Visa

Palestinian Student Activist Arrested by ICE at Columbia University Amid Controversial Visa Revocations

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New York – A Columbia University graduate student, Mahmoud Khalil, was taken into federal custody over the weekend by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at his university-affiliated residence near the Manhattan campus. Amy Greer, Khalil’s attorney, reported the incident, noting that it aligns with recent federal moves to deport foreign nationals involved in university protests against the war in Gaza. According to Greer, the arrest took place on a Saturday night when ICE agents, acting on purported State Department directives, arrived unannounced. They allegedly planned to revoke Khalil’s student visa and green card, despite … Read more

Stalemate in Zantac Cancer Trial, No Sanctions in Talc Case, and Visa Faces Antitrust Allegations

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Oakland, Calif. — A high-profile trial in California questioning the safety of the heartburn medication Zantac concluded ambiguously when jurors could not reach a unanimous decision, leading to a mistrial. The trial, marked by intense deliberations, was held at the Alameda County Superior Court, where the jurors split 6-6 on a critical lawsuit allegation against the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The jurors agreed on the initial five items of the lawsuit but deadlocked on the sixth, which questioned whether Boehringer’s failure to provide adequate warnings about the drug’s potential cancer risks was a substantial factor … Read more

Park Ridge Lawyer and Buffalo Grove HR Coordinator Charged in Visa Fraud Scheme

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Park Ridge, IL — A lawyer from the suburban area of Park Ridge and a human resources coordinator in Buffalo Grove are now entangled in federal charges related to immigration fraud, allegedly involving visa application manipulations for workers from the Philippines. Gerardo Dean, 58, a legal professional, and Felicitas Cordero, 76, who has been engaging in HR activities for a company managing skilled-nursing facilities in Illinois, are accused of collaborating to misinform the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This purported scheme ensured that immigrant applicants appeared eligible for high-tier positions that, according to federal prosecutors, … Read more

Federal Judge Halts New Labor Protections for H-2A Visa Farmworkers, Sides with State AGs

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A federal judge in Kentucky has recently blocked new regulations introduced by the Biden-Harris administration that were designed to offer greater protections to foreign farmworkers in the United States under the H-2A visa program. The ruling came after several state attorneys general and Kentucky farmers argued that these changes were an overreach by the executive branch into areas requiring congressional approval. U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, presiding over the case, ruled that the administration could not legally grant these expanded rights, which included measures aimed at preventing the intimidation and discrimination against H-2A visa holders … Read more