Most Immigration Lawyers that care for their work are tired of Mr. Dobbs. Mr. Leopold from AILA posted a valid statement about Dobbs’ campagin of Hate:
CNN has a journalistic obligation to dump Lou Dobbs and his campaign of hate against immigrants.
It is unthinkable that a major network would permit someone to build a career based on fear and hatred of human beings. Why the double standard when it comes to immigrants?
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that on September 15, 2009, the worst recession since the 1930s is probably over, although he cautioned that pain – especially for the nearly 15 million unemployed Americans – will persist. Bernanke said the economy likely is growing now, but he warned that won’t be sufficient to prevent the unemployment rate, now at a 26-year high of 9.7 percent, from rising. The recession, which started in December 2007, has claimed a net total of 6.9 million jobs.
With expectations for a lethargic recovery, the Fed predicts that unemployment will top 10 percent this year. The post-World War II high was 10.8 percent at the end of 1982. Some economists say it will take at least four years for the jobless rate to drop down to a more normal range of 5 percent.
Analysts predict the U.S. economy is growing in the current quarter, which ends Sept. 30, at an annual rate of 3 to 4 percent. It shrank at a 1 percent pace in the second quarter, much slower than in previous quarters. While many on Wall Street have been encouraged by early signs of stabilization in U.S. home prices and hope the housing market may have hit bottom, others aren’t so sure.
Four hundred twenty-three criminal aliens from 36 different countries were removed last month by deportation officers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Miami Field Office of Detention and Removal. The Miami Field Office oversees operations in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The individuals who were removed had a variety of criminal convictions including assault, burglary, drugs, fraudulent activities, larceny, robbery, sexual assault and weapons offenses.
Michael Rozos, field office director for the Miami Field Office of Detention and Removal said “These recent removals are an example of ICE’s commitment to remove those who pose a public safety threat and that these removals will continue taking place as we enforce our nation’s immigration laws.”
ICE’s Office of Detention and Removal (DRO) promotes public safety and national security by ensuring that all removable aliens are removed from the United States as expeditiously as possible. As an integral component of the ICE DRO aviation strategy, ICE employs special air charters when removing aliens to countries outside the western hemisphere. Staffed by ICE officers, these air charters repatriate large groups of removable aliens in an expeditious, safe and humane manner, thus reducing detention periods.
The owner of a southwest Missouri roofing company pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to hiring illegal aliens as a result of a worksite enforcement investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Assistant U.S. Attorney Robyn L. McKee, Western District of Missouri, is prosecuting this case.
Russell D. Taylor, 31 of Bolivar, MO admitted that from August 2006 through April 2008, he hired, contracted and sub-contracted for hire to obtain illegal aliens to work for him. By pleading guilty, Taylor also agreed to forfeit to the government $185,363, which represents the amount of proceeds obtained as a result of the offense. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the government and Taylor agreed that a fine of $36,000 is appropriate, representing a $3,000 fine for each of the 12 illegal aliens who worked under the supervision of Juan Pacheco-Herrera. Pacheco-Herrera pleaded guilty in a separate but related case to harboring illegal aliens.
Taylor has waived his right to a grand jury and was pleaded guilty on Sept. 14 before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. England, Western District of Missouri. The government and the defendant also agreed that five years of probation is a reasonable and just sentence in this case. As a condition of his probation, Taylor must implement an employment-compliance plan and pay the $185,363 money judgment in monthly installments during the first 30 months of probation.
On September 22nd a redesigned USCIS.gov web site will be launched. In response to customer feedback, from March to June 2009, USCIS conducted focus group discussions, usability tests, and surveys regarding general functionality of the website with a broad cross-section of users.
Based on the findings, a design has been approved and is currently in development. The improved design of USCIS.gov follows four core principles:
* A customer-centric homepage that provides applicants with a “one-stop shop” of immigration services information.
I recently came across a posting by fellow lawyer Chris Musillo, he wrote about an interesting point that is often asked by our clients, the Health Care recruiters and Healthcare providers. The question is do H1B workers that are not yet licensed, need to be paid. Here is Chris’ opinion, and I agree:
First a little background. The National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) is not offered overseas. Accordingly, all PTs must enter the US in order to sit for the licensing exam. The USCIS often approves unlicensed PTs for H-1B visa status, and there is ample Guidance to support these decisions.
My client’s approved PTs must then come into the US, sit for the NPTE, and then obtain their state license. Once they obtain the state license, they can begin their PT work.
Breaking news from the State Department. The online entry registration period for DV-2011 will be October 2 until November 30, 2009. Please, check back later for updates and instructions regarding online entry for DV-2011.
Form DS-5501 Electronic Diversity Visa (e-DV) Application for online Diversity Visa Lottery entry, is not available now. This official form is available only on the Department State, Diversity Visa online entry website at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ during the online entry registration period.
The congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is administered on an annual basis by the Department of State and conducted under the terms of Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Section 131 of the Immigration Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-649) amended INA 203 to provide for a new class of immigrants known as “diversity immigrants” (DV immigrants). Alien petitioners for the Diversity Visa Program will no longer be permitted to submit a petition by mail. Instead, the Department will require that all petitions be submitted to it in an electronic format, using an Internet website dedicated specifically to the submission and receipt of Diversity Visa.
The State Department released the October Bulletin last week, the news are not so good overall.
The EB3 category is now available, but many priority dates go back to 2001 and 2002, still long waiting period for many applicants.
EB2 China advanced 2.5 months, while India priority dates move by 14 days only. EB4 category is still unavailable.
We now know that Immigration, especially illegal immigration is a big part of the American Health care debate. President Obama’s prime-time address to Congress and the nation on health care prompted a Republican congressman to shout “you lie!” when the president covered Health coverage for illegal Immigrants.
The President said that his proposal would not cover illegal immigrants, a remark that prompted Republican Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina to shout “You lie!”
The president is correct: The House bill contains a section (Sec. 246) titled “NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS,” which states: “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced on August 27, 2009, new directives to enhance and clarify oversight for searches of computers and other electronic media at U.S. ports of entry—a critical step designed to bolster the Department’s efforts to combat transnational crime and terrorism while protecting privacy and civil liberties.
“Keeping Americans safe in an increasingly digital world depends on our ability to lawfully screen materials entering the United States,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The new directives announced today strike the balance between respecting the civil liberties and privacy of all travelers while ensuring DHS can take the lawful actions necessary to secure our borders.”
The new directives address the circumstances under which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can conduct border searches of electronic media—consistent with the Department’s Constitutional authority to search other sensitive non-electronic materials, such as briefcases, backpacks and notebooks, at U.S. borders.
Visa Lawyer Blog