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Good afternoon,  

Welcome to the Forum's legislative bulletin. Every week, our policy team rounds up key developments around immigration policy in Washington, D.C., and across the country. The bulletin includes items on the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, as well as some coverage at the state and local levels.   

You can find the online version of the bulletin here: [link removed] [link removed] 

With hope, 

Nicci 

**DEVELOPMENTS IN IMMIGRATION POLICY THIS WEEK**

Here, we summarize some of the most important recent developments in immigration policy on the federal, legal, state, and local levels.  

**Federal**

******Administration Imposes Sweeping Pauses on Asylum, Refugee Cases, and Immigration from 19 Countries After National Guard Shooting**** **

In response to the tragic National Guard shooting in Washington, D.C. on November 26, the Trump administration has implemented [link removed] an unprecedented set of nationwide pauses and re‑reviews across the asylum, refugee, and legal immigration systems. Within days, the administration moved to pause [link removed] all affirmative asylum decisions for people already in the United States, indefinitely halt immigration applications filed by Afghan nationals and bar most Afghans from entering the country, and paused the review [link removed] of the green cards and other immigration benefits of nationals from 19 travel ban countries. On December 5, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the administration will expand [link removed] the ban to more than 30 countries.  

The administration has also ordered a comprehensive reassessment of asylum approvals issued during the Biden administration, and the president has publicly threatened [link removed] to target asylum seekers with pending applications and explore [link removed] denaturalizing some naturalized citizens with certain criminal convictions, increasing anxiety among communities that already completed extensive vetting. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memo [link removed] on December 2 directing officers to immediately and indefinitely pause [link removed] all asylum and withholding of removal applications (Form I‑589) regardless of nationality "pending a comprehensive review." This hold could affect roughly 1.5 million people [link removed] with pending asylum applications before USCIS and in the immigration courts as of mid‑2025. The memo also freezes all pending benefits for people from the June 4 travel ban countries and requires a "comprehensive re‑review" of already approved benefits for nationals of those countries who entered on or after January 20, 2021, potentially triggering new interviews, referrals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and revocation proceedings. These steps build on earlier moves to pause refugee green card applications and re‑interview [link removed] more than 200,000 refugees. USCIS also issued a policy alert [link removed] on December 4 shortening [link removed] the maximum validity of many work permits from five years to 18 months for refugees, parolees, asylum seekers, TPS holders, some spouses, and green card applicants, which will force more frequent renewals in an already backlogged system.  

Advocates, legal experts, and resettlement agencies warn [link removed] that these measures collectively amount to a far‑reaching dismantling of legal pathways, with particularly acute harm for Afghans [link removed], nationals of the travel ban countries, and refugees admitted since 2021. They report that the nationwide asylum pause and case‑by‑case "re‑review" have left hundreds of thousands of people in limbo [link removed], while many from the 19 countries have seen citizenship, green card, and other long‑pending cases abruptly frozen or reopened for scrutiny.  

******Reports of ICE Arrests of Spouses of U.S. Citizens at Green Card Interviews Increase**** **

A growing pattern [link removed] of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens at marriage-based green card interviews is raising alarm. Some arrests [link removed] have involved military families, where spouses have been taken into custody after appearing for these appointments. In San Diego [link removed], multiple arrests were reported in November in which applicants appeared for scheduled adjustment of status interviews at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices. During those appointments, ICE agents arrested them after confirming their identities and lack of lawful status, sometimes in front of their U.S. citizen spouses and children.  

The practice appears to reflect increased coordination between USCIS and ICE, including information‑sharing that allows enforcement officers to target people who present themselves for interviews. Family-based immigration [link removed] remains a central pathway to lawful status for spouses, parents, and children of U.S. citizens. Advocates argue [link removed] that turning green card interviews into arrest sites undermines the integrity of that system and risks separating families Congress intended to protect. 

******Administration Ends Temporary Protected Status for Haiti and Myanmar**** **

On November 26, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) [link removed] for Haiti and Myanmar. The move will affect an estimated 352,000 Haitians [link removed] and roughly 4,000 Myanmar nationals [link removed], with TPS set to end on January 26, 2026 for Myanmar [link removed] and February 3, 2026 for Haiti [link removed]. In its notices, DHS claims that country conditions have improved sufficiently to permit safe return, citing selected political developments, statements by foreign officials, and references to international reporting [link removed] as support for the terminations. Haitian and Burmese community leaders, advocates, and researchers strongly dispute that assessment, noting that even areas labeled "safe" in Haiti continue to experience [link removed] pervasive violence, weak infrastructure, and severe public health risks, while Myanmar remains in the midst of civil conflict and an ongoing political crisis. 

TPS holders from both countries have responded with shock and distress [link removed], and community organizations are preparing legal challenges that argue DHS has ignored the statute’s humanitarian purposes and relied on selective or out‑of‑context evidence. The terminations put hundreds of thousands of people who have lived and worked lawfully in the United States for years at risk of losing work authorization and being forced back to unstable and dangerous conditions, and they raise broader concerns that national security rhetoric is being used to justify rolling back long‑standing protections rather than engaging in a good‑faith assessment of current country conditions. 

**Legal**

******Discrimination Suit by Ousted Judge Puts Trump’s Firing of Immigration Judges Under Scrutiny**** **

A former immigration judge has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after being laid off in early February. Tania Nemer alleges [link removed] that despite top performance reviews, she was dismissed because of her dual citizenship with Lebanon, her gender, and her political views, having previously run for municipal office as a Democrat. A previous complaint filed with an Equal Employment Opportunity office was dismissed after the office asserted the Civil Rights Act conflicts with the president’s power to remove executive branch employees. In the lawsuit, lawyers for Nemer allege, "according to the final agency decision, the President may now fire female federal workers like Ms. Nemer — because of their sex, [national origin, or political affiliation] — and the [Civil Rights Act] would have nothing to say about it." The Justice Department has not provided any comment or official reason for Nemer’s termination. Almost a hundred [link removed] immigration judges across the U.S. have been fired since January, creating backlash for what some argue is a "culture of fear" where judges are terminated for being too lenient. 

******Federal Courts Rebuke Administration’s Mandatory Detention Policies**** **

Federal courts across the country have repeatedly rejected the Trump administration’s attempts to vastly expand mandatory immigration detention. A new Politico analysis [link removed] finds that more than 220 immigration judges have refused to apply the administration’s mandatory detention [link removed] guidance, instead ordering case-by-case assessments that consider flight risk and public safety, rather than defaulting to detention for broad categories of immigrants. In a related ruling, a federal judge held [link removed] on November 25 that the Department of Homeland Security could not categorically deny bond to certain groups based solely on the agency’s policy, finding that the law requires meaningful opportunities for people to seek release while their immigration cases proceed.  

These decisions have produced a surge of habeas corpus [link removed] filings and bond motions in Texas [link removed] and other jurisdictions, as detained immigrants and their attorneys challenge prolonged custody under the contested policy. Advocates report [link removed] that thousands of people may now be newly eligible for bond hearings or re-hearings, potentially reducing overcrowding in detention centers. The rulings also intersect with a separate injunction in Washington, D.C., where a federal court limited [link removed] warrantless immigration arrests by federal agents, signaling growing judicial critique of the administration’s efforts to expand detention and enforcement. 

**State and Local**

******President Trump Targets Somali Community in Minnesota**** **

Immigration enforcement operations targeting [link removed] Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities began on December 4, days after President Trump said he does not want Somalis in the United States and called [link removed] the community "garbage." Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned [link removed] the president for "demonizing an entire community," emphasizing [link removed] that Somalis [link removed] are longstanding residents, workers, and small‑business owners in Minneapolis–St. Paul, where more than 50,000 Somalis now live. Roughly 100 federal immigration agents have been deployed to the Twin Cities, and officials say they are focusing on people with final deportation orders but with broad authority to arrest others they encounter who are suspected of immigration violations.  

Arrests of people of Somali origin began [link removed] as early as December 3, including at homes, in parking lots, and near Somali businesses and malls. Community leaders say [link removed] crowds in Somali markets and shopping centers have thinned noticeably, and some businesses have closed or reduced hours as families limit outings and prepare emergency plans. City officials have criticized the operation as discriminatory and warned of civil rights risks, with Minneapolis’ mayor issuing an order barring [link removed] law enforcement from using city-owned parking facilities for immigration enforcement to limit federal use of local infrastructure. 

******Immigration Operations Begins in New Orleans**** **

The Trump administration launched a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in the New Orleans area on December 3, 2025, dubbed "Operation Catahoula Crunch." The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has surged hundreds of Border Patrol and ICE agents, and President Trump said [link removed] he would also be sending National Guard troops to Louisiana. In a public statement, DHS said [link removed] it is seeking "5,000 arrests or beyond" as part of the operation, which officials claim is aimed at "violent criminal illegal aliens" who were released due to local "sanctuary" policies. Immigrant rights groups and attorneys say Border Patrol agents have already detained [link removed] multiple people with work permits and even U.S. citizens, raising concerns about profiling and wrongful arrests.  

Community groups, faith leaders, and mutual aid organizations are rapidly organizing [link removed] to support families on the ground, as immigrant residents report going into hiding. Some immigrants are avoiding [link removed] schools, clinics, and public spaces, and closing or scaling back small businesses as enforcement ramps up. Advocates warn that the New Orleans operation closely mirrors recent crackdowns in Chicago and Charlotte and could result in widespread family separation, racial profiling, and long‑term damage to trust [link removed] between immigrant communities and local government. 

**BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED**

**S. 3283** [link removed] 

**Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025** 

The bill [link removed] would eliminate the possibility of having dual citizenship in the United States. 

Sponsored by Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) (0 [link removed] cosponsors) 

12/01/2025 Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Bernie Moreno  

12/01/2025 Referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary 

**S. 3309** [link removed] 

**Building Housing for the American Dream Act** 

The bill [link removed] would amend section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to spur an increase in the supply of housing in the United States 

Sponsored by Senator Ruben Gallego (R-Arizona) (0 [link removed] cosponsors) 

12/02/2025 Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Ruben Gallego  

12/02/2025 Referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary 

**S. 3322** [link removed] 

**Upholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Act** 

The bill [link removed] would amend certain provisions of Public Law 119-21 that undermine protections and heighten dangers for unaccompanied migrant children. 

Sponsored by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) (20 [link removed] cosponsors — 0 Republicans, 18 Democrats, 2 Independent) 

12/03/2025 Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto  

12/03/2025 Referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary 

**S. 3326** [link removed] 

**Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act** 

The bill [link removed] would codify in statute the authorization of the Attorney General to appoint experienced immigration law experts as temporary immigration judges to reduce the number of pending cases in immigrations courts. 

Sponsored by Senator Adam Schiff (D-California) (16 [link removed] cosponsors — 0 Republicans, 15 Democrats, 1 Independent) 

12/03/2025 Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Adam Schiff  

12/03/2025 Referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary 

**H.R. 6305** [link removed] 

**High-Skilled Immigration Reform for Employment (HIRE) Act** 

The bill [link removed] would double the number of H-1B visas available each year from 65,000 to 130,000.  

Sponsored by Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) (2 [link removed] cosponsors — 0 Republicans, 2 Democrats) 

11/25/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi  

11/25/2025 Referred to the House Committees on Education and Workforce, and the Judiciary 

**H.R. 6349** [link removed] 

**Migrant Due Process Protection Act** 

The bill [link removed] would grant immigrants the right to join immigration hearings virtually through video or telephone conference. 

Sponsored by Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-Oregon) (13 [link removed] cosponsors — 0 Republicans, 13 Democrats) 

12/02/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Suzanne Bonamici  

12/02/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary 

**H.R. 6355** [link removed] 

**Corporal Fernando Ruiz Baltazar Posthumous Citizenship Act** 

The bill [link removed] would extend honorary citizenship to otherwise qualified noncitizens who enlisted in the Philippines and died while serving on active duty with the United States Armed Forces during certain periods of hostilities. 

Sponsored by Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros (D-California) (3 [link removed] cosponsors — 1 Republican, 2 Democrats) 

12/02/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros 

12/02/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary 

**H.R. 6374** [link removed] 

**To prohibit the admission of aliens to the United States for 10 years** 

Sponsored by Representative Paul A. Gosar (R-Arizona) (1 [link removed] cosponsor — 1 Republican, 0 Democrats) 

12/03/2025 Introduced in the House by Rep. Paul A. Gosar 

12/03/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary 

**LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR**

The U.S. Senate will be in session from Monday, December 8 through Friday, December 12. The U.S. House of Representatives will be in session Tuesday, December 9 through Friday, December 12. 

**SPOTLIGHT ON FORUM RESOURCES**

The Forum is constantly publishing new policy-focused resources that engage with some of the most topical issues around immigration today. Here are a few that are particularly relevant this week: 

**Fact Sheet: U.S. Refugee Resettlement** [link removed]

** ** 

Our new resource details the U.S. refugee resettlement system and includes information about the impact that various 2025 executive actions have had on the refugee program. 

**Explainer: USCIS Internal Memo on Review of Admitted Refugees** [link removed]

**** 

Our explainer highlights the impacts of the USCIS memo providing for the review of more than 200,000 lawfully admitted refugees. 

**Immigration Detention Costs in a Time of Mass Deportation** [link removed]

** ** 

This paper analyzes the unprecedented expansion of ICE detention spending under the second Trump administration, which increased more than 400% from approximately $3 billion in FY2024 to over $14 billion in FY2025. 

*As of publication (12/5/25 at 2:00PM EST)

**This Bulletin is not intended to be comprehensive. Please contact Nicci Mattey, Senior Policy & Advocacy Associate at the Forum, with questions, comments, and suggestions for additional items to be included. Nicci can be reached at****[email protected]** mailto:[email protected]

**. Thank you.**

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