The Pentagon now has a program available for legal immigrants in
the US that can lead toward obtaining US citizenship. The program started in
2009, but was stopped in 2010.

 Recruiters are pleased with the Pentagon reinitiating the  program. It will allow for folks who are in the US on temporary visas such as  student visas, the chance to obtain U.S. citizenship at a faster pace than the  current times available. Sometimes people who come to the U.S. to study, and then have an employer sponsor them for permanent residence, must still wait several years before obtaining the actual permanent residence. Once a person is  a permanent resident, the typical wait-time to apply for citizenship is five  years. Under this program, immigrants may get citizenship right after basic  training, which in itself is a mere 10 weeks.


Opening the army to immigrants has become more of an issue since  Major Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire on soldiers in Ft. Hood, Texas back in 2009.  However, he was American born.


Immigrants that have been a part of the program have excelled, and the Pentagon is looking forward to the new recruits that will enlist in the program.

 
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/us/pentagon-reopens-program-allowing-immigrants-with-special-skills-to-enlist.html?_r=0

Mississippi is the first state to join a lawsuit against the  Obama administration immigration policy. The case Mississippi joins is one in  which 10 ICE (Immigration Customs and Enforcement) officials sue the administration on its handling of immigration affairs. Click here to read our  blog post back in August 2012 regarding the existing lawsuit.

 The governor of Mississippi believes that the administration is asking that states turn a blind eye to illegal immigration. 
 
As a Houston immigration lawyer, I work with immigrants and  immigration officials constantly. This area of the law is quite complicated,  and there are many different groups involved in the adjudication and  enforcement of the laws. Each group has its own interests in the immigration debate. This news of Mississippi shows how not only an immigration agency disagrees with the president’s policies, but some states also  disagree.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/mississippi-joins-lawsuit_n_1956059.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&utm_source=AILA+Mailing&utm_campaign=d816a95211-AILA8_10_12_12&utm_medium=email
 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services prepared to process 300,000 applications for the new Deferred Action/Dream Act program by October 1.
However, by that date, they only received 120,000. Many people are still unsure
about whether to apply. 

Some believe that as more applications get approved, and friends see that other friends are getting work permits and social security cards, that may prompt more people to want to apply.  

One big result of the Deferred Action/Dream Act policy is that dreamers are requesting their school records. High school, middle school, and elementary school records may be good evidence to prove certain aspects needed to get approved for Deferred Action/Dream Act. 

For more information about Deferred Action or the Dream Act, contact our Dream act lawyer today.


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-illegal-kids-20121002,0,4879720,full.story?utm_source=AILA+Mailing&utm_campaign=86f2c357e5-AILA8_10_4_12&utm_medium=email

 As a lawyer representing clients with Deferred Action/Dream Act, some people have asked what happens if Governor Mitt Romney is elected as president. This is a good question, considering that Deferred Action/Dream Act is a decision made by President Obama’s administration


According to Romney’s campaign, he will not take away something that people have been given. Therefore, people who are granted Deferred Action will not have it taken away. Moreover, Romney intends to develop a more permanent solution. As things stand now, Deferred Action/Dream Act is granted for a two year period.

If you have questions about Deferred Action/Dream Act, it is important to speak with an experienced immigration lawyer about this new policy. You can contact our Deferred Action Attorney here.


 http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/03/romney-dials-back-acceptance-of-obama-immigration-program/?utm_source=AILA+Mailing&utm_campaign=3403df0a29-AILA8_10_5_12&utm_medium=email

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced that
Taiwan is now a part of the Visa Waiver Program. This is very exciting news for
Taiwanese passport holders.

 A foreign visitor whose travels with a passport from a country  approved for the visa waiver program (“VWP”) does not need to apply for a  tourist visa at the consulate. Instead, the visitor need only apply for  authorization via an online system called Electronic System for Travel  Authorization. 
 
In 2011, 18.3 million visitors flying to the United States  entered with the visa waiver program. Now, Taiwan nationals will be a part of  the number beginning November 2012.



http://www.aila.org/content/default.aspx?docid=41568&utm_source=AILA+Mailing&utm_campaign=82867c8df4-AILA8_10_3B_12&utm_medium=email

 I am amazed to find out that Customs and Border Patrol (“CBP”) recently issued guidance regarding travellers observing the Jewish holiday of  sukkot. It is a holiday that many folks are not familiar with, which  commemorates the Jewish people travelling the dessert from Egypt to Israel for  40 years. One part of celebrating sukkot is by using a combination of plant  species (palm, willow, and myrtle) and an etrog otherwise known as a citron.

 As an immigration attorney, I usually have some concerns when it comes to my clients dealing with CBP. This is because when immigrants, whether a visa holder or a permanent resident, arrive to the United States from an international flight, they must present themselves to “customs” or CBP officers.  Immigrants can sometimes run into major issues with CBP, where they get seriously questioned, endure secondary questioning, or other times get deported.

 I am surprised and happy to hear that the officers get training on certain obscure subjects such as the holiday of sukkot. I hope and wish that  this type of understanding and awareness of other people’s differences could be used more by CBP officers when they greet immigrants to the US.


http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/travel_news/sukkot_holiday_travel.xml

 When deciding whether to apply for Deferred Action/Dream Act, it is a good idea to know about what the results are to submitting an application. 
 
Besides being able to get a work permit, approved applicants may also be able to get state-issued drivers licenses and social security cards. These are very important for folks interested in entering the working world. One of the biggest disappointments many young people had prior to Deferred Action/Dream Act, was that after graduating from college, they were unable to get a job based on their immigration status.  With the new Deferred Action/Dream Act policy, some young people have a new opportunity.


 Below is a link with information of applying for social security  after being granted Deferred Action/Dream  Act.

 http://www.aila.org/content/default.aspx?docid=41276&utm_source=Recent%20Postings%20Alert&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=RP%20Daily

The Obama administration had immigration prepared to handle 250,000 applications by now for the new Deferred Action/Dream Act program. However, the actual number of those who have applied is at 75,000. At the current rate, the government estimates to receive 200,000 applicants by the November elections. Some have found that as many as 1.2 million could immediately qualify for Deferred Action/Dream Act. 
 
Director Alejandro Mayorkas says, “If somebody submits documents that show by
the preponderance of the evidence that they meet the guidelines, we are poised
to move the cases as quickly as possible.” Therefore, it is important to get  appropriate legal advice about Deferred Action, and it can help make a person’s
application process go quickly and smoothly.

 Click here for more information on Deferred Action/Dream Act.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/us/program-offering-immigrants-reprieve-is-off-to-quick-start.html?_r=0

I am a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), a national organization of attorneys focused on assisting immigrants with their needs. The group has a relationship with all immigration agencies, including Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  


DHS advised AILA about information regarding the current processing time for Deferred Action/Dream Act applicants. So far, it will take one month from getting a receipt notice to receiving a biometrics appointment. The process will average around 4-6 months for the first group of Deferred Action/Dream Act applicants. Thereafter, they anticipate a longer processing time as more people apply.

District Judge K. Michael Moore in Florida ruled that U.S. citizen children that have parents who are illegally present in the United  States, should be permitted to pay in-state tuition.


Judge Moore found that it was against the equal protection clause  to charge a higher rate to students because their parents were illegal. These lawsuits originated because certain Floridian students attending public universities in the state were unable to prove their parents’ immigration status, and therefore were required to pay higher tuition.


http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Judge-rules-for-students-in-immigrant-tuition-suit-3838779.php?utm_source=AILA+Mailing&utm_campaign=9d7c3afb1a-AILA8_9_6_12&utm_medium=email