New York, November 2006
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Democrats' Win Spurs Hope of Immigration Reform
 WASHINGTON, DC
- Sweeping wins for Democrats in U.S. congressional elections have rekindled
hopes among Latino activists of achieving a comprehensive overhaul of
immigration policy that was blocked by Republicans in Congress. Democrats swept
Republicans from power in the U.S. House of Representatives on the November 7th
elections, and appeared to have taken control of the Senate, in a clear
repudiation of President George W. Bush's handling of Iraq. Pro-immigrant think
tanks said the shift in power created an opening to achieve a comprehensive
overhaul of immigration policy, broadly supported by Bush and the Senate in
recent months, although blocked by the Republican-dominated House. "I would say
our chances in the next Congress are better than they have ever been," said
Frank Sharry, the executive director of the Washington-based National
Immigration Forum. "The public is still frustrated and upset about the issue,
and wants its leaders to lead," he said in a telephone interview.
Some backers
of the Senate's comprehensive bill had hoped lawmakers would tackle the complex
issue in a post-election session that is to start next week. But that seems
unlikely given the change in control to Democrats when the new Congress is
seated in January. Some lawmakers see the issue as a way for Bush and
congressional Democrats to demonstrate a new spirit of bipartisanship. "With a
new Congress, we have an opportunity to pass a tough but fair plan," said Sen.
Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat. Public opinion is divided in the
United States over what to do with an estimated 10 million to 12 million illegal
immigrants living and working on the margins of U.S. society. Bush and the
Senate favored measures that increased security on the porous Mexican
border and
created a
guest-worker program, while the House voted to build 700 miles of wall
along stretches of the U.S. Southwest.
Source: Reuters |
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Form DS-156 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application) Must be Completed Online
 WASHINGTON, DC
- The Department of State requires that
Form DS-156 must be completed online as
of November 1, 2006. Due to the high demand for non-immigrant visas at the
various U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world, a computer pre-filled
form will speed up the application process and reduce the risk of misspelling.
Form DS-156 shall only be completed online and then printed. It is not possible
to submit Form DS-156 online. Individuals who come to a U.S. Embassy or
Consulate with a handwritten or typewriter written DS-156 form after November 1,
2006 may have their application automatically rejected. Form DS-156 is required
for several types of visas, including:
B-2 Tourist
Visa,
F-1 Student Visa,
H-1B Work
Visa,
H-2B Work Visa and
H-3 Trainee
Visa. |
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement Facing Lawsuit
 ATLANTA, GA
- The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) is being sued by a
civil rights group for allegedly harassing five United States citizens of
Mexican heritage. ICE was taking part in raids to capture
illegal immigrants in
southeastern Georgia. The Southern Poverty Law Center claims that ICE agents
illegally stopped drivers on streets, entered homes without warrants, vandalized
some property and frightened Hispanics in the area. Furthermore, the civil
rights group believes that these raids are part of a campaign to drive out
Hispanics from the state. They are asking that the ICE be prevented from taking
part in similar raids and that the five U.S. citizens receive monetary
compensation. The arrests first began on September 1, 2006 at a poultry plant.
The arrests continued during the Labor Day weekend when the ICE was able to
obtain addresses of the homes of possible illegal immigrants from company
records. The agency claims the accusations are false and that they were only
searching for immigrants who were working at a nearby poultry plant using false
documentation. According to an ICE spokesman, race and ethnicity do not play a
role in their work. Georgia recently has gained a reputation for passing some of
the toughest laws aimed at
illegal immigrants. |
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One-stop Immigration Centers to be Tested Out
 MIAMI, FL
- A top U.S. immigration official recently announced the Department of Homeland
Security will introduce a pilot program that will facilitate the
citizenship
application process. The chosen location for the pilot program is South Florida
and it will be introduced in 2008. All requirements needed for the application
process such as fingerprinting will be available as the “one-stop” immigration
centers. One center will be located in Broward while three will be in Miami-Dade
County. The government hopes that these new centers will promote a positive
image of the United States government among individuals applying for
citizenship. In Florida alone, nearly 100,000 immigrants became U.S. citizens
from September 2005 to September 2006. The success of the pilot program will
determine if the Department of Homeland Security will expand the program to
other areas with large immigrant populations such as Los Angeles. However, the
added convenience of these centers and other improvements will most likely
increase the cost of applications for U.S. citizenship. For the most part, the
U.S. citizenship service is self-funded and receives most of its funding from
application fees. |
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Department of Homeland Security Claiming Success at Border
 EL PASO, TX
-The Department of Homeland Security claimed an 8% drop in the number of
illegal
immigrants arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border for fiscal year 2006. The number
of illegal immigrants detained at the border fell from 1.2 million to 1.1
million. The agency attributes the reduction to improved border enforcement like
additional border patrol agents, new technology and the assistance of National
Guard troops. However, immigration advocates and proponents question the claim
made by the agency. The Secretary of Homeland Security discussed how having a
consistent strategy and a guest-worker program would help in meeting the
challenge of controlling the nation’s borders. The wide support needed for a
temporary guest-worker program has not been attained among Congressmen. While
improved border enforcement may be having an effect its scope is not known. For
example, the United States government does not know how many
illegal immigrants
are successfully getting across the border. In addition, immigrants have also
looked at other alternatives such as purposely overstaying their visas or paying
higher smuggling fees to enter the country with the assistance of corrupt border
patrol agents. |
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Border Security Act signed, lack of funding an issue
 WASHINGTON, DC
-Congress approved the Border Security Act back in September and President Bush
signed it into law in October. The act focuses on U.S.-Mexico border enforcement
instead of immigration reform. The Border Security Act calls for the
construction of a 700 mile fence which would cover slightly more than one-third
of the U.S.-Mexico border. Currently there is a 14 mile fence along Tijuana,
Mexico and San Diego, California. Supporters of the new wall believe that this
would prevent a greater number of illegal immigrants from entering the United
States and improve overall border security. Opponents think of the wall as the
equivalent of another Berlin Wall. Even with all the controversy there are
questions about whether it will be built due to lack of funding. When Congress
initially approved the act, limited funding was appropriated toward the new
wall. One estimate of the project is $2.2 billion or about $3 million per mile.
However, a fencing expert believes the cost would be much higher than
anticipated. They referred to the cost of the 14 mile fence as an example.
The
cost was initially estimated at about $14 million and the actual cost ended up
being three times as much. However, this cost only included the materials needed
to build the fence and excluded labor, sensors, and purchasing of private land
among other items. There is also the possibility that lawsuits may arise which
would require additional resources. |
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