Weekly Immigration News Recap (January 16-22)

New Policy Protects Exploited Immigrant Workers from Deportation

Now, unauthorized workers can report labor issues without risking their immigration status. The Biden administration unveiled a new procedure that will let immigrants seek safeguards against deportation and retaliation from their employers if they witness or are exploited at work. Immigrant employees who want to be eligible for deferred action must send a written request to USCIS along with a letter of support from a labor or employment agency.

Source: Boundless

First Group of Migrants Arrives in U.S. Under New Biden Program

A new initiative that the Biden administration unveiled earlier this month to solve the issue at the southern border has welcomed its first batch of migrants into the country. Ten immigrants have arrived in the country as a result of the initiative, which will permit up to 30,000 people from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti to lawfully enter the country by air each month, according to CBS News. Late last year, a similar initiative was made public for Venezuelans. As of last Friday, 600 more migrants had been given permission to enter the United States, according to CBS.

Source: Boundless

Immigrants Drive Innovation in the U.S., Finds News Report

According to a recent study, immigrants are responsible for 36% of American innovation and outperform native-born Americans in terms of creating new economic and technological advancements. More than 25% of all issued patents had applications from immigrants between 1990 and 2016. Additionally, these patents were more likely to be cited in their respective domains and had a higher financial value.

Source: Boundless