Tuesday 12 November 2024

President-Elect Trump has won the 2024 presidential election on a campaign of stringent border reform, decreased opportunities for legal immigration, and mass deportation efforts. We anticipate strict immigration controls predicated on limiting the flow of individuals entering the country through work and family routes, as well as efforts to deport those in the United States without immigration permission, which can be expected as early as day one.

Throughout his campaign, Candidate Trump proposed ending birthright citizenship, reviving his ‘travel ban’ on Muslim-majority countries, and deporting millions of undocumented immigrants. While he has not yet released official plans in his capacity as President-Elect, there are likely to be administrative and legal hurdles to employment and family-based immigration routes, resulting in increased processing times and significantly less opportunities for junior-level workers.

As such, we recommend that anyone looking to file for an L-1 visa (individuals in executive and managerial positions or who possess specialized knowledge), O-1 visa (individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement), or an H-1B visa (extensions or change of employer petitions) contact us immediately as we expect it may become more difficult to receive an approval once these changes take effect.

It is also not immediately clear whether Congress will take up a version of the bipartisan border bill again, which was stalled due to Republican opposition earlier this year. Were a similar version of the bill to pass, stricter asylum laws would accompany rigorous enforcement mechanisms and increased funding for administrative and judicial functions.

We expect ongoing legal and political challenges to any enacted measures, as we saw during the first Trump administration, contributing to a dynamic immigration environment. For advice on US immigration matters contact your Laura Devine Immigration attorney or enquiries@lauradevine.com.