Some Tennessee residents may be aware that immigrants who are seeking asylum in the U.S. may have their situation complicated by clerical errors. This was the case for a woman from Honduras who was seeking asylum for herself and her two sons after they fled from violence related to her political organizing. They crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and were released on the grounds that they appear in court when summoned.
Trump administration imposes new asylum bar
People in Tennessee and across the country are deeply concerned about the changes taking place at the U.S. southern border. In the latest development, the Trump administration has issued a rule claiming that all people who pass through another country before coming to the U.S. are ineligible for asylum. The rule aims to exclude Central American refugees in particular from making asylum claims at the border as they must generally pass through Mexico in order to do so. The rule was published in the Federal Register and will apply both to adult refugee claimants as well as children traveling alone to seek asylum.
Visa applicants must now provide social media identifiers
The United States Department of State updated its online visa applications. The applications now require social media identifiers for both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants.
Children's health could suffer due to immigration law changes
A proposal being supported by the Trump administration could risk access to health care and food for nearly 2 million children in Tennessee and across the country. According to one study, up to 1.9 million kids can be expected to drop out of federal programs providing children's health care and nutrition benefits if the administration pursues its plan to change immigration law. In particular, the Trump administration is proposing a redefinition of the term "public charge."
Supreme Court: warrant isn't generally needed to draw blood
In a 5-4 case, the United States Supreme Court ruled that a warrant is not generally needed to draw blood from an unconscious person suspected of DUI. In the case of Mitchell v. Wisconsin, the Court's Opinion stated that police are almost always allowed to order a blood draw from an unconscious driver without a warrant when they have probable case to believe the person was driving drunk.
