New York, November 2008
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BARACK OBAMA ELECTED 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
 Chicago, IL - On November 4, 2008, Barack
Obama became the 44th president of the United States, clinching enough electoral votes to beat 72 year-old Republican Senator John McCain. The president-elect will become the first African-American president in the U.S. when he takes office in January. The historical election was backed by a campaign for “change” that swayed even Republican voters as they grappled with issues such as a failing economy and costly war in Iraq. Mr. Obama is a 47 year-old Democratic Senator from Illinois who is credited with conducting an energetic and passionate campaign, often drawing tens of thousands of people to political rallies and campaign events. His opponent, who was on his second bid for presidency, faced a tough political climate due to much disappointment over the current administration. Senator Barack Obama accepted the presidential nomination at Grant Park in Chicago to a roaring crowd of 125,000. He stated: “If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.” Advocates for change in U.S. immigration policy welcome Obama’s Presidential victory, as he has continuously pledged to pass US
immigration reform.
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APPLY FOR U.S. PASSPORT NOW TO AVOID DELAYS
 Seattle,
WA - Officials recommend that U.S. citizens apply for their
passport as early as
possible to prevent delays. Beginning June 1, 2009 everyone is required to have
a passport or federally approved ID when traveling by land or sea. A passport is
already required for international air travel, but under new legislation,
travelers will no longer be able to only furnish a driver’s license and birth
certificate when crossing U.S. land and sea borders. Instead, a U.S. passport or
other federally approved ID will be required. As such, a record number of
citizens are expected to apply for a U.S. passport close to the June 1 deadline,
potentially resulting in delays in processing time. In fact,
passport
applications are projected to increase from 16 million to 18 million as the
deadline approaches. Officials recommend applying for a passport now, as October
thru December is usually when the state department receives the fewest passport
applications. The State department notes that more staff has been added to
alleviate long delays in processing time; however, it is still strongly
recommended to apply for a passport as soon as possible. U.S. Passports are
valid for 10 years, and cost $100 for an adult passport and $85 for children
under 16. The passport regulations are part of the Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative. The first part of this U.S. law took effect in 2007 and required
passports for all air travel, including those travelers re-entering the U.S.
from Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
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VIRGINA POLICE TO ADMINISTER IMMIGRATION CHECKS FOR EVERYONE ARRESTED
 Manasses,
VA - Effective December 1, 2008 police in Manasses, VA will begin to check the
immigration status of everyone arrested for both state and local offenses.
Previously, only criminals arrested for serious crimes and those under suspicion
for immigration law infractions would undergo an immigration status check. This
new policy expands on the existing procedures, and everyone arrested will be
checked for legal immigration status, with no regards to the severity of the
crime or the ethnic background of the individual arrested. If an individual in
custody is found to be residing in the United States against immigration law,
they will be prepared for deportation. In March of 2008, the Manasses, VA police
department partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a
partnership to enforce the law and reduce illegal immigration. This program,
which is similar to policies in neighboring Prince William county, trains
federal and local law enforcement about immigration law, and immigration
enforcement procedures such as checking immigrant status and detaining illegal
immigrants. Critics maintain that this is a policy that is discriminatory to
immigrants and could potentially break up families. An immigration lawyer in
Virginia, who is appalled at this new policy states: “I certainly advise some of
my clients to move unless they have light skin and a
Green Card.” Supporters of
this policy suggest it is a step towards more cohesive immigration policy and
that it eliminates racial profiling since everyone arrested will undergo a
immigration status check, not just those arrested for certain crimes or at the
police officer’s discretion.
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COURT RULING: SOME ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ELIGIBLE FOR GREEN CARD
 Washington,
DC - In November, 2008 the 9th Court of Appeals overturned a prior ruling for
Orozco v. Mukasey and determined that individuals who enter the United States
illegally may still be eligible to adjust their status and apply for a
Green
Card, under certain circumstances. Mr. Orozco entered the country in 1996 with
someone else’s Green Card. He later married a U.S. citizen, but was still faced
with deportation orders. In the court proceedings, Mr. Orozco maintained that
because he had been inspected and admitted into the United States, albeit with a
fraudulent green card, he met the requirements to apply for an adjustment of
status. However, the courts disagreed with him and in March, 2008 Mr. Orozco’s
petition was denied. Under a long-standing rule of the Immigration and
Nationality Act, or IRA, an alien can apply for adjustment of status to a green
card holder if they were “inspected and admitted or paroled into the US.” Thus,
the original March ruling found that even though his documents were inspected
and he was granted admissibility, because he used a fraudulent document, this
was not grounds for lawful entry and he was not eligible to apply for an
adjustment of status. More recently, however, the ruling was overturned, and
deemed that even though Mr. Orozco used a fraudulent document to enter the
United States, because he was “inspected and admitted” he does qualify for an
adjustment of status. Overall, this ruling signifies that in certain
circumstances immigrants who enter the country illegally can file for an
adjustment of status, provided they fulfill the inspection and admissibility
requirement.
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IMMIGRANTS RETURNING HOME DUE TO DOWNTURN IN U.S. ECONOMY
 Mexico
City, Mexico - Due to the grim economic climate of the United States, officials
say that an increasing number of immigrants are returning home to Latin America.
Immigrants, both legal and illegal, reportedly have no choice but to return to
their native countries due to the limited number of jobs in employment sectors
that predominantly attract recent immigrants such as the restaurant,
landscaping, and construction industries. Immigration officials in Mexico City
note that while immigration tends to be cyclical, with many immigrants returning
home for the December and January holidays, they are already seeing an increase
in returning immigrants. In fact, it is estimated that 30,000 additional
immigrants will leave the United States due to the decrease in employment
opportunities. Officials remark that Mexican immigrants who have lived in the U.S. over two years rarely return home, as they generally have established
familial connections in the U.S. and employment prospects are even worse back
home. In addition to the increase in immigrants leaving the United States,
immigration to the United States has decreased in recent years. According to the
U.S. Border Patrol, apprehensions of illegal immigrants were down 18 percent
from 2006 and almost 40 percent from 2005. Overall, however, immigration to the
United States remains popular, as there are an estimated 12 million undocumented
immigrants residing in the country.
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CALL CENTER FOR MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS
 Tucson,
AZ - A call center for Mexican immigrants will be opening in Tucson, Arizona
later this week. The call center was developed by the Mexican consul in response
to a “growing anti-migrant” climate in Arizona, and serves Mexican citizens
living in the United States. Juan Manuel Calderón Jaimes, from the Mexican
consul states: "We are trying to ensure our people feel they benefit from the
embrace of the Mexican government and that we are addressing their problems."
The center aims to serve as an outlet to undocumented populations, which tend to
be the most vulnerable to abuses and human rights infractions. The call center
hopes to provide a forum for individuals who have experienced troubles on the
job, issues with immigration officials or obtaining immigrant documentation, and
other issues such as violence. The goal of the center is to provide immediate
responses to reports of human rights infractions, domestic violence, and
immigration issues. The center will be run by live operators, and is staffed 24
hours a day, 7 days a week. Additional call centers are expected to open in
other U.S. – Mexico border cities.
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IMMIGRANTS IN TEXAS ISSUED DIFFERENT DRIVER’S LICENSES
 Austin,
TX - Immigrants residing in Texas must first show proof of legal immigration
status before they can apply for a driver’s license. Once they receive their
license, it will look remarkably different than the driver’s licenses of
non-immigrants residing in the state. Immigrants’ driver’s licenses will be
vertical with the words “temporary visitor” clearly displayed. In addition, the
date that their legal residency expires will also be exhibited on the ID. Texas
will not issue licenses or other forms of government identification cards to
anyone who is not able to provide proof of legal immigration status. Those who
have overstayed their visa or residency requirement as well as immigrants who
only have permission to stay in the country for six months, will not be
applicable for state issued identification. Citizens of the United States will
not be affected by this new legislation, and will not have to show any
additional documentation than is already required. These new requirements are
under the Texas Department of Public Safety and are in accordance with federal
legislation that was passed after the terrorist attacks of September 11,
requiring states to only issue identification documents to individuals legally
residing in the country. The new requirements for driver’s licenses, expected to
be effective immediately, have proved to be controversial. Critics maintain that
not only does this lead to discrimination, but many who do not qualify for a
driver’s license will drive without proper liability insurance
- presenting an
increasing risk to all drivers.
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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
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