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Editor's Comments of the Day
A letter to the editor states, "Today I listened to a commercial in a Spanish radio
(I don't usually listen to Spanish radio so it was the first time I heard something
like that). It was from some law offices or immigration offices telling people to
take advantages of the new changes that the government had made. The ad was urging
people to act quickly and call them. They said there was no charge for consultation.
My question is: Is it true that there have been any immigration law changes or not?"
A recent article in the New York Times highlights the cruel reality faced by many
illegal immigrants. They are unfamiliar with the law and often encounter a language
barrier. They trust and give money to some unscrupulous person who promises to get
them a green card or some other immigration benefit. When the would-be immigrant
realizes he has been had, if he has not already been deported or removed, he will
most likely not report the crime or cooperate in an investigation. Unfortunately
this exploitation of illegal aliens will not be eliminated easily. When an illegal
alien asks the question "how can I stay here legally?" the forces which push people
to spend weeks sealed in a cargo container, to set to sea on a leaky raft or to
brave the bullets used by our border patrol make it likely that he will not hear
the answer-that there is no way.
Federal Register News of the Day
Proposed Rule to
Allow for 212(c) Relief
This rule would create a uniform procedure for applying the law as enacted by the
Antiterrrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA). This rule would
allow certain aliens in deportation proceedings that commenced before April 24,
1996, to apply for relief pursuant to section 212(c) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA). The Attorney General proposes to acquiesce in the courts'
conclusion, as a matter of statutory construction, that Congress intended that section
440(d) of AEDPA not be applied to deportation proceedings that had been commenced
before AEDPA was enacted into law.
Cases of the Day
Court Denies Petition
for Review Deferring to INS Interpretation of Federal Regulations
In William
v. INS, No. 99-60422 (5th Cir., July 17,2000),
the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals defers to the INS' interpretation
of the federal regulations while recognizing that the
petitioner's interpretation was also reasonable. The Court
affirmed the Board of Immigration Appeals decision to
dismiss, as untimely, the petitioner's motion to reopen
deportation proceedings.
9th Circuit Applies Rationality Test
to Classifications of Immigrants
In Aleman v. Glickman,
No. 98-16893 (9th Cir., July 17, 2000), the 9th Circuit found
that "rational basis review" was the appropriate level of scrutiny and that it was not
irrational for Congress to grant food stamps to an alien whose spouse had worked 40
qualifying quarters and died while still in the marriage, but to deny the same benefits
where the marriage ended in divorce.
Congressional News of the Day
S. 2812, Waiver of the
Loyalty Oath for Disabled Persons, on Agenda
S. 2812, Waiver of the Loyalty Oath for Disabled Persons, is on the tentative agenda
of the Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting for Thursday, July 20,
2000. This legislation would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide a
waiver of the oath of renunciation and allegiance for naturalization of aliens having
certain disabilities.
INS News of the Day
ILW.COM invites the submissions of correspondence about matters of
immigration law from government agencies. Submissions may be published. Please
send to editor@ilw.com.
ILW.COM Featured Article of the Day
ILW.COM invites the submission of articles about immigration law from attorneys, paralegals,
foreign student advisors, human resources personnel, scholars and those whose lives have been effected
by the laws.Please send articles to editor@ilw.com.
Immigration News of the Day
Immigrants Seeking Help With INS Fall Prey to Con Artists
The New York Times (registration required) reports that there are hundreds of con
artists who often pose as immigration lawyers and prey on desperate immigrants
ignorant of the legal system. According to the article, INS has done little to
crack down on the activity and district attorneys' offices rarely investigate the
cases due in part to the reluctance of victims to speak to authorities.
Like Elian, Phanupong Belongs in His Own Home
The Los Angeles Times discusses the Elian-type division over what should happen to
Phanupong, a three-year old boy who arrived in the US under dire circumstances. Some
believe that he would be better off in the land of his birth while others argue
that he should stay in the US until they are assured of his welfare back home--and
their standards for this welfare are very high.
Undocumented Workers Come at Price to Hotels; Hiring Strategies Emerging
Yahoo News reports that according to the San Diego Daily, between a pilot program
through the INS and policies at San Diego hotels, administrators are putting up a
good fight to weed out undocumented workers before they are hired reducing the costs
associated with having an unstable work force.
Asylum-Seeking Princess Faces US Charges
According to Salon.com, an immigration judge ruled that a Bahraini princess who fled
her country with fake documents to marry a US Marine must face charges of illegally
entering the United States.
H-1B Visa Fight Escalating
An article in Wired.com reports that a coalition of engineers has launched a
grassroots campaign to oppose further increases to the annual cap on technology
visas to the United States.
ILW.COM Highlights of the Day
Are you anxious about when your green card will be approved?
Visit http://www.ilw.com/govttimes/index.shtm for Processing
Times information.
ILW.COM Chats and Discussions of the Day
Chat with Karen
Meade, Esq.
The transcript of the June 26, 2000, chat with
Attorney Karen
Meade has been added to our page of transcripts of previous chat sessions.
If you missed the chat or just want to review the answers check the
chat transcripts.
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor
Today I listened to a commercial in a Spanish radio (I don't usually listen to
Spanish radio so it was the first time I heard something like that). It was from
some law offices or immigration offices telling people to take advantages of the
new changes that the government had made. The ad was urging people to act quickly
and call them. They said there was no charge for consultation. My question is:
Is it true that there have been any immigration laws changes or not?
Thanks,
We encourage correspondence on any immigration related matters and comments
on the ILW.COM site. Send letters to editor@ilw.com.
Letters may be edited for clarity, legal and space considerations, and may be published and otherwise used
in any medium.
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