A Note from the Editors:

Leo, Ono, Law ... In Immigration?

What do LEO, ONO, LAW have in common? Nope, we're not referring to Hollywood celebrities. If you guessed that they're all immigration acronyms, you're right. Not satisfied with an alphabet soup of visa categories....the madness extends to acronyms as well. For the entire list of immigration acronyms from USCIS, see below.

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

Articles

Statement By The President In Response To A Report On Immigration (Lyndon B. Johnson: 1963-1969)
Lyndon B. Johnson sent this message to Congress on January 17, 1964.

Gay Marriage And Immigration
Cyrus D. Mehta writes "Assuming that more and more states recognize gay marriages, what impact would this trend have on US immigration law?"

Immigration Acronyms From USCIS
USCIS offers a glossary of immigration acronyms.

US-VISIT: Its Discriminatory Effect And Its Potential For Abuse
Shahriar Hafizi writes "Nevertheless, US-VISIT will have a predictable discriminatory effect. Moreover, like NSEERS, US-VISIT poses the risk of leading to serious civil liberties violations."

USCIS Announces H-2B Cap
The USCIS announced that it will no longer accept H-2B petitions for temporary nonimmigrant workers for the remainder of FY 2004.

Bill Introduced For Agricultural Workers
A temporary worker bill was introduced by Sen. Chambliss for temporary alien agricultural workers. This bill will compete with the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003 (AGJOBS) bill.

Understanding The H-2B Cap
Gregory Siskind writes "We expect that without Congressional action, the cap will be reached again next year, possibly even earlier than March."

DHS Announces Arizona Border Control Initiative
The DHS announced the Arizona Border Control (ABC) Initiative, a multi-agency effort to stem illegal immigration. The ABC initiative will employ unmanned aerial vehicles to increase border surveillance of illegal activities.

USCIS Launches INFOPASS In Los Angeles
The USCIS released information on INFOPASS, the Internet-based appointment system to residents of the Los Angeles area that allows the public to schedule an appointment online, avoiding the need to wait in line. For the fact sheet, see here. For the press release, see here.

Why Good People Get Bad Immigration Law Advice
Carl Shusterman writes "Why do a lot of good companies and individuals get sucked in so badly by consultants and lawyers that by the time they see a reputable immigration attorney, it is too late to solve their problem?"

How Do I Let Immigration Know My Travel Plans Have Changed?
Read a response from the USCIS on how to let USCIS know your travel plans have changed.

ILW Highlights

Find a Lawyer

On ILW.COM's Find a Lawyer page we provide a place where people needing the services of an immigration lawyer can find a lawyer to meet their needs and preferences. We currently have over 350 attorneys listed in the directory. The Find a Lawyer page allows searches based on location, areas of expertise and languages spoken. If you are looking for a specific lawyer or law firm, you can do so also.

Letters to Editors

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

Dear Editor:
In January 2000 when I applied for a license to work in the state of Nevada, Immigration informed me that I could not work in the US because I was not a citizen. I am a 65 year-old veteran. I have lived in this country all of my life. My father was a citizen born in Pennsylvania in 1914. My parents had been living in Custer Washington from since 1938. I was born January 15, 1939 while my family visited in Canada. My civil, legal,and constitutional rights have been violated. Immigration made a mistake. I have lost my life savings, my home, and I have been betrayed by my country. I am not a Nazi war criminal or a terrorist and I deserve better.

Charles Fox

Dear Editor:
I generally agree with your editorial supporting overhaul of "family" admissions, with the following exception: green card holders who marry after they obtain their green card, then expect to bring their spouses with them immediately. If the "family" did not exist before the green card was issued, it can hardly be said that our laws are breaking it up. Furthermore, there are those who purposely return to their home countries to obtain spouses after obtaining green cards, showing that they have no intention of even trying to assimilate to the US. In fact, the green card even has a monetary value in obtaining a bride and a dowry in some countries. Finally, our existing marriage-based process is already subject to large amounts of fraud as US citizens sell their services or lend them out of a desire to help another secure a life in the US. Imagine the problems if green card holders could now do the same.

Ali Alexander

Dear Editor:
The origins of the law permitting any person born on US soil for its territory to be a citizen seems to be based on pre-civil-war conditions that long ago expired. It seems that very contorted extractions were drawn from the 14 amendment to the Constitution. The world is a different place, and such laws should be repealed. It is no longer reasonable or just that an illegal-alien non-citizen can give birth to an American "natural-born-citizen".

Peter Griswold

Dear Editor:
I am an immigrant from Romania, and I have become a permanent resident only a year ago, after 9 years of struggle and extreme financial and emotional hardships. After having been in the US for over 10 years, I find that even as a permanent resident I cannot bring my mother, father, sister, brother to the US, all because of a law that allows only 'immediate relatives' of US Citizens that privilege and not to permanent residents. Permanent residents are allowed to bring their spouses and children, on a visa too, it's not like it's an automatic thing. I find this law inhumane, because it separates families for many, many years, in a good number of cases. How can such a law exist in the US? I was only given as a response,"America does not want too many immigrants." What I am thinking is that this country allows a variety of immigrants to come to the US, for school, work, business, yet the most fundamental category of all immigrants, family, is harshly overlooked, or maybe purposely crippled. How can Congress not think of what it means to be away from your family for so many years, and how do they expect immigrants to make a choice to live apart, when it is well known that most immigrants come to the US to be able to better provide for families, and to have a more prosperous life, among that family? It is shameful, but I suppose that Congress does not have to worry about problems that do not affect it directly. After all, how many congressmen/women are immigrants who've been separated from their loved ones for years?

Julie C.
Legal Assistant

Dear Editor:
There appears to be a problem on this page of ILW.COM. On page, http://www.immigrantsweekly.com/weekly/digest/2002,0909.shtm, when you click on "Multiculturalism In Immigration Is Destructive To America", the link to http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20020905-93700297.htm gives the error: Not found.

Roy Bryant

Editor Note: News items typically are available for a limited period of time. Since the Washington Times op-ed piece you refer to dates back to 2002, the news item link will no longer be available. Try using the Washington Times archives search feature to locate this particular item of interest.

Immigrant Life

What are checking and savings accounts?

Checking and savings accounts are the two most popular types of deposit accounts banks offer. Checking accounts allow you to write checks or use debit cards against the balance of your account. Merchants generally treat transactions paid for by debit card or check as if they were cash transactions. This means you will not owe interest on anything paid for by check or debit card. You will, however, be assessed a fee if your account is overdrawn - unless you have overdraft protection. Savings accounts allow you to keep an amount of money in the bank and earn a small interest rate. They are generally completely liquid, meaning you can withdraw money at any time without a fee. A savings account is not a place to invest, as interest rates on these accounts are extremely low compared to investments in stocks or bonds.

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.

This week's chat schedule

ILW.COM announces that as of Feb 3rd, all chats will be held at 5:00 pm Eastern Time.

When	Attorney
Tuesday, Mar 23 5:00 pm Eastern Time	Arthur Zabenko, Esq.
Thursday, Mar 25 5:00 pm Eastern Time	Barry Liber, Esq.
Tuesday, Mar 30 5:00 pm Eastern Time	Shari L. Moidel, Esq.

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