Cases of the Day

District Court Affirms Sentence for Alien Smuggler
In US v. Fei, No. 98-1713 (2nd Cir. Sept. 13, 2000), the court affirmed the conviction and sentence of an alien smuggler who held almost 300 people in the hold of ship for between three and six months with little food and water and no sanitary facilities, then intentionally grounded the ship forcing them into 60 degree water with no life preservers.

Indecent Assault a Crime of Violence
The court in Sutherland v. Reno, No. 99-4145 (2nd Cir. Sept. 15, 2000), upheld the Board of Immigration Appeals in finding that a Massachusetts conviction for indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of fourteen met the definition for "crime of violence," for purposes of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

No Challenge to Expedited Removal for Alien Found in United States After Having Been Removed
The court rejected Defendant's argument in US v. Lopez-Vasquez, No. 99-50918 (5th Cir. Sept. 15, 2000), that he should be allowed to contest his conviction for being an alien found in the United States without the permission after having been removed by a collateral attack on his expedited removal for a false claim to US citizenship where he would be unable to establish prejudice.

Congressional News of the Day

Senator Lott Calls for Cloture on H-1B Legislation
Sen. Lott calls for cloture to proceed to S. 2045, the H-1B legislation. A Senate vote on the motion is set for Tuesday, September 19, 2000.

Senator Hatch's Comments on S. 2045
Senator Hatch discussed S. 2045, The American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act, in the Senate and suggested the absence of a quorum. Sen. Hatch expressed his desire to move this bill forward since "it is in the best interest of our country and is in the best interest of our high-tech community."

Congressional Program
Congress is scheduled in the up-coming week a vote on the cloture motion on S.2045, the H-1B Visa Bill, hear the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General's September 2000 Report titled: ``An Investigation of Misconduct and Mismanagement at ICITAP, OPDAT, and the Criminal Division's Office of Administration,'' and mark up H.R. 4548, "Agricultural Opportunities Act."

INS News of the Day

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Leading Employers of H-1B Workers
INS provides statistics on the number of approvals of H-1B petitions from October 1999 through February 2000. Seventeen percent of the approvals were for one hundred and two companies.

Characteristics of H-1B Workers 10/99-2/00
INS provides information on the characteristics of H-1B workers from October 1999 until February 2000 including country of origin, occupations, highest degree earned and wages.

Statistics on H-1B Workers 5/98-7/99
INS provides information on the characteristics of H-1B workers from May 1998 until July 1999 including country of origin, occupations and previous status for change of status petitions.

Immigration News of the Day

A Worn-Out Welcome Mat
The Washington Post reports that this year about 40,000 people who came to the US on H-1B visas and assumed they could settle in America forever will find themselves heading back home, or to Canada, or someplace else they would rather not be. The high-tech companies still desperately need them, and they want to stay, but the six-year limit on their H-1Bs has run out.

Iowa Looks Abroad to Workers
According to the Washington Post the Governor of Iowa is pushing hard to launch a bold and controversial campaign to recruit 310,000 foreign workers to settle in Iowa over the next decade. Economists warn that if the state does not find more workers to fuel the engine of industrial growth, Iowa's economy could stagnate.