The Trump administration has set the refugee cap at 7,500 for 2025, down from 125,000 under Biden. Most admissions will prioritize White South Africans. Refugee advocates warn this undermines U.S. humanitarian commitments and leaves vetted applicants worldwide sidelined.

USCIS now allows applicants to pay immigration fees directly from U.S. bank accounts using Form G-1650. Starting October 28, payments must be via ACH debit or credit card using Form G-1450. The move modernizes payments, reduces fraud, and streamlines processing.

The Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging work authorization for H-4 spouses of H-1B visa holders. The petition, led by Save Jobs USA, argued DHS lacked authority to grant such rights. The refusal keeps the Obama-era rule intact, allowing tens of thousands of H-4 spouses, many in tech, to continue working legally in the U.S.

Los Angeles County declared a state of emergency amid expanding ICE raids that have fueled fear and economic disruption. The 4–1 vote allows officials to fund rent aid, legal services, and other relief for immigrant families. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the measure ensures full county support for affected communities, as arrests of migrants without criminal records continue to rise.

The Trump administration revoked visas for six foreigners who criticized commentator Charlie Kirk online after his assassination. The State Department said it will continue reviewing visa holders who “celebrated” his death. This follows a wider crackdown on foreign students protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza and increased monitoring of visitors’ social media activity.

EB-1A filings rose fifty percent from last year, but approval rates dipped to sixty-seven percent, the lowest in three years. USCIS reports a sixty-seven percent rise in backlogs due to more evidence requests. Meanwhile, EB-2 NIW approvals dropped to fifty-four percent, while O-1 visas maintained a strong ninety percent approval rate, remaining a faster short-term option for skilled workers.

The November twenty twenty-five Visa Bulletin shows limited movement. In family-based categories, F-2A retrogressed by one month to October twenty twenty-five, while F-2B advanced two months to March twenty seventeen. Mexico’s F-3 moved forward two weeks to July two thousand one. All employment-based categories, from EB-1 to EB-5, remain unchanged from October.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the new one hundred thousand dollar H-1B visa fee. The case, filed in Washington, D.C., argues the policy exceeds presidential authority and would price out smaller employers. Business leaders warn it favors big corporations and harms innovation, citing studies showing skilled immigration boosts job growth nationwide.

A federal judge has blocked ICE from transferring unaccompanied minors to adult detention once they turn eighteen. The ruling halts a new policy offering twenty-five hundred dollars to minors who agreed to self-deport. Judge Rudolph Contreras said the plan violated a two thousand twenty-one injunction requiring less punitive alternatives for age-outs.

Pope Leo the Fourteenth met with El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, receiving letters from migrants affected by mass deportations. He vowed to stand with immigrants and urged U.S. bishops to speak publicly against “inhuman” immigration policies. The first U.S.-born pope said compassion must extend to those fleeing violence and persecution.

Retired Marine Colonel Daren K. Margolin has been appointed to head the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees U.S. immigration courts. Margolin, dismissed from Marine Base Quantico in twenty thirteen for a firearm violation, previously served as an assistant chief immigration judge. He now inherits a record three point eight million case backlog.

DHS data shows illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border are at their lowest since nineteen seventy, with just two hundred thirty-eight thousand recorded this fiscal year. Under Trump, monthly crossings dropped below nine thousand. The White House credits stricter enforcement and troop deployment, while advocates urge Congress to pair border control with long-term immigration reform.