A Note from the Editors:

States Welcome Undocumented

In what appears to be the first statewide measure of its kind, Governor John Baldacci of Maine issued an Executive Order prohibiting state employees from inquiring about immigration status. The genesis of the policy is in an armed ICE raid of Portland, Maine locations frequented by immigrants which caused an outcry. As ICE steps up its efforts to locate and deport undocumented aliens, the backlash against enforcement will grow and other states will be spurred to follow Maine's lead. e.g. Florida Governor Bush's proposal for issuing driver's licenses to the undocumented in Florida. This backlash is an unintended consequence of increased ICE enforcement. The Governors of Maine and Florida are undoubtedly strong supporters of anti-terrorism efforts. However, they have the wisdom to realize that current enforcement policy appears broadly directed at undocumented dishwashers, gardeners, etc and not narrowly targeted at those who wish America ill. Immigration law's role in anti-terrorism is a very small one; federal enforcers who ignore this will, in fact, lay the foundation for more actions such as Maine's.

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

Articles

Presidential Papers Series: Remarks and Statement on Signing the Immigration Act of 1990
President Bush sent this message to Congress on November 29, 1990.

International Aspects Of Criminal Immigration Enforcement
Michael Surgalla and Arthur Norton write "In recent years, the fight against organized international alien smuggling has emerged as a national law enforcement priority."

Missing The Forest For The Trees: The Environmental Arguments Of Immigration Restrictionists Miss The Point
Walter A. Ewing at the Immigration Policy Center writes "In the latest battle for control of the Sierra Club, immigration restrictionists are again using an “over-population” argument that is based on flawed environmental assumptions and offers no useful guide for fixing the broken U.S. immigration system."

EOIR Announces Latest Disciplinary Actions
The Executive Office For Immigration Review announced its latest disciplinary actions: three attorneys were immediately suspended, three received final orders of discipline, and one attorney was reinstated.

Visa Options for Nurses: Non-Immigrant Visa Options
Gregory Siskind writes "A growing shortage of nurses in the US has forced many health care employers to look overseas for the nursing talent needed to care for American patients."

Immigration Benefits Fees Increase
The USCIS published a final rule in the Federal Register adjusting immigration application fees by approximately $55 per application, and increasing the biometric fee by $20, effective April 30, 2004. For the Federal Register item, see here. For the new USCIS application fee schedule, see here.

Immigrant's Weekly Exclusive
Easter Dinner
Pamela Mann writes "The meal had to be special. It was Easter!"

Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
Read a response from the USCIS on employment eligibility verification.

ILW Highlights

Processing Times Updated

Missouri, Vermont, DOL processing times were recently updated.

Letters to Editors

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

Dear Editor:
I am a United States Citizen who is married to a Permanent Legal Resident. We are happily married and have three children. The youngest child has a heart condition and is monitored on a regular basis. With finances being tight and obvious health issues we decided it would be best if our son's grandmother came to the states to meet him and to help us with childcare on a short term basis. We have been denied. The American Consolate refuses to give my mother-in-law a visa, but has no trouble taking our money for multiple "interviews", the first of which lasted less than five minutes. She has provided all requested documents and proven that she wishes to come to the US for only a short time to visit her son and meet her grandchildren and daughter-in-law. Based on my experience, I believe that the American Consulate forces people to come illegally to the US, people who are more than willing to go through the legal process and be what others consider "upstanding citizens". I am bitter that my son can't meet her, that his medical condition does not allow for me to take him to meet her and that there is the chance he could need heart surgery and perhaps even die without ever meeting that side of his family. There are a lot of stories like mine, and anyone who judges an illegal immigrant on the basis of a prejudial law and ambiguous standards should look in the mirror and see what they would do faced with the same issues.

Samantha

Dear Editor:
I thought I'd share this with you as at the moment the whole situation of being classed illegal is frustrating. I have been in the USA from England since 1997 always legal. I married in March 2002 a man I loved and we filed the I-130 only. We were in the process of sending in the other paperwork but sadly he died August last year leaving me a widow and now subject to deportation. I made this country my home and I love it here but now I'm waiting hoping for a miracle so I can stay but also selling my stuff to survive every day without him and the means to live. I cannot work. I'm not entitled to his disability. I've become a nobody alone trying to cope with his death at 48 and a world without him. I keep reading reports about the Mexican illegals and maybe giving them citizenship but I don't believe it includes me. As a human being I felt the despair of being handcuffed like a common criminal, taken to be fingerprinted and photographed and now awaiting my sentance. My country are allies to the Americans but believe me we are thought of no better because of it. There is no lenancy. I just wanted to get it off my chest and maybe someone out there will read this and give me hope. Its a lonely life alone in a country that doesn't always welcome you. Come home my family tells me but this is home to me but whatever avenue I take there will always be a great hole inside me not only for my American husband I lost but for a place I do call home. America.

Barbara Lefevre-Smith

Dear Editor:
I have recently heard that Governor Bush of FL has proposed a plan to the state legislature that will allow non-legal residents to obtain legal driving licenses but have been unable to locate any details or other news regarding this issue from any news service. Can ILW.COM shed any light on the issue? This would be a very important issue to many of us living here who face our licenses expiring within a year and since sept. 11, not being able to renew. It's important for those living in states that currently do not allow those still struggling with legal matters to legally drive.

Anonymous

Editor's Note: Here's a news item discussing Gov. Bush's driver license proposal from the Southwest Florida News-Press that appeared in a recent Immigration Daily issue.

Immigrant Life

What is an admissions test?

An admissions test is a standard test used to evaluate an applicant's potential academic success.

Why is an admissions test important?

Many colleges and universities require admission test scores for the admission process.

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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