Washington Post: Immigration Reform Outlook

This Washington Post blog opines that immigration reform is still possible, although maybe not in the same sweeping fashion as the Senate bill. Read this story and more in AILA's daily immigration news clips here.

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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

Speaker Boehner Ignores the Costs of Doing Nothing

Speaker of the House John Boehner reassured the far-right wing of the Republican Party and anti-immigrant activists that he would never agree to a conference to hammer out an agreement on a House immigration bill and S. 744, the Senate’s bipartisan immigration bill that passed in June. While that statement may have been reassuring to a few die-hard anti-immigration reform activists, it had the opposite effect for the vast majority of Americans. The Speaker’s statement does not stop the clock on the economic, social, and societal costs of doing nothing on immigration. It also does not honor the hard work of Democrats and Republicans who have worked in good faith to pass the Senate bill and negotiate on various fronts in the House.   

However, what Speaker Boehner's statement does do is open the door to more protests and public outrage, encourage states to continue to take the lead on immigration policy and leave the administration in the difficult situation of deciding how long they will let Congressional inaction continue before they will intervene. When Congress refuses to act they make themselves less relevant and reinforce the idea that they cannot work constructively to fix our nation's most pressing problems.

Thus, rather than tamp down the flames of reform, the Speaker’s statements will embolden those who will work to fix immigration policy on their own - for better or worse. It’s inevitable that immigration reform will happen it’s just a matter of how much our economy, communities, and the Republican Party will lose in the meantime.

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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

Politico: Reince Priebus Says Immigration Reform Is Not Dead

Politico reports that Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said that his "gut" feeling is that the House will pass an immigration overhaul in the next 14 months. Read this story and more in AILA's daily immigration news clips here.

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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

NBC News Latino: Third House Republican Signs On To Immigration Reform Bill, Saying "It Cannot Wait"

NBC News Latino reports that Representative David Valadao (R-CA) became the third Republican to sign on to the immigration reform bill introduced in the House of Representatives. Follow the related updates and analysis on this AILA Leadership Blog post, in this AILA Quicktake video, and on AILA's Immigration Politics 2013. Read more stories in AILA's daily immigration news clips here.

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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

Immigration Relief Measures for Filipino Nationals impacted by Typhoon Haiyan

Please see important information below by USCIS regarding immigration relief measures for Filipino Nationals impacted by Typhoon Haiyan.

This is the CIS note:

Dear Stakeholder,

We in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are deeply saddened by the effects of the typhoon that struck the Philippines on November 8, 2013. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this tragedy.

We have taken steps to provide relief to victims of the typhoon. Filipino nationals in the United States should visit the home page of our website to learn about a series of existing relief measures that may be available to them. In addition, we are proactively identifying and expediting pending petitions for alien relatives, the Form I-130, that have been filed by U.S. Citizens for their Filipino immediate relatives.   Our standard security checks remain in place.

A Form I-130 petitioner can check his or her case status online at www.uscis.gov or by contacting the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 or 1-800-767-1833 (TDD assistance). In addition, a petitioner can sign up to receive automatic case status updates by e-mail as one’s case is processed. If one has filed a Form I-130 and received a request for evidence or any other type of communication from USCIS, one should read the notice carefully to ensure that one responds to the same USCIS Service Center that sent the notice.

Members of Congress and members of the community have requested that the Philippines receive a designation of Temporary Protected Status, commonly known as “TPS.” The Department of Homeland Security, along with other federal agencies, is reviewing these requests, the conditions in the Philippines, and other relevant factors in assessing whether a TPS designation is warranted.

We are monitoring the situation closely and actively considering what additional measures we can take to assist and support individuals affected by the tragedy.

Kind Regards,

USCIS Public Engagement Division

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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

USCIS Launches Redesigned USCIS Website

USCIS announced that it has launched its redesigned website in English, www.USCIS.gov, as well as in Spanish, www.USCIS.gov/es.

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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

Latino Voters Poised to Again Play Key Role in Elections

One year after the 2012 elections, in which the Latino vote  played a pivotal role in the re-election of President Obama, the Republican Party is still attempting to figure out how to attract Latinos and new immigrant voters to the fold.

Read full story from Immigration Impact
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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

How Immigrants on a Pathway to Citizenship can Revitalize Rust Belt Cities

Like Rust Belt cities such as Baltimore and Detroit, rural towns across America have experienced population declines in recent decades. Some places, however, are an exception to that trend thanks in part to the arrival of immigrants. For example, while other Iowa towns experienced population decline over the past several decades, West Liberty’s population grew because of immigration.

Read full article from Immigration Impact

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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

New USCIS Processing Time Reports Are Here!

According to the website, AILA-USCIS released processing time reports dated November 18, 2013 (with processing dates as of September 30, 2013) for the California Service Center (CSC), the Nebraska Service Center (NSC), the Texas Service Center (TSC), the Vermont Service Center (VSC), and the National Benefits Center (NBC).
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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

USCIS Memo on Immediate Relative I-485s for VWP Applicants

USCIS released a policy memorandum dated November 14, 2013, which updates Chapters 10.3 and 23.5 of the Adjudicator's Field Manual (AFM) and provides guidance on the adjudication of Forms I-485 filed by immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who were last admitted under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

How Latino and Asian Voters Made the Difference in 2013 Gubernatorial Elections

In a Dickensian tale of two campaigns for governor, the Republican Party watched two very different strategies unfold on how to embrace or reject Latino voters on Tuesday. A majority of Latino voters voted for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as he soundly won reelection, while Ken Cuccinelli lost his campaign to be Virginia’s governor after alienating Latinos with his anti-immigrant positions. As Jordan Fabian at Fusion explains, Christie offered Republicans a path for how to make inroads with Latinos, but “Cuccinelli’s campaign, on the other hand, fell into the same traps that have doomed Republicans in the last two elections.”

Christie won 51 percent of Latino voters on Tuesday, according to exit polls. That was an enormous jump from his 2009 election when he narrowly beat Democrat Jon Corzine but only had support from 32 percent of Latino voters. The gains can be attributed to his extensive outreach to minority communities “Christie didn’t take an antagonistic approach – he wasn’t about ‘here’s the groups I don’t like, I don’t like immigrants, or gay marriage’ and he literally embraced diversity, when he talked about all the different people he had hugged in the campaign,” Latino Decisions political scientist Sylvia Manzano told NBC Latino. And Christie also embraced pro-immigrant policy positions, like supporting immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship and allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at New Jersey public colleges and universities.

Read full article from Immigration Impact
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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

Poll indicates support for immigration reform

Politico reports that 52% of those surveyed in a new poll said they would be more likely to support a candidate who backs immigration reform, compared with 18% who said they would be less likely.
Read full article from Politico
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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

December 2013 Visa Bulletin

The State Department has released the Visa Bulletin for December 2013. The employment-based visa category for India retrogressed from June 15, 2008, to November 15, 2004. There were small movements forward in the priority dates for family-based worldwide, China, and India visa preference categories.

Click here to access the December 2013 Visa Bulletin

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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

New push for Immigration Reform will target 9 House Republicans

Credit: Washington Post

The Washington Post reports that in a renewed effort to support immigration reform, an AFL-CIO ad campaign will target nine Republican lawmakers in districts with sizable Latino populations.

Read full article from The Washington Post 

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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

DHS Extends Somalia TPS

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has re-designated Somalia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and has extended the existing TPS designation for Somalia from Sept. 18, 2012 through March 17, 2014, allowing eligible nationals of Somalia to register or re-register for TPS in accordance with the Federal Register notice.

Somali nationals with TPS who are seeking to re-register for TPS must file their application packages during the 60-day re-registration period that runs from May 1, 2012, through July 2, 2012. Somalis (or persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Somalia) in the United States who do not currently have TPS may apply under the re-designation during the six-month period that runs from May 1, 2012 through Oct. 29, 2012. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages eligible individuals to register as soon as possible.

Read full article from US Citizen and Immigration Services

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Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

November 2013 Visa Bulletin

The Visa Bulletin provides information regarding the cut-off dates which govern visa availability in the numerically limited visa categories and other immigrant visa related information.

Click here for the November 2013 Visa Bulletin


------ Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.

Huffington Post: Gutierrez Says House Will Use GOP's Piecemeal Approach to Immigration Reform

According to The Huffington Post, Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) has said that he is open to a piecemeal approach to immigration reform, as long as it eventually includes different measures affecting security, the Dreamers, and new workers.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), a leading proponent of comprehensive immigration reform in the House, said Thursday in a radio interview that the GOP preference for a piecemeal approach is likely to win out.

"We are going to do them piecemeal, but in the end you're going to have a full menu," Gutierrez said on Chicago Public Radio's "Afternoon Shift." Gutierrez has said before that he's open to a piecemeal approach to immigration reform, as long as it eventually includes different measures affecting security, the so-called Dreamers and new workers.

Read full article from Huffington Post

------ Based in Volusia County, Florida, immigration attorneys at the firm of David Vedder, P.A. have global reach and the proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. We welcome inquiries from clients of all cultural backgrounds and referrals from other lawyers. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044.