A Note from the Editors:

Improved Customer Service At DHS

The Department of Homeland Security has identified improved customer service for immigration benefit processing as priority #6 in its strategic plan. Sadly, DHS today operates in a "culture of No". In contrast, a Legacy INS memo from 1980 says "[Adjudicators] with [their] broad knowledge of law and policy, [should all] approach [applications and petitions] attitudinally, in a friendly professional manner, looking for a way to approve them." While no sane person would have any quarrel with strict security measures to guard against terrorists, it is merely stating the obvious to note that more than 99.99% of immigrants to our shores are not terrorists and simply wish to achieve the American dream by casting their lot with us. The "culture of No" is simply an anti-immigration agenda masquerading in the guise of security for our homeland. This gem of a memo is the subject of today's Featured Article, "Combatting The 'Culture Of No' In Immigration" by Angelo Paparelli. For all items, see below.

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

Articles

Presidential Papers Historical Series: Special Message To The Congress On Immigration (Dwight D. Eisenhower: 1953-1961)
Dwight D. Eisenhower sent this message to Congress on March 7, 1960.

Nebraska Service Center Filing Tips
The Nebraska Service Center released tips for increasing the likelihood of your case being processed without delay.

CRS Issues Visa Waiver Program Report
The Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress issued a report on the visa waiver program.

Combatting The 'Culture Of No' In Immigration
Angelo A. Paparelli discusses an April 21, 1980 Legacy INS memorandum on quality customer service in an open letter written to Mr. Prakash Khatri, Ombudsman, USCIS on how the administration of our immigration laws can be improved.

DHS Says Improved Customer Service Is Priority #6
The DHS issued a fact sheet highlighting the DHS' achievements for its first year, and mapping out its priorities for the coming year. Identified as "Priority #6: Improved Customer Service for Immigrants" is the following: "To reduce the backlog of immigration service applications, the Department of Homeland Security will re-engineer existing systems to substantially decrease processing times and create fast track options for the bulk of applicants. The department is creating a series of new pilot programs aimed at a systematic deduction in processing times and paper flow. By May 2004, three new pilot programs will be in operation around the country. Lessons learned from these programs will be incorporated into a more wide scale overhaul of the process."

US-Mexico Bilateral Meeting
The DHS issued a fact sheet summarizing the results of the US-Mexico bilateral meeting, including immigration-related provisions. For the fact sheet, see here. For the press release, see here.

Policy Report From Congressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress issued a report on US immigration policy on permanent admissions.

RICO Laws Becoming The Last Resort Of American Workers
Dan Stein of the Federation For American Immigration Reform writes "It is very sad that ordinary citizens are being forced to go to such great lengths to force their own government to protect their jobs and wages from unscrupulous employers who knowingly hire people who are in the US illegally."

USCIS Publishes H-1B Cap Information In Federal Register
The USCIS will process H-1B petitions for new employment for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2004 now that the cap for H-1B petitions for FY 2004 has been reached.

The O-1 Nonimmigrant Visa: Varying Degrees Of Extraordinary Ability
Mario A. Pacione writes "Artists and entertainers who qualify for the coveted O-1 visa do not necessarily meet the requirements of the first preference employment-based immigrant classification."

GAO Report Recommends Improving Visas Mantis Security Check Process
The Government Accounting Office of Congress issued a report including recommendations, based on its review of the Visas Mantis, a security check for science students or scholars from other countries to obtain visas, designed to protect against sensitive technology transfers.

That, Which & Who: A Common Grammatical Error Among Lawyers
Diane Sandford writes "Lawyers who use these prepositions incorrectly risk being misunderstood."

Who Are Protected Individuals Against Employment Discrimination?
Read a response from the USCIS on employment discrimination.

ILW Highlights

New I-360 Form

Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, was recently updated. To download the form, see here.

Letters to Editors

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

Dear Editor:
I read the guest worker program and fully understand that each alien gets to find an employer to sponsor him/her. What about an alien who is self employed, like a gasoline station owner who owns and work there, or a building contractor, or even a restaurant owner etc? Any insight into this would be truly appreciated.

Janansson

Immigrant Life

What is a federal tax return?

A federal tax return is a form taxpayers must file, under penalty of law.

Why is a tax return important?

It is the law that every taxpayer must complete and submit a tax return to the IRS. In the USA, estimated taxes are withheld from a taxpayer's pay check. Tax returns provide documentation and proof that a taxpayer has paid the correct amount of taxes. If your return shows that you have overpaid your taxes over the year, you will receive a refund from the U.S. government. If your return shows that you have underpaid, you must send payment with your return by the deadline date. If your tax return does not correspond to your true earnings and entitled deductions, you will be penalized.

To learn more, see here.

Have a story that you'd like to share with us? Send your story as an immigrant to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.

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