Introduction
Immigration to the U.S. can be very complicated and new laws proposed will certainly add to that complexity for families wanting to be reunited with loved ones outside of the U.S. New proposed laws and how they will impact families in process of trying to reunite with loved ones are issues of great concern and anxiety to many families wanting to join their loved ones here in the U.S. We will review some of the new laws, their challenges and how they can impact you and your family’s process to be reunited with your loved ones.
Define the New Immigration Law
With great hope for families to start fresh from year to year, there is concern that the new immigration law to be implemented in the U.S. makes it more difficult for families to register with immigration services to attain legal status to reside in the U.S. as a family unit. While this year has been full of struggles and difficulty for families already established in the U.S. and those planning a move to reside in the U.S., hope for millions of families have arrived in the form of:
- 1.4 million individuals that have already been granted legal permanent residency for themselves and their families through the new immigration law for families of sponsored immigrants.
Even as politicians are deciding the fate of the lives of close to 700,000 individuals with DACA status, assistance is available to inform individuals and families of the new rules to the current immigration law put in place by the new immigration law and how it will affect families of sponsored immigrants going through the process to legally attain status to reside in the U.S. with their family.
Explore the Historical Context and Development
US immigration policy attempts to balance the need for the country of new entry of people with useful skills to its economy and with national security concerns to prevent entry of people who may harm Americans. Most current entry policy is based upon the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (also known as the I.N.A.) amended from time to time with major overhauls, for example, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and the 1965 Immigration Act that abolished national origin quotas and focused on family-based immigration and the admission of skilled workers. The 1965 Immigration Act drastically changed the demographics of new immigration from mostly being European to being from all over the world including Asia and Latin America and other places of the world.
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 granted lawful permanent resident status to approximately three million undocumented immigrants who had lived continuously in the United States since January 1, 1982. While this granted lawful status to a large group of undocumented immigrants and their families, it did not achieve its intended objective of curtailing unlawful entry into the U.S. The Act had several loopholes and the demand for low-skilled labor was too strong. Families were left in a state of uncertainty and instability, trying to build new lives in the U.S. and establish themselves as productive members of society while trying to find a way to live and work lawfully in the U.S.
Current entry policies are addressed in recently enacted laws and policy aimed at balancing national security concerns with economic growth objectives. As we look to 2026 and the full implementation of newly enacted immigration laws that affect families of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents seeking to join their loved ones in the U.S. in order to better their own economic circumstances and that of their family members, it will be important to become as educated as possible as to how the laws currently governing entry into the U.S. will be impacted. In order to effectively serve the numerous individuals and families attempting to find their way through the very complex system of entry into place by the current laws governing admission into the U.S., a full understanding of the current laws will be critical.
Be Prepared - Need Immediate Assistance? As a recent immigrant, you may be caught off guard by events that take place quickly. You may receive a subpoena and not know how to handle it or ICE actions may be taking place with respect to you or a family member and you may not know what to do. If such an event occurs, you have the right to remain silent, to a lawyer, and to refuse to sign anything. Our office is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to attend to your needs and to provide you and your family with the care and assistance that you need in order to protect your rights and maintain your freedom.
Identify Key Features and Provisions
Did the new immigration law make your journey harder? The new immigration law has brought many significant changes for immigrants and their families.
- New criteria for Adjustment of Status (AOS): Under the new law there are very strict requirements for proving "extraordinary circumstances" that would warrant approval of an application for Adjustment of Status (AOS) processing within the United States rather than at an U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. The process can cause applicants great stress and anxiety while they attempt to gather the information and apply within the time limits for submitting an application for AOS processing.
- Immigration and Vetting Enhanced Background Checks of Aliens: Expanded collection and use of information during visa applications and prior to admission or parole, including information from social media accounts. The increased information could result in denied admissibility of many additional aliens.
- New Rules Pertaining to Reunification of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents with close family members: Although new Paths for Undocumented Immigration have been opened to undocumented aliens allowing them to attempt to achieve legal status in an organized manner, new restrictions have been placed on the ability of U.S. citizens and of lawful permanent residents of the U.S. to use these Paths to bring in certain of their close relatives. The new restrictions are expected to have a large impact on the families of U.S. citizens and of lawful permanent residents.
- New Paths for Undocumented Immigration: Undocumented immigrants can achieve legal status through various structured paths if they meet required criteria to eventually achieve lawful immigration status.
In addition to facilitating the immigration of new individuals to this country in order to join their family members who are already U.S. citizens or residents, there are a number of changes which have greatly affected the families of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Individuals and families of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents have had to deal with greatly increased difficulty to be granted legal status to live in the U.S. with their loved ones. Additionally, the strict new requirements for those applying for Adjustment of Status to that of a green card holder in the U.S. has caused many individuals and families to choose to go through the much more difficult process of consular processing rather than AOS. Recently, there have been reports of long delays processing immigrants from 75 suspended countries to enter U.S. for various reasons. The process for individuals applying for immigration status and benefits within the U.S. has continued to experience growth. In the most recent year for which data is available, 608,260 individuals were granted lawful permanent resident status while already residing within the U.S. and went through the process of AOS.
Stay up to date on the entry regulations currently evolving for travel to the US and plan for your future and that of your family. Let our team of knowledgeable and competent Immigration law attorneys guide you through the many changing provisions of the new laws in order to efficiently meet your needs and reach your goals.
Analyze Implications for Immigrants and Legal Practitioners
In addition to the new challenges that the changes for immigrants pose, the new restrictions for the adjustment of status to permanent residents of the United States will pose significant new hurdles to many immigrants. For example, those who cannot qualify for the adjustment of status under extraordinary circumstances will once again be separated from their loved ones for extended periods of time. They and their families will endure added stress and uncertainty during this time.
As a result, immigration legal practitioners will have to take a very different approach to helping the families of immigrants. For example:
- Screening procedures for potential clients must be fair but adequate.
- Client advisement must be complete and adequate as well.
New restrictions to processing of asylum applications as well as to family reunification have significantly reduced visa numbers available to individuals attempting to enter the U.S. to join their families, as well as decreased processing time for already available numbers. Consequently, individuals attempting to bring their families to join them in the U.S. would greatly benefit from knowing all of the various options available to them, as well as all of the assistance possible in order to efficiently and effectively process applications for the appropriate visas in order to have their families join them in the U.S. as well.
Conclusion
If your family is seeking legal status in the United States or has recently been impacted by the new changes in immigration laws, then the Vasquez Law Firm can assist your family in this process. As the new laws opened doors for many families, the requirements to qualify and complete the process for Adjustment of Status, as well as many other requirements and processes to complete immigration, have created many disappointed and lost for help and solutions.
Key aspects of the new immigration laws for immigrants seeking to seek legal status in the U.S. to complete the process of Adjustment of Status, seeking to remain in the U.S. permanently, include:
- Higher requirements for seeking qualified immigrants
- Greater and more stringent background checks conducted on more individuals
- More limitations placed on family members seeking to enter into the U.S. to be with their loved ones for the purpose of family reunification
All current immigrants and their family members going through the process of seeking to have their foreign loved ones granted legal status and permitted to live in the U.S. as a permanent resident as a family member of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident will be affected by the higher requirements and many new rules set by the new immigration laws.
Whether your family is newly affected by the new immigration laws or you are currently going through the long and arduous process of trying to obtain legal status for permanent residency in the U.S. as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident and a family member of yours who is a foreign national, it is always advisable to have a good immigration attorney guiding you through the process. Here at the Vasquez Law Firm, we are committed to serving our clients and their families by providing them with quality immigration legal services in Spanish and English, as well as offering various payment options to fit our clients’ financial needs. Our office is available 24 hours a day to handle any urgent matters, and we are offering free virtual consultations with a qualified immigration attorney to discuss your immigration case in detail and to discuss your immigration goals and how we at the Vasquez Law Firm can assist you in reaching those goals in order to allow you and your loved ones to enjoy living their lives to their fullest potential in the U.S. and to improve their overall way of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new immigration law about?
The new immigration law aims to provide a pathway for families to attain legal status to reside in the U.S. However, there are concerns that it may make the registration process more difficult for families.
How many individuals have been granted legal permanent residency under the new immigration law?
Approximately 1.4 million individuals have been granted legal permanent residency for themselves and their families through the new immigration law for families of sponsored immigrants.
What challenges do families face with the new immigration law?
Families already established in the U.S. and those planning to move may face struggles and difficulties in navigating the new rules and processes for attaining legal status.
What is the status of individuals with DACA under the new immigration law?
The fate of close to 700,000 individuals with DACA status is currently being decided by politicians, which adds uncertainty to the immigration landscape.
Is there assistance available for families navigating the new immigration law?
Yes, assistance is available to inform individuals and families about the new rules and how they will affect families of sponsored immigrants seeking legal status in the U.S.
List of Sources
- Define the New Immigration Law
- How US Immigration Law Changes Affect You in 2026 | Vasquez Law Firm (https://vasquezlawnc.com/blog/us-immigration-law-changes-2026)
- News Releases (https://uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases)
- U.S. Suspends Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries: Legal Impact in 2026 (https://wilneroreilly.com/u-s-suspends-immigrant-visa-processing-for-75-countries-what-you-need-to-know)
- USCIS Redefines Adjustment of Status as Discretionary Relief (https://clarkhill.com/news-events/news/uscis-adjustment-status-discretionary-policy-2026)
- Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States (https://migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states)
- Explore the Historical Context and Development
- How U.S. immigration laws and rules have changed through history (https://pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/09/30/how-u-s-immigration-laws-and-rules-have-changed-through-history)
- Historical Overview of Immigration Policy (https://cis.org/Historical-Overview-Immigration-Policy)
- A Brief History of U.S. Immigration Policy from the Colonial Period to the Present Day (https://cato.org/policy-analysis/brief-history-us-immigration-policy-colonial-period-present-day)
- Fifty Years Later, the Immigration Act That Transformed America (https://americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/immigration-and-nationality-act-50-years-later)
- Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 | History | Research Starters | EBSCO Research (https://ebsco.com/research-starters/history/immigration-and-nationality-act-1952)
- Identify Key Features and Provisions
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Will Grant ‘Adjustment of Status’ Only in Extraordinary Circumstances | USCIS (https://uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/us-citizenship-and-immigration-services-will-grant-adjustment-of-status-only-in-extraordinary)
- How US Immigration Law Changes Affect You in 2026 | Vasquez Law Firm (https://vasquezlawnc.com/blog/us-immigration-law-changes-2026)
- USCIS Issues New Policy Guidance on Adjustment of Status Applications (https://oiss.yale.edu/news/uscis-issues-new-policy-guidance-on-adjustment-of-status-applications)
- New USCIS Memo May Force More Green Card Applicants to Apply from Abroad, Causing Chaos and Confusion - American Immigration Council (https://americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/green-card-news-uscis-memo)
- USCIS Redefines Adjustment of Status as Discretionary Relief (https://clarkhill.com/news-events/news/uscis-adjustment-status-discretionary-policy-2026)
- Analyze Implications for Immigrants and Legal Practitioners
- Immigration News (https://aila.org/immigration-news)
- Trump administration’s proposed rule would limit some immigrants’ ability to legally work in the U.S. | Houston Public Media (https://houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/immigration/2026/06/05/553733/trump-immigration-rule-work-permit-daca-asylum-houston-texas)
- How US Immigration Law Changes Affect You in 2026 | Vasquez Law Firm (https://vasquezlawnc.com/blog/us-immigration-law-changes-2026)
- New USCIS Memo May Force More Green Card Applicants to Apply from Abroad, Causing Chaos and Confusion - American Immigration Council (https://americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/green-card-news-uscis-memo)
