Client Alert!
Recent reports indicate that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at various ports of entry are inconsistently enforcing entry policies, sometimes denying admission based on both formal and informal directives from the President and government agencies. Given these developments, travelers should exercise increased caution when planning travel to the United States.
Below is a summary of key concerns and recommendations:
- Until CBP receives updated guidance, Colombians should expect enhanced screening. This would be especially applicable to diplomatic visa holders, or people who have ever held diplomatic visas in the past and may be entering in a different status.
- Entries requiring admission via port parole should not be expected as they are being authorized exceedingly sparingly and have higher levels of review.
- Entries with I-512 Advance Parole (AP) should be cautious. While presumably many AP holders have entered this week without issue, we have heard of ports disregarding the I-512 in hand due to underlying previous unlawful presence in the United States.
- Individuals who were issued a Notice to Appear (NTA) prior to travel should strongly consider not traveling.
- United for Ukraine (U4U) program has been halted and final decisions on such cases have been suspended. On January 27, 2025, the USCIS website was updated to reflect this change.
Given these uncertainties, travelers should stay informed and proceed with caution when dealing with entry-related issues.
