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
 

 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

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
 

Mayor Julian Castro of San Antonio, Texas, delivered the keynote address at last night’s Democratic National Convention (DNC) making him the first Latino to do so.


Castro’s speech discussed family, culture, and community. One point he also addressed was the bad sentiment some people have felt regarding  Obama’s immigration policies. Since coming into office, Obama’s administration has deported a record breaking number of immigrants, reaching almost 1.5  million. Thousands of families across the country have suffered from the deportation policy in place.


However, others have found new hope with Obama’s latest policy called Deferred Action or Dream Act. It gives a new opportunity to hundreds of thousands of young people who don’t have immigration status.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/05/opinion/navarrette-castro-speech/index.html

Ten ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents filed a lawsuit against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano last week challenging the new Deferred Action/Dream Act policy. They claim that this new directive forces ICE officials to break the law and ignore their duties of deporting individuals who lack legal immigration status.

 The lawsuit was filed in Texas federal court. The ICE agents argue that the Deferred Action/Dream Act policy violates the separation between the legislative and executive branches of  government.

 So far, the Supreme Court has ruled that the government has the  power of “Prosecutorial Discretion,” which is what defenders of the Deferred Action/Dream Act  argue.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/23/immigration-agents-file-suit-against-napolitano-over-amnesty-program/?cmpid=cmty_%7BlinkBack%7D_Immigration_agents_file_suit_against_Napolitano_over_'amnesty'_program

The new immigration policy called “Deferred Action” is starting
TODAY! Please check out our Deferred Action/Dream Act link to learn more about
the requirements.

 It is important to speak to an attorney before filing your case.  People with criminal records should have their cases reviewed prior to applying.

 They say that over 1 million people can benefit from this new policy. So, if you are interested in applying for the program, it is good to act quickly since thousands of people may be submitting their applications at the same time.

 Please contact our office for more information.