Dashinka

Somewhat quietly, at least in the West, a lot of stuff is going on in Iran. I look forward to talking to my colleague who is Iranian to see what he hears, but hopefully, these protesters are not hung out to dry. Iran's Protests are Evolving to Confront the Regime As 2026 begins, Iran is once again shaken by nationwide protests. Demonstrations have spread across major cities, and university students are chanting openly against the ruling system. Economic grievances have rapidly turned into political demands, reflecting a population that no longer believes reform within the existing structure is possible. Outside Iran, many commentators are already defaulting to a familiar explanation. The protests are spontaneous. Leaderless. Another wave of anger that will eventually burn itself out. That explanation is wrong. What is unfolding in Iran today is not simply another eruption of public frustration. It is the continuation of a long-running confrontation between a deeply unpopular regime and an organized resistance that has learned how to survive, adapt, and persist under repression. The real story is not the size of the crowds, but the persistent refusal, particularly in the West, to recognize where real organization actually exists. Inflation, currency collapse, and economic hardship are undeniably pushing Iranians into the streets. But economic pain alone does not explain why protests keep returning in Iran, or why they increasingly target the system itself rather than individual policies. Many countries experience inflation without facing repeated nationwide unrest. Iran is different because millions of people no longer believe that incremental change is achievable under the current regime. Protest has become a political act born of exhaustion with a system that has lost credibility. https://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2026/01/03/irans_protests_are_evolving_to_confront_the_regime_1156561.html

Now you know how to get them to leave early, or better yet, maybe they won’t come around again.

Depends on the food or drink.

I suspect Mandami will try to give him sanctuary.

Interesting development. Trump confirms US strike in Venezuela, says President Nicolas Maduro has been 'captured' The U.S. military carried out a "large-scale strike" in Venezuela early Saturday morning and took Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife into custody, President Donald Trump confirmed. The president wrote on Truth Social that the operation was successful and Maduro and his wife were "captured and flown out of the country." Trump said the operation was conducted with U.S. law enforcement and added that a news conference will take place at Mar-a-Lago at 11 a.m. on Saturday. At least seven explosions could be heard in Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas early Saturday morning, according to The Associated Press, and low-flying aircraft were seen flying over Caracas at about 2 a.m. local time. https://www.foxnews.com/world/explosions-venezuelan-capital-caracas-reports

The headline is a bit misleading as to my knowledge there is no automatic GCs for anyone. However, it does seem that there is a lot more scrutiny of AOSs particularly wrt to adjustments from a B2/VWP/student visa etc. I suspect there might be more scrutiny of the ROC process as well. Trump Ending Automatic Green Cards for Migrants Marrying U.S. Citizens Immigration lawyers are warning that federal agencies are increasingly skeptical when migrants claim to have legitimate marriages with Americans. The policy shift comes after President Donald Trump’s deputies began cracking down on rising rates of marriage-related visa fraud by migrants who pay Americans for temporary marriages. While marrying a U.S. citizen has never been a locked-in guarantee that a migrant would be issued a green card, marriages have previously offered a huge boost to a migrant’s request for legal status. But that may be changing as immigration attorneys are finding that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are giving such marriages much closer scrutiny than ever before. https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/01/02/trump-ending-automatic-green-cards-for-migrants-marrying-u-s-citizens/

I agree as a traffic stop does appear to count legally as being detained, so I would answer yes. The IO will review all those questions at the interview and you can confirm it was a traffic stop, but you did not get a ticket.

As to traveling internationally after submitting the N400, that is fine, just make sure to update your updated travel history with the IO at your interview (they should ask). Good Luck!

Just to clarify, a K1 entrant can apply for an SSN anytime after arrival regardless of when the wedding takes place as long as the I94 is valid. Most recommend doing it with at least 2-3 weeks left on the I94 authorization. In my wife’s case, we got married 2 weeks after her arrival on a K1, and since we were so busy with the wedding prep, we went to the SSA about a week after the wedding (~3 weeks after her arrival) and we were fine except the SSN was issued using her name on her passport rather than the name she took from our marriage. She changed that after she got her GC in her new name.

This is a somewhat common occurrence when petitioners send in both the IRS Tax transcripts and copies of tax forms. Usually for consulate processing the IRS official transcripts are preferred and there is no need to also send in copies of tax forms, but if tax forms are included, they need to include the forms as well as all W2’s/1099’s. As others have said, send in what is asked for. Good Luck!

Since filing the I129F does not cost anything as far as I remember (may have changed), it is probably worth it unless a fee has been added. Whether it will help is hit or miss from a USCIS processing standpoint.

I would consult with your divorce lawyers to see if applying for citizenship would help your divorce case, and possibly an immigration attorney, but based on your story, I don’t see any issue with applying under the 5 yr rule while the divorce is still ongoing. You can always update the case if the divorce is finalized while the N400 is finalizing. Good Luck!

Merry Christmas to all!

I would guess around 75% or more. Politics seems to be more and more just a grift between politicians and NGOs to get taxpayer dollars.

“Exceptionally flawed” is an understatement.

The WH does not have the power to cancel the program. IMO, using this case as the reason to suspend DVs is a stretch. It seems this person had a proverbial screw loose, maintaining some sort of vendetta against the MIT professor for a very long time. I am not really sure anymore vetting of this guy would have turned anything up.

95% of all the politics in DC or any other major capital around the world have no benefits, perceived or otherwise IMO.

Not a huge fan of DD, GH, etc., and this is just another example of why I am happy when we are making our own food.

Curious, and a little devil’s advocate, could he/she have thought it was a stray? Not sure of the type of neighborhood, but cats are not usually simply out to roam unless they are barn cats.

Send it to the USCIS California Service Center (a search will give the address) or the Portland USCIS field office or boat. And yes, this is optional, so don’t lose any sleep over it. Good Luck!

You as the USC only control the I864 submitted with the AOS package, so that is the only thing you can request be pulled back. The I765 and/or the I131 should end up being canceled automatically once the I485 is canceled after you pull the I864. Good Luck, and sorry it didn’t work out for you.

That is highly likely, but we are already riding a sea saw politically speaking

The only requirement for “consummation” is to be in person during or after the online ceremony. That can be done in public amongst others.

Utah online marriages are recognized by USCIS and consulates, but as @SalishSea mentioned, you need to meet in person during or after the ceremony before you can file the I130 before those entities will recognize the marriage. I would def8nitely pursue the spousal visa option in this case, as I expect the K1’s may be impacted by the travel bans. Good Luck!

Immigration reform has become the political football for both parties. Most of what is written is already at the discretion of either the DoS or DHS, so I think the 1% estimate of this becoming law is too high. Much like the dual citizen bill introduced and discussed in another thread, this seems like political theatre.