This Week in U.S. Immigration: What Actually Changed (September 14–18, 2026)
If you only skim one of these a month, make it this one. This was a loaded week, and I think the entire world is exhausted. A federal judge blocked a rule mere hours before it took effect, USCIS quietly swapped out three of its most-used forms, an ICE operation in Indiana finally got real numbers attached to it, and El Salvador's TPS status did something government rules do not typically do: it expired and didn't expire at the same time. None of this is designed to be scary. It's designed to be accurate, so let's go through it.
Duration of Status: The Last Minute Injunction
Quick recap for anyone who missed it Tuesday: the rule that would have capped F-1 and J-1 students at a fixed "duration of status" (instead of the open-ended status tied to your program) and cut the grace period to 30 days was set to take effect September 15. On September 14, just hours before that deadline, a federal Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in Massachusetts issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking it. I covered the full breakdown in my September 15th post, so I won't re-explain the whole thing here, but two updates from this week are worth knowing:
Judge Saylor didn't mince words in his written order: he wrote that DHS's national-security justification for the rule "borders on the absurd" and noted the agency had ignored roughly 22,000 public comments opposing it. A status conference is set for October 2nd, so this isn't fully resolved. As of today, many schools have posted their own confirmation to students, Berkeley, USC, UIUC, Wisconsin, UNC, BU, and Harvard all have guidance up confirming Duration of Status is still in effect and the old grace period rules still apply. UCLA and Michigan haven't posted dedicated updates as of this writing.
Bottom line if you're an F-1 or J-1 student: nothing changed for you this week. You're still under Duration of Status; You do not have to be concerned about the 4-year cap; and the grace period is still what it was before September 15. However, you should keep an eye on what happens October 2nd.
Two New Form Editions Landed This Week
USCIS rolled out new editions of Form I-539 (change/extend nonimmigrant status) and Form I-765 (work authorization) effective September 15th, and a new edition of Form I-485 (adjustment of status) effective today, September 18th, tied to the change in the public charge rule. The important part hasn't changed since Wednesday: USCIS is rejecting the old editions outright, with no grace period for using the prior version. If you or your attorney downloaded a form before this week, make sure you check the edition date before you file.
The 60-Day Grace Period Proposal Is Still Just a Proposal
Also from last week's post, worth repeating because the confusion hasn't died down: there's a proposal to eliminate the discretionary 60-day grace period for H-1B, L-1, O-1, and a few other work visa categories if your job ends early. It's a proposed rule, published September 11, comment period open through November 10 — not a final rule. It has not taken effect. If you've seen claims online (and I have) that this is already final or that people are getting deportation notices because of it, that's not accurate. People who are genuinely out of status are still getting notices for that — this proposal hasn't changed anyone's status yet. [Full myth-bust post here.]
The Indianapolis ICE Operation, By the Numbers
This is new this week, and it's not a visa-rule story — it's a general interior civil immigration enforcement story, which is a different thing, but I know it's exactly the kind of news that spikes anxiety across immigrant communities regardless of what status you hold, so it's worth covering plainly.
ICE had stayed quiet for almost two weeks about a five-day operation in the Indianapolis area (August 30 through September 3). On September 16, ICE officially confirmed the operation resulted in 426 arrests across Indiana. Local reporting since then has added real detail: one school on Indianapolis's west side saw attendance drop from 95% to 40% in the aftermath, and Indianapolis's mayor said the city received no advance notice before the operation began.
To be precise about what this is: this is general civil immigration enforcement, not connected to any specific visa category, not a new rule, and not something that changes anyone's F-1, H-1B, or other status. If you hold valid status, this operation doesn't affect your paperwork. But I'm including it because there are so many questions, rumors, and fears, and ICEs behavior has not been held to the level of accountability that it should. But, this was concentrated in the Indianapolis area, over a specific window, and there's no indication, apart from speculation, that it's expanding to other cities.
TPS El Salvador: Expired, But Not Quite…
Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador was set to expire September 9. However, rather than a clean termination, USCIS issued a holding notice (via its I-9 Central and E-Verify update pages, dated September 3 and updated again the week of September 16) stating that people currently in the U.S. under El Salvadoran TPS retain their protection, including work authorization, while DHS decides on a further announcement. USCIS says more substantive guidance is coming, but hasn't said when.
Practically, that means: if you're an El Salvadoran TPS holder, your status and work authorization have not lapsed just because September 9 came and went. But this is still unresolved. It’s not extended and not terminated, it is just paused. Watch USCIS's TPS page for El Salvador directly for the actual next update rather than relying on secondhand claims.
One More Thing on the Horizon
A few smaller items worth a sentence each rather than their own section:
The Department of Labor's proposed overhaul of the PERM labor certification process (the first step in the process behind most employment-based green card sponsorship) entered White House regulatory review on September 14. It's still pre-publication, so we aren’t sure exactly what it says, and no comment period has opened up yet. But, as to be expected, Indian outlets are already covering it heavily given PERM's role in the green card pipeline. It’s important to remember that nothing has changed for employers or applicants yet.
The proposed OPT work-authorization fee is still sitting in White House review with no confirmed dollar figure. It is speculated that this fee may be more than $100,000, but nothing is confirmed. Treat it as speculation until DHS actually publishes something.
The Department of Justice's lawsuit campaign against states offering in-state tuition to undocumented residents appears to have wrapped up this month at 25 states and jurisdictions sued. Important distinction: this affects undocumented residents specifically, not F-1 students, H-1B holders, or other visa holders.
TLDR
F-1/J-1 students: Duration of Status is still blocked from being replaced. So, you're fine for now. The next real checkpoint is the October 2 status conference.
Anyone filing I-539, I-765, or I-485: double-check your form edition date before submitting. Old versions are being rejected outright.
H-1B/L-1/O-1/similar workers: the 60-day grace period proposal is not final. Don't panic based on anything claiming otherwise; the comment period runs through November 10.
Anyone near Indianapolis, or worried after seeing the news: the confirmed ICE operation there was a specific, time-limited action, not a new rule, and doesn't affect valid visa or status holders' paperwork.
Salvadoran TPS holders: your protection and work authorization are still active despite the September 9 date passing. Watch USCIS's TPS page directly for the next real update.
As always, don't make decisions about your status, your job, or your benefits based on a headline alone. Get guidance on your specific situation first.
This post is for general information only and is not legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, please consult a licensed immigration attorney (or, if you're an international student, your school's DSO).
