Over 6,000 Americans seek British citizenship or residency.

United Kingdom
Record Number of Americans Apply for UK Residency

The United Kingdom Home Office has reported a record 6,618 applications for UK residency or citizenship from Americans in the year leading up to March 2025. The surge is attributed to political polarization and strict immigration policies in the United States, prompting many Americans to seek dual citizenship or permanent relocation.

The rise in U.S. applications for settlement in the UK might not directly indicate the political climate in either nation. Among the 5,521 settlement applications from U.S. citizens in the previous year, the majority came from individuals eligible through spousal or family connections.

ICE
ICE Arrests Immigrants at Courthouses to Accelerate Deportations

On May 23, U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted coordinated arrests of immigrants at courthouses across the country. This new directive aims to expedite deportations by detaining individuals attending scheduled immigration hearings. This directive has raised concerns among legal advocates about due process and the potential chilling effect on immigrants seeking legal recourse.

Deportation
Federal Judge Orders Return of Wrongfully Deported Asylum Seeker

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a gay Guatemalan man identified as O.C.G., who was deported to Mexico despite a court order granting him protection. The judge criticized the government’s false statements and opened an investigation into the misinformation provided to the court.

Denmark
Denmark’s Center-Left Government Implements Tough Immigration Policies

Denmark’s Social Democratic government, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, has adopted stringent immigration measures traditionally associated with right-wing parties. Policies include limiting work rights for international students, promoting voluntary deportations, and enforcing strict residency rules. These actions aim to protect social cohesion and have contributed to a decline in support for far-right parties.

Immigration Fraud
Texas Residents and Law Firm Indicted in Multi-Million Dollar Visa Fraud Scheme

Two Texas residents from Pakistan, Abdul Hadi Murshid (39) and Muhammad Salman Nasir (35), along with the Law Offices of D. Robert Jones PLLC and Reliable Ventures, Inc., have been indicted for allegedly running a multi-year immigration fraud scheme. Federal prosecutors allege that the defendants exploited the EB-2, EB-3, and H-1B visa programs by posting fake job advertisements to obtain labor certifications fraudulently, and then filing petitions with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to secure visas and green cards for their clients. To make these non-existent positions appear legitimate, they allegedly collected payments from visa seekers and returned portions as fabricated payroll.

The charges include conspiracy to defraud the U.S., visa fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and RICO conspiracy, with Murshid and Nasir also facing additional charges for unlawfully attempting to obtain U.S. citizenship. Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meachum described it as a “massive, multi-year immigration fraud scheme” that generated substantial financial gain for the defendants. The FBI, along with multiple federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Labor, conducted the investigation. The defendants appeared in court Friday with detention hearings scheduled for May 30, and if convicted, they could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

New Jersey
Trump Administration Sues Four New Jersey Cities Over Sanctuary Policies

The Trump administration has initiated legal action against four New Jersey municipalities—Newark, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Paterson—challenging their sanctuary city policies, which the federal government claims impede immigration enforcement efforts. The lawsuit centers on allegations that these cities have implemented policies restricting local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, notably by limiting access to undocumented immigrants held in local detention facilities. The administration is pursuing a court injunction that would compel these jurisdictions to cease enforcing policies that allegedly obstruct federal immigration operations.

The legal challenge has generated strong responses from local officials, with Hoboken Mayor Ravinder Bhalla asserting that his city will resist federal cooperation requirements that potentially violate constitutional protections. The controversy extends beyond policy disputes, as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested in May following an incident at a federal immigration detention facility. However, the trespassing charges were subsequently dismissed. This latest lawsuit represents a renewed federal effort to enforce immigration compliance, despite a previous federal court ruling that prevented the Trump administration from withholding federal funding from jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement policies.

If you are joining us, welcome. The Immigrant Daily is a newsletter that brings you the latest news on immigration from around the world.

God bless America.

Yours sincerely,
Tosin Agboola.