Phillips Lytle

ALERT: New USCIS Policy Memorandum Characterizes Adjustment of Status as an “Extraordinary Relief” Authorized as a Matter of Administrative Grace

On May 21, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a Policy Memorandum characterizing adjustment of status as a form of “extraordinary relief”, which can only be authorized as a matter of administrative grace. The memo instructs officers to “consider and weigh all the relevant evidence in the record, taking into account the totality of the circumstances to determine whether the alien is suitable for permanent residence and if approval of the alien’s adjustment of status application is in the best interest of the United States.”

Read more about the memo in our latest Immigration alert by Danielle Rizzo.

New USCIS Policy Memorandum Characterizes Adjustment of Status as an “Extraordinary Relief” Authorized as a Matter of Administrative Grace On May 21, 2026, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a Policy Memorandum characterizing adjustment of status as a form of

New York State businesses may be subject to a growing number of comprehensive state privacy laws, many of which have recently taken effect. There are key distinctions and common obligations among these laws, in addition to recent enforcement actions and strategies for compliance that businesses should apply to their operations.

Read more about the various state privacy laws in our recent Buffalo Business First article by Anna Mercado Clark and Lavanya Sathyamurthy.

State Privacy Laws: Considerations for New York Businesses New York State businesses may be subject to a growing number of comprehensive state privacy laws, many of which have recently taken effect. There are key