U.S. District Court temporarily blocks Trump Administration from forcing colleges and universities to provide race-related admissions data
On April 3, 2026, a U.S. District Court judge in Massachusetts temporarily barred the Trump Administration from forcing colleges and universities to provide race- and sex-related admissions data. In a lawsuit filed by public universities in 17 states, plaintiffs argued that the US Department of Education’s recent request for seven years of race- and sex-related student admissions data was impermissible due to the “rushed and chaotic manner” in which the Department made the request.
Read the preliminary injunction from the district court here and reporting on the lawsuit from Reuters here.
Partner Prasant Desai to present to International Interior Design Association on immigration changes impacting the design community
(Reposting from the International Interior Design Association New England): IIDA New England President Krista Easterly and BSA President Alison Nash will host a roundtable conversation at Sasaki’s Boston office exploring the current immigration landscape and impacts on the local design community. Prasant D. Desai, Esq., Immigration Lawyer from Iandoli Desai & Cronin P.C. will present an overview of recent changes that are affecting our business and professional communities within the current legal context of immigration. Gabriela Baierle, Associate Principal at Utile, BSA/AIA Board member, and volunteer for Immigrant Architects Collective and Betty Davidian, Director of Human Resources at Sasaki will contribute their perspectives.
Together, we’ll explore:
Implications for the pipeline of design professionals in our region
How firms and employees are navigating these challenges
Collecting community resources to share
We look forward to welcoming you for an open, in-person dialogue.
April 14, 2026
5:00 – 7:00 PM
Sasaki | Boston
Space is limited — click the link in our bio to register and secure your spot.
State Dept. updates list of countries subject to B-1/B-2 visa bond pilot program
On March 18, 2026, The State Department updated its list of countries subject to the B-1/B-2 visa bond pilot program. For background, the Trump Administration now requires that certain B-1/B-2 tourists post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 before entering the US. Starting on April 2, 2026, the following 12 countries will now also be subject to the bond program: Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia.
See the State Department press release here. For more information on the bond pilot program, see our previous post here.
Expanded visa vetting at consular interviews
On March 25, 2026, the State Department announced that several nonimmigrant visa categories will now be subject to expanded screening and vetting protocols. Starting on March 30, 2026, the following nonimmigrant visa categories will now undergo an online presence review during consular interviews, which will require applicants to set their social media profiles to public: A-3, C-3 (if a domestic worker), G-5, H-3, H-4 dependents of H-3, K-1, K-2, K-3, Q, R-1, R-2, S, T, U, H-1B, H-4, F, M, and J. Nonimmigrant applicants in the O-1, E-3, TN remain not subject this social media vetting policy.
Read the State Department announcement here.
CBP pre-clearance now available at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
On March 10, 2026, US DHS began allowing CBP preclearance operations at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in Toronto, Canada. Individuals boarding flights from Billy Bishop into the US will now complete US immigration and customs inspection in Toronto before flying into the US and arriving as domestic passengers.
For information on US preclearance at Billy Bishop, see the Canadian government’s website here and the Billy Bishop website here.
TPS updates for April 2026: Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in April on TPS for Haiti and Syria
On March 16, 2026, The Supreme Court temporarily blocked the Trump Administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status for Syrians and Haitians. The Court also agreed to hear expedited oral arguments in April for several issues presented in these lawsuits. Oral arguments will occur on April 29, 2026, the last day of the Court’s regularly scheduled oral arguments.
See the Supreme Court’s order granting oral arguments here and NPR’s reporting on the lawsuits here.
USCIS issues first round of national interest exception denials for $100k H-1B payment, including for physicians
We have received anecdotal reports that USCIS has started to deny petitioners’ requests for a national interest exception to President Trump’s $100,000 H-1B payment Proclamation. These national interest exception denials include those made for physicians seeking to enter the U.S. to provide medical care.
One of the national interest exception denials states that the decision was “made after consideration of all relevant factors and evidence, and in the exercise of the Secretary[ of Homeland Security’s] discretion consistent with the authority vested by the Proclamation. The decision is based on the specific facts and circumstances of your request.”
Visa Bulletin update
The Department of State publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin which operates as the “waiting list” for green cards (immigrant visas), with an individual’s Priority Date serving as their place in line. The Bulletin identifies all immigrant visa “preference” categories and indicates whether a backlog exists for that category. When a backlog exists, an individual in that category may not apply for a green card (or “adjust status”) until their Priority Date becomes “current.” A priority date is current when it is earlier than the date listed in the Visa Bulletin. The Bulletin lists family-based (“FB-”) preference categories and employment-based (“EB-") preference categories. These categories are further separated into two charts: the Final Action Dates chart and the Dates for Filing chart. The Final Action Dates chart indicates whether an individual can expect USCIS to make a decision on their application soon, whereas the Dates for Filing chart, if USCIS chooses to use it that month, indicates whether an individual may file their adjustment application and receive the benefits associated with having a green card application pending with USCIS.
In April 2026, USCIS will be using the Dates for Filing chart for both employment- and family-based preference categories.
There were again significant advancements in the Visa Bulletin this month. Most notably, the EB-3 category is now Current for Mexico and All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed categories, which is an advancement of over two years. The EB-3 Philippines category has fallen out of sync with EB-3 Mexico and EB-3 All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed, which it typically keeps pace with. The State Department advanced Priority Dates as follows:
EB-1: no change (All Other still current)
EB-2:
All Other: no change (still Current)
China: no change
India: 2.5 months
EB-3:
All Other, except Philippines: 2+ years (now Current)
China: no change
India: 5 months
Philippines: no change
Other Workers:
All Other: ~5 weeks
China: no change
India: 5 months
EB-4: no change
See the April 2026 Visa Bulletin here.
If you have questions about planning, please schedule a consultation with one of the attorneys at Iandoli, Desai & Cronin (info@iandoli.com).
Massachusetts House of Representatives passes the PROTECT Act, requiring employers to notify employees of I-9 audits within 48 hours of DHS notification
On March 25, 2026, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed the PROTECT Act. According to a House press release, The PROTECT Act "establishes statewide standards governing interactions between state and local systems and federal immigration enforcement. It strengthens due process protections, limits civil immigration enforcement in courthouses, expands protections for victims of crime, and increases transparency, accountability, and clarity for correctional facilities and law enforcement. The PROTECT Act was originally filed by the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus (BLLC), with the goal of offering feasible policy options to address growing immigration concerns in Massachusetts.”
Among other policies, the PROTECT Act would require employers to notify its workers of an I-9 audit within 48 hours of the employer receiving the audit notification from the federal government. This part of the legislation was originally introduced as a singular bill last year; see our previous post on the legislation here.
The Massachusetts Senate has not yet picked up the bill for consideration as of April 1, 2026. We will continue to provide updates on the legislation as we receive them.
Read the bill here and the House of Representatives’ press release here.