A Note from the Editors:

The Myth Of Republican Opposition

In an op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times, Tamar Jacoby says "several Republican congressional offices say their correspondence is running as much as 400 - or even 1,000 - to 1 against the immigration initiative." Ms. Jacoby suggests that such lopsided opposition has temporarily derailed President Bush's immigration initiative. We fear that many Republicans have jumped to conclusions on the basis of the anti-immigration correspondence flooding Congress. Is opposition to the President's proposal really 400 to 1? Poll after reputable poll has always shown that Americans are split on immigration. Perhaps Republicans may be opposed to the President's proposal by 2 to 1. Surely not by 400 to 1. Why such lopsided correspondence then? It's because of the efficiency and organization of the anti-immigration institutions. For example, most reputable phone polls continue to show a split on immigration but most online polls show opposition to immigration by over 20 to 1, demonstrating the online abilities of the anti-immigrationists. Their zeal and skill have multiplied the opposition to frighten Congressional representatives and have deterred them from supporting the President. This goes to show how immigration is no longer an inside the Beltway issue and why political activism outside the Beltway is critical in moving legislation forward. Belatedly, the pro-immigrationists have awoken to the problem. AILA recently started publishing "Restrictionist Watch" to help pro-immigration advocates understand what the opposition is up to. Hopefully, other pro-immigration organizations will follow AILA's lead and will also learn more tactics from the anti-immigrationists. We look forward to their flooding Congress with massive quantities of pro-immigration correspondence.

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

Articles

Remarks at the Verrazano Monument, Staten Island, New York
Lyndon B. Johnson sent this message to Congress on October 12, 1966.

Policy Report From Congressional Research Service On CAT
The Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress issued a report on the U.N. Convention Against Torture.

District Court Holds That Post 9/11 Detention Rule Violates Due Process
Carl R. Baldwin writes "The decision in Zavala v. Ridge is a stunning victory for immigrants, and a welcome reminder of the independence of the federal judiciary."

Politics By Other Means: The "Why" Of Immigration To The US
Fredo Arias-King of the Center for Immigration Studies writes "Most serious attempts to study immigration to the US acknowledge that the results of the present immigration policy were, in effect, an accident — the product of a miscalculation by the authors of the 1965 Immigration Reform Act."

US Immigration Law: Emerging Trends In Policies And Procedures
Cyrus Mehta provides a basic overview of current US immigration law.

CSS And LULAC Class Notices
The USCIS issued a press release announcing the federal courts approval of settlement agreements in the Catholic Social Services (CSS) and LULAC (or Newman) legalization cases (which occurred on January 23, 2004 and February 18, 2004, respectively). For the CSS class notice, including Class Membership Worksheet, see here. For the LULAC class notice, including Class Membership Worksheet, see here. For the USCIS press release, see here.

Tech War Stories: Oh, the Goofs I've Seen And Other Tales Of Woe
Carol L. Schlein, Esq. writes "As a legal technology consultant working mostly with solo, small- and medium-sized law firms, I have seen many counterproductive steps taken in the name of moving a firm forward. Hopefully, by sharing some of these errors, I can spare your firm the same, often costly, gaffes."

President Bush Says When Immigration System Is Broke, Reform Is Needed
During remarks by the President to the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, President Bush said, "When the [immigration law] system is broke, we need to reform it."

USCIS Issues Reminder To Obtain Advance Parole Before Traveling Aboard
The USCIS issued a travel advisory reminding individuals that advance parole be submitted to the USCIS (Form I-131) before traveling abroad.

Immigrant's Weekly Exclusive
The Academy Awards: A Foreign Affair
Yvette Lopez-Cooper writes "Amid a growing hostile international environment, it's refreshing to see ethnic diversity being recognized in the U.S. film industry."

How Do I Apply For Immigrant Status Based On Employment?
Read a response from the USCIS on how to apply for immigrant status based on employment.

ILW Highlights

Processing Times Updated

DOL processing times were recently updated.

Letters to Editors

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

None this week.

Immigrant Life

What is over-the-counter medication?

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are medicines you can buy at a drugstore without a doctor's prescription.

Why should I use OTC medications?

Over-the-counter medication allows you to treat many common minor illnesses without having to get a prescription from a doctor.

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, March 30 5:00 pm Eastern Time	Shari L. Moidel, Esq.
Thursday, April 1 5:00 pm Eastern Time	Kevin L Dixler, Esq.
Tuesday, April 6 5:00 pm Eastern Time	Karen Meade, Esq.

Classifieds

For information on advertising in the classifieds please click here.