Margaret Stock

Federal Appeals Court Blocks DHS from Ending TPS for Venezuelan & Haitian Nationals In a significant ruling with wide-ranging immigration implications, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has held that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not have the legal authority to prematurely terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Venezuela and Haiti. The court found that under the Immigration and Nationality Act, DHS may designate, extend, or terminate TPS only at statutorily defined intervals but cannot revoke an existing TPS designation before its expiration. The decision shows that TPS is intended to provide stability, predictability, and humanitarian protection to individuals fleeing extraordinary conditions in their home countries. This ruling affects hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan and Haitian TPS holders who have been living and working lawfully in the U.S. and whose protections were previously placed at risk. While ongoing litigation and Supreme Court stays may delay full implementation, the decision represents a critical legal check on executive authority in immigration matters. At Gehi & Associates, we continue to closely monitor how this decision may impact TPS holders, employers, and families and what it means for future DHS actions involving humanitarian immigration programs. For personalized guidance, connect with Gehi & Associates for a Free Initial Consultation. Call 718-263-5999. Visit www.gehilaw.com. DM us here.

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HRF welcomes the US administration's executive order establishing a new designation of “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention.” This order allows the US government to hold foreign regimes accountable for illegally detaining American nationals. It also applies to governments engaged in broader patterns of unjust detention, including of third-country nationals, when such actions implicate US national interests. Punitive and deterrent measures may include economic sanctions, visa restrictions, limits on foreign assistance or exports, and geographic travel bans. HRF commends this important step to ensure that governments responsible for wrongful detention and hostage-taking face real and meaningful consequences. https://lnkd.in/g3Kn38EC

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CITR is proud to join nonprofit media, research, and advocacy organizations in filing an amicus brief defending independent research and press freedom. Retaliatory investigations threaten accountability, and must be challenged. Read more 👇

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In today’s #FMG blog, we take a closer look at a recent Washington Supreme Court decision interpreting the term “job applicant” under the state’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, along with 2025 legislative amendments that reshape compliance obligations for employers and remedies for applicants. Read more to see what these changes mean for workplace practices and risk management strategies: https://lnkd.in/esnR9Zxk FMG authors: Cory Chipman and Galina Kletser Jakobson #FMGlaw #InsuranceCoverage #WAlaw #EPOA #Employers

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U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Puts Language Access Front and Center—But Will Agencies Follow Through? In a critical move toward protecting the rights of over 25 million U.S. residents with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held a national briefing on March 21, 2025, to examine how well federal and state agencies are meeting their legal obligation to provide meaningful language access. The timing of this conversation couldn’t be more urgent. As demographic shifts bring increasing linguistic diversity to schools, hospitals, courtrooms, and public service offices across the nation, outdated or underfunded language access programs are leaving LEP individuals behind. According to the Commission, LEP individuals—roughly 8% of the U.S. population—face persistent barriers when attempting to access essential services. These barriers range from inconsistent interpretation services in emergency rooms, to outdated translation in immigration paperwork, to a near-complete lack of bilingual staff in some government agencies. Testimony from the briefing was sobering. Legal experts, community advocates, and affected individuals shared stories of missed court appearances, denied medical care, and unnecessary detainment, which all stemmed from an inability to communicate. And while current law, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, mandates language access for federally funded programs, implementation continues to be lackluster. What this signals is a systemic failure to recognize language access as a civil right, not just a convenience. And the consequences ripple far beyond immigrant communities. Without clear communication, mistakes happen. Families lose services. Businesses face compliance issues. Agencies struggle to fulfill their missions effectively. At 7C Lingo, we know that real language access isn’t just about checking a compliance box. It’s about ensuring dignity, equity, and functionality in every interaction. Whether you're a public institution, a healthcare provider, or a private company, failing to plan for linguistic diversity is a risk you can't afford to take. We urge organizations to go beyond the bare minimum. Build robust language access plans. Train staff in Cultural Intelligence. Provide real-time interpretation. Translate with accuracy and empathy. #LanguageAccess #LEP #CivilRights #EquityInAccess #TranslationMatters #CulturalIntelligence #7CLingo

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💡 #govconthoughts: This GAO #bidprotest decision provides a timely reminder on one of the tribunal's pre-award timeliness traps. For contractors that are thinking of filing an agency-level pre-award bid protest challenging the solicitation, the 10-day shot clock for filing a subsequent GAO protest starts when the agency accepts bids, not when it provides a decision denying the protest. This quirky trap surfaces with some regularity in GAO decisions because the rule is pieced together from two GAO regulations: time for filing (4 C.F.R. § 21.2) and definitions (4 C.F.R. § 21.0). Specifically, GAO's protest rules generally provide that where a protester timely files an agency-level protest, "any subsequent protest to GAO must be filed within 10 days of actual or constructive knowledge of initial adverse agency action." While seemingly straightforward, "adverse agency action" is a term that is defined in GAO's rules. As defined, that term includes "any action or inaction" by the agency that is prejudicial to your protest grounds, like accepting bids or the award of a contract. So remember: if you are planning on filing an agency-level pre-award protest challenging the terms of a solicitation, be mindful of this timeliness trap. #govcon #bidprotests #govconjudicata

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If a credible fear interview produces enough evidence to warrant asylum, the interviewing officer should be able to grant it immediately, rather than merely pass the case on for further adjudication, Michael Kagan of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas argues in a recent article. https://lnkd.in/ev6Wq_vW

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While federal bid protest authorities are perhaps more widely known and are largely uniform across agencies, state-level bid protest processes differ greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and, often, even from agency to agency in the same jurisdiction. Beyond the differing procedures, a potential protester should be prepared to deal with: ambiguous or unhelpful rules for filing; the insufficient, incomplete or untimely production and sharing of agency documents; the opportunity to present argument to an independent adjudicator; and the suspension of performance of the awarded contract while the protest is considered. Read this new blog post from Jeremy Scholtes, Lauren Fleming, Mitch Dolman and Alicja Haran to learn more about the fundamental features of the process for D.C. state-level bid protests. https://lnkd.in/eiM56GrZ #bidprotest #governmentcontracts #govcon

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This case study on weapons reviews is the perfect addition to a LOAC course at service academies, command and staff colleges, war colleges, and legal education institutions such as the International Institute of Humanitarian Law and national JAG Schools. Michael Meier combines practical experience and scholarly understanding.

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Since its passage by voter initiative in 1972, the Washington Public Records Act (PRA) has been broadly interpreted by courts in order to promote transparency and accountability in government. The PRA is intended to ensure broad public access to government documents, reinforcing the principle that the public has a right to know how government decisions are made, and taxpayer money is spent. However, a ruling last week by the Washington Supreme Court on an appeal from the Citizen Action Defense Fund marked a shift in this philosophy. The Court held that documents related to the deliberative process of collective bargaining negotiations between public sector unions and government entities are exempt from disclosure under the PRA — at least until after those agreements are approved by the legislature and signed into law by the governor. This opens the court up to the criticism that it is protecting special interests--state employee unions--from transparency as their contracts are negotiated by the Governors office. Full Court Press is dedicated to training judicial candidates who are committed to applying the law with a facts-based approach that is founded upon long-standing legal principles, independent of political ideology and dedicated to transparency and government accountability.

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Kate Seikaly and Rizwan (Rizzy) Qureshi will be speaking at the American Conference Institute's 13th Annual Advanced Forum on False Claims and Qui Tam Enforcement taking place on January 28-29 in New York City. Kate will be providing the defense-bar perspective in a panel titled: When the Feds Join, and When They Don’t: Two FCA Case Studies. The panel will provide a timely discussion of False Claims Act litigation led by state Attorneys General, and how it differs when the federal government intervenes. As a leading FCA practitioner, Kate will present a candid, side-by-side look at tools, timelines, evidence-sharing, and settlement dynamics, in addition to how strategy shifts when the state runs point. On his panel, titled Up the Chain: Third-Party Exposure for Private Equity, Consultants, and Funders, Rizzy will discuss FCA risk facing non-traditional defendants, including investors, consultants, and other “non-submitters”. A former federal prosecutor and seasoned trial lawyer, Rizzy will discuss the potential FCA risk for private equity investors, the impact of conflicts of interest between third parties and government contractors, the impact of third party litigation funding on FCA cases, and lessons learned from related recent case studies.  For more information about this event, please see details below. We hope to see you there! https://lnkd.in/g7CCkQB4

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Join Gregory Weber and John Holtz in their GOVOLOGY (Waypoint America) discussion of the most common mistakes contractors make during the protest process—and how to avoid them. This can help contractors make the crucial of when, how, and whether to consider filing or responding to a bid protest. #smallgovcon

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A Bangladeshi national accused of running a global online child exploitation operation has been transferred to the U.S. to face federal charges. https://lnkd.in/gkBnrYeh According to prosecutors, Zobaidul Amin, 28, appeared in the District of Alaska after being transferred from Malaysia as part of a coordinated international investigation involving the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, and Malaysian authorities. Authorities allege the suspect operated a large-scale online child exploitation enterprise, targeting minors through social media platforms. Key details from the case: • Investigators say hundreds of minors across multiple countries were victimized • Social platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat were allegedly used to contact and coerce victims • Charges include conspiracy to produce and distribute child sexual abuse material, cyberstalking, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud • If convicted on all counts, the suspect could face 20 years to life in prison Officials say the prosecution falls under the Project Safe Childhood initiative, which focuses on identifying and prosecuting individuals involved in online child exploitation and abuse. The case highlights the growing role of cross-border digital investigations and platform abuse in online exploitation crimes. What more should social platforms and law enforcement agencies do to detect and stop these operations earlier? Share your thoughts below. #Cybercrime #OnlineSafety #ChildProtection #CyberInvestigation #DigitalCrime #LawEnforcement #Cybersecurity

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The GSA instituted a program that would allow 8(a) Program participants to enter into an 8(a) pool for GSA schedules (AKA, GSA Multiple Award Schedule) called the MAS 8(a) Pool. This program would allow 8(a) GSA schedule holders to maintain their 8(a) eligibility for a limited time even after they had graduated from the 8(a) Program. GSA described it this way in 2023: “MAS 8(a) pool contractors will be eligible for sole source awards for as long as they remain active in the 8(a) Program, and continue to qualify as small for the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned to the sole source order, at the time of award. 8(a) pool contractors will continue to remain eligible for competitive set aside awards for up to five (5) years from the date of award, or until rerepresentation in accordance with FAR 19.301-2(b) (whichever is first), even after the contractor has exited the 8(a) Program.” In this case, the agency requested a check on 8(a) eligibility, despite the existence of the MAS 8(a) Pool, and GAO was asked to decide if an agency had the discretion to check 8(a) eligibility, even if regulations did not require it. As another point, The Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) both provide oversight for federal procurements but over different areas. Generally, GAO reviews protests of agency compliance with federal procurement regulations and statutes and solicitation criteria, and SBA hears protests regarding the size and status of federal contractors for set-aside procurements. This can create, however, some confusion where their activities overlap. This is something that we have, over the years, addressed in other blog posts. Today, we look at a GAO protest where GAO and SBA crossed paths again and this MAS 8(a) Pool issue arose. #smallgovcon

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