A Note from the Editors:

The imminent terrorist threat to the United States has continued to keep immigration in the limelight. Every pro and anti-immigration group has propals on how to stop terrorists from entering this country. Today we draw your attention to two such proposals from diametrically opposite viewpoints.

Center for Immigration Studes recommends a stricter enforcement of immigration laws. This includes keeping track of who comes in and who goes out of the country, ejection of immigrants who have overstayed their visas, maintanence of 'watch-lists' of offenders, investigation of fraudulent marriages and other deception, consular interview for every immigrant, increase in staff for INS, border security force and other agencies to accomplish this, among other measures.

On the other extreme is Dan Griswold, who in an article in National Review advocates "Open Borders". He believes that matching workers to willing employers will help secure borders against terrorists. He says, "Smuggling is almost exclusively an economic phenomenon, a kind of black market matching willing workers outside the United States with willing employers inside. Like bootlegging during Prohibition, it is the predictable response to a misguided government effort to criminalize otherwise normal and peaceful human activity. By realizing President Bush's stated goal of legalizing Mexican migration, we would eliminate most of those smuggling operations overnight. We would drain the underground channels through which terrorists might try to enter the country. Furthermore, we would free up law-enforcement and border-control resources for catching terrorists who want to blow up our buildings, rather than squandering those resources to intercept the Mexican construction workers who want to help us build them."

We welcome readers to share their opinion and ideas on this topic with us by writing to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.

Articles

Urge Congress To Give Immigrants A Meaningful Day In Court, By Supporting The Family Reunification Act
Rob Randhava writes "The Family Reunification Act will allow our immigration system to sensibly sort out the good from the bad during deportation proceedings."

State Department Wants To Shut Down A "J-1" Program
The Baltimore Sun reports "a State Department lawyer says a foreign exchange program that places students in menial jobs at hotels and resorts is inherently flawed and that there is no choice but to shut it down." The article quotes the attorney for the employers, Laura Reiff saying "the firm is the victim of overzealous bureaucrats with a "gotcha mentality."

The ABCs Of Immigration - Affidavits Of Support
Gregory Siskind and Amy Ballentine write about the ABCs of Affidavits of Support.

Student Visa Tracking To Start Immediately
Jose Latour writes about the new student online tracking procedures announced by the INS "as far as curbing terrorism, I don't think that this [] is going to do a whole lot for us."

Now DMV is Turning Legal Immigrants Away
An article in About.com says, "The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has long been a foe of illegal immigrants and even long-term foreign visitors, but now even legal immigrants are being given the shaft. Another administrative ripple caused by the 9/11 wave of (understandable) panic."

Lawsuit Challenges INS Refusal To Allow Detainees to Depart
Carl R. Baldwin writes about "the harsh treatment of immigrants in the wake of 9/11."

Hooray for Bollywood
An article in Washington Post gives a glimpse of entertainment in the lives of Indian-American community in the Washington DC area.

ILW Highlights

Missouri Service Center

INS has released the processing dates for Missouri Service Center. This Service Center handles processing for LIFE, K, V visa and other applications.

Letters to Editors

To write to Editor, send emails to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.

Dear Editor:

I have sent to the local INS investigation branch in person all the documentation about an illegal (here 2 years on a 3 week business visa) Russian woman here that wanted to marry me only so she could get a green card. She has no intention of being a true wife, just a leach. She is still here and now looking for some other sucker to marry. I advised her to leave while she still has a chance and before she gets caught. If they bend the laws to get into the USA, what other laws will they bend when they live in our society?

Bob
San Jacinto, California

Immigrant Life

Driver's Licence

.........You don't need a driver's license just for driving. A driver's license is also the major form of official identification in the USA. If you write a check or use a credit card, you will be asked for your driver's license...... (Cont'd).

This week's chat schedule

When Attorney Monday, May 27 9:00 pm Eastern Time No chat Wednesday, May 29 9:00 pm Eastern Time Raj Bhushan

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