The Quiet Power of Discretion: How immigration officers decide who receives a benefit — and who is allowed in
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released a policy memorandum — PM-602-0199, issued on May 21, 2026 — with a title that set off alarm across the immigration bar: “Adjustment of Status is a Matter of Discretion and Administrative Grace.” The press release that accompanied it went further, announcing that USCIS would grant adjustment of status […]
What to Expect When You Enter the United States: Inspection, Your Rights, and Phone Searches at the Port of Entry
Every person who arrives in the United States — citizen, green card holder, visa holder, or visitor — passes through inspection by an officer of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. For most travelers this takes ninety seconds. For some it takes six hours in a windowless room, and the difference is rarely something the traveler […]
