IDC Attorney Lindsay Nichols meets with congressional members in Washington, DC for American Immigration Lawyers Association’s National Day of Action
On April 16, 2026, Attorney Lindsay Nichols attended the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)’s National Day of Action in Washington, DC. AILA collectively met with over 300 congressional offices to advocate for AILA’s legislative priorities: reforming ICE and Border Patrol; accountable, fair, and lawful immigration enforcement; strengthening the economy and modernizing the legal immigration system; and strengthening communities through a pathway to permanent status for people who are undocumented or in limbo status. Read more about AILA’s legislative priorities here.
Lindsay joined her AILA New England colleagues in seven meetings with Massachusetts and Rhode Island congressional offices to discuss AILA’s priorities and to share how the current immigration climate is impacting clients, including the new $100,000 payment for certain H-1B petitions, Immigration Court changes, and USCIS processing delays. Four congressional members joined these meetings alongside their staffers: Senator Ed Markey (MA) and Congressmen Gabe Amo (RI-1), Jake Auchincloss (MA-4), and Seth Magaziner (RI-2).
IDC awarded 2026 Best Law Firms® National Tier 1 Ranking for immigration law!
Last month, Best Law Firms® awarded Iandoli Desai & Cronin PC a National Tier 1 ranking of best law firms in the United States for Immigration Law. Across all practice areas, Best Law Firms® gave 641 American law firms a National Tier 1 ranking. Rankings are determined by client and professional reference feedback, firmographic information, industry leader interviews, and feedback collected on individual lawyers.
View Iandoli Desai & Cronin PC’s Best Law Firms® ranking here.
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.”