New ICE Strategy, Student Visas, and J&J Talc Litigation | Bloomberg Law

New ICE Strategy in Immigration Courts

• 🎯 ICE agents are reportedly employing a new strategy in immigration courts, leading to the dismissal of cases for migrants scheduled for hearings, followed by their arrest and placement into expedited removal proceedings.
• 💡 This tactic aims to increase deportations by identifying individuals with less than two years in the U.S. who may not qualify for asylum, thereby increasing removal numbers.
• ⚠️ A secondary goal is to instill fear, potentially causing migrants to stop attending court hearings, leading to in absentia removal orders, or to voluntarily depart the U.S.
• ⚖️ For those who do attend court and have a credible asylum claim, they may still be detained, required to pay bond, and face lengthy delays, making the process onerous.

Challenges to Student Visa Processing

• 🚫 The U.S. embassies worldwide have temporarily stopped scheduling interviews for student visas due to stricter vetting of applicants' social media profiles.
• ⏳ This new guidance, expected soon, could lead to significant delays, potentially pushing start dates for international students to January or even the following academic year.
• 📉 This creates an obstacle for foreign students, potentially making the U.S. less attractive for international education and impacting universities that rely on international enrollment.

J&J's Talc Litigation and Bankruptcy Attempts

• 📉 Johnson & Johnson's third attempt to resolve mass tort talc litigation through bankruptcy was dismissed, forcing the company to return to civil court to face approximately 60,000 lawsuits.
• ⚖️ The