Immigration Update – March 09, 2026

Headlines:

Middle East: Alert for Employers and Travelers – As instability spreads across the Middle East amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, the Alliance of Business Immigration Attorneys has provided tips for employers and travelers.

Appeals Court Allows Haitian TPS to Remain Pending Further Litigation – The Trump administration is widely expected to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

Yemen TPS to End on May 4, 2026 – The Department of Homeland Security published a notice terminating the Temporary Protected Status designation for Yemen effective May 4, 2026.

U.S. Reportedly Sets Goal of Processing 4,500 South Afrikaner Refugee Applications Per Month – To accomplish this goal, trailers are being set up on U.S. Embassy property in Pretoria.

Details:

Middle East: Alert for Employers and Travelers

As instability spreads across the Middle East amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, widespread travel and security disruptions are creating significant uncertainty, with reports of travelers stranded and commercial operations interrupted. Escalating security developments are significantly affecting inbound and outbound travel to Gulf nations, as well as U.S. citizen services and immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing at U.S. consular posts throughout the region. There are reported widespread appointment cancellations, suspension of routine visa services, and extended processing delays as a result of ongoing military strikes. The Alliance of Business Immigration Attorneys (ABIL) has provided the following tips for employers and travelers:

• Practitioners are urging against non-essential travel to countries where departure and shelter-in-place notices are in effect for consular staff. If travel is necessary, travelers should anticipate flight cancellations, appointment cancellations, and longer processing timelines. Travelers needing to renew their nonimmigrant visas may not be able to do so until the U.S. consulates reopen, which would leave them unable to return to the United States for an indeterminate period of time.
• Travelers should review country-specific updates and advice, including the Department of State’s (DOS) travel advisories. In addition to Iran and Israel, countries in the region that are currently affected by related security issues include Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, the West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen. U.S. citizens in any of the affected nations, as well as other Gulf nations, should consider enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and to be easily contacted in an emergency. Travelers also should monitor local media for breaking events and be prepared to adjust travel plans accordingly.
• DOS said that in addition to enrolling in STEP, U.S. citizens can follow the S. Department of State – Security Updates for U.S. Citizens channel on WhatsApp and check for any recent alerts.

Given the rapidly evolving conditions across the Middle East, ABIL encourages employers and affected individuals to closely monitor official government guidance and assess mobility plans carefully. Those who have employees affected by these developments or who require immediate assistance, including situation-specific guidance regarding global mobility strategy, consular processing disruptions, or employee safety planning, should contact their ABIL attorney.

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Appeals Court Allows Haitian TPS to Remain Pending Further Litigation

On March 6, 2026, in a 2-to-1 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld a lower court ruling in Miot v. Trump that an estimated 350,000 Haitians in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) can remain and work legally while a case challenging their TPS proceeds.

The Trump administration is widely expected to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

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Yemen TPS to End on May 4, 2026

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced publication of a notice terminating the Temporary Protected Status designation for Yemen effective May 4, 2026. The publication follows DHS’s announcement on February 13, 2026, of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision to terminate TPS for Yemen. There are approximately 1,400 Yemenis with TPS in the United States.

E-Verify said that Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) (Form I-766) with a category A12 or C19 and a Card Expires date of March 3, 2023; September 3, 2024; or March 3, 2026, issued under a prior TPS designation of Yemen will expire on May 4, 2026.

The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program noted that “[b]enefit applicants whose TPS has been terminated may have another lawful basis to remain in the U.S. and may also be employment authorized based on another immigration status or a pending application.”

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U.S. Reportedly Sets Goal of Processing 4,500 South Afrikaner Refugee Applications Per Month

According to reports, the Department of State (DOS) has set a goal of processing 4,500 white South Afrikaner refugee applications per month. To accomplish this goal, trailers are being set up on U.S. Embassy property in Pretoria, a contracting document said. “The inability to safely process about 4,500 applicants per month, an objective communicated to [DOS’s refugee division] from the White House, would result in failure to meet a Presidential priority,” the document reportedly stated.

As of January 31, 2026, after a program to admit Afrikaners to the United States was announced in May 2025, about 2,000 Afrikaners have entered the United States as refugees. It is unclear whether a recent pause in admitting any refugees will affect the administration’s ability to meet its target, along with President Trump’s statement last year that the United States would admit only 7,500 refugees in fiscal year 2026.

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