Who is an “American?”

BRACE YOURSELF GWINNETT!

Citizens of Gwinnett County (with skin that is not white)…brace yourself for a barrage of racial profiling at its best. Prepare to be pulled over for trumped up traffic violations so under-trained police officers can inquire into your immigration status in an attempt to bring another prized “illegal” back to the station so that the County can receive federal money for housing them. Prepare to be questioned regarding your immigration status if you call the police for help after having been the victim of a crime or traffic accident.

Gwinnett County recently announced that it will be joining Cobb, Hall, and Whitfield Counties as a county that practices 287(g), a federal program that trains and authorizes deputies to enforce federal immigration law.

With 287(g) expanding, it is now more important than ever to know your rights and be prepared. If you are a person affected by the expansion of the program, remember, do not sign anything! Ask to speak to an attorney immediately, and do not allow yourself to be pressured into accepting what the ill-trained 287(g) officers say is your fate.

BALLOON BOY’S MOM’S IMMIGRATION BUBBLE ABOUT TO BURST?

My official source for news, TMZ, is reporting that Balloon Boy’s mom, Mayumi, is not a U.S. citizen, and could possibly face deportation depending on the crime she is eventually convicted of. Mayumi’s attorney purportedly explained that she is a “Japanese citizen” and could force deportation if convicted of a felony or “certain misdemeanor.”

What is not clear from the blurb is whether Mayumi has any status at all, though it appears that she may be a lawful permanent resident (LPR). If she is an LPR, let this situation be a lesson to all LPRs – you should apply for citizenship before concocting an insane scheme to draw attention to yourself. In all seriousness, Mayumi you are not helping the immigration debate.

The Elusive Dream, Illusions of Hope

Patrick Henry decried, “It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope.”  Each year 65,000 students graduate from high school with no real hope of a future.  They graduate but are precluded from further education and gainful employment.  Their only crime, arriving on the back of their parents when but infants unaware of their illegal status.   They learn our language attend school and upon graduation instead of a bright future are told they are illegal and in most cases cannot attend college.  The sins of their parents fall squarely on their shoulders.  They will forever remain illegal due to an illegal entry under current immigration laws.

• Read the full post The Elusive Dream, Illusions of Hope

The Senate is on the Immigration Path!

The Senators are coming, the Senators are coming! That’s right, the Senate is debating the DHS Appropriations bill right now, and immigration amendments are being offered. I blogged about the Sessions E-Verify proposal yesterday. Well bill, that passed by voice vote this morning, but not before the Senate voted down a proposal from Senator Schumer to table the Sessions proposal. Senator Leahy, in an astute move prior to the vote on Sessions’ E-Verify bill, amended that bill to include a permanent extension of the EB-5 Regional Pilot Program. So, Leahy’s amendment permanently extending the EB-5 Regional Pilot Program was approved too!

• Read the full post The Senate is on the Immigration Path!

Adoption from India

It seems that Indians can’t get a break these days. Priority dates have retrogressed for those seeking to immigrate through employment and the priority dates for family based intending immigrants are also horrendous. Most Indians don’t know that they will also face an up hill battle if they wish to adopt a child from their home country however; this time it’s the Indian law that causes the problems and not the US law.

• Read full post on Adoption from India

State of Illinois files Immigration Lawsuit

The state of Illinois has filed a lawsuit alleging a Chicago-based Immigration services provider bilked customers out of nearly $140,000.

The Illinois attorney general’s office says its lawsuit names Juanita Mendez, who it says also used the last names Cruz and Sanchez. It also names her associate, Melesio Reyes.

• read the full story from the Chicago Tribune:  “Lawsuit filed against immigration services firm“

Immigration One Year Later

A year ago I began my journey as AILA President with a speech at the annual conference in Vancouver. I focused my words on five principles in which I believe, God, Family, the Constitution, Service, and Litigation. Today is my last day as AILA President. As I reflect on the last year, I see that it was my belief in these five principles which carried me through what has been an amazingly difficult year.

From the economic disaster that started in the fall and continued through the spring of this year, to an election that has promised change, but which has not yet had time to fulfill all its promise, to the impending departure of two of AILA’s long time and key leaders, we have seen our fair share of challenges and obstacles.

BUT, we stand at the dawn of a new day. We believe that with the key personnel the Obama administration has begun to put into place at the Department of Justice, USCIS, ICE, CBP, and within the White House that we will see aggressive and positive administrative change and reform. For example, just today we have seen the outrageous Mukasey Compean decision reversed by Attorney General Eric Holder. I believe this action is just the beginning of a restoration of constitutional due process principles for which we have long been clamoring.

Read the rest of ‘Immigration One Year Later‘ by Charles Kuck.

The H-1B and L-1 Visas–The Attacks Continue!

It seems unrelenting these days. Attacks by anti-immigrationists on the two of the most useful non-immigrant visa categories, the H-1B and L-1 visas. The most recent attacks are based either on junk science or no science at all. Recently we received at the AILA National Office a letter from Professor Ray Marshall. AILA had issued a statement critical of the AFL endorsed Ray Marshall “plan” regarding immigration reform. This “plan” was highly supportive of the destructive Grassley-Durbin Anti-H-1B legislation. We were critical of this “plan” (and the Grassley-Durbin legislative proposal) because both the plan and the legislation are without merit and based on a lack of understanding of how our current employment based non-immigrant and immigration system currently works, what motivates employers to use the H-1B and L-1programs, and the tremendous historic and future benefits of these program.

Read the full post here:  H-1B and L-1 Visas - The Attacks Continue!

Immigration checks at local jails. What does this mean?

According to recent reports, the Obama administration is expanding a program that was initiated by President Bush designed to check the immigration status of virtually any person booked into local jails. This crackdown on illegal immigrants who commit criminal offenses illustrates Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano’s commitment to focus enforcement measures on immigrants who commit criminal offenses, as opposed to those who are merely here in the United States illegally, but are otherwise abiding by the laws of this country.

Read the full post here:  Immigration checks at local jails

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