Welcome to the Garfinkel Immigration news roundup, where every month we will summarize and provide links to the latest stories impacting U.S. immigration.
Below is the September 2025 edition of the Garfinkel Immigration news roundup:
Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm launches state-of-the-art, industry-leading technology platform ‘Beacon by Garfinkel’
Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm is proud to announce the launch of its new state-of-the-art, industry-leading technology platform, “Beacon by Garfinkel.”
Beacon will serve as the cornerstone of Garfinkel’s client support system and is powered by Litify, a Salesforce-native case and matter management system, offering unparalleled flexibility, customization, and advanced reporting capabilities. This ensures a seamless and efficient case management experience for clients.
“Beacon was designed with the user in mind,” Managing Partner Hannah F. Little said. “Our firm wanted to position itself to provide more than generic portals or off-the-shelf reporting. By combining cutting-edge tools with our personalized client-first approach, we’re empowering clients with enhanced insight, information and transparency.”
Frequently Asked Questions: The 100K H-1B visa fee and ‘Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers’ proclamation
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation, effective as of 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sunday, September 21, which imposes a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa petitions.
The attorneys at Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm created a detailed FAQ with answers to some of the biggest questions related to the proclamation, including:
- Who is affected?
- What can employers and foreign nationals do now?
- What exceptions may be available?
- Will there be legal challenges?
DHS proposes major shift to H-1B lottery: Key takeaways and what employers should know
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a major revision to how H-1B cap-subject petitions are selected.
The proposed rule would modify the current random lottery system and introduce a weighted selection process based on wage levels. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on September 24, 2025, and is subject to a 30-day comment period. It is important to keep in mind that it is not yet finalized nor effective.
Under the current selection process, each beneficiary has an equal chance at selection in the random lottery, regardless of wage level.
Find out more about what the proposed rule would change.
U.S. to accept initial DACA applications after 4-year freeze
The government will once again begin processing initial DACA applications for the first time in about four years, the Trump administration said in a court filing Sept 29. Those applications had not been processed since July 2021 because of various court rulings.
Foreign nationals who may be eligible for DACA should consult with experienced immigration counsel to learn more about the requirements and application process.
Find out more via Bloomberg Law here.
Medical groups warn against visa fees for foreign doctors
More than 50 medical groups, including the American Medical Association, the Society of Hospital Medicine, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Academy of Pediatrics and more, signed a letter in late September calling on the Trump administration to exempt physicians from the new $100,000 H-1B visa fee.
“Maintaining a robust health care workforce in the U.S. that can address the health needs of all our U.S. patients is in the best interest of the health of our nation,” the letter read. “However, with a projected shortfall of nearly 86,000 physicians by 2036, there is a growing need for a larger physician workforce that the U.S. cannot fill on its own, in part because the U.S. does not have enough people in the younger generation to care for our aging country. Accordingly, H-1B physicians play a critical role in filling this void, especially in areas of the U.S. with high-need populations.”
The letter added: “Nearly 21 million Americans live in areas of the U.S. where foreign-trained physicians account for at least half of all physicians aligning with the fact that states with a higher percentage of H-1B physicians are often those with lower physician density. As such, it is important to support and expand pathways for these physicians to be able to enter the U.S. and care for our U.S. patients.”
Find out more here via the New York Times.
USCIS to add special agents with new law enforcement authorities
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced this month in a final rule it was hiring special agents who will be “empowered to investigate, arrest, and (prosecute).”
“The move is a major change for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency that has been kept separate from immigration arrests and enforcing deportations,” a story from NBC News about the announcement read.
USCIS director Joseph Edlow said during an interview “that the agency plans to train several hundred federal law special agents who would look for immigration fraud in applications,” according to NBC News.
Read the full NBC News story here.
Trump’s immigration crackdown could stunt his blockbuster economic aims
This story from Axios details the effect President Trump’s immigration agenda could have on his wider economic goals.
“White House crackdowns on legal and illegal immigration are accelerating the nation’s long-running demographic challenges, which could stunt economic growth in the years ahead,” the story read.
The Axios story added: “Fewer immigrants and the retirement of the baby boom generation mean that finding workers could remain a headwind to overall economic growth.”