Read full story here.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
NBC News: Applications for Immigration Action Could Begin in Mid-February
As reported by NBC News, USCIS Director Leon Rodriguez told Spanish-speaking reporters in a conference call that immigrants should be able to start applying for deportation relief and work permits early next year. First up will be those applying for expanded DACA, most likely in February. Parents of U.S. citizens and legal resident children should be able to begin applying for DAPA in May.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Reagan-Bush Family Fairness: A Chronological History
Today, the American Immigration Council releases Reagan-Bush Family Fairness: A Chronological History. From 1987 to 1990, Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Sr. used their executive authority to protect from deportation a group that Congress left out of its 1986 immigration reform legislation—the spouses and children of individuals who were in the process of legalizing. These “Family Fairness” actions were taken to avoid separating families in which one spouse or parent was eligible for legalization, but the other spouse or children living in the United States were not—and thus could be deported, even though they would one day be eligible for legal status when the spouse or parent legalized. Publicly available estimates at the time were that “Family Fairness” could cover as many as 1.5 million family members, which was approximately 40 percent of the then-unauthorized population. After Reagan and Bush acted, Congress later protected the family members.
This fact sheet provides a chronological history of the executive actions and legislative debate surrounding Family Fairness.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Stop Notario Fraud - How AILA Members Can Help
Michelle Mendez, co-chair of the AILA National Consumer Protection & UPL Action Committee, shares information about combating notario fraud related to the new deferred action for parental accountability (DAPA) initiative.
For more information, visit stopnotariofraud.org.
For more information, visit stopnotariofraud.org.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Law Professors Affirm Obama’s Immigration Action Within Legal Authority
Today, more than a hundred legal scholars released a letter after reviewing the President Obama’s announced executive actions on immigration, that confirms that his plan for immigration action is “within the legal authority of the executive branch” of the United States.
The letter, spearheaded by Hiroshi Motomura of University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia of Dickinson School of Law, and Stephen H. Legomsky of the Washington University School of Law, and was signed by many law professors from the nation’s top law schools. They conclude that “the expansion of the DACA program and the establishment of Deferred Action for Parental Accountability are legal exercises of prosecutorial discretion. Both executive actions are well within the legal authority of the executive branch of the government of the United States.”
Read more
Friday, November 21, 2014
Changes to U and T Nonimmigrant Visa Categories as part of President Obama’s Action Initiative.
The Obama administration has included two important changes with respect to U and T visas for victims of crime in the workplace and trafficking as part of its administrative reform, by expanding the DOL’s U visa certification protocol to include three additional qualifying criminal activities, and committing to certification of T visas. It has also established an interagency task force to protect immigrant workers from employers who exploit their immigration status when they seek to exercise their workplace rights.
The DOL has posted a fact sheet here: http://www.dol.gov/dol/fact-sheet/immigration/u-t-visa.htm. The fact sheet specifies that these changes will be enacted in 2015.
Among the DOL’s changes include:
• Expand its existing U visa certification program by certifying requests that include: extortion, fraud in foreign labor contracting, and forced labor. (Although forced labor is not specifically enumerated in the U visa statute, it should be considered substantially similar to involuntary servitude. See, e.g. United States v. Bradley, 390 F.3d 145 (1st Cir. 2004)).
• Certify applications for trafficking victims seeking T visas when human trafficking activity is detected in the course of the Wage and Hour Division’s workplace investigations. The DOL will publish a Federal Register notice delegating authority to issue T visa certifications and will amend procedures and protocol to reflect these changes.
The Obama administration has also announced the establishment of an interagency working group addressing consistent enforcement of federal labor, employment, and labor laws, which will seek to ensure that federal enforcement authorities are not used to undermine worker protections through the use of immigration authorities in labor disputes, and strengthening processes for staying the removal and providing temporary work authorization for undocumented workers asserting workplace claims. See: http://www.dol.gov/dol/fact-sheet/immigration/interagency-working-group.htm.
The DOL has posted a fact sheet here: http://www.dol.gov/dol/fact-sheet/immigration/u-t-visa.htm. The fact sheet specifies that these changes will be enacted in 2015.
Among the DOL’s changes include:
• Expand its existing U visa certification program by certifying requests that include: extortion, fraud in foreign labor contracting, and forced labor. (Although forced labor is not specifically enumerated in the U visa statute, it should be considered substantially similar to involuntary servitude. See, e.g. United States v. Bradley, 390 F.3d 145 (1st Cir. 2004)).
• Certify applications for trafficking victims seeking T visas when human trafficking activity is detected in the course of the Wage and Hour Division’s workplace investigations. The DOL will publish a Federal Register notice delegating authority to issue T visa certifications and will amend procedures and protocol to reflect these changes.
The Obama administration has also announced the establishment of an interagency working group addressing consistent enforcement of federal labor, employment, and labor laws, which will seek to ensure that federal enforcement authorities are not used to undermine worker protections through the use of immigration authorities in labor disputes, and strengthening processes for staying the removal and providing temporary work authorization for undocumented workers asserting workplace claims. See: http://www.dol.gov/dol/fact-sheet/immigration/interagency-working-group.htm.
Expanded Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals.
On November 20, 2014 Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Charles Johnson issued
a memorandum significantly expanding the number of individuals eligible for deferred action for
childhood arrivals (“DACA”).
Note that the Secretary has directed that CIS begin accepting applications under the new DACA
standards no later than February 18, 2015. If you may be eligible under the expanded criteria,
please contact our office as soon as possible, so that the application might be timely filed.
To be eligible for DACA under the new standards, individuals must meet the following criteria:
The biggest changes from the previous DACA policy, enacted in 2012, are: (1) the age
restriction previously excluding individuals over the age of 31 has been rescinded; (2) DACA
will be granted in three year increments, rather than two-year increments; and (3) the eligibility
cut-off date by which a DACA applicant must have been in the United States has been adjusted
from June 15, 2007 to January 1, 2010.
All fees and biometrics requirements outlined in the initial DACA program remain in effect.
As was the case with the initial DACA program, this action confers no substantive right,
immigration status or pathway to citizenship. Only an Act of Congress can confer these rights.
However, the expansion of the DACA program will allow more individuals to obtain work
authorization and live normal lives in the United States.
a memorandum significantly expanding the number of individuals eligible for deferred action for
childhood arrivals (“DACA”).
Note that the Secretary has directed that CIS begin accepting applications under the new DACA
standards no later than February 18, 2015. If you may be eligible under the expanded criteria,
please contact our office as soon as possible, so that the application might be timely filed.
To be eligible for DACA under the new standards, individuals must meet the following criteria:
- have entered the United States before the age of 16
- have entered the United States before January 1, 2010 and have continuously resided in the United States since that time;
- are physically present in the United States on the date of the memorandum, and at the time of making a request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS;
- are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.
The biggest changes from the previous DACA policy, enacted in 2012, are: (1) the age
restriction previously excluding individuals over the age of 31 has been rescinded; (2) DACA
will be granted in three year increments, rather than two-year increments; and (3) the eligibility
cut-off date by which a DACA applicant must have been in the United States has been adjusted
from June 15, 2007 to January 1, 2010.
All fees and biometrics requirements outlined in the initial DACA program remain in effect.
As was the case with the initial DACA program, this action confers no substantive right,
immigration status or pathway to citizenship. Only an Act of Congress can confer these rights.
However, the expansion of the DACA program will allow more individuals to obtain work
authorization and live normal lives in the United States.
Overview of President Obama's Executive Action
The President asked Secretary Johnson and Attorney General Eric Holder to undertake a rigorous and inclusive review to inform recommendations on reforming our broken immigration system through executive action. This review sought the advice and input from the men and women charged with implementing the policies, as well as the ideas of a broad range of stakeholders and Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. Our assessment identified the following ten areas where we, within the confines of the law, could take action to increase border security, focus enforcement resources, and ensure accountability in our immigration system.
Read more
Read more
US DOL's Expanded U and T Visa Certifications for Victims of Workplace Crime
Dear friends,
The Obama administration has included two important changes with respect to U and T visas for victims of crime in the workplace and trafficking as part of its administrative reform, by expanding the DOL's U visa certification protocol to include three additional qualifying criminal activities, and committing to certification of T visas. It has also established an interagency task force to protect immigrant workers from employers who exploit their immigration status when they seek to exercise their workplace rights.
The DOL has posted a fact sheet here: http://www.dol.gov/dol/fact-sheet/immigration/u-t-visa.htm. The fact sheet specifies that these changes will be enacted in 2015.
Among the DOL's changes include:
* Expand its existing U visa certification program by certifying requests that include: extortion, fraud in foreign labor contracting, and forced labor. (Although forced labor is not specifically enumerated in the U visa statute, it should be considered substantially similar to involuntary servitude. See, e.g. United States v. Bradley, 390 F.3d 145 (1st Cir. 2004)).
* Certify applications for trafficking victims seeking T visas when human trafficking activity is detected in the course of the Wage and Hour Division's workplace investigations. The DOL will publish a Federal Register notice delegating authority to issue T visa certifications and will amend procedures and protocol to reflect these changes.
The Obama administration has also announced the establishment of an interagency working group addressing consistent enforcement of federal labor, employment, and labor laws, which will seek to ensure that federal enforcement authorities are not used to undermine worker protections through the use of immigration authorities in labor disputes, and strengthening processes for staying the removal and providing temporary work authorization for undocumented workers asserting workplace claims. See: http://www.dol.gov/dol/fact-sheet/immigration/interagency-working-group.htm.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
How Immigrants Contribute to the U.S. Military
Just as immigrants have roots in communities across the country, they are also found throughout the ranks of the U.S. military, fighting on the front lines and shaping policy in the Pentagon.
Read more here
Read more here
Monday, November 17, 2014
Obama Plan May Allow Millions of Immigrants to Stay and Work in U.S.
WASHINGTON — President Obama will ignore angry protests from Republicans and announce as soon as next week a broad overhaul of the nation’s immigration enforcement system that will protect up to five million unauthorized immigrants from the threat of deportation and provide many of them with work permits, according to administration officials who have direct knowledge of the plan.
Asserting his authority as president to enforce the nation’s laws with discretion, Mr. Obama intends to order changes that will significantly refocus the activities of the government’s 12,000 immigration agents. One key piece of the order, officials said, will allow many parents of children who are American citizens or legal residents to obtain legal work documents and no longer worry about being discovered, separated from their families and sent away.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Client Testimonial
The entire team at DAVID F. VEDDER, P.A.,
Words cannot describe the gratitude I feel towards all of you for what you have done for me and my family. Your hard work and devotion to our case has afforded us a new lease on life and I am forever grateful to you for that.
It was 4+ years ago when unfortunate circumstances led us to your offices, and while during all this time we have had many doubts about whether I would be able to spend the rest of my life here with my family, you were always the one source of reassurance that everything would be all right... as long as we had a good deal of patience and a great strategy. While our patience wore thin a number of times, your strategy delivered in spades!
Mr. Vedder, you were absolutely phenomenal in your approach to winning my very complicated case and I thank you for the personal interest you took in this matter to giving my life back to me. I have no doubt you do this for all your clients. And how could you not be successful given all the talent you have surrounding you!
Julie, I don’t know how I could ever have gotten through all that paperwork without your help. Your attention to detail and fortitude to follow-up and keep me informed as well as responsible for what was owed by me gave me much needed confidence that I was well represented and never forgotten.
Daniel and Silvia, it was an absolute pleasure to work with both of you. I was very impressed by how well you were prepared to assist in my case, not to mention the most gracious, courteous and caring demeanor you portrayed in every regard.
Jacqueline, thanks for always taking my call and providing the convenience in keeping my account current. Thanks also for your patience when I did not call in time!
There will hopefully never be a circumstance such as this again in our lives, however I will say that if it were to happen, we would look no farther than to all of you for assistance. We recommend the firm of David F. Vedder P.A. to anyone and everyone dealing with the complexities of immigration matters no matter how trivial or complicated. You are talented and knowledgeable, and above all humble and patient in your approach to tackling cases for a successful outcome. Each and every one on the team is extremely professional and courteous to the point where we felt very comfortable discussing difficult issues and circumstances that led to my troubles.
We are deeply thankful and forever grateful to you for your personal attention and successful execution in my matter.
Best Regards, R&J/Client
Words cannot describe the gratitude I feel towards all of you for what you have done for me and my family. Your hard work and devotion to our case has afforded us a new lease on life and I am forever grateful to you for that.
It was 4+ years ago when unfortunate circumstances led us to your offices, and while during all this time we have had many doubts about whether I would be able to spend the rest of my life here with my family, you were always the one source of reassurance that everything would be all right... as long as we had a good deal of patience and a great strategy. While our patience wore thin a number of times, your strategy delivered in spades!
Mr. Vedder, you were absolutely phenomenal in your approach to winning my very complicated case and I thank you for the personal interest you took in this matter to giving my life back to me. I have no doubt you do this for all your clients. And how could you not be successful given all the talent you have surrounding you!
Julie, I don’t know how I could ever have gotten through all that paperwork without your help. Your attention to detail and fortitude to follow-up and keep me informed as well as responsible for what was owed by me gave me much needed confidence that I was well represented and never forgotten.
Daniel and Silvia, it was an absolute pleasure to work with both of you. I was very impressed by how well you were prepared to assist in my case, not to mention the most gracious, courteous and caring demeanor you portrayed in every regard.
Jacqueline, thanks for always taking my call and providing the convenience in keeping my account current. Thanks also for your patience when I did not call in time!
There will hopefully never be a circumstance such as this again in our lives, however I will say that if it were to happen, we would look no farther than to all of you for assistance. We recommend the firm of David F. Vedder P.A. to anyone and everyone dealing with the complexities of immigration matters no matter how trivial or complicated. You are talented and knowledgeable, and above all humble and patient in your approach to tackling cases for a successful outcome. Each and every one on the team is extremely professional and courteous to the point where we felt very comfortable discussing difficult issues and circumstances that led to my troubles.
We are deeply thankful and forever grateful to you for your personal attention and successful execution in my matter.
Best Regards, R&J/Client
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Washington Post: White House Says Obama Will Act on Immigration Despite Warnings to Hold Off
The Washington Post reports that on Friday, President Obama firmly rejected the suggestion that he delay his promised executive action on immigration reform, dismissing calls from critics inside and outside his party to allow Congress to debate the issue next year. The President stated that he had already waited almost two years for congressional action on immigration and that his decision to proceed should not upend chances for cooperation on unrelated matters.
Read this story here
Read this story here
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
ESTA Adds Data Fields for Visa Waiver Program Applicants
DHS announced that effective November 3, 2014, those seeking to travel to the U.S. from countries in the Visa Waiver Program will be required to provide additional passport data, contact information, and other potential names or aliases in the travel application submitted via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Read more here
Read more here
Friday, October 17, 2014
Harvard junior who took mom to Mexico can return
AILA members Ira Kurzban and Alan Klein are quoted in this Associated Press article about an undocumented Harvard University student who has been granted humanitarian parole after he crossed the border without permission to accompany his dying mother to clinics offering alternative cancer treatments in Mexico. The student applied for permission to travel, but after waiting a month and a half and requesting expedited processing, he left to help his mother, whose health was deteriorating.
Read more here
Read more here
Monday, October 13, 2014
Federal Court Refuses to Dismiss Case of U.S. Citizen Girl Who Was Deported
In 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), unlawfully detained a 4-year-old girl when she arrived at Dulles Airport in Virginia, deprived her of any contact with her parents, and then sent her back to Guatemala. The girl’s father subsequently filed a lawsuit on his daughter’s behalf to seek redress for the harm she suffered and to shed light on an agency that all too often acts outside the law.
Read more at Immigration Impact
Read more at Immigration Impact
Visa Bulletin For November 2014
Read more here
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
David Vedder, PA Attorneys Recognized For Pro Bono Service
Monday, October 6, 2014
Washington Post: Obama Says He'll Take Executive Action on Immigration Before End of the Year
President Obama said Thursday night that he would take executive action on immigration sometime between the midterm elections and the end of the year.
Read more from The Washington Post
Read more from The Washington Post
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Charlie Crist Fundraiser
On September 25, Mr. Vedder attended a campaign fund raising event for Charlie Crist, who is running for Florida Governor, at the home of prominent St. Augustine trial attorney Patrick Canan.
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th Governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 and is running for election this November.
Mr. Crist’s position on immigration, which includes helping “DREAMers” and “keeping Florida’s doors open,” would bring a more sensible approach on immigration in Tallahassee and would be a welcome change. Mr. Crist’s position on immigration can be viewed here.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Rice & Rose Legal Forum
David F. Vedder, PA expresses our gratitude to Mr. Shapiro, Rice & Rose, and WNDB for allowing us the opportunity to discuss immigration law in our community. We encourage all local residents to tune in to the Rice & Rose Legal Forum every Tuesday morning from 9:00 to 9:30am on 1150AM WNDB.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Monday, September 22, 2014
Speaker John Boehner says immigration reform would help economy
House Speaker John A. Boehner dipped back into the immigration debate Thursday, saying that an overhaul -- which his Republican majority has refused to vote on -- would boost the economy.
Read full article from LA Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read full article from LA Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Why putting off immigration reform won’t make it any easier
The Washington Post reports that President Obama's decision to delay executive action on immigration reform until after the November midterm elections might not save the Democratic party its majority in the Senate, or lead to the inclusive overhaul of immigration policy that the President promised earlier this summer. Read more from The Washington Post
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Attorneys at David F. Vedder P.A. Successfully Obtain Inadmissibility Waiver; Immigrant Visa Issued to Chinese Client.
Navigating the immigrant visa process can often become a frustrating labyrinth leading nowhere.
The process may be further complicated when the applicant, rightly or erroneously, is found to be inadmissible to the United States. Legal representation by experienced immigration law attorneys versed in consular processing and the preparation of inadmissibly waiver applications is critical to successful visa issuance.
Attorneys David F. Vedder and Silvia Manzanero recently obtained approval of an inadmissibility waiver and secured an immigrant visa for a Chinese national who, after a year of failed attempts to obtain an immigrant visa, is finally able to immigrate to the United States with her U.S. citizen husband, a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the couple’s six year old U.S. citizen child.
Vedder and Manzanero challenged an initial determination by a U.S. Embassy in China that their client was inadmissible, and accordingly, the need for an inadmissibility waiver. Manzanero prepared a compelling response to a request for evidence to an I-601 waiver application filed by the client pro se which clearly demonstrated the extreme hardships that the client’s U.S. citizen spouse – and their minor child - has suffered as a result of his spouse not being able to immigrate to the United States .
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services swiftly and unequivocally approved the inadmissibility waiver in record time, clearing the way for Vedder’s and Manzanero’s client to obtain approval of her immigrant visa. The fact that the client was erroneously found inadmissible was mooted by the waiver grant.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
The process may be further complicated when the applicant, rightly or erroneously, is found to be inadmissible to the United States. Legal representation by experienced immigration law attorneys versed in consular processing and the preparation of inadmissibly waiver applications is critical to successful visa issuance.
Attorneys David F. Vedder and Silvia Manzanero recently obtained approval of an inadmissibility waiver and secured an immigrant visa for a Chinese national who, after a year of failed attempts to obtain an immigrant visa, is finally able to immigrate to the United States with her U.S. citizen husband, a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the couple’s six year old U.S. citizen child.
Vedder and Manzanero challenged an initial determination by a U.S. Embassy in China that their client was inadmissible, and accordingly, the need for an inadmissibility waiver. Manzanero prepared a compelling response to a request for evidence to an I-601 waiver application filed by the client pro se which clearly demonstrated the extreme hardships that the client’s U.S. citizen spouse – and their minor child - has suffered as a result of his spouse not being able to immigrate to the United States .
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services swiftly and unequivocally approved the inadmissibility waiver in record time, clearing the way for Vedder’s and Manzanero’s client to obtain approval of her immigrant visa. The fact that the client was erroneously found inadmissible was mooted by the waiver grant.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Reuters: Obama Delays Acting on Immigration Until After November Elections
Reuters reports that President Obama reversed course on Saturday and delayed taking executive action on immigration reform until after the November congressional elections, bowing to concerns that such action could cost his fellow Democrats control of the Senate. AILA President Leslie Holman reacted to the delay in executive action, stating, "The attempt to deny protection to desperate refugees, and the delay on immigration action, make absolutely no fiscal or moral sense, and are built on questionable political assumptions.
Read more
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read more
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Thursday, September 4, 2014
136 Leading Experts on Immigration Law Agree: President Has Legal Authority to Expand Relief to Immigrants
U.S. law professors sent a letter today to the White House stating that President Obama has wide legal authority to make needed changes to immigration enforcement policy. The president is considering how to use his authority to mitigate the damage caused by our dysfunctional immigration system and protect certain individuals from deportation.
The letter was written by Stephen H. Legomsky, John S. Lehmann University Professor at Washington University School of Law and former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Chief Counsel; Hiroshi Motomura, Susan Westerberg Prager Professor at UCLA School of Law; and Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar at Penn State Law. It was signed by professors from 32 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
“As part of the administration’s legal team that ironed out the details of DACA, I can personally attest that we took pains to make sure the program meticulously satisfied every conceivable legal requirement,” said Legomsky. “In this letter, 136 law professors who specialize in immigration reach the same conclusion and explain why similar programs would be equally lawful.” (DACA is the acronym for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the program the president initiated in June 2012.)
In their letter, the law professors point out that “The administration has the legal authority to use prosecutorial discretion as a tool for managing resources and protecting individuals residing in and contributing to the United States in meaningful ways.” The letter goes on to explain that presidents from both parties have used prosecutorial discretion to prevent specific, and often large, groups of immigrants from being deported.
“Our letter confirms that the administration has specific legal authority to use prosecutorial discretion as a tool for protecting an individual or group from deportation,” said Wadhia. “This legal authority served as foundation for prosecutorial discretion policy across several administrations. Historically, this policy has been premised on the twin policy goals of managing limited resources and shielding people with compelling situations from removal.”
This is the second major letter about prosecutorial discretion that law professors have sent to President Obama. The first letter, sent in 2012, outlined the legal argument for expanded administrative relief, which later became the blueprint for the president’s DACA program. That program allows qualifying noncitizens who came to the United States as children to apply for relief from deportation and work authorization.
“This letter reflects a clear, broad, and informed consensus on two key points,” said Motomura. “First, the president has the legal authority, exercising his discretion as the nation’s top immigration prosecutor, to establish enforcement priorities. Second, the president’s lawful discretion includes the authority to set up an orderly system, modeled on DACA, for granting temporary relief from deportation.”
A copy of the letter is available at pennstatelaw.psu.edu/lawprofessorletter.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
The letter was written by Stephen H. Legomsky, John S. Lehmann University Professor at Washington University School of Law and former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Chief Counsel; Hiroshi Motomura, Susan Westerberg Prager Professor at UCLA School of Law; and Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar at Penn State Law. It was signed by professors from 32 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
“As part of the administration’s legal team that ironed out the details of DACA, I can personally attest that we took pains to make sure the program meticulously satisfied every conceivable legal requirement,” said Legomsky. “In this letter, 136 law professors who specialize in immigration reach the same conclusion and explain why similar programs would be equally lawful.” (DACA is the acronym for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the program the president initiated in June 2012.)
In their letter, the law professors point out that “The administration has the legal authority to use prosecutorial discretion as a tool for managing resources and protecting individuals residing in and contributing to the United States in meaningful ways.” The letter goes on to explain that presidents from both parties have used prosecutorial discretion to prevent specific, and often large, groups of immigrants from being deported.
“Our letter confirms that the administration has specific legal authority to use prosecutorial discretion as a tool for protecting an individual or group from deportation,” said Wadhia. “This legal authority served as foundation for prosecutorial discretion policy across several administrations. Historically, this policy has been premised on the twin policy goals of managing limited resources and shielding people with compelling situations from removal.”
This is the second major letter about prosecutorial discretion that law professors have sent to President Obama. The first letter, sent in 2012, outlined the legal argument for expanded administrative relief, which later became the blueprint for the president’s DACA program. That program allows qualifying noncitizens who came to the United States as children to apply for relief from deportation and work authorization.
“This letter reflects a clear, broad, and informed consensus on two key points,” said Motomura. “First, the president has the legal authority, exercising his discretion as the nation’s top immigration prosecutor, to establish enforcement priorities. Second, the president’s lawful discretion includes the authority to set up an orderly system, modeled on DACA, for granting temporary relief from deportation.”
A copy of the letter is available at pennstatelaw.psu.edu/lawprofessorletter.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Friday, August 29, 2014
LA Times: U.S. to Allow Some Immigrant Deportees to Return Under Settlement
The Los Angeles Times reports on a settlement agreement in an ACLU lawsuit alleging that federal agents use intimidation, threats, and misinformation to persuade undocumented immigrants to agree to voluntary departure. In the settlement, federal officials did not admit any wrongdoing but agreed not to use threats and intimidation against immigrants facing possible deportation, and will allow some—perhaps thousands—with ties to Southern California to return.
Read more
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read more
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Monday, August 25, 2014
New York Is Offering Undocumented Immigrants IDs
Bloomberg Businessweek reports that a bill signed last week by Mayor Bill de Blasio will make New York City the country’s largest city to offer a municipal ID card to all residents—including undocumented immigrants. The cards will make carriers eligible to use city services, like lending libraries, and the city is negotiating with banks to help cardholders access financial services.
Read more
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read more
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Friday, August 22, 2014
Politico: White House Meets with Big Business on Immigration
Politico reports that President Obama was initially expected to focus only on slowing deportations and altering federal enforcement policies. However, senior White House officials have begun to talk to leaders from companies such as Cisco, Intel, and Accenture, to consider a range of fixes relating to business immigration. The outreach to big business is an effort to broaden the political support for Obama's decision to act alone.
Read more from Politico
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Successful E-2 Visa Renewal at Embassy London
Attorneys David F. Vedder and Daniel C. Ross recently obtained reissuance of an E-2 treaty investor visa at Embassy London on behalf of longtime clients, Mark and Claire Venables. Mr. Venables is a British citizen, and the President and CEO of Daytona Employment in Daytona Beach, Florida. Claire is a Vice President and Office Manager at Daytona Employment.
The clients have held an E-2 visas since 2002 based on their substantial investment into the company. The attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A., have successfully obtained multiple visa extensions on Mr. Venable’s behalf so that he may continue to enter the United States and direct his company. Daytona Employment provides a wide array of professional staffing services to the greater Daytona area and can be contacted at www.daytonaemployment.com.
Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Politico: Immigration Rights Groups Pressure Democrats to Stick with Obama
Politico reports that last week, a coalition of 30 immigrant rights organizations urged Senate Democratic leaders not to back away from demands that President Obama act on immigration before the midterm elections. The letter was sent in response to growing concern among the groups that the Senate leadership will pressure the Administration to hold off on taking some of the boldest action until after November.
Read full story from Politico
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read full story from Politico
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Monday, August 18, 2014
Firm Update:US Citizenship granted
Congratulations to Mr. Albarran!
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Thursday, August 14, 2014
BuzzFeed: What It Actually Means for Obama to "Go Big" On Deportation Relief
Buzzfeed reports that activists have begun a concerted social media campaign using the #GoBigObama hashtag, encouraging President Obama to make substantive changes to the current immigration system. Advocates are encouraging Obama to expand deferred action for the parents and spouses of U.S. citizens, as well as for the parents of DREAMers. They are also encouraging an expansion of parole in place and the extreme hardship waiver
Read full story
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read full story
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Two Ways President Obama Could Act On Immigration
Sometime before the end of summer, President Obama is expected to take executive action to address the nation's broken immigration system.
The president's decision has in some ways been years in the making. It is built on his own action two years ago to defer deportation for so-called Dreamers — young people brought to the country illegally as children. And it is built on congressional failure to pass a sweeping immigration overhaul, a DREAM act or even an emergency funding measure to deal with all the unaccompanied children arriving at the border.
Read full story from NPR
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
The president's decision has in some ways been years in the making. It is built on his own action two years ago to defer deportation for so-called Dreamers — young people brought to the country illegally as children. And it is built on congressional failure to pass a sweeping immigration overhaul, a DREAM act or even an emergency funding measure to deal with all the unaccompanied children arriving at the border.
Read full story from NPR
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
LA Times: White House Pursuing Plan to Expand Immigrant Rights
The Los Angeles Times reports that as President Obama deals with the crisis of immigrant children arriving at the southwest border, White House officials are laying the groundwork for a large-scale expansion of immigrant rights that would come by executive action by the end of the summer. Officials signaled strongly that President Obama's move could shield large numbers of undocumented immigrants from deportation.
Read more from LA Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read more from LA Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Friday, August 8, 2014
Immigration Court in Orlando, Florida Continues to Recognize Syrian Christians' Fear of Persecution
On
July 28, 2014, the Immigration Court in Orlando, Florida, granted asylum relief
to another Syrian national represented by Silvia Manzanero, Esq, after finding that he had a well-founded fear
of persecution on account of his Christian faith.
Manzanero’s
client had fled Syria after he was kidnapped by a group of armed individuals,
who, after several verbal death threats, dragged him out of his placed of
employment, blindfolded him, tied his hands behind his back, and drove him to
an unknown location where he was kept by the captors for four days, tied to a
chair, and given virtually no food or water.
The captors continuously made derogatory comments about the Respondent’s
Christian religion and clearly indicated that his religion was the reason for
his kidnapping. . Although the Respondent reported his ordeal
to the local police, he received no protection nor was the kidnapping
investigated.
Upon
acknowledging that acts of persecution of the Syrian Christian minority were
thoroughly documented in the case, the Immigration Court found in favor of
Manzanero’s client.
This
decision came after the Immigration Court in Orlando granted asylum relief to another
of David F. Vedder, P.A.’s clients, also a Syrian national of Christian faith
represented by attorney Manzanero, on July 22, 2014.
These
grants of relief are not surprising. The
armed conflict that began with the pro-democracy demonstrations in March 2011
has thus far claimed the lives of over 160,000 Syrians.[1] Of
the country’s pre-war population of about 22 million people, over 2 million
have sought refuge outside the country, while more than 6.5 million Syrians
have been internally displaced.[2]
Syrian
Christians, in particular, have become the target of both extreme factions of
the opposition and the Syrian government forces. In areas controlled by the opposition, kidnappings
of Syrian Christians are on the rise.
Similarly, Syrian Christians are being forced to join the rebel groups,
flee their homes, or face death.[3] Likewise, The Syrian government has engaged
in attacks against Christians and other minorities in what has been interpreted
as an attempt to “bolster sectarianism”.[4]
[1] Anne Barnard, “Syria Death
Toll Reported to Rise By 10,000 in Less Than 2 Months” The New York Times, May
20, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/20/world/middleeast/syria.html?_r=0 (last accessed, 07/30/2014).
[2] “2014 UNHCR country
operations profile - Syrian Arab Republic” http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e486a76.html
last accessed, (07/30/2014).
[3] Daniel Brode et al.,
“Syria’s Threatened Christians”, New York Times, June 28, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/opinion/syrias-threatened-christians.html
(last accessed 07/30/2014); Syrian Rebels Seek Control of Christian Village”, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/syria-al-qaida-rebels-control-christian-village
(last accessed 07/30/2014); “Syria Crisis: ISIS Imposes Rules on Christians in
Raqqa”, BBC, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26366197 (last accessed 07/30/2014); Washington Post,
145. “Islamic State Declaration Could
Lead to Schism” Associated Press, June 30, 2014. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/al-qaida-splinter-declares-new-islamic-caliphate
(last accessed 07/30/2014.)
[4] Jen Psaki, Spokesperson, U.S.
Department of State, “Christians Under Threat in Syria, March 3, 2014, http://m.state.gov/md222802.htm. (last accessed 07/30/2014.),
International Religious Freedom Report for 2012, U.S. Department of State,
Human Rights and Labor, www.state.gov/j/drl/irf/rpt/.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
White House pursuing plan to expand immigrant rights
Even as President Obama grapples with the crisis of immigrant children arriving at the Southwest border, White House officials are laying the groundwork for a large-scale expansion of immigrant rights that would come by executive action within weeks.
Officials signaled strongly Friday that Obama's move would shield from deportation large numbers of immigrants living in the country illegally, as advocacy groups have demanded.
Read more from LA Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Officials signaled strongly Friday that Obama's move would shield from deportation large numbers of immigrants living in the country illegally, as advocacy groups have demanded.
Read more from LA Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Thursday, August 7, 2014
U.S. Adjusts Court Flow to Meet Rise in Migrants
As part of the administration’s efforts to deter the current surge of illegal Central American migrants, the nation’s immigration courts will make a major shift in priorities to place unaccompanied minors and families with children first in line to go before immigration judges, Justice Department officials said.
Read more NY Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read more NY Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Obama readies executive action on immigration
The Washington Post reports that President Obama is preparing to announce new measures that would potentially allow millions of undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S. without fear of deportation. Ideas under consideration could include temporary relief for law-abiding undocumented immigrants who are closely related to U.S. citizens or those who have lived in the country a certain number of years—a population that advocates say could reach as high as 5 million. Read this story
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
U.S. Adjusts Court Flow to Meet Rise in Migrants
As part of the administration’s efforts to deter the current surge of illegal Central American migrants, the nation’s immigration courts will make a major shift in priorities to place unaccompanied minors and families with children first in line to go before immigration judges, Justice Department officials said Tuesday.
Under the new procedures, those migrants could have their cases resolved and be deported within months, instead of the two or three years those cases often take in the overburdened courts.
Read more from The New York Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Under the new procedures, those migrants could have their cases resolved and be deported within months, instead of the two or three years those cases often take in the overburdened courts.
Read more from The New York Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Welcome Arina Belkin!
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Grant of Asylum Immigration Relief for Christian Syrian
On July 22, 2014, a Syrian national who had fled his home country seeking protection from persecution was granted asylum immigration relief by the Immigration Court in Orlando, Florida.
Under current U.S. immigration laws, an individual seeking asylum must demonstrate that he or she has suffered past-persecution or has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
Attorney Silvia Manzanero from David F. Vedder, P.A., represented the Syrian national before the Immigration Court, presented a compelling and thoroughly documented case, and successfully demonstrated that her client had a well-founded fear of being persecuted on account of his Christian religious faith.
As an asylum grantee, Manzanero’s client will be able to apply for lawful permanent residence in one year.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Under current U.S. immigration laws, an individual seeking asylum must demonstrate that he or she has suffered past-persecution or has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
Attorney Silvia Manzanero from David F. Vedder, P.A., represented the Syrian national before the Immigration Court, presented a compelling and thoroughly documented case, and successfully demonstrated that her client had a well-founded fear of being persecuted on account of his Christian religious faith.
As an asylum grantee, Manzanero’s client will be able to apply for lawful permanent residence in one year.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Friday, July 25, 2014
Get the Facts: Five Ways Immigrants Drive the Essential Economy
The essential economy—which encompasses the food services and hospitality industries, construction, agriculture, elder care, and manufacturing—is fundamental to the U.S. economy and society as a whole.[1] Immigrants’ participation in these sectors creates new jobs for native-born workers, contributes to the growth of construction and agriculture, and provides essential care to the United States’ aging population. This fact sheet—the tenth in our series on immigrants and the economy—details five reasons why immigrants are vital to the success of the essential economy.
Read more here
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read more here
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Immigrants Offset Population Decline and Aging Workforce in Midwest Metros
It’s clear that an increasing number of places large and small across America recognize the value immigrants have brought and continue to bring to the United States. After all, metropolitan areas, as the drivers of the nation’s economy, are where the majority of immigrants live, and local communities are where the important work of integrating newcomers takes place. It is indeed promising that more local leaders are interested in creating a welcoming, friendly, and receptive environment for newcomers.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
See more
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
The Facts About the Humanitarian Challenge at the Border
What is our obligation as a country to the unaccompanied child migrants at our border? This seemingly straightforward question is frequently lost among the political debate surrounding the humanitarian challenge at our southern border. In a recent Senate homeland security committee hearing, several senators focused only on how to deter the child migrants.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read more
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Monday, July 21, 2014
Removal Without Recourse: The Growth of Summary Deportations from the United States
The deportation process has been transformed drastically over the last two decades. Today, two-thirds of individuals deported are subject to what are known as “summary removal procedures,” which deprive them of both the right to appear before a judge and the right to apply for status in the United States. In 1996, as part of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), Congress established streamlined deportation procedures that allow the government to deport (or “remove”) certain noncitizens from the United States without a hearing before an immigration judge.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read more
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Friday, July 18, 2014
Analysis of Senate Hearing on the President's Emergency Supplemental Request
In this AILA Quicktake video, AILA Advocacy Director Greg Chen provides analysis on last week's Senate Appropriations Committee hearing concerning unaccompanied children. AILA recommends, among other things, that more funds be allocated for addressing the root causes of the crisis, for hiring more immigration judges and asylum officers, and for managing EOIR's legal orientation programs.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Bloomberg Businessweek: New York Is Offering Undocumented Immigrants IDs
Bloomberg Businessweek reports that a bill signed last week by Mayor Bill de Blasio will make New York City the country’s largest city to offer a municipal ID card to all residents—including undocumented immigrants. The cards will make carriers eligible to use city services, like lending libraries, and the city is negotiating with banks to help card holders access financial services. Read this story and more in AILA's daily immigration news clips.
Read full article
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read full article
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Monday, July 14, 2014
Break the Immigration Impasse
American citizens are paying 535 people to take care of the legislative needs of the country. We are getting shortchanged. Here’s an example: On June 10, an incumbent congressman in Virginia lost a primary election in which his opponent garnered only 36,105 votes. Immediately, many Washington legislators threw up their hands and declared that this one event would produce paralysis in the United States Congress for at least five months. In particular, they are telling us that immigration reform — long overdue — is now hopeless.
Read full story from NY Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read full story from NY Times
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Friday, July 11, 2014
USCIS Releases New Processing Time Reports
USCIS released processing time reports dated July 8, 2014, with processing dates as of May 31, 2014.
See more here
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
See more here
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Thursday, July 10, 2014
NY Times: U.S. Adjusts Court Flow to Meet Rise in Migrants
The New York Times reports that, as part of the administration's efforts to deter the recent surge of unaccompanied minors at the border, immigration courts will make a major shift in priorities. Unaccompanied minors and families with children will now be placed first in line to go before immigration judges, and officials told The New York Times that as a result, at least half of about 375,000 cases already languishing in court backlogs will be delayed significantly longer. Read this story and more in AILA's daily immigration news clips. Find additional information on the Central American humanitarian crisis on AILA's resource page.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Legal Times: Obama Requests More Immigration Judges
Obama Requests More Immigration Judges
Todd Ruger, Legal Times
July 8, 2014
The U.S. Department of Justice would get $64 million and about 40 additional immigration judges under President Obama's new plan to address the increased number of immigrants illegally crossing the Southwest border.
The White House plan asks Congress for $45.4 million to hire judge and support staff teams to reduce the processing time of immigration cases, as well as expand courtroom capacity with additional video conferencing and other equipment, White House officials announced Tuesday.
The request also includes $1.1 million for more immigration litigation attorneys, and $15 million for legal representation of children in immigration proceedings, the White House said. Another $2.5 million would expand legal orientation programs that provide assistance to adults and custodians of children in the immigration court system.
Overall, Obama wants to spend $3.7 billion on an "aggressive deterrence and enforcement strategy" to address the high rates of apprehensions and processing of children and individuals from Central America crossing the border in the Rio Grande valley.
"This surge of resources means that cases are processed fairly and as quickly as possible, ensuring the protection of asylum seekers and refugees while enabling the prompt removal of individuals who do not qualify for asylum or other forms of relief from removal," the White House said in a written statement.
Obama on Tuesday will send the supplemental appropriation request to Congress for fiscal year 2014, which ends Sept. 30. The fate of the request on Capitol Hill is unclear, particularly with budget constraints that have loomed over lawmakers for years.
White House officials, on a conference call with reporters, said they hope the request "will be treated as the urgent humanitarian issue that it is" and met with bipartisan support.
Obama has already requested Congress spend $17 million in fiscal year 2015 for 35 new immigration teams and 15 Board of Immigration Appeals attorneys in the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review.
The immigration court's caseload is increasing to unsustainable levels, the Justice Department said. Between fiscal years 2009 and 2013, the matters pending adjudication grew by 56 percent, from 229,000 cases to 358,000.
Combined, the 40 judicial teams in Tuesday's emergency request and the 35 judge teams from the fiscal year 2015 budget request would provide sufficient resources to process an additional 55,000 to 75,000 cases annually, the White House said.
Still, that number falls far short of the number of judges that would have been added under the leading immigration reform bill that passed in the Senate in June 2013. That bill, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, calls for nearly doubling the number of immigration court judges, with 225 hires over the next three years.
However, the reform bill never got a vote in the House, and Obama and House Republicans have all but abandoned it during this election year.
Contact Todd Ruger at truger@alm.com. On Twitter: @ToddRuger.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Todd Ruger, Legal Times
July 8, 2014
The U.S. Department of Justice would get $64 million and about 40 additional immigration judges under President Obama's new plan to address the increased number of immigrants illegally crossing the Southwest border.
The White House plan asks Congress for $45.4 million to hire judge and support staff teams to reduce the processing time of immigration cases, as well as expand courtroom capacity with additional video conferencing and other equipment, White House officials announced Tuesday.
The request also includes $1.1 million for more immigration litigation attorneys, and $15 million for legal representation of children in immigration proceedings, the White House said. Another $2.5 million would expand legal orientation programs that provide assistance to adults and custodians of children in the immigration court system.
Overall, Obama wants to spend $3.7 billion on an "aggressive deterrence and enforcement strategy" to address the high rates of apprehensions and processing of children and individuals from Central America crossing the border in the Rio Grande valley.
"This surge of resources means that cases are processed fairly and as quickly as possible, ensuring the protection of asylum seekers and refugees while enabling the prompt removal of individuals who do not qualify for asylum or other forms of relief from removal," the White House said in a written statement.
Obama on Tuesday will send the supplemental appropriation request to Congress for fiscal year 2014, which ends Sept. 30. The fate of the request on Capitol Hill is unclear, particularly with budget constraints that have loomed over lawmakers for years.
White House officials, on a conference call with reporters, said they hope the request "will be treated as the urgent humanitarian issue that it is" and met with bipartisan support.
Obama has already requested Congress spend $17 million in fiscal year 2015 for 35 new immigration teams and 15 Board of Immigration Appeals attorneys in the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review.
The immigration court's caseload is increasing to unsustainable levels, the Justice Department said. Between fiscal years 2009 and 2013, the matters pending adjudication grew by 56 percent, from 229,000 cases to 358,000.
Combined, the 40 judicial teams in Tuesday's emergency request and the 35 judge teams from the fiscal year 2015 budget request would provide sufficient resources to process an additional 55,000 to 75,000 cases annually, the White House said.
Still, that number falls far short of the number of judges that would have been added under the leading immigration reform bill that passed in the Senate in June 2013. That bill, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, calls for nearly doubling the number of immigration court judges, with 225 hires over the next three years.
However, the reform bill never got a vote in the House, and Obama and House Republicans have all but abandoned it during this election year.
Contact Todd Ruger at truger@alm.com. On Twitter: @ToddRuger.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
More Municipalities Deny Federal Requests, Won't Detain Immigrants
AILA First Vice President William Stock is quoted in this NPR piece on how an increasing number of municipalities are refusing to honor federal immigration detainers.
Read this story and more in AILA's daily immigration news clips.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read this story and more in AILA's daily immigration news clips.
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Monday, July 7, 2014
Impunity and the Border Patrol
The New York Times Editorial Board reports on an American Immigration Council report, "No Action Taken: Lack of CBP Accountability in Responding to Complaints of Abuse," which found that no disciplinary action has been taken for a vast majority of abuse complaints filed against border agents.
Read this story
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Read this story
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
DHS head says controversial program should stay
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told lawmakers Thursday that a controversial immigration enforcement program should continue, but be revamped to run more effectively.
After signaling recently that the program, called Secure Communities, should get a “fresh look,” Johnson said Thursday that the administration is not seeking to dump the initiative altogether. The program calls on law enforcement to hand over fingerprints of people booked into local jails to federal immigration authorities.
Read more from Politico
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Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, immigration attorneys at David F. Vedder, P.A. have substantial experience and proven ability to handle matters at all levels of complexity. To request an initial consultation or more information on our firm's range of services, call 386-274-0044, or email info@TheImmigrationFirm.us
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