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 August 2026 edition of the Garfinkel Immigration news roundup:
Entire Garfinkel Immigration Partnership honored in 2027 edition of Best Lawyers®
For the first time, all six members of Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm’s current partnership have been recognized in the same edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.
Managing Partner Hannah F. Little, Founding Partner Emeritus Steven H. Garfinkel and Partners William R. Hummel, Colleen F. Molner, Meredith W. Barnette and Nam Douglass were all recognized for their work in immigration law in the 2027 edition of the publication.
The Best Lawyers in America® was first published in 1983 and recognizes attorneys through a peer-review process designed to capture the opinions of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographic region and practice area.
Federal judge vacates immigrant visa suspension for nationals of 75 countries
A federal judge has vacated the administration’s policy suspending immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries and set aside visa refusals based solely on the suspension.
The Trump administration could appeal the decision, and implementation could take time for applicants whose cases were previously affected.
The attorneys at Garfinkel Immigration continue to monitor this developing situation closely and will provide updates as additional information becomes available.
Find out more about the ruling here.
Q&A: What healthcare organizations need to know about the end of duration of status for J-1 physicians
The end of “duration of status” will bring a significant shift for healthcare organizations that sponsor and train J-1 physicians.
Beginning Sept. 15, J-1 physicians will be admitted for a specific period of stay, generally up to four years, rather than for the duration of their training. For physicians whose training extends beyond that period, an extension of stay with USCIS may be required.
What should healthcare organizations be doing now to prepare? We spoke with Associate Attorney Brian Daza, a member of the Garfinkel Immigration Healthcare Specialty Practice Group, about what the new rule means for J-1 physicians and their sponsoring organizations.
Trump administration lays out new $103K fee proposal for H-1B visas
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a proposed rule that would impose a new $103,265 fee on H-1B cap-subject petitions.
Importantly, the proposed fee is not currently in effect. The proposal is subject to a 30-day public comment period. DHS must review and respond to comments before issuing any final rule, which would then need to be published with an effective date.
The proposal is also likely to face legal challenges if finalized, particularly in light of recent litigation over the administration’s separate $100,000 H-1B fee, which was recently ruled unlawful by a federal district court.
The attorneys at Garfinkel Immigration are actively monitoring the situation and will alert clients as circumstances evolve.
Trump administration issues pause on immigrant visa appointments for applicants worldwide
The Trump administration has temporarily paused immigrant visa appointments around the world, as detailed by this story in Reuters.
The pause is due to a “global training initiative at all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide,” and visa appoints “will be adjusted to accommodate the training,” according to the report.
“The pause on visa appointments was reported earlier by the Financial Times, which said immigrant visa applicants with scheduled interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates have received emails that their appointments were being rescheduled and that they would receive future notice of a new date,” the story read.
Read the full Reuters story here.
ICE arrests jumped to nearly 50,000 in July, the highest monthly total of Trump’s second term
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested almost 50,000 people last month, according to this report from the Associated Press. That number is the “highest single monthly arrest total during the second Trump administration.”
“The spike in immigration arrests shows that the administration has continued to advance its mass deportations agenda despite a shift in approach earlier this year from high-profile operations in large American cities that sparked a public outcry to arrests that have garnered less attention but have nonetheless been disruptive,” the story read.
The story added: “The July arrest tally of 49,571 marks a 15% jump from 43,021 arrests a month earlier and a 70% increase from 29,241 in February, in the aftermath of the Trump administration’s enforcement surge in Minnesota, according to government data that was provided by ICE to the Deportation Data Project.”
Read the full Associated Press story here.
Trump officials now restricting all legal immigration categories
This story written by Forbes Senior Contributor Stuart Anderson details the restrictions implemented by the Trump administration across “all legal immigration categories.”
“The restrictions include freezes by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and State Department officials refusing to process applications abroad,” the story read. “The policies affect U.S. citizens sponsoring spouses, children and other family members to join them in America, as well as employers seeking workers. Analysts note the U.S. economy requires more workers to grow, but the administration’s actions reduce the labor supply.”