Tag: department of homeland security

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Updates

What DACA Recipients Should Know Now And The Rights They Have

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On September 5, 2017, the current Trump administration rescinded the program created in 2012 by former President Obama. According to the Migration Policy Institute, there are 22,000 young Filipino unauthorized children who are eligible for DACA but only 27 percent, or nearly 6,000, applied for it with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Not too many Filipinos filed for DACA compared with other minority immigrant population due to several factors, including fear of deportation and hesitation to submit critical information to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Most also are apprehensive about possible repercussions on their undocumented parents.

The term “deferred action” in immigration law context refers to the discretionary act, through the recommendation of the Department of Homeland Security, not to prosecute or deport a noncitizen. It is an administrative choice to give some cases lower priority and is not an entitlement. So if deferred action no longer exists for the DACA recipients, they will lose their protection from removal/deportation.

The way DACA was rescinded came with three fundamental elements: first, there is a 6-month period before actual termination to allow certain DACA recipients to renew the their employment authorization for another 2 years or until 2019; secondly, the renewal period is only one month, with October 5, 2017 as the deadline to file for DACA renewal; lastly, although DACA recipients are low in priority for deportation it is not a guarantee that they will not be put in removal proceedings.

For these reasons, the following tips are for all DACA recipients:

5 Things to Know About DACA Now

1. If You Do Not Have DACA or a DACA Application Pending.

DACA program has been terminated beginning September 5, 2017 and new applications are no longer being accepted by USCIS.

2. If You Have DACA That Expires on or Before March 5, 2018.

If you have DACA and a work permit that expires on or before March 5, 2018, you can apply for a 2-year renewal, but your application must be received on or before October 5, 2017.

3. If You Have DACA That Expires After March 5, 2018.

There is only a 6-month window provided from September 5, 2017 to March 5, 2018. If your DACA and work permit expire after March 5, 2018, you are no longer eligible for an extension. This means that your DACA, work authorization, and protection from deportation will expire on the date shown on your DACA approval notice and work permit.

4. If You Have a DACA Application Pending.

Before the announcement on September 5, 2017, there are certain DACA applications that were filed for extensions. If you have a DACA application that was received at USCIS on or before September 5, 2017, your application will continue to be processed.

5. If You Have DACA and a Valid Advance Parole Travel Document.

Although there are advance paroles that are still valid for travel, given the recent rescission, DACA recipients should desist from traveling unless it is for urgent reason. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents may still refuse entry to you at their discretion.

xxx

5 Tips on What Not To Do

1.Do not lose hope.

While you are not American at birth, you are very much an American in heart and mind by assimilation. You have a lot to give to this country, so hang in there as compassionate members of your community support and work hard to advocate for your protection before the U.S Congress.

2. Do not get yourself in trouble with the law.

Remember, do not commit any unlawful act that will give ICE the opportunity to use it against you. Stay out of trouble, as you always do.

3. Do not give up on other options.

Explore other legal options that may be applicable to you. Who knows, there might be an available family or employment petition that you may be eligible for. Talk to a professional legal counsel.

4. Do not be too trusting.

Do not divulge personal information about your DACA case to people you don’t know.

Talk only to people you trust. Since you are vulnerable at this point, there may be people who are tempted to take advantage of you. Be careful on who you trust.

5. Do not give up your rights.

Understand your rights, and know how to assert them when ICE comes knocking at your door. Even if you are without legal authorization, you still have rights under the law.

xxx

5 Tips In Case of ICE Arrest

DACA applications submitted to U.S. Department of Homeland Security contain personal information that may be used against the applicants if this information is submitted to ICE for enforcement. Although, the Trump administration stated that DACA recipients are low in priority for enforcement, an understanding of one’s rights during an encounter with an ICE agent is important. The following are tips about the of DACA recipients and how they can protect themselves.

1. Right to Privacy: Do Not Open Your Doors

ICE cannot enter your home without a warrant signed by a judge. Ask the ICE agent to slide the signed warrant under the door. Without a properly signed warrant, you should not allow them inside your home.

2. Right to Remain Silent

Tell the ICE agent that you are exercising this right: “I am exercising my fifth amendment right and choose to remain silent until I speak to my attorney.”

3. Right to Counsel

Do not sign any document without first speaking to an attorney.

4. Right to Contact Your Consulate

While DACA recipients have no contact with their homeland, consulates of countries of their birth, like Philippine Consulates, may be able provide assistance in limited ways.

5. Right to a Hearing

In case ICE apprehends and detains you, you have a due process right to a hearing and you should not to be immediately returned to your country of birth. Call your legal counsel.

(Atty. Lourdes S. Tancinco is a San Francisco based immigration lawyer and immigrant’s right advocate. She is the principal at the Tancinco Law Offices and may be reached at law@tancinco.com, facebook.com/tancincolaw, or 1 888 930 0808)

*This article originally appeared in Positively Filipino Magazine. 

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Global Pinoy

Immigration: Entrepreneur parole program at risk of being axed

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released its official rule on July 11, 2017 seeking to delay the implementation of the International Entrepreneur Rule or the entrepreneur’s parole program. With the publication of this rule, the effective date of implementation is moved from July 17, 2017 to March 14, 2018.

Entrepreneur Parole Program

At the beginning of this year, the DHS published the International Entrepreneur Final Rule (aka the entrepreneur parole program) with an effectivity date of July 17, 2017. Many startup companies have been looking forward to the implementation of this program as it will attract talented foreign entrepreneurs who are well positioned to advance U.S. businesses.

Most of those who stand to benefit from this program are foreign entrepreneurs who can prove that their knowledge, skills or experience would substantially assist a U.S. entity in conducting and growing its business in the United States.

Parole Authority

The current immigration law allows the DHS to exercise its parole authority under section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act if the presence of the paroled non-U.S. citizen would provide a significant public benefit to the United States.

Under the entrepreneur parole program, eligible applicants may be granted a stay of up to 30 months, with the possibility to extend it for a period of up to 30 additional months. Those targeted to receive parole are entrepreneurs who shall work with the start up businesses.

Delaying Its Implementation

The rule that was just recently released reveals that the DHS decided to delay the effective date of the entrepreneur parole program to further consider it in light of the Executive Order on Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements (EO13767).

Under this executive order, the DHS Secretary is mandated to take appropriate action to ensure that the parole authority is exercised on a case-to-case basis in accordance with the plain language of the law and that it so demonstrates urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. It is in this light that the DHS delayed its implementation in order to re-examine the program based on EO 13767.

The rule on entrepreneurs parole program was first published on August 31, 2016 by the DHS and the final rule was published on January 17, 2017. The policy was not finalized without considering comments from the public about the benefit it will bring if implemented.

Approximately 3,000 entrepreneurs were expected to apply for this program. Most of those who are planning to apply are in the tech industry as well as those who are planning to develop new business ventures that will spur economic growth and job creation.

It is sad that the present administration’s perspective is just the opposite. While other nations are inviting foreign entrepreneurs, the United States will be turning them away by delaying implementation of the program (and possibly terminating it altogether).

Many billion-dollar startup companies including Google, Uber and SpaceX were founded by immigrant entrepreneurs. They now hire thousands of U.S. citizens. Obviously, strengthening startup companies, job creation and innovation are a significant public benefit and this entrepreneur parole program should not have been stalled.

(Atty. Lourdes S. Tancinco is a San Francisco based immigration lawyer and immigrant’s right advocate. She may be reached at law@tancinco.com, facebook.com/tancincolaw, or 1 888 930 0808)

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Global Pinoy

Undocumented’s options – depart voluntarily or be detained

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Two weeks ago, Rey Galleon, a Filipino who had been residing in unlawful status for several years, was arrested by ICE and decided to depart “voluntarily” to avoid being incarcerated.

According to Galleon’s public statement, the ICE officers gave him the choice of leaving voluntarily or staying in jail for up to six months. For fear of being detained for six months, he chose to depart.

Will the case of Mr. Galleon be a common occurrence for 300,000 Filipinos who are undocumented?

Mandatory detention

Any person who is in the United States is entitled to due process rights under the U.S. Constitution. This includes anyone who is present in the United States in unlawful status. The constitutional protections of due process and equal protection are not limited to U.S. citizens; they also apply to every person regardless of immigration status.

Generally, this means that the right to legal counsel and to a hearing should be afforded a person. While these rights exist, ICE officers may continue to detain a person while awaiting a court hearing. This happens in particular cases where the law limits the exercise of this right to certain individuals who are subject to mandatory detention and those who are arriving aliens.

The following persons are subject to mandatory detention:

  1. those who have criminal inadmissibility grounds;
  2. those with convictions of multiple crimes of moral turpitude, aggravated felonies and controlled substances among others;
  3. those who are inadmissible based on terrorist activities.

Arriving aliens also may not be granted bond hearing and could remain in custody until removed. The law defines an arriving alien as one who is coming to the United States at a port of entry or are seeking transit through the United States at a port of entry.

Release on bond

If an individual is not subject to mandatory detention or is not an arriving alien, either the ICE sets the bond or the immigration judge decides whether an individual is subject to release on bond. Until the arrested individual is heard, he remains incarcerated unless ICE makes a determination of a release on bond.

Generally, ICE counsel will not object to a release on bond if the individual is not a flight risk and other factors exist to show that the individual will appear on the date set for hearing. There is a lot of discretion on the part of the immigration judge on whether the individual is released on bond. It is also during these times when the detainee decides to just depart instead of staying in jail to await the hearing before the immigration judge.

While those who are in unauthorized presence are lumped into one category as being “undocumented,” each case will be treated differently depending on the circumstances of each case.

Given that the DHS has been given additional resources to enforce immigration law not only against those with criminal convictions, but also anyone who is found to be in unlawful status, it is important for those concerned to make timely informed decisions.

Should they decide to stay, they have to know the risks and prepare themselves to take legal steps when ICE comes knocking at their doors. The risk involves incarceration until released on bond. If they are not willing to take the risk, then the difficult decision to depart voluntarily becomes imminent.

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Updates

Expedited removal may be expanded under Trump

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Several advocates are distributing “Know Your Rights” literature to those who may possibly be affected by the enhanced enforcement of immigration law brought by Trump’s Executive Orders. One of the rights that one should know is the right to a hearing before an immigration judge. This is a constitutional due process right that may be asserted during apprehension and prior to removal.

There is one particular instance where there is no right to hearing, and that is during an expedited removal. Given the changes brought about by Trump’s Executive Order, will an extension of this process affect those who are present in the United States in unlawful status?

Expedited removal

For 20 years now, the expedited removal has been a process used by the Department of Homeland Security to fast track the removal of certain individuals at the ports of entry, who are in violation of immigration law relating to fraud or are unable to show proper legal documents to prove lawful status.

It is commonly referred to by Filipino travelers as “Airport to Airport” or “A to A,” referring to a case where a passenger at the port of entry in the United States is found inadmissible and is returned the same day of arrival (or the next available flight) to the country of origin. In these cases, the arriving alien is not entitled to a hearing, and a determination of a federal agent is sufficient to send the traveler back to his home country.

Expedited removal has been extended twice. The first expansion of expedited removal is in 2002 when it applied it to those who:

  1. entered the United States by sea, either by boat or other means;
  2. were not admitted or paroled in the United States (entered without inspection) and
  3. have not been continuously present in the United States for at least 2 years.

In 2004, the DHS expanded the application of expedited removal to non-citizens who are encountered within 100 miles of the border, and who entered the United States without inspection less than 14 days before they are encountered by immigration authorities.

Due process right to a hearing

President Trump’s Executive Order instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security to apply expedited removal to the fullest extent of the law. Section 11(c) of the Executive Order states in full: “Pursuant to section 235(b)(1)(A)(iii)(I) of the INA, the Secretary shall take appropriate action to apply, in his sole and un-reviewable discretion, the provisions of section 235(b)(1)(A)(i) and (ii) of the INA to the aliens designated under section 235(b)(1)(A)(iii)(II).”

Applying expedited removal to the fullest extent of the law means putting millions of unauthorized immigrants who have been in the United States for less than 2 years at risk of an expedited removal without a hearing even if apprehended beyond 100 miles from the border.

The DHS rules are still being developed and they will soon be published in the Federal Register. Yet, overzealous immigration officers may put anyone in expedited removal if apprehended and if unable to prove legal status and 2 years of physical presence.

The right to a hearing of those who have been residing in the United States extends even those who are without legal status. The Supreme Court had settled this issue many years ago. Should there be a deprivation of the right to a hearing because of the proposed expanded expedited removal, the Executive Order entitled “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements,” will be challenged in the judicial courts as being unconstitutional just like the executive order on the travel ban.

(Atty. Lourdes Santos Tancinco, Esq. is a San Francisco-based immigration attorney and an immigrant rights advocate. She may be reached at 1 888 930 0808, law@tancinco.com or facebook.com/tancincolaw.)

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Global Pinoy

Are Green Card Holders and Visa Holders Safe to Travel With the Rewritten Travel Ban?

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An Executive Order titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, which is the re-written travel ban, was signed by President Trump on March 6, 2017. The prior travel ban, Executive Order 13769 of January 27, 2017, will be revoked on March 16, 2017.

Travel Ban for Nationals of 6 Countries

For the next 90 days beginning March 6, 2017, foreign nationals from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen who are outside the United States on the effective date of the order, do not currently have a valid visa on the effective date of this order, and did not have a valid visa at 5:00 eastern standard time on January 27, 2017, are not eligible to travel to the United States. The 90-day period will allow for proper review and establishment of standards to prevent terrorist or criminal infiltration by foreign nationals. As a result of this increased information sharing, Iraqi citizens are not affected by the Executive Order.

Green Card Holders and Visa Holders Exempt from the Travel Ban

Clearly, the Executive Order does not apply to certain individuals, such as lawful permanent residents of the United States; foreign nationals admitted to the United States after the effective date of the order. Those who are outside the United States with a document that is valid on the effective date of the order or any date thereafter which permits travel to the United States are also not affected by this executive order.

Normal Immigration Processing to Continue

In the prior travel ban contained in the Executive Order dated January 17, 2017 those entering with valid visas or green card holders were adversely affected. While this re-written travel ban specifically mentions that green card holders are exempt, there is a caveat that applies to all residents and visa holders entering the United States. It states that all normal immigration processing requirements shall continue to apply. This means that all grounds of inadmissibility if they exist will also affect certain green card holders who may have an immigration history of fraud or have criminal history that may render them inadmissible. The same rule applies to non-immigrant visa holders. If there is fraud or misrepresentation in obtaining the visa at the U.S. Embassy abroad, there is a possibility of an expedited removal at the port of entry.

It is important to remind non U.S. citizens that the political climate is very different and that all those attempting to enter the U.S. even if with valid visas must understand the consequences of past actions on their immigration status and their ability to enter the United States.

If no legal grounds exist to deny admission at the port of entry, then there should be no need to worry about traveling. Each case will be assessed by the immigration officer at the port of entry based on the individual’s immigration history. Note that the Department of Homeland Security officers at the Customs and Border Protection have wide discretionary authority whether to allow the entry of non US. citizens. Even if Filipino nationals are not affected by the travel ban, it is important to understand past actions and its impact on present immigration policies.

(Atty. Lourdes S. Tancinco is a partner at Tancinco Law Offices, a San Francisco based law firm, and may be reached at law@tancinco.com, facebook.com/tancincolaw, or 1 888 930 0808)

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Global Pinoy

Love of Family Is their Underlying Reason for Staying

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A significant number of Filipino immigrants have thrived and have become productive U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Yet, there are categories of immigrants who, despite having resided in the U.S. for many years could not find ways to obtain legal status. The immigration system is dysfunctional and that there is no pathway to obtaining legal status.

Angela was able to enter the U.S. on an H1B visa but worked only for a year. Her U.S. employer suffered financial setbacks during the recession in 2008 and Angela was laid off from her job. When this happened, she was pregnant. His son who was born in the U.S. with a congenital heart problem that requires regular medical attention. The U.S.citizen father of the child abandoned Angela. She continued to work in the U.S. but only as a caregiver to be able to provide for the support of her child. Angela admits that it was wrong to stay without legal status but her decision to stay was motivated by her desire to ensure her son’s well being. She knows that she will not be able to afford medical treatment in the Philippines. Angela has no history of arrest or any criminal arrest. She takes care of elderly patients. With the new immigration policy, she fears that she will be arrested and be deported. She fears that her son’s health condition will worsen if she is sent back to the Philippines.

Amando is a son of a Filipino World War II veteran. Many Filipino veterans immigrated without family members and lived in isolation. Amando was able to come to the United States on a B2 visa. He took care of his father and was present at his father’s deathbed. Unfortunately, Amando’s B2 visa expired during the time he was taking care of his father. If he returns to the Philippines, it will take more than 10 years before he could return to the United States because of the 3-10 year bar rule. He is taking care now of his aging mother who likewise needs his presence and support just like his late father. Amanda has an approved petition but unfortunately, the visa petition will take more than 15 years for the visa to become available. Amando decided to stay in the United States to care for his mom. With Trump’s policy, Amando is at risk of being arrested and removed.

Angela and Amando are profiles of undocumented immigrants whose future in the United States is uncertain with the current political climate. The Department of Homeland Security stated that they will prioritize for removal those who poses threat to national security and public safety. But the recent DHS rules do not reflect such priority. The 11 million undocumented are at risk of being removed if they are caught by ICE without the proper legal documents to stay. This will include those who have same cases as Angela, and Amando who are neither threat to national security or public safety. Their only intention of continued stay is to be with their families, their U.S. citizen children or parents.

Hopefully, the present administration will desist from stereotyping unauthorized immigrants and look at the lives of these ordinary family-loving people through a different lens.

(Atty. Lourdes S. Tancinco is a partner at Tancinco Law Offices, a San Francisco based law firm and may be reached at law@tancinco.com, facebook.com/tancincolaw, or 1 888 930 0808)

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Updates

Will an undocumented person be ‘hassled’ on exit if he wants to leave US?

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There is never a day, since post-election 2016, that “immigration” is not mentioned in the daily news. Whether fear is created by uncertainty in the upcoming Trump administration or outright desperation resulting from the absence of an immigration reform law, a significant number whose status had expired have voluntarily departed for their homelands.

An immigrant from the San Francisco Bay Area sent me a letter regarding his friend who has been undocumented and who wants to leave the US:

Dear Atty. Lou:

A person was unfortunate in failing to obtain legal status through an employment petition is now tired of his staying here in the U.S. as an undocumented alien; so he has strongly decided to go home for good. He entered the U.S. as a visitor sometime in year 2000 and is now holding a valid passport in his name.

My questions are:
(1) What are the things he needs to do before or during his exit?
(2) Aside from his valid/unexpired Philippine passport in his name and a one-way plane ticket, are there any other documents he needs to prepare and have at hand to avoid hassle upon exit?
(3) Will he encounter problems/interrogations on his exit if he uses his current valid passport with no visa page?

Those who want to travel back to the Philippines after having made a firm decision to return home after several years of fruitless waiting for an opportunity to legalize, may do so with a valid unexpired Philippine passport. In some circumstances, an undocumented person may be issued a Philippine travel document by a Philippine Consulate General’s Office nearest his place of residence. This happens in cases of emergencies or when the individual is being removed from the country by the Department of Homeland Security. If there is still time to get a Philippine passport, it will still be appropriate to request for one and use it for traveling.

Generally, there is no need to inform the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about the intended trip back to the homeland. The only time the USCIS should be notified is if the individual is availing of a voluntary departure relief in immigration court and has plans of returning to the US at a future time. Otherwise, there is no need to go through USCIS. Just go straight to the airport with the passport and one-way airline ticket.

The more serious concern is whether there will be trouble that may be encountered at the airport with the federal agents. My most common response to this is that there should be no problem because USCIS wants you to leave anyway as you have been in unlawful status and the federal agents will not stop you from doing so. However, there are times that a departing individual will be stopped from traveling at the airport. This happens when the individual is the subject of a pending investigation for a probable criminal offense, is a fugitive from justice or has a validly issued warrant of arrest.

For those who decide to depart but still have future plans of one day returning to the US, it is best to explore their options and not close all the doors to their possible return. Who knows, it may be different after four years.

(Atty. Lourdes S. Tancinco is a San Francisco CA based immigration attorney and may be reached at law@tancinco.com, tancinco.weareph.com/old , facebook/tancincolaw, or at 1 888 930 0808 or at 1 415 397 0808)

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Global Pinoy

Should ‘TNTs’ start planning for voluntary departure from US?

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More than 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States, including approximately 300,000 from the Philippines, are now in panic mode and uncertain about their future under a Trump administration. Deporting immigrants who are in unlawful status is one of Trump’s campaign promises.

The presidential election result was a bitter pill to swallow for most immigrants. Most of the Filipino American immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area are not happy with the result of the election. Immigration attorneys have received many phone calls and emails from concerned immigrants, both legal as well as those who are undocumented, asking about the immediate threat of removal from the US come January 20, 2017.

Lawful permanent residents or those with status are seriously concerned about pending petitions for their family members. Will the petitioning process take longer with the coming Trump administration? Those who are in possession of professional working visas are worried about whether the H1B program will be eliminated. Filipino healthcare workers such as registered nurses, physical therapists and caregivers with pending immigrant petitions from US employers have no clue on whether their visas are still going to be issued if immigration policy changes.

The most vulnerable immigrants who are most likely going to be affected are the DREAMERS (children who were supposed to benefit from the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors or the DREAM Act) and the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients. These are the young immigrants who came to the United States when they were below 15 years old and who are still present in the US as young adults without legal status.

For the last eight years, President Obama has supported a DREAM Act that allows these young immigrants to have lawful status, but the bill failed to pass in Congress. Using his executive power, he released a program called the DACA where thousands of young immigrants were given temporary employment authorization cards to allow them to live without fear of deportation and enabling them to work temporarily. Thousands of young Filipinos availed of this program. Their names and information are in the current system of the Department of Homeland Security. They fear not just losing their DACA status, but also about their parents who may be subject to removal.

After listening to the interview of President-Elect Donald Trump on “60 Minutes,” it appears that he also has priorities for dealing with immigration. He explicitly mentioned the immediate deportation of three million undocumented immigrants. Also, he confirmed that border security would be tightened and then removal of undocumented with criminal records would be next. Prioritizing border security is paramount on his agenda as may be assumed from his campaign plan of building a wall in the US-Mexico border.

If Trump follows through with his public statements, those who are in unlawful presence or TNTs including the DACA recipients are not (yet) in danger of immediate deportation. While there is no immediate threat at the moment, they have to be mindful of their activities, be familiar about their rights and keep in their immediate possession whatever legal documents relating to their immigration history in this country.

Most importantly, this vulnerable population must be able to distinguish between real and fake news on immigration. At the present time, it is easy to fall victim to false information on social media because bigotry and hatred are on the rise against minorities and immigrants. Be very vigilant.

(Atty. Lourdes Santos Tancinco is a San Francisco based immigration attorney and immigrant advocate. She may be reached at law@tancinco.com, 1 888 930 0808 or visit her at facebook.com/tancincolaw or tancinco.weareph.com/old)

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Updates

DHS to launch known Employer Pilot Program

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The Employer pilot program is announced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This program is to assess a new process for employers seeking to hire certain workers through employment-based visa categories.

The program will be designed to make adjudications more efficient and less costly and also to reduce paperwork and delays for both the department and U.S. employers who seek to employ foreign workers.

GOALS OF THE KNOWN EMPLOYER PILOT PROGRAM

  • Reducing the amount of paperwork filed by employers and retained by USCIS
  • Encouraging the stability in the settlement of employment-based petitions and applications.
  • Restructuring the adjudicative process to achieve greater efficiency within USCIS
  • Providing greater support to CBP and DOS in support of greater efficiency and consistency at ports of entry and consular posts.

Under the Known Employer pilot, up to nine preselected employers will file applications requesting that USCIS predetermine that they meet certain requirements relating to certain immigrant and nonimmigrant visa classifications. Employers will create a profile in the Web-based Known Employer Document Library (KEDL), and upload documents relating to the requirements, when making this request.

USCIS officers will review and decide whether a prospective employer has met certain requirements relating to the visa classifications, and if USCIS approves the employer’s predetermination request, the employer may then file petitions or applications for individual employees without needing to resubmit company information with each petition or application.

No additional fee is charged to participate in this program. At any time, USCIS may terminate or extend the pilot at any time. DHS and DOS will solicit on going feedback from the participants.