A former prosecutor and formidable trial attorney, Maeve commands complex federal and state litigation with an insider's mastery of courtroom and prosecutorial strategy.
Yes: a mandamus and APA complaint in federal district court can ask a judge to order USCIS to decide a delayed case, and the government generally has 60 days to respond. What the lawsuit can and cannot get you, how cases usually end, what they cost, and when filing is a mistake.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of September 25, 2026I-9 paperwork violations currently carry civil fines of $288 to $2,861 per form, and knowingly hiring or continuing to employ unauthorized workers runs from $716 to $28,619 per worker. Why the 2025 amounts still apply in 2026, how ICE sets a fine, and how to run a self audit without making things worse.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of September 25, 2026A lawsuit filed October 5, 2026 in the District of Massachusetts challenges two USCIS policies: a May memo that presumes denial of adjustment of status absent unusual or outstanding equities, and the August policy allowing denial without a request for evidence. Both remain in effect while the case proceeds.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of October 6, 2026Most people held by ICE get out through a bond hearing before an immigration judge, and the bond cannot be set below $1,500. When ICE or the immigration court says no hearing is allowed, the answer is a habeas corpus petition in federal district court, and in Massachusetts the First Circuit has now sided with detainees who entered without inspection.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of September 25, 2026A Notice of Inspection gives an employer at least three business days to produce its Forms I-9 and supporting records. What you produce, what you must never do, and how the notices that follow work, day by day.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of September 25, 2026ICE moved roughly fifteen categories of I-9 error from technical to substantive on March 16, 2026 by editing a web page. Each one is now immediately fineable at $288 to $2,861 per form.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of September 2, 2026Project Firewall lets the Secretary of Labor personally certify reasonable cause and open an H-1B investigation with no complaint at all. By November 2025, DOL indicated at least 175 were underway.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of September 2, 2026Most delay suits against USCIS lose. The ones that win share identifiable features, and TRAC factor four, the line-jumping argument, is now doing almost all of the work in federal court.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of September 2, 2026This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration law and agency policy change frequently; the analysis above reflects our understanding as of the date noted. Readers should consult counsel regarding their specific circumstances.