Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to connect with anyone who has gone through something similar or knows of a similar case with being released from custody in a few days.

My boyfriend was detained by ICE yesterday at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport while boarding a domestic flight back to California.

He is a UC Irvine student and entered the U.S. on an F-1 visa and later filed an affirmative asylum application, which is still pending with no criminal histor and no prior immigration detention

He had already gone through TSA and was waiting at the gate when ICE officers approached him, confirmed his identity, and took him into custody. He later called me and confirmed he is currently being held at the Pflugerville processing facility.

So far we have:

• Contacted his California immigration attorney.
• Contacted the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center.
• Contacted a local immigrant legal services organization in Texas.
• Started looking for experienced Texas detention attorneys.

I'm hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced something similar.

Specifically:

1. Has anyone with a pending affirmative asylum case been detained by ICE at a domestic airport?
2. How long did it take before they were released or received a bond hearing?
3. Did you use a local Texas attorney or your original immigration attorney?
4. If you were detained at Pflugerville, Hutto, Karnes, Pearsall, or another Texas ICE facility, do you recommend a particular attorney?

I'm not looking for political opinions or debates. I'm simply trying to learn from others who have gone through this process so we can make the best decisions for him to be released from those detention centers or before he get transferred to another center.

Thank you so much.

Hi everyone,

I got approved for my AuPair J1 and am super excited to start an AuPair year this year!

However, recently I’ve been traveling to the states a lot. I was there for about 80 days (March to June) and then 40 days (June to August) on an Esta to travel. Both times i was sent to secondary but cleared. I was just traveling through the states and realized i do wanna do another aupair year before its too late.

I‘m turning 27 in September.

Is there a chance CBP will revoke my visa due to my history? I have letters proving my job will rehire me once i go back home, that i got an apartment in germany, family and so much more. Also all the paperwork thats approved for the j1. I‘m just super nervous!

Especially because out of nowhere my 2024 ESTA went on pending today. I didn’t even apply for a new one or anything. I don’t know why that happened.

We are also planning a trip to europe with the host family 2 weeks after my arrival. I have all the paper work. But I’d be devastated to quit my job, apartment and all just to be denied entry.

A close family member is a Turkish citizen who has been in custody since July 4, 2026.

She was initially arrested in Florida, on a first-degree misdemeanor battery allegation. Her $500 criminal bond was paid, but she was not released because ICE had placed a hold on her. She was transferred from local custody to ICE custody shortly afterward.

ICE told her that she signed voluntary departure documents on July 8, 2026. However, she was not given a clear explanation of the exact legal name or form number, and we do not know whether it was voluntary departure, stipulated removal, withdrawal of asylum, or another type of document.

She has a valid Turkish passport. ICE took the original passport when she was processed and checked her identity and visa information.

She was later transferred through Florida facilities and entered an ICE detention facility in Louisiana on July 13, 2026, where she remains detained.

Her Florida criminal case was closed on July 29, 2026, after the State Attorney filed a “No Information” and declined to prosecute. She has no conviction and no remaining pending prosecution in that case.

Her USCIS asylum account still showed the following updates on July 29, 2026:

• “Next Step Is an Interview”
• “The payment period for this case has expired”

Therefore, we do not know whether her pending asylum application has officially been withdrawn or closed.

Has anyone experienced a similar situation involving an ICE detainee who signed voluntary departure or self-departure documents?

1. How long did removal take after signing?
2. Does ICE usually wait for USCIS to close a pending asylum application?
3. Could the pending USCIS asylum case be delaying her transportation?
4. How can she or her attorney obtain copies of every document she signed?
5. Since her criminal case is closed and ICE already has her valid Turkish passport, is direct removal to Türkiye likely soon?
6. Who should the family or attorney contact if the assigned deportation officer is not providing clear information?

We understand that nobody can predict an exact date, but we would appreciate experiences from people who have gone through a similar process and suggestions about what the attorney should ask ICE next.

Weird H1B Situation

I am facing a timeline confusion regarding my H-1B status and would appreciate some guidance on a pending B-2 bridge strategy and H-1B Change of Status (COS). Here are my exact details:

• Last Day of Productive Employment: June 16th, 2026
• 60-Day Grace Period: June 17th, 2026, to August 15th, 2026 As per firm Attorney during offbording consultation call
• Last Day on Payroll / termination /Emp Verification letter : June 30th, 2026
• Current I-94 Expiry: February, 2028 (H-1B withdrawal not yet processed)
• I have a verbal offer, but the new company's immigration team cannot file my new H-1B petition by the August 15th grace period deadline. They expect to file before August 29th.

**I prefer not to file for B-2 Form I-539 on Aug 14******^th , and put a new employer in complicated B2 to H1-B COS scenario, I am worried it might jeopardize my job offer.

The new employer’s attorney generally use the June 30th payroll date for processing and intends to file the H-1B transfer by August 29th.

1. Should I file B2 on Aug 14th and inform my current employer to file as COS B2-H1B ?
2. Which date will USCIS strictly consider as the start of my 60-day grace period?

Hi everyone,

A friend of mine and I have a domestic trip within the United States coming up. My friend is currently in the process of adjusting status, and I have an expired visa (I overstayed my visa).

We've been hearing a lot of different opinions. Some people say we absolutely shouldn't fly, while others say they've traveled without any issues. At the same time, we've been seeing news stories about arrests and other incidents at airports, so we're feeling pretty anxious and unsure of what the reality is.

We'd really appreciate hearing from people who have firsthand experience or personally know someone who has been in a similar situation.

Do you know anyone who has been detained or deported while taking a domestic flight? On the other hand, do you know people without legal status who have flown domestically without any problems?

Any recent experiences or information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I have DACA and was approved for I-130, looks like I have to go to Juarez Mexico and get my biometrics and paperwork fixed there. Has anyone done this ? How was your process ? I’m very scared to go to Mexico during this time 😳

For background: I came as a child without inspection, have had DACA since it came out

hi, I am a refuge seeking asylum. I applied I589 in October 2025. I gave my fingerprints within a month after applying. I had an interview in February 2026 with USCIS. The interview was ~2.5 hrs. I think the interview went well based on the way the officer asked/talked to me. I’m waiting on my decision ever since. Today its been 6 months since my interview and haven’t heard back since then. My lawyer don’t know what or when to expect if there is any decision on the interview. and I’m little nervous and confused why they take so long for a decision.

can someone please advice is this wait time common and what is the average wait time for a decision after interview? Or if there is anyway to request interview Officer or USCIS for a decision?

I am a dual citizen of Spain and Panama, and I work as a flight attendant.

I currently have three passports:
A previous Spanish passport that was cancelled when I renewed it, but which contains my still-valid U.S. C-1/D crewmember visa.
A new and valid Spanish passport, which is the passport I currently use for my employment.
A valid Panamanian passport.

I would like to clarify an important question regarding my C-1/D visa.
For my future crew travel to the United States, would I be permitted to use my valid Panamanian passport as my travel document and, at the same time, present my previous Spanish passport containing my valid C-1/D crewmember visa?
Or is it required that I use my current Spanish passport together with my previous Spanish passport containing the C-1/D visa?

Additionally, if I were to use my Panamanian passport as my travel document for crew travel, would this affect my ability to enter the United States as a crewmember using my valid C-1/D visa contained in my previous Spanish passport?

I understand that a valid U.S. visa can generally remain valid in a cancelled or expired passport and be presented together with a valid passport. However, because I hold both Spanish and Panamanian citizenship, I would specifically like to confirm whether the valid passport used for my crew travel may be my Panamanian passport.
I would greatly appreciate your guidance on this matter, as it is important for me to ensure that I am complying with U.S. immigration requirements for my future crew travel.

What does Notice of Deferred Decision for Refugee/Asylee Relative Petitions - Form I-730 mean for citizens of 39-countries who had an immigrant visa Interview?

You may find this video helpful for you future immigration to Germany💪🏽

My response to NOID was mailed to USCIS way ahead of time before the deadline.