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We all know that Hispanics will play a significant role in this year’s presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain. The Census Bureau reports an 18 percent jump in Hispanic voters in 2006, compared with the previous election. They are also a big part of the population in key swing states, such as Florida, New Mexico, California and Colorado.

And because this year, neither Obama nor McCain has a lock on Hispanic voters, even if it appears otherwise at the moment. Polls show that among Hispanics, Obama is leading by a 2-to-1 ratio. The presumptive Democratic nominee benefits from what is for most Hispanics, with the exception of Cuban-Americans, a near-hypnotic loyalty to the Democratic brand.

San Diego based CNN writer Ruben Navarrette Jr. has an excellent article on this in todays UT paper. Read more here….

I am a big fan of the 80’s music and was pleased to learn of Boy George’s upcoming Concert Tour, passing through San Diego as well in July. Now it seems that we will be be expecting a refund for the tickets.Boy George has been denied a visa to enter the United States, according to his site.

U.S. immigration denied the visa because George, faces trial in November in London on charges of false imprisonment relating to an April 2007 incident, according to a statement from Boy George’s management, posted on his site. Under US law a criminal conviction even from abroad, can lead to a visa denial or bar to enter the US.

Read the story here

I-140 Premium processing is back, but wait not so fast. The USCIS issued an official notice informing that, as of June 16, 2008, premium processing will be available for I-140 petitions on a limited basis. The premium processing service for I-140s will only be available for foreign nationals who are reaching the end of their sixth year of H1B term and who otherwise would not be eligible for H1B extensions.

I-140 premium processing will be made available to those who need their I-140s approved in order to be eligible for H1B status beyond the six-year limit. This would apply to H1B applicants who have only 60 days remaining before the end of the H1B six-year limit, but who do not qualify for extensions based upon the priority date of the labor certification filings, alone. In that instance, the I-140 approval will permit an H1B extension for an additional three years in those situations where the priority date is not current / available.

Our country’s commitment to bring to justice criminals against humanity is remarkable. The pursuit of Holocaust criminals shows that even after 60 years, they will face justice and be deported.

The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) affirmed an order directing the removal of

Josias Kumpf, 83, due to his participation in Nazi-sponsored crimes of persecution during World War II.

Following the recent announcement of the audit of all PERM cases filed by Fragomen, largest immigration law firm in the nation. A new set of rules was issued by DOL on the role of Lawyers following the PERM process.

The Department has long held the view that good faith recruitment requires that an employer’s process for considering U.S. workers who respond to certification-related recruitment closely resembles the employer’s normal consideration process. In most situations, that normal process does not involve a role for an attorney or agent (as defined in 20 C.F.R. 656.3) in assessing the ability of applicants to fill the employer’s needs.

More specifically, the types of actions prohibited by 20 C.F.R. 656.10(b)(2)(i) and (ii) include:

It is getting hot here in California this time of the year, and stories of abused immigrant workers are news once again. This recent story of the death of a pregnant teenager pruning grape vines in 100-degree heat has outraged the farmworking community and sparked calls for safety reforms as laborers prepare for the long summer harvest. We also need to consider immigration reform for the thousands of undocumented workers picking our vegetables, once they become legal such human rights abuses might decrease.

Read the AP story here

DHS announced an interim final rule on the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a new online system for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Effective some time next year, all nationals of VWP countries who plan to travel to the U.S. under the VWP will need to receive an electronic travel authorization prior to departure.

Click here to read the FAQs on VWP Electronic System for Travel Authorization

Read the Factsheet here

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered the commencement address at UPenn, noting that accepting immigrants is one of our nation’s greatest historic strengths. Here is what he had to say at the Ceremony:

Let me ask everyone here who can trace their families back to the Mayflower to raise their hands. Congratulations, you are related to America’s first immigrants. And the rest of us are the descendants of immigrants, too.

“And the word I was thinking of, the key to innovation is immigration. Our nation’s greatest historic strength is that we’ve always welcomed the best and brightest from every corner of the globe. eBay, Google, Levi’s, Budweiser, they were all started by immigrants. It’s the story of New York, and it’s the story of Penn – which has the highest percentage of international students in the Ivy League.

McCain is pressing the all the correct keys today in Silicon Valley. John McCain joined Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in pushing for comprehensive immigration reform, including guest worker permits to bring employees to California’s Silicon Valley and the state’s vast agricultural fields.

Asked by Silicon Valley panelists on what he would do to grant more visa for skilled technology workers, McCain broadly advocated the comprehensive immigration reform plan he had backed with Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy in Congress.

Responding to a question about so-called H1-B visas for Silicon Valley workers, McCain said: “We have to attract the best and brightest minds. It isn’t just H1-B visas. In our agricultural sector, they can’t find workers as well. We need a temporary agriculture (worker) program.”

U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has a deadly brain tumor, doctors treating him at Massachusetts General Hospital said Today. Sen Kennedy is a true Icon, Kennedy’s contributions to the U.S. Senate are historic, where he has represented Massachusetts since 1962.

On May 16, 2008 Kennedy wrote a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security expressing outrage about the recent ICE raids targeting Illegal immigrants parents at their children’s schools. Read the Letter below
We all wish Sen. Kennedy a quick recovery.

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