New York, August 2008
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PROGRESS OF U.S. VISA WAIVER PROGRAM
 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- The European Union is reportedly growing
increasingly frustrated with U.S. visa requirements that currently exist for 12
EU nations. The European Commission is proposing that U.S. diplomats require
visas to travel to the EU beginning in 2009, if no progress is made in granting
all EU nations visa-free entry into the U.S. Currently, 15 countries that make
up the European Union are included in the U.S. visa-waiver program, but
residents of 12 EU countries still require a visa to enter the United States.
Most of the EU countries that are not covered under the
visa-waiver program are
located in Eastern Europe. According to Associated Press reports, bilateral
trade agreements with the U.S. should allow for the majority of these 12
countries to be covered under the visa-waiver program and allow for visa-free
travel; however, slow progress of negations has been reported. America’s visa
waiver program was created in 1998, with the original intention of preventing
illegal immigration. Following the events of September 11, 2001, the focus of
the visa-waiver program has moved to the prevention of terrorist attacks. The
comprehensive list of countries currently covered under the U.S. visa-waiver
include: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
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U.S. PASSPORT CARD-SOON TO BE RELEASED
 PHILADELPHIA,
PA - The United States government is expected to release U.S. Passport Cards
by the end of August. These cards, which are less bulky than the traditional
passport books and are the size of a
credit card, can be presented by citizens
who are traveling into the U.S. by land or sea from Mexico, Canada, the
Caribbean, and Bermuda. Applications for the Passport Card have been accepted
since February and, currently, over 350,000 applications have been processed.
The passport card requires the same amount of paperwork and background checks as
the traditional U.S. passport, but costs significantly less at $45 for adults
and $35 for children. Adults with an existing, regular passport can apply for
the passport card for $20. Applications for the U.S. passport card are expected
to dramatically increase, due to new regulations that go into place next year
that require U.S. travelers who are re-entering the country from Mexico, Canada,
and the Caribbean to have a passport, passport card, or equivalent document. A
regular U.S. passport is still required for air travel. |
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2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ON IMMIGRATION
 WASHINGTON,
D.C. - In a speech to the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic rights
organization, U.S. Presidential Candidate Barack Obama discussed immigration and
his belief that the current system isn’t working. Among his remarks Obama stated
"... when companies hire undocumented
immigrants instead of legal citizens to
avoid paying overtime or to avoid a union; when communities are terrorized by
(U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency) raids -- when nursing mothers
are torn from their babies, when children come home from school to find their
parents missing, when people are detained without access to legal counsel.” In
response to Senator Obama’s remarks, U.S. Attorney Joe Russoniello stated,
"Criticizing law enforcement officers for carrying out their sworn duty is
unfair." Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman Tim Counts also
commented: "Our procedures for addressing humanitarian issues, including
child-care situations, go far beyond what any other law enforcement agency has
in place. We routinely conditionally release parents so that they can care for
their children. We have great compassion for the children involved. Quite
simply, however, parenthood does not make you immune from having to comply with
the nation's laws, and the responsibility for any family disruption lies
squarely with the violator.” Presidential John McCain also addressed the
National Council of La Raza. Among his comments about immigration, he stated,
“At a moment of great difficulty in my campaign, when my critics said it would
be political suicide for me to do so, I helped author with Senator Kennedy
comprehensive immigration reform."
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DEPORTATION LEADS TO HARDSHIP
 NEW
YORK, N.Y.
- A Bronx. NY family of 7 faces extreme hardship due to
deportation. Last
August, Angel, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who works in construction,
was informed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that he would be
deported because of a drunken driving conviction. Angel is the father of five
children, who were all born in the U.S. Rose, Angel’s 12 year-old daughter,
states “We would all be separated and lost,” in response to her father possibly
being deported. The family has already been separated, as Angel lives apart from
his family in order to avoid a pick up by immigration officials. A 2007 Human
Rights Watch report entitled "Forced Apart," estimates that 1.6 million family
members had been left behind in the U.S. because of deportations. The Illegal
Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 has increased the
number of deportations of undocumented immigrants. Regarding the law, Nancy Morawetz, professor of clinical law at NYU, states: "Now, Immigration Court is
required to apply a ‘one size fits all' rule that requires deportation, leaving
Immigration Courts powerless. "She also commented that judges are not able to
evaluate individual circumstances during deportation proceedings. In response,
ICE states that they recognize that children are greatly affected by
deportation, but, "parenthood does not make a person immune from having to
comply with a nation's laws."
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ONLINE U.S. VISA PAYMENTS
 MIAMI,
FL - Jamaicans applying for United States visas will soon be able to pay all
applicable fees online. This is part of a U.S. Department of State pilot project
that aims to ease the visa application process as well as make the process more
convenient. Online payments for U.S. visas are also being tested at Mexican
embassies. U.S. consulates receive an increasingly large number of visa
applications. Last year alone, 8.5 million visa application interviews were
conducted and over 6 million visas were issued at worldwide US consulate
offices. Many people applaud the online payment option, especially considering
the man power that would be saved at U.S. embassies with online payments. This
plan, however, is not without its critics. Opponents cite fraud concerns with
online payments, as payments would also be linked to applicant’s personal
information.
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IMMIGRANTS MISTREATED AT DETENTION CENTER
 SEATTLE, WA
- According to a study released by OneAmerica and the
International Human Rights Clinic of Seattle Law School, detainees have
allegedly been mistreatment at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma,
Washington. The center houses undocumented
immigrants who are facing
deportation. Among the allegations the group maintains that immigrants are
subject to excessive strip searches and overcrowding. The study also indicates
degrading treatment of immigrants on behalf of the detention center guards. The
results are comprised of over 40 interviews of detainees, families of detainees,
and immigration attorneys that took place between 2007 and 2008. Immigration
officials denied the report and pointed out the “numerous inaccuracies and vague
references that could not be corroborated or independently verified.” The
Northwest Detention Center has been in operation since 2004 and typically houses
1,000 detainees coming from the states of Alaska, Oregon and Washington.
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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. |
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UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION SUPPORT
511 Avenue of the Americas # 45
New York, NY 10011
Phone: (646) 233-3836
Fax: (646)792-3296
Web: www.usimmigrationsupport.org
Email: info@usimmigrationsupport.org
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