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Bloggings On Immigration Law And Policyby Greg SiskindEditor's note: Here are the latest entries from Greg Siskind's blog. October 13, 2009
TELECONFERENCE: B-1/B-2 VISITOR VISAS - WEDNESDAY AT 4 EASTERN TIME
Our biweekly national conference call series continues this week with a discussion of visitor visas. For what kinds of trips are they appropriate and how can you best present your case to a consular official or a port officer. To register, click here. And to access recordings of our earlier calls, click here.
October 12, 2009
NY TIMES: 287(G) NEEDS TO GO
The Times editorial makes the case for centralizing immigration enforcement. Hat tip to Tom Roach for the link.
LARGE MARCH TOMORROW; GUTIERREZ TO UNVEIL CIR PLAN
From Reform Immigration for America:
Thousands To Participate in Vigil With Members of Congress For Immigration Reform
Families, Clergy, Veterans, and Immigrants Gather in Washington, DC as Rep. Luis Gutierrez and Progressive Allies Unveil Principles for Reform Legislation Events in Cities and Towns across U.S. to Underscore Urgent Need for Reform:
WHAT: Reform Immigration FOR Families: Family Unity Cannot Wait
will bring together families,
clergy, veterans, and immigrants who are adversely affected by our nation’s
broken immigration system. The event will include a procession of prayers
and a vigil with 2,500 people on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday,
Oct 13.
Delegations
Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) will be
joined by key allies in the House and Senate as he unveils the principles that
outline the comprehensive immigration reform bill he is working on and will
introduce later this fall. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Congressional
Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY),
Congressional Asian Pacific Caucus Member Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) and
other pro-immigrant allies will address the gathered crowd. Many of the
participating families, veterans, and clergy took part in the Families
United/Familias Unidas series of interfaith vigils held around the country with
Members of Congress earlier this year.
WHERE/WHEN:
MAIN PROGRAM SPEAKERS (3:30-4:00 pm – West Lawn, U.S. Capitol):
The Honorable Robert Menendez, U.S. Senate (D-NJ)
The Honorable Nydia Velazquez, U.S. Congress (D-NY)
The Honorable Luis V. Gutierrez, U.S. Congress (D-IL)
The Honorable Mike Honda, U.S. Congress (D-CA)
Most Reverend Bishop Minerva Carcaño, Bishop of the Phoenix Episcopal Area, Desert Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church
Gustavo Torres, Executive Director, CASA of Maryland, Inc.
Ali Noorani, Executive Director, National Immigration Forum
Clergy, U.S. military veterans, and families from Florida, Illinois, New York, Tennessee, and elsewhere will
share their stories
STATE/LOCAL EVENTS:
Events leading up to and in conjunction with the Washington gathering are taking
place across the country: Saturday, Oct. 10 through Tuesday, Oct. 13 For
information on events in AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, ME, MI, MN, NC, NV, NY,
OH, PA, TX, WA, and WI, visit http://tinyurl.com/national-events
or contact Shu Ohno at shu@reformimmigrationforamerica.org
or call (202) 309-5645.
To meet up with state delegations please contact: Douglas Rivlin at (202) 441-0680
OR Shu Ohno at (202) 309-5645.
PURPOSE: Last month, Rep. Gutierrez told a group of new citizens and supporters of comprehensive
immigration reform that he would introduce a bill to fix our broken immigration
system this fall. On October 13, at the Reform Immigration FOR
Families: Family Unity Cannot Wait event he will
announce the principles that outline the bill he will introduce.
There is significant buzz in immigrant communities around this event
that signals a new beginning to the legislative battle for comprehensive
immigration reform in the 111th Congress. The President and leaders in
the House and Senate have indicated that immigration reform will be debated
late this year or early next and this event – and the forthcoming bill from
progressive House Members – signals the effort is serious. For more information on the Reform Immigration FOR America Campaign, please visit www.reformimmigrationforamerica.org or www.reformamigratoriaproamerica.org
October 11, 2009
UNDOING THE DAMAGE: DALLAS MORNING NEWS ADMITS IT FALSELY REPORTED TERROR SUSPECT WAS IN US ON STUDENT VISA
You may have heard a report the other day of a Dallas man accused of engaging in a terror plot. The Dallas Morning News reported he was on a student visa, a charge that was repeated in media across the country. Guess what? It wasn't true. The Dallas Morning News printed a retraction, but the damage to the reputation of the student visa program has already happened. NAFSA covers this issue in a recent blog post on its web site.
CONSULATE LEAVES AMERICAN STRANDED
Most of the time, I write about problems immigrants have with US immigration officials, but this week I heard from an American in Valencia, Spain who had her purse snatched right after arriving. Gone were her credit cards, cash, and, most importantly, her passport. After dealing with the police, she contacted her family and because the crime happened on a Friday, was told that no money could be wired until banks opened on the following Monday. When this citizen went to the US consulate in Valencia, she was told she needed to pay $250 for a new passport. She explained that she was without money or identification and the consular officer told her that it is their policy to not provide any financial help and that she should call her family. Fortunately, a local church showed mercy and provided help until the money arrived a few days later. I’m left stunned that our consulates are instructed to tell American citizens who have been crime victims that they are on their own for something as basic as waiving the replacement passport application fee. I’m hoping I hear from someone at the State Department telling me that this was all a mistake and that we can expect something more if we’re faced with a similar situation.
SCAMWATCH
Courthouse News Service reports on a NY lawyer disbarred for immigration fraud:
And the Charlotte Observer reports on a marriage fraud scheme run by soldiers at Fort Bragg. Two soldiers and three brides from Asia have been indicted.
SHERIFF JOE VOWS TO DEFY GOVERNMENT
Ironic that a law enforcement officer who took an oath is publicly proclaiming he’ll ignore the law. I usually don’t link to the anti-immigrant CNS News, but that’s the mouthpiece for the Maricopa County Sheriff. I guess the so-called law and order advocates who adore Sheriff Joe will have to exempt the Constitution from the laws they’re interested in enforcing.
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS GROUP ENDORSES IMMIGRATION REFORM
This is major. The National Association of Evangelicals’ 75 member board of directors has unanimously passed a resolution endorsing efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation that would legalize millions of unlawfully present immigrants. The organization represents 40 denominations and dozens of Christian organizations. Its member churches represent a high proportion of the country’s right wing Christians.
E-VERIFY TO BE EXTENDED FOR THREE YEARS
The House and Senate conferees negotiating the Department of Homeland Security spending bill have reached agreement on a provision extending the E-Verify electronic employment verification system for three years. Proponents of the program had been seeking a permanent extension of E-Verify while advocates for comprehensive immigration reform have been seeking to limit the program until that immigration bill passes.
October 09, 2009
CONGRATULATIONS, MR. PRESIDENT
President Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize. Solving seemingly intractable international problems is chief on the President's foreign policy agenda. Hopefully, solving the immigration problem will remain chief on his domestic agenda.
October 07, 2009
ARPAIO'S POWERS CUT IN HALF
[Sorry about earlier problems with this post - so much for Typepad's email service] Some of the comments have already let people know this important news, but it’s worth bumping the story up to a post. Phoenix’s county sheriff has been brazenly taking on the Department of Homeland Security and his far over-reaching use of the 287(g) program has led to a civil rights investigation by the Justice Department of the Maricopa County sheriff’s office. Now DHS has responded to the problems by stripping Arpaio of his department’s ability to make immigration arrests on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Arpaio’s jail officers will still be able to check the immigration status of jailed individuals and can turn those individuals over the ICE. Arpaio said politics were to blame for this major loss of power. That’s an interesting comment coming from Arpaio who has looked for every opportunity to milk his program for as much national publicity as possible.
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