New York, May 2008
Welcome to the United States Immigration Newsletter
This is NOT spam. You have been sent this email
because you have subscribed to the U.S. Immigration Newsletter or placed an
order with 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, click here to unsubscribe.
THE UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION NEWSLETTER IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH.
|
|
 15% OFF ALL IMMIGRATION GUIDES
PROMOTIONAL CODE: 892KYTE
Enter Promotional Code 892KYTE at Checkout and
Receive a 15% Discount.
Offer Expires June 15th, 2008 |
|
INCREASED DEPORTATIONS
 LOS
ANGELES,
CA - It is estimated that there are between 12 and 20 million
illegal
immigrants in the United States. However, getting into the United States which
may cost thousands of dollars is no guarantee that they will stay in. The U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency known as ICE has been receiving more
funding and has significantly expanded their capabilities. Their current budget
for this fiscal year exceeds $5.5 billion. They are going after illegal
immigrants with criminal records and those without ones as well. In fiscal year
2007 the agency deported slightly more than 280,000 individuals compared with
about 150,000 individuals in fiscal year 2003. From the years 2003 to 2008 the
number of illegal immigrants deported has steadily increased. ICE has also
changed some of the procedures like doing away with their “catch and release”
policy. In the past illegal immigrants who were detained were allowed to go free
once they promised they would show up to their deportation hearing at a later
date. The problem was that most of these illegal immigrants failed to show up
and usually ended up remaining in the United States. By not showing up to their
deportation hearing the illegal immigrant became a fugitive. Today an illegal
immigrant who is detained is taken into custody and no longer given the
opportunity to be released temporarily while awaiting their
deportation hearing.
Back in 2005 ICE had 15 teams dedicated to tracking fugitives and currently
there are 75 teams doing the same job. Last year over 100,000 fugitives were
arrested by ICE compared to nearly 24,000 in 2006.
|
|
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BIRTHS
 SAN
FRANCISCO,
CA - Under the 14th Amendment children who are born in the United States are
automatically granted American citizenship. Many expecting mothers are willing
to risk their lives to cross the U.S.-Mexico border so that their children can
be born Americans. One illegal immigrant named Olivia crossed the border with
her family when she was six months pregnant. Even though she is an illegal
immigrant Ofelia knew that she would not be denied medical treatment. By law any
individuals who walk into an emergency room cannot be asked to verify
American
citizenship and cannot be refused treatment. Ofelia had a c-section which was
covered by emergency Medicaid. C-sections typically run close to $5,000 at the
hospital she went to but her tab will be picked up by Medicaid. Hospital
administrators sometimes refer to these costs as uncompensated care because it
is money that they will probably not end up receiving. Her story is common and
Ofelia knows of many other women who have come to the U.S. to give birth. The
Pew Hispanic Center estimated that each year 300,000 children are born in the
United States to illegal immigrants. The automatic American citizenship will
open up more opportunities for their children later in life. Some lawmakers like
Representative Lamar Smith would like to see the current system in place changed
because it rewards illegal immigrants and taxpayers end up paying the cost. They
also bring up that some illegal immigrants have children in the U.S. with the
intention of having them become their sponsor in the future. Once the child
turns 21 they may become eligible to sponsor their parents so they can gain
permanent residency. |
|
BORDER CROSSING RULES
 EL
PASO,
TX - The Department of Homeland Security continues to try to inform domestic
and international travelers about the new border identification requirements
that will become effective June 1, 2009. In order to make the borders safer the
Department of Homeland Security is doing away with accepting over 8,000
documents at the border. The new identification policy is the result of the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative or WHTI. Travelers from Canada, Mexico,
Bermuda, the Caribbean and the U.S. used to be exempt from having to present
certain documentation when entering the United States. Currently the U.S.
government mandates that travelers going to and from the United States via land
or sea must present either: 1) a passport, a
passport card or a document that is WHTI compliant, or 2) some type of government issued identification and proof of
citizenship. An example of a government issued ID would be a driving license
while a birth certificate could serve as proof of citizenship. Starting June 1,
2009 travelers via land and sea will have to present a passport, passport card
or WHTI-compliant documentation. WHTI-compliant documents include: state issued
enhanced driver’s license, U.S. military identification with military travel
orders, Native American tribal photo identification card, Form I-872 American
Indian card, enhanced tribal cards, U.S. merchant mariner document when
traveling in conjunction with official maritime business, and the trusted
traveler cards (NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI). For those traveling via air they must
present a passport or its equivalent which is in effect now. |
|
PASSPORT CARD APPLICATIONS INCREASE
 WASHINGTON, D.C. - When the Department of Homeland Security announced that individuals
traveling via air would have to present a passport many rushed to put in an
application. The result was a passport backlog that caused anxiety among many
travelers. With the land and sea phase of the WHTI not too far away many
travelers have started to plan ahead for next June. As a result, the Department
of Homeland Security has seen high interest in the
passport card. The card will
start to be issued this June and its size will be comparable to that of a credit
card. More than 140,000 applications have already been submitted for the U.S.
passport card. By July the Department of Homeland Security expects the passport
card to be in full production. Others are opting for the enhanced driver’s
license if it is available in their state. The state of Washington has issued
close to 9,000 enhanced driving licenses. More than 20,000 have submitted their
application for a Washington driving license and are waiting. Other states
looking into the enhanced driver’s license are New York, Arizona and Vermont.
The advantage of an enhanced driver’s license is that it serves simultaneously
as a U.S. border card and a driver’s license. Other alternatives for individuals
traveling via land and sea are the traveler cards (NEXUS, FAST and SENTRI).
These are also popular among frequent border crossers since there are special
lanes for card holders. The three card programs combined have nearly half a
million participants. By the end of fiscal year 2009 the number of participants
is expected to be over 1.5 million.
|
|
H-1B VISA LOTTERY
 SAN
JOSE, CA - It was no surprise that the number of applicants for the H-1B visa
lottery exceeded the cap. Each year many American companies look to the
H-1B
program for the opportunity to hire highly-skilled foreigners. The foreigner
gets the opportunity to legally work in the United States for a certain period
of time and the company benefits from their skills. Employers for the most part
can only submit one application for each candidate. To ensure fairness the visas
are granted based on a lottery system. If the application is not selected in the
lottery the fees are later refunded. From April 1 to April 7 the USCIS received
approximately 163,000 H-1B visa applications. The H-1B visa annual cap is
currently set at 65,000 with that number unlikely to change in the near future.
However those applicants with an advanced degree may qualify for the additional
20,000 visas granted that do not count toward the 65,000 quota. To qualify for
the advanced degree exemption the applicant must have been a graduate of an
American university. Applicants qualifying for the advanced degree exemption
take part in the first random lottery. After the 20,000 have been selected the
remaining advanced degree applicants get put back into the pool for another
chance at being selected. At this point the second random lottery takes place.
Applicants are competing for the remaining 65,000 slots. Additional names are
put on a waiting list in case those randomly selected do not end up qualifying,
withdraw their petition or are denied. If the candidate makes it through the
remaining stages including an extensive background check, then an
H-1B visa will
be issued. These individuals can officially be hired by their sponsor on October
1. |
|
THE H-2B WORK VISA
 DENVER,
CO - The H-2B visa allows foreigners to do seasonal work in the United
States. The workers are usually non-skilled but still very valuable to American
employers. Since 2004 the cap for H-2B visas has been set at 66,000. In 2005 a
bill was introduced that made it easier for foreign workers on
H-2B visas to
return the following year and not be counted toward the quota. The foreign
workers had to have worked the last three years in order to qualify which was
not too difficult since many returned to work for the same employer. The bill
also divided the number of visas equally between the winter and summer seasons.
However, this year the bill was not extended and this had added more stress.
Employers cannot submit visa requests until 120 days prior to when they are
needed. As a result, winter employers were given an advantage and snatched up
most visas. Now summer employers are struggling to fill the vacancies normally
filled by foreign workers. One business owner had some employees who had worked
for her for at least ten years and they had become like a family. Now she is no
longer able to hire them and must look elsewhere. Other summer employers find
themselves in the same shoes. Foreign workers were their reliable source. Some
are planning on delaying the opening of their business until later in the year.
Those planning on opening on time may have to close for a day or two during the
week. Others are considering paying overtime. Even if they are able to find
domestic workers they are worried that next season they will not come back and
they will be in a similar situation again. |
|
U.S. CITIZENSHIP CLASSES TAUGHT BY VOLUNTEERS
 HOUSTON,
TX - When Jose J. Ornelas was young he was sent to the United States for
four years to attend school and learn English. He returned to Mexico to get his
college degree and later made his way back to El Paso, Texas. Ornelas became an
American citizen in 1962 and worked for the International Boundary and Water
Commission U.S. Section until he retired. He found that he had a lot of extra
time and decided to become a volunteer to give back to this country. Ornelas
initially started teaching literacy classes but then switched over to teaching
U.S. citizenship classes. The free classes are offered under the Literacy Center
program of the El Paso Public Library system. The courses run for six months and
the number offered depends on the volunteers available. Instructors are trained
and adhere to a core curriculum. Ornelas has helped prepare his students for the
last eight years. He focuses on the reading and writing sections of the
citizenship test. The volunteer instructor is aware that a new version of the
U.S. citizenship exam will be introduced October 1. Currently different versions
of the test are given based on the demographic area the applicant is in.
Starting October 1 all applicants will take the same test. The test will also be
modified and continue to emphasize basic concepts of American democracy. In
addition, they should know and understand the responsibilities and rights of an
American citizen. Like any good instructor Ornelas is already making
modifications to his curriculum to prepare his students.
|
|
BILL WOULD AFFECT SANCTUARY CITIES
 CHICAGO,
IL - When the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act
(IIRAIRA) was passed in 1996 it included section 287g which allowed state and
local law enforcement to be trained in immigration law and enforcement powers.
Not many responded to that opportunity when the act was passed but after 9/11 it
was a different story. There started to be more cooperation between local, state
and federal agencies. However, some in the 99th District of New York think there
is not enough cooperation and enforcement going on. They argue that section 287g
needs to be widely adopted. They worry about
sanctuary cities springing up and
encouraging illegal immigrants to continue making their way into the United
States. A sanctuary city is one that is viewed as being friendly to illegal
immigrants. While these cities are not putting out the welcome mat for illegal
immigrants they may be easier on them than other regions. Some residents of
Brewster village and Suffern village have joined forces with Assemblyman Greg
Ball of the 99th District to introduce Assembly Bill 10593. The 99th District is
made up of seven towns in Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties. They have
gone ahead and applied for section 287g authority and their bill would make it
mandatory for others to follow in their footsteps. The 99th District residents
would like to see the State of New York including its agencies, municipalities
and counties apply for the section 287g authority. Among some of the other
requirements of the bill are: mandatory release of all convicted
illegal immigrants solely to U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, mandating contractors who are awarded
contracts with the state of New York to use a federal program to verify a worker
is legally in the country and prohibition of sanctuary city laws.
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
