DHS and USCIS: Changes at the Top

Last week, the Senate confirmed Alejandro Mayorkas, currently Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security by a vote of 54-41. 

In this press release commending the confirmation, AILA President Doug Stump remarked, "it is absolutely vital that all DHS components with immigration responsibility share a common vision, speak with one voice on immigration, and consistently discharge their responsibilities." President Obama also announced his intent to nominate Leon Rodriguez as Director of USCIS.

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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.

ICE Releases FY2013 Removal Numbers

ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) released its annual report for FY2013, which indicates that ICE removed 368,644 individuals in FY2013, a decrease from FY2012, when 409,849 individuals were removed.
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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.

OSC Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim with San Francisco Restaurant

OSC entered into a settlement agreement with Kim Hoang Coffee and Fast Food. An investigation found that the restaurant improperly rejected valid work authorization documents when re-verifying an individual's employment authorization and also asked non-U.S. citizens to produce specific documents to establish work authorization.

Read full story from US Dept of Justice

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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 Reports Expose Subculture of Cruelty Within the U.S. Border Patrol

There is a subculture of cruelty within the Border Patrol—and, more broadly, within the entire machinery of the U.S. deportation regime. From the ranks of frontline Border Patrol agents to the guards in private, for-profit detention facilities, the abuse of detainees is widely tolerated and even accepted. This is the central finding to emerge from the second wave of the Migrant Border Crossing Study (MBCS). Wave II of the MBCS is currently housed in the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona and the Department of Sociology at George Washington University. The survey is a study of 1,110 randomly selected, recently repatriated migrants who were surveyed in six Mexican cities between 2009 and 2012. The results of this study are being released in a series of three reports titled Bordering on Criminal: The Routine Abuse of Migrants in the Removal System. -

Read more 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.

Free Webinar for Spanish Speaking Employers Today

On December 18, at 3:00 PM EST, Spanish speaking employers can learn about E-Verify and the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification process in their native language!

USCIS subject matter experts will discuss:

• The Form I-9 process 
• How E-Verify works  
• How to enroll
• Employer responsibilities     

You will also have an opportunity to ask questions. Pre-registration is not required to attend this FREE live Webinar.

On December 18 at 3:00 PM EST,  click here to join the webinar.

See our flyer for more information.  Please share this announcement with anyone who may be interested!

Additional resource information is available on both www.dhs.gov/E-Verify and www.uscis.gov/E-Verify/Espanol.

Please click here to see the schedule of all upcoming E-Verify and Form I-9 webinars.

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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.

The Hill: White House Won't Rule Out Future Executive Action on Immigration

The Hill reports that while the White House has ruled out a sweeping halt to deportations, it is unclear whether President Obama could use his executive authority, which includes the ability to grant temporary work permits, to help the undocumented.

Read full article from The Hill 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.

Can immigration reform transform the housing market?

As Congress restarts conversations about the federal budget and deficit reduction, the immigration reform debate is still front and center for many. As that debate unfolds, it is important to put some hard facts on the table.  What are the costs and benefits of reform?  What impact will reform have on economic growth and wages?  How will immigration reform affect the federal budget?

A new study by the Bipartisan Policy Center Immigration Task Force found the evidence suggests that immigration reform can produce significant economic dividends for our country.

Unlike other efforts, this study was not a political exercise seeking to justify a pre-determined outcome.  Instead, it was a serious, scholarly attempt to understand the true economic implications of immigration reform.

Read full article from The Hill
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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.

The January 2014 Visa Bulletin is Out!

The State Department released the Visa Bulletin for January 2014. There was forward movement in the employment-based third preference and other worker categories, as well as in some of the family-based preference categories.

The bulletin can be found 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.

Delaware News Journal: Will Politics Kill Possibility of Immigration Reform?

AILA member Matthew Hirsch writes an editorial for The Delaware News Journal in which he advocates that the time has come for immigration reform, as it would boost the economy, meet the labor needs of agricultural producers, and grow the high-tech sector. Read this story and more in AILA's daily immigration news clips here. Follow AILA's Immigration Politics 2013 for updates on reform.

Read article 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.

Visa Office Forecasts Changes in Some Employment Cut-Off Dates

 Visa Office Forecasts Changes in Some Employment Cut-Off Dates

The Department of State's Visa Office has projected changes in some employment cut-off dates. The December 2013 Visa Bulletin notes that the India employment second and third preference category cut-off dates advanced very rapidly at the end of fiscal year 2013. Those movements were based on the availability of thousands of "otherwise unused" numbers that could be made available without regard to the preference per-country annual limits. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in applicant demand, the Visa Bulletin notes. Consequently, the Visa Office has retrogressed those cut-off dates for December "in an effort to hold number use within the numerical limits."

In the coming months, the Visa Office expects the employment first preference category to remain Current, and the employment second preference worldwide category to remain Current. The employment second preference category for China is expected to move forward three to five weeks. No forward movement is expected in the India second preference category.

The worldwide employment third preference category cut-off date has advanced extremely rapidly during the past seven months "to generate new demand," the Visa Bulletin states. As the rate of applicants whose cases are finalized increases, it could have a significant effect on the cut-off date. Rapid forward movement of this cut-off date "should not be expected to continue beyond February," the Visa Bulletin notes.

China's and Mexico's employment third preference cut-off dates are expected to remain at the worldwide date. India should see no forward movement and the Philippines is expected to move forward three to six weeks.

The employment fourth and fifth preference cut-off dates are expected to remain Current. The Visa Office noted that these projections are "what is likely to happen during each of the next few months based on current applicant demand patterns." However, the Visa Office cautioned that these trends are not guaranteed and corrective action could be required at some point to maintain number use within the applicable annual limits. Unless indicated, the Visa Office said that those categories with a Current projection in the December Visa Bulletin "will remain so for the foreseeable future."

The Visa Bulletin for December 2013 is available here.
Source

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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.