Sandy Spring Friends School, a long-standing independent Quaker institution in Montgomery County, Maryland, announced on Monday that it will permanently close at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. The school’s leadership, including Board of Trustees members and top administrators, shared the difficult news in a letter addressed to families, faculty, students, and the local community. In the letter, school officials cited an unsustainable financial situation as the drivi

A controversial proposal by Donald Trump has drawn sharp criticism from constitutional scholars, legal analysts, and civil rights advocates after he suggested that U.S. citizens convicted of crimes should be deported to foreign countries, including El Salvador. The idea, mentioned during a recent meeting with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, has been widely condemned as unconstitutional and without legal basis under existing immigration law. Trump, during his remarks, focused

As immigration concerns and political unpredictability in the United States intensify, Britain—particularly London—is increasingly becoming a preferred destination for not only global travellers and academics but also for vibrant artistic talent. Recent trends highlight a noticeable drop in the number of British citizens traveling to the US, while simultaneously showcasing a surge in visibility and success of Indian-origin actors on the West End stage The drop in Briti

In a sweeping change to US immigration enforcement, a new federal mandate now requires all immigrants—including legal visa holders and permanent residents—to carry valid identification at all times while in the United States. This directive, which came into effect on April 11, has sparked significant discussion among immigrant communities and legal experts, particularly those affected, such as H-1B workers, F-1 student visa holders, and Green Card recipients. The polic

A roofing company in northern Washington state became the focal point of a major federal immigration enforcement action this week, resulting in the arrest of 37 individuals. The operation took place in Bellingham, a city situated near the Canadian border, where federal agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) executed a raid at Mt. Baker Roofing’s warehouse early Wednesday morning. The agents, part of ICE’s Home

  After over two decades in the health and wellness industry, Modere has officially announced it is closing its operations. The direct-to-consumer brand, which once had a significant presence in markets across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, shared a heartfelt farewell with its community, expressing gratitude for the support and loyalty of its customer base throughout the years. Founded 23 years ago, Modere built its identity around offering clean-label

A federal judge has declined a request to block immigration enforcement operations at religious institutions, marking a significant development in the ongoing legal battle over the balance between national immigration policy and religious freedom. The ruling was delivered by U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich in Washington, D.C., who determined that the plaintiffs—over two dozen religious organizations representing Christian and Jewish communities—did not demonstrate sufficient gro

A wave of student visa revocations at universities across the U.S. has left hundreds of international students in limbo, with Texas institutions such as the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), University of North Texas (UNT), Texas A&M, and UT Austin among those affected. School officials are scrambling to support affected students while seeking clarity from federal authorities regarding the reasoning behind these abrupt visa terminations. Although the exact cause of the revoca

The annual H-1B visa lottery has always been a high-stakes moment for both international employees and employers in the United States. With the 2025 H-1B lottery now complete, many human resource managers are facing a challenging yet crucial task: supporting valued employees who were not selected. The disappointment of not being chosen can bring significant uncertainty for these workers, but HR professionals can play a vital role in guiding them through their next steps and exploring alternative

A growing wave of visa cancellations is sweeping through international student communities in the United States, raising alarm among students, universities, and civil rights advocates. According to a report by the Associated Press, international students—especially those from India—are facing heightened scrutiny, with some losing their student visas over issues as minor as traffic violations or social media activity. In a troubling shift, several top US universities including Harvard

As the Hajj 2025 pilgrimage nears, Saudi Arabia has temporarily halted the issuance of certain categories of visas for citizens from 14 countries, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The suspension affects Umrah, business, and family visit visas and will remain in place until mid-June, aligning with the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The decision reportedly aims to address logistical challenges and prevent unauthorized participation in the Hajj. The countries impacted by this move inc

If you are planning to apply for a marriage-based green card in 2025, prepare for a significantly more challenging and time-consuming process. The changes, largely influenced by the revised policies during the Trump administration, are causing delays across various stages, including biometrics, interviews, and approvals. USCIS has not implemented fixes to these delays yet, and applicants can expect longer processing times as well as more stringent documentation checks. A marria

The results of the 2026 H-1B visa lottery have left thousands of hopeful Indian professionals facing disappointment. The high demand once again overwhelmed the limited supply of available slots, with only 65,000 positions under the regular cap and an additional 20,000 allocated for applicants holding advanced degrees from U.S. institutions. Despite the odds, not being selected in this competitive lottery doesn't necessarily spell the end of the road. For those who weren’t chosen, there

The uncertainty surrounding U.S. immigration policies has intensified fears among H-1B visa holders, particularly in the technology sector. As concerns grow over potential policy changes under Donald Trump’s administration, major tech companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, have issued warnings to their foreign employees, advising them to avoid international travel. H-1B visas play a crucial role in the U.S. economy, particularly in the tech industry, where they

Thousands of immigrant tech workers, especially Indians living in the United States, are currently facing unprecedented uncertainty regarding their future due to President Donald Trump’s renewed focus on strict immigration policies. The tightening of these policies has left many H-1B visa holders—including employees at top tech companies like Google, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft—concerned about their job security, ability to travel internationally, and even the citizenship st

The United States Embassy in Romania has announced an important procedural change for all nonimmigrant visa applicants. Effective April 7, all applicants must present a printed copy of their DS-160 confirmation page with a barcode to confirm that the same DS-160 form was used to schedule their visa appointment. Before attending their visa interview, applicants must ensure that the barcode number on the DS-160 form exactly matches the one used to book their appointment on USTrav

In 2014, former U.S. Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia were asked whether undocumented immigrants are entitled to the rights outlined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedoms such as religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. Both justices agreed that these rights apply to anyone present in the United States, regardless of their immigration status. Ginsburg explained that the Constitution does not limit its protections to cit

Recent reports suggest growing concerns among Indian immigrants in the United States regarding travel restrictions and visa re-entry issues. For Green Card holders and H-1B visa workers, these concerns have escalated in light of a series of incidents, policy changes, and intensified scrutiny at the U.S. border. Many immigrants are now asking whether it is still safe to leave the U.S. and return, given the current immigration environment under the Trump administration. The anxie

This month, a University of Minnesota graduate student was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sparking significant concern and protests among students and faculty. Contrary to earlier reports suggesting the student's involvement in campus protests, federal officials confirmed that the detention was related to a prior criminal history, specifically a DUI arrest, and the subsequent revocation of the student's visa by the U.S. Department of State. The Department of Ho

South Texas has faced a severe and historic weather event this week, as officials report record-breaking rainfall that caused significant flooding in multiple cities, including Harlingen, Alamo, and Weslaco. Harlingen, which received over 21 inches of rain, experienced the heaviest downpour on Thursday. This intense weather event prompted emergency rescues of more than 200 residents, with hundreds more still waiting for assistance. The storm’s impact was felt across the region, with aut