Policy

First responders in the US may soon get their passports for free. The Department of State has proposed a new fee exemption under the First Responders Passport Act. If finalized, it could save qualifying applicants the full cost of a US passport.

You spent hundreds of dollars on a USCIS filing fee, waited months for your turn in line — and then USCIS rejected your application because of a signature problem. In 2026, USCIS is enforcing stricter rules about what counts as a valid signature on immigration forms. A bad signature can cost you your filing fee, your place in the queue, and in some cases, a critical deadline.

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the US who work legally under special work permits may soon lose that right. The federal government has proposed new rules that would cut off work authorization for parolees, people with deferred action, and immigrants with final deportation orders who were released while waiting for removal. If the rules take effect, the impact could reach into the billions of dollars — and into the daily lives of people who have been working and paying taxes for years.

On June 3, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order giving customs agents sweeping new powers over who can import goods into the United States. For the first time, both US and foreign importers face the same strict transparency rules — or risk losing their importing privileges entirely. If your business or livelihood depends on moving goods across US borders, this order affects you now.