Multiple lawsuits have been filed against the Department of Labor in response to new rules tightening the applicant pool and available opportunities of the H-1B visa program. Among those filing lawsuits are universities, advocacy groups, and firms, particularly in the technology industry.  H-1B visas are widely obtained by foreign graduates of universities in the United States to be employed here after graduation. In early October, the Trump administration narrowed the eligibility requirements to obtain a H-1B skilled worker visa and increased the wages employers would have to pay H-1B visa holders. A public comment period was not provided at the time, which is required by federal law before imposing a new rule; instead, the former change was published by the Homeland Security Department with an effective date of December 7, 2020 and the latter change went into effect immediately when it was announced on October 8, 2020. According to the […]

  Murder is the third-leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women, and rates of violence on reservations are around ten times higher than the national average. In 2016, there were 5,712 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, but despite the enormity of this problem, the U.S. Department of Justice only logged 116 cases in their missing persons database. Because these high levels of violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women are being systemically overlooked, there was a profound need for federal legislation to remedy this crisis. As a result, U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, cosponsored Savanna’s Act, which was recently passed to protect American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Federal Government’s Jurisdiction Over American Indians While American Indian reservations are considered sovereign states, Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court grant the U.S. […]