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Editor's Comments of the Day
Doris Meissner, Commissioner of the INS, has announced
her plans to depart the agency in mid-november. The press
release from the INS notes that during her tenure
the INS workforce nearly doubled from 18,000 to 32,000
and the agency's budget grew almost four fold (not exponentially
as the press release claims) from $1.58 billion in 1993,
to $4.3 billion in 2000. These are cited as testaments
to the "mounting demands being placed on the agency in
both its enforcement and immigration benefits responsibilities."
What is not cited is the failure of the enforcement efforts
to diminish the number of illegal aliens in the United
States. According to the INS's own estimates in its
draft response to a subpoena duces tecum from
the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims the number
of unauthorized immigrants is over two million and by
some estimates much higher. Also omitted are the examples
of typical bureaucratic inefficiency. The Vermont Service
Center was able to process H-1B petitions in sometimes
as little as 10 days to 2 weeks compared to 2-3 months
at the other Service Centers. The INS response to the
differences in processing times was not to adopt whatever
allowed Vermont to process the petitions more quickly,
but to penalize employers in the jurisdiction of the Vermont
Service Center by requiring it to keep its processing
times in line with the slower Service Centers. The departing
Commissioner is an obvious target for criticism of the
agency's shortcomings. Instead of worrying about placing
blame, the out-going Commissioner should be thanked for
the contributions she has made. At the same time the opportunity
for the appointment of a new commissioner who will take
advantage of the vast opportunities for improvement should
be welcomed.
Federal Register News of the Day
Exchanges
and Training Programs for the New Independent States
The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Europe/Eurasia Division,
announces an open competition for assistance awards
in the areas of Media Training, Women's Leadership,
Public Advocacy Training, and Prevention of Trafficking
in Women and Girls and invites applicants to submit
proposals that encourage the growth of democratic institutions
in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus, Moldova,
Ukraine and Russia.
Congressional
News of the Day
House
Asks Senate to Pass Child Citizenship Act of 2000 and
Visa Waiver Permanent Program Act
The House of Representatives has sent a message to the
Senate stating that it has passed
H.R. 2883, "Child Citizenship Act of 2000" and H.R.
3767, "Visa Waiver Permanent Program Act," and now
requests the concurrence of the Senate.
Sen.
Gramm Comments on Amnesty
During Senate's consideration of the conference report
accompanying H.R.
4461, a bill making appropriations for certain agencies,
Sen. Gramm discussed the issue of amnesty and stated
that he believes, "if we keep granting amnesty to people
who came to the country illegally, we are in essence
putting up a neon sign on all of our borders saying:
violate our law; come into the country illegally. Then
we will later pass laws making it all right and you
will be able to stay."
House
Files Reports on Secret Evidence Act and Agricultural
Opportunities Act
The House of Representatives filed reports on H.R.
2121, the "Secret
Evidence Act of 1999" and H.R.
4548, the "Agricultural
Opportunities Act."
INS
News of the Day
INS
Commissioner Doris Meissner Announces Departure
After seven years as INS Commissioner Doris Meissner has
announced her plans to depart the INS in mid-November
and return to the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace.
EOIR
Releases Names of Accredited Representatives
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) has
released for the current quarter an
alphabetical listing of recognized organizations
(long download) authorized to represent people before
the INS and EOIR including dates of recognition, names
of designated accredited individuals, restrictions on
practice, and dates of accreditation.
[You will need
Acrobat to vies this file]
Immigration
News of the Day
Judge Tough Despite Tales of Horror
An article in the San Jose Mercury News analyzed asylum
decisions by the nation's immigration judges and found
extraordinary disparities from one judge to the next.
The analysis, part of a two-year examination of the nation's
asylum system, studied 176,465 cases that came before
the 219 administrative immigration judges from 1995 through
most of 1999.
ACLU in Berkeley Landlord Case Lawyers to Assist Teenagers
Brought Over From India
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the American
Civil Liberties Union will help represent those who
may have been victimized by a Berkeley landlord accused
of smuggling teenage girls from India for sex and cheap
labor by submitting false visa applications that allowed
the girls to be imported.
ILW
Highlights of the Day
Your Story Could be the
Chosen for Publication in Our Soon to be Launched "Immigrant
Life" Section
Share your experience about your life in your new country.
Write to immigrantlife@ilw.com
ILW.COM Chats and Discussions of the
Day
Chat About Canadian Immigration
Law
On Wednesday, November 1, 2000, Canadian immigration
attorney Catherine Kerr
will answer questions about Canadian immigration law.
Questions will be accepted beginning 15 minutes before
the start of the chat.
Letters
to the Editor
Dear
Editor,
I am a new Immigration attorney, and I cannot tell you
how much I enjoy your e-mail. It is very helpful to keep
us lawyers ahead of the constant changes in the immigration
law. Just this week I had a client that had a problem
that I read about in your "Cases of the Day" section.
I was able to help the client with confidence and great
assurance. Thank you and keep up the good work.
P.S. I did not save a copy of the case, do you keep
the "Cases of the Day" on file, and how can I get copy?
Thanks,
Berj L. Massmanian, Esq.
Editor's Note: By clicking on Searchable
archive of past issues, the Immigration Daily archives
can be searched by date or word.
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