1. USCIS Opens a New Asylum Office
On October 9, 2026, USCIS announced the opening of a new Asylum Office in Charlotte, North Carolina. Beginning October 13, 2026, the office will have jurisdiction over applicants residing in North Carolina and South Carolina.
The new office will conduct interviews for Form I-589 asylum applications that are processed directly by USCIS rather than by EOIR immigration courts.
Address: 128 South Tryon Street, Suite 600, Charlotte, NC 28202.
Visits are by appointment only. Applicants should carefully check the address listed on their interview notice because the actual interview location may change.
Source: USCIS
2. Court Rules the "Remain in Mexico" Program Unlawful
A federal judge in California ruled that the "Remain in Mexico" program (Migrant Protection Protocols, MPP) was unlawful. The program allowed U.S. authorities to return asylum seekers to Mexico while their cases were pending in U.S. immigration courts.
The court found that the program interfered with the right to apply for asylum, access legal counsel, and receive a full and fair hearing. According to court records, only 7% of participants had attorneys, while approximately 1.1% received asylum or another form of protection from removal.
The October 7 decision vacates the original 2019 MPP program and related implementation guidance. However, it does not automatically reopen all previously closed cases or eliminate other restrictions on seeking asylum at the border.
Source: CGRS
3. New York Declined More Than 16,000 ICE Detainer Requests
According to DHS, since January 2025, law enforcement agencies in New York State have declined to comply with 16,070 ICE requests to transfer individuals into immigration custody. DHS says those requests are connected to more than 52,000 criminal charges and convictions, although those figures include charges that did not result in convictions.
An ICE immigration detainer is not a judicial warrant. It asks local authorities to notify ICE before a person's release and may request that the person be held for up to 48 additional hours beyond the time they would otherwise be released.
New York law limits compliance with such requests when there is no judicial warrant.
Source: New York Post
4. Jury Acquits Man Accused of Assaulting an ICE Officer During Protest
On October 9, 2026, a federal jury in San Francisco acquitted Caleb Alexander Ranney, who had been accused of assaulting an ICE officer and damaging federal property during a protest in August 2025. He faced up to two years in prison.
Video recordings of the incident from multiple angles played a key role in the trial. The defense argued that federal officers themselves escalated the confrontation, including by deploying crowd-control devices against protesters.
The proceedings also revealed that one federal officer had violated rules governing the use of such devices and was later restricted from using them.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
I-GUIDE is an independent informational project and is not affiliated with USCIS, DHS, EOIR, or any other U.S. government agency. This material is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
