New York, October 2006
| Welcome to the United States Immigration Newsletter |
This is NOT spam. You have been sent this email
because you have subscribed for the U.S. Immigration Newsletter or submitted an
order to U.S. Immigration Support. All email addresses are stored and used
solely by U.S. Immigration Support in accordance with United States legislation
and the Data Protection Act. If you do not wish to receive further emails from
us, logon to your account and
unsubscribe from the newsletter.
THE UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION NEWSLETTER IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH. |
|
Homeland security bill to fund new improvements
 WASHINGTON, DC
- After 9/11 the United States government has continuously introduced new
security measures to protect its borders against terrorists. Recently President
Bush signed a $35 billion homeland security bill that will increase fencing
along the U.S.-Mexico border and upgrade existing technology at the border among
other improvements. The fence would be built near the
Arizona border since it is
the busiest crossing for illegal immigrants. The proposal of extending the
current border wall has angered Mexico’s President Vicente Fox who considers it
unnecessary and compares it to the Berlin Wall. Among the scheduled improvements
are higher security standards for nuclear plants and nuclear detection
capabilities at port-of-entries. In terms of the U.S.-Mexico
border, there will
be additional infrared cameras, lighting and vehicle barriers.
President Bush
believes this is the type of improved border security measures that Americans
want to see. However, Bush also cautioned that border enforcement alone will not
halt illegal immigration. He suggests that a combined effort is needed to stop
illegal immigration which includes border enforcement and a
guest worker
program. Bush continues to advocate a guest worker program but so far has not
gained the wide support from Congress needed to pass such program. |
|
Stats show immigrant deaths decreased along U.S.-Mexico border
 EL
PASO, TX
- The U.S. Border Patrol statistics for the fiscal year 2005-2006 show a
reduction in the number of deaths of illegal immigrants along the border. Last
fiscal year there were 446 immigrant deaths compared to 426 immigrant deaths
this year. Some adjustments may be made since the last two weeks of the fiscal
year have not been tallied, but officials do not expect the number of immigrant
deaths to change drastically. Most of the deaths took place in the
Arizona
desert which is also the most dangerous of the border crossings due to the
extreme heat. Temperatures in the Arizona desert start reaching triple digits
starting in the spring and climb up to 140 degrees during the summer. While
Arizona reported a drop in the number of deaths along the border this was not
the case for Texas, California and New Mexico. However, the overall number of
deaths for this fiscal year decreased.
The U.S. Border Patrol attributes the
decreased number of immigrant deaths to a combination of factors such as
increased border patrol presence, a summer with lower temperatures, and border
patrol agents better positioned to provide rescue. Not all the deaths along the
border are heat-related as some are due to car accidents, drowning and cold
weather.
|
|
Increased detainments causing fear among immigrants
 MIAMI,
FL
- The United States government has introduced a new measure to reduce the number
of immigrants who flee the country before their immigration court hearing. Some
immigrants are being detained before their court date or after showing up to
their court hearing. Immigration attorneys representing their clients are seeing
more of these cases. Immigrant advocates claim that immigrants with or without
criminal records are being detained and monitored with ankle bracelets. Some
detentions have been occurring after the immigrant attends their initial hearing
in the hallway of the courthouse. Only the detainees who have a criminal record
or have deportation orders are taken to a detention center. The rest are allowed
to leave shortly but may be put on supervised release. In these cases, the
immigrants are usually required to wear an ankle bracelet and to check in with
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
Immigration agents may also randomly
check on immigrants unannounced at their homes. Immigrant advocates claim that
the new measure has backfired because it is only instilling fear among
immigrants with court hearings. Some immigrants are choosing not to show up at
immigration court which causes them to incur a no-show penalty putting them in a
situation where they may face automatic deportation. |
|
Immigrants not taking advantage of flight program
 TUCSON,
AZ
- In an effort to reduce the number of immigrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico
border, the United States government introduced a free Mexico flight program
three years ago. When immigrants are caught crossing the
Arizona desert during
the summer months, immigration officials give them two options. The first is to
be deported to Mexico by means of the nearest border entry point. The second
option is a free flight to Mexico City where the Mexican government will then
pay for bus fare to reach their destination. The U.S. government believed that
by voluntarily flying the immigrants back this would discourage them from
attempting to cross the Arizona desert again. Thus, more lives would be saved
during the worst months of the summer heat. Most chartered flights depart from
Tucson twice on a daily basis, but the flight occupancy is less than half full.
The program is costing millions of dollars yet the number of immigrant deaths
last year increased.
It is estimated that about 1% of the illegal immigrants who attempt to cross the
U.S.-Mexico border are taking advantage of the program. Even those immigrants
who are flown back have been caught trying to
cross the border again. However,
this percentage is lower than those who are deported to Mexico via the nearest
border entry. Officials are unsure whether the flight program costing $15
million annually will continue next summer. |
|
Many taking military shortcut to U.S. Citizenship
 ARLINGTON, VA
- The U.S. military has provided legal immigrants a fast track to citizenship,
and they are taking advantage of it in record numbers, even if it means facing
the risk of death or injury in Iraq or Afghanistan. Interest surged after
President George W. Bush signed an executive order in July 2002 allowing
immigrants with green cards to become citizens as soon as they are sworn in,
according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Since then,
more than 25,000 immigrant members of the armed services have become
U.S.
citizens and another 40,000 are eligible to request naturalization, USCIS said
in a statement. The numbers rose to 4,614 in fiscal 2005 ended Sept. 30, 2005,
from 749 in 2001, the agency's figures show. Mexican-born Gabriela Begaye, 30,
who joined the Army at the age of 25 and became a
citizen last week in Fort
Bliss, Texas, says she feels proud to wear a military uniform. "I would die for
this country. I would do it," she said.Begaye admits that the new Bush
administration law may be motivating more immigrants to join the armed forces.
"You get a lot of respect (by joining the army). Now that the law has passed,
that has to be a motivator," she said. The U.S. immigration agency started in
2004 to conduct the first overseas military naturalization ceremonies since the
Korean War. During fiscal 2005, 1,006 foreign-born soldiers became citizens
outside the United States. But the chance to win
citizenship fast and at no cost
is not the main reason foreigners join the military, said Douglas Smith, Public
Affairs Officer at the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. "Money for education,
wanting to serve the country, and to learn a skill are the top three
motivations," he said. Citizenship also means a green light to climb through the
ranks of the military, said USCIS spokesman Daniel Kane, who added that
patriotic pride is often a key factor.
"There's a strong surge of patriotism among immigrants who are serving. They are
grateful to the United States and they want to give back," he said. Even without
the Bush administration fast-track order, the average time in the military
required to apply for citizenship in peacetime has been reduced from three years
to one under current legislation, USCIS said. But the opportunity may come at
the risk of life and limb in battle. A total of 75 immigrant soldiers have
become citizens posthumously during the U.S.-led military campaigns in
Afghanistan and Iraq that began after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. |
|
HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE:
If you no longer wish to receive the newsletter,
click here to unsubscribe. |
|
|
|
DISCLAIMER:
This newsletter is published by U.S. Immigration Support, an independent organization. U.S. Immigration Support is not affiliated with the United States government. Please review our disclaimer for more information. |
|
|
|
|
|
The U.S. Immigration Newsletter is published by:
U.S. Immigration Support
511 Avenue of the Americas # 45
New York, NY 10011
Web: www.usimmigrationsupport.org
Email: info@usimmigrationsupport.org |
|
FREE IMMIGRATION
NEWSLETTER
|
|
|