 I&N Dec. 830 (BIA 2026) — that…
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On August 5, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) quietly issued one of the most consequential policy changes of the year, and most applicants have no idea it happened. The new guidance, titled “USCIS to Reduce Frivolous Immigration Benefits Requests by Reinforcing Evidence Standards,” restores USCIS officers’ discretion to deny an immigration benefit request…
Continue reading ›The landscape of U.S. immigration law is undergoing a major regulatory transition. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the rescission of the 2022 Public Charge Rule. Taking effect on September 18, 2026, this policy shift removes the narrow regulatory framework that previously limited public charge assessments strictly to cash assistance for income maintenance and…
Continue reading ›On July 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a transformative final rule in the Federal Register titled Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure. This regulatory action fundamentally alters the legal framework governing international students and exchange visitors in the United States. Taking effect on September…
Continue reading ›In a monumental decision for corporate immigration and employment law, a federal court has officially struck down the highly controversial $100,000 fee requirement for new H-1B visas. The ruling, delivered by U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin of the District of Massachusetts, represents a massive victory for a coalition of twenty states led by California. For…
Continue reading ›A sweeping new USCIS policy memorandum issued on May 21, 2026, may dramatically reshape how adjustment of status applications are reviewed across the United States. In one of the strongest policy statements in recent years, USCIS formally reaffirmed that adjustment of status is not a right, but an “extraordinary” discretionary benefit that exists only as…
Continue reading ›In February 2026, the federal government issued a new policy titled Protecting the National Security and Welfare of the United States and Its Citizens From Criminal Actors and Other Public Safety Threats. You can review the full text here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/11/2026-02819/protecting-the-national-security-and-welfare-of-the-united-states-and-its-citizens-from-criminal If you are an immigrant living in the United States or planning to apply for…
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Those who are considering filing an EB-1A extraordinary ability petition or a National Interest Waiver (NIW) need to understand a critical reality: the legal standards have not changed dramatically, but how USCIS applies those standards has shifted in a meaningful and often unfavorable way. Over the past year, practitioners and former adjudicators have consistently observed…
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California Labor Code section 1102.5 is the state’s primary whistleblower protection statute. It protects employees from retaliation when they report unlawful conduct, disclose violations of law, or refuse to participate in illegal activity. For employees and employment lawyers alike, understanding how California whistleblower retaliation claims work under Labor Code § 1102.5 is essential. This article…
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