This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh, Fredrikson Immigration Department Chair, is a member.
Attorneys Jeff Joseph of Joseph and Hall PC, Charles Kuck of Kuck Baxter Immigration LLC, and Greg Siskind of Siskind Susser PC, along with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), filed a complaint on April 7, 2021, on behalf of scores of plaintiffs against the Department of State and Secretary Antony Blinken, alleging that the agency has unlawfully relied on certain travel bans in refusing to issue visas.
Specifically, the travel bans relate to suspensions of entry that apply to individuals who were physically present in Iran, China, Brazil, South Africa, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Schengen area of Europe during the 14 days before seeking entry. The complaint states that these regional bans based on presence allow for entry after the individual has remained outside a designated country for 14 days, but that the defendants have refused to issue visas that would allow the plaintiffs to quarantine in a third country for 14 days before seeking entry.
