Imigrantes são cruciais para a recuperação do COVID-19 na Pensilvânia

Por John Vandenberg

Com o estado da Pensilvânia voltando ao trabalho depois da quarentena causada pelo COVID-19 e algumas regiões do estado movendo para a fase verde da reabertura enquanto outras movem para a parte amarela, é importante lembrar que a comunidade de imigrantes é um propulsor econômico na Pensilvânia. Eles já trabalham em indústrias essenciais durante a luta contra o COVID-19, e vão também ser cruciais para a recuperação.

A comunidade varia de donos de pequenas empresas na Main Street passando para funcionários do ramo da tecnologia em centros de pesquisas, e trabalhadores indocumentados na área de construção e jardinagem. Imigrantes compõem aproximadamente 7% da população do estado, e ainda assim correspondem a 10% dos empresários no estado, empregando mais de 189 mil pessoas em todo o estado. De acordo com um relatório da New American Economy, em 2016 empresários não-nascidos nos EUA geraram $120mi de dólares apenas no condado de Allegheny. Pennsylvania SBDC reportou que imigrantes donos de pequenas empresas geraram mais de $2bi no total de renda liquida em 2010. Em 2018, Firmas operadas por imigrantes registraram um total de vendas de $31.1bi, e comandaram o poder de compra de $24.6bi enquanto pagaram $10.2bi em impostos.

O impacto positivo dos imigrantes durante a crise do COVId-19 é tão evidente quanto os dados pre-pandemia. Um total de 16.5% dos trabalhadores da área da saúde nos Estados Unidos são nascidos fora do país; mais de um quarto de todos os médicos não são nascidos nos Estados Unidos. Fora da área da saúde, imigrantes atuam desproporcionalmente em serviços de risco – quase 35% dos trabalhadores da indústria de processamento de carnes são imigrantes (resultando em um número significante em números de casos de COVID-19), e imigrantes essenciais para a cadeia alimentar correspondem a quase um quarto do total de funcionários.

Em suma – a comunidade de imigrantes é crucial na luta da Pensilvânia para voltar ao trabalho e diminuir a duração e intensidade do COVID-19, sem mencionar os resultados de antes da pandemia. Pensilvânia e outros estados têm uma responsabilidade significativa em criar suporte para comunidades de imigrantes e facilitar a atuação deles para colocá-los de volta ao trabalho de maneira segura e eficiente:

1. Garantindo que cidades e condados postem informações sobre testes e tratamentos da pandemia em outros idiomas, enfatizando que testes NÃO necessitam de comprovação de status e o tratamento não afeta a elegibilidade para residência permanente. Testar a população é crucial para identificar, isolar e diminuir a infestação do COVID-19. Publicar e garantir acessibilidade de idiomas para testes e tratamentos disponíveis é crucial. Exemplos de sucesso incluem Pennsylvania Health Access Network, Community Legal Services em Philadelphia, e o projeto Project Baseline, patrocinado pela Rite Aid. Recursos adicionais devem ser expandidos, especialmente em espanhol e outras línguas, de acordo com a necessidades de cada região.
2. Assegurar que imigrantes conheçam programas que vão ajudá-los a voltar a ter estabilidade financeira. Imigrantes sem seguro social (SSN) ou famílias onde mais de um individuo tem uma identificação de imposto individual (ITIN) foram excluídos do cheque de estímulo do COVID-19, apesar de imigrantes indocumentados pagarem mais de $11.7bi em impostos federais e estaduais, mais de $139mi apenas na Pensilvânia. O programa de assistência emergencial do estado para ajudar famílias de baixa renda só proveu suporte até o dia 12 de junho, contanto que tivesse fundos disponíveis.
3. Assegurar que empresas de imigrantes conheçam e tenham acesso a recursos, inclusive financeiros, circulando nas comunidades em que eles servem, formando parcerias ativas na comunidade. Geralmente imigrantes começam seus negócios com a sua poupança pessoal. Um estudo feito no condado de Allegheny notou que 52.5% dos imigrantes usaram suas finanças pessoais para começar o próprio negócio. No mesmo estudo, apenas 2.5% utilizaram o empréstimo de pequenas empresas para abrir o próprio negócio. Barreiras de linguagem podem exacerbar os desafios corriqueiros para iniciar o próprio negócio, já que obter licenças e outras permissões requer igualmente documentação e contato com oficiais municipais que podem ou não ter as habilidades linguísticas necessárias para finalizar o processo com sucesso. O condado de Allegheny tem o próprio centro de recursos para imigrantes e empresários internacionais. O escritório para assuntos de imigrantes na cidade de Philadelphia tem feito parcerias de sucesso com ONGs para assistir empresários a navegar pelo processo de iniciar um negócio e facilitar a entrada de imigrantes altamente qualificados no mercado de trabalho.
4. Assegurar que comunidades de imigrantes estejam cientes de realidades como wage-theft (quando obrigações contratuais não são respeitadas pelo empregador) e tem os recursos para recuperar ganhos perdidos. Na época do furacão Harvey em Houston, TX, mais de um quarto dos trabalhadores imigrantes foram vítimas de wage-theft. Enquanto Pensilvânia se recupera do COVID-19, e demonstrações mais recentes mostram empresas tentando se recuperar em um só impulso, a reconstrução vai ser feita por imigrantes, tanto documentados quanto indocumentados. Proteger seus direitos, assegurando tratamento justo, e assistindo aqueles que foram prejudicados vai ser importante para a recuperação total. O estado pode ter um papel importante em educar trabalhadores, em idiomas que eles entendem, que wage-theft e discriminação são contra a lei.

Enquanto Pensilvânia segue em frente, o estado de utilizar de cada recurso à sua disposição. Todos os modelos financeiros mostram que os Estados Unidos estão em recessão devido às iniciativas necessárias para o combate à pandemia do COVID-19. A curva para a recuperação vai ser determinada em grande parte pelos esforços do estado em capitalizar cada vantagem que tem para limitar a duração da recessão, e gerenciar seus efeitos na população. A comunidade de imigrantes na Pensilvânia pode e vai ajudar nesse esforço, e o estado da Pensilvânia pode usar os quatro pontos acima para assegurar que todos os habitantes do Commonwealth façam sua parte com o melhor resultado possível.

If you need legal advice, or would like to review your immigration options, please contact our office at (610) 664-6271 or visit our website to schedule a consultation. 

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only.  Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information.  Readers of this blog should contact our office or their own attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.  No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.  Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation.  Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader, user, or browser and the law firm of Hogan & Vandenberg or its employees. 

A Crise vai passar; as mudanças do presidente Trump devem durar

“A crise vai passar.” Essas são as palavras que tenho ouvido constantemente pela comunidade, e é verdade. Contudo, durante o período do COVID-19, muitas mudanças na imigração estão afetando a comunidade brasileira, e essas mudanças possivelmente vão durar mais tempo do que a pandemia. Primeiro, os escritórios da USCIS estão fechados, então entrevistas para o greencard e naturalização estão suspensas. Embaixadas e consulados também estão fechados, então ninguém pode receber vistos de entrada. Cortes de imigração para casos de não-detenção também estão fechadas, o que é uma ótima notícia para alguns imigrantes, mas para outros significa esperar por meses ou anos por uma audiência. Tudo vai ser reagendado, certamente, mas até lá tudo está suspenso.

Em segundo lugar, USCIS agora exige um formulário de declaração de auto suficiência para todos os ajustes de status. Essa é uma mudança muito grande. Antes, o patrocinador do ajuste só precisaria entregar uma declaração de apoio para os membros da família. Agora, com a declaração de auto suficiência, USCIS acrescentou um fardo enorme em tempo e documentação, exigindo declarações de imposto para membros da família, apólices de plano de saúde, prova de renda corrente, histórico de emprego, score e relatório de crédito do imigrante, prova de proficiência em Inglês, educação, e mais para provar que o imigrante não vai se tornar uma “carga pública”.

Em terceiro lugar, o governo Trump está usando a pandemia para desacelerar e até parar a imigração legalizada. A proclamação de 22 de Abril é apenas o começo. Atualmente, afeta apenas imigrantes fora do país que não tem o visto de imigração. A proclamação claramente não é para proteger os trabalhadores americanos: como banir pais e irmãos de cidadãos americanos e cônjuges e filhos de residentes permanentes pode salvar empregos: E lembre-se que o presidente Trump disse que ia adicionar outras medidas após os 60 dias, o que ele certamente fará. Mas agora não é hora de ter medo, mas sim firmeza de ação, continuando a submeter pedidos e trabalhando de maneira inteligente. Os escritórios da USCIS estão fechados, mas os centros de processamento continuam funcionando, inclusive enviando autorizações de trabalho. Para imigrantes ansiosos pela audiência na corte, Pedidos podem ser feitos para mover audiências reagendadas para uma data mais próxima. Imigrantes com casos pouco consistentes ganharam tempo para elaborar um caso mais promissor, esperar por uma mudança de lei favorável ou até mesmo por um novo e leniente presidente. Sobre a declaração de auto suficiência, nosso escritório já está submetendo esse formulário, e é uma boa hora para fazê-lo. Oficiais da USCIS ainda estão aprendendo como julgar esses formulários, então é provável que não o façam de maneira muito dura, e os que submetem esses casos mais cedo devem ter melhores chances de argumentação. E considerando a proclamação, ter iniciativa compensa. Com o governo Trump tentando banir outras classes de imigrantes e não imigrantes nos próximos meses, quanto mais cedo aplicar para o seu caso, melhor. Neste período de mudanças e incertezas, nós estamos aqui para ajudar. Nosso escritório ainda está realizando atendimentos através do WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype ou telefone. E quando nosso escritório reabrir, nós mal podemos esperar para ver nossos clientes de novo e representa-lo na sua jornada de imigração.

Update on the April 22 Presidential Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants

by W. John Yahya Vandenberg

As you all know by now, President Trump signed his Presidential Proclamation which, as of 11:59pm on April 23, suspended entry to the United States by certain categories of immigrants.

So what does it mean for you, your family, or your business?  As in many things in life, some immigrants were lucky, some were unlucky, and some are probably on borrowed time.

 

 

First, who got lucky, and is not included in this Proclamation:

• All non-immigrant visa holders. That means if you have an H-1B visa, a TN visa, an F-1 student visa, a K-1 fiance visa, even a B-2 visitors visa, you are not barred from entry. Because non-immigrant visa holders are not immigrants.
• Persons already inside the United States. So if you have an application pending for a family or employment-based greencard, you will still receive it, so long as the person who will get the greencard is here in the United States.  And as of now, the Proclamation does not prevent you from applying for a family or work-based greencard (and now is probably a good time).
• Persons who already have their greencard, or already have the immigrant visa stamp in their passport, valid as of April 23^rd.
• Spouses and children (including adopted children) of U.S. citizens, including members of the U.S. military.
• Persons (with their spouses and children) who are immigrating to the United States who are a healthcare professional, researcher, or coming to combat COVID-19.
• EB-5 Immigrant Investors.
• Special Immigrants, essentially meaning interpreters for U.S. forces abroad who qualify.
• Refugees and asylum seekers.
• Persons who the government determines should be admitted for law enforcement purposes or in the national interest.

Second, who didn’t get lucky, and are included in the Presidential Proclamation:

• Parents, adult children, brothers, and sisters of U.S. citizens.  The wait has already likely been very long.  It just got longer.
• Spouse, adult children, and children of U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents.
• Persons who had completed everything for Consular Processing, and were approved, but didn’t get their passport back yet with the visa stamp.

Third, who is on borrowed time?  The Presidential Proclamation states that the Secretaries of Labor and Homeland Security must report back to him in 30 days on whether he should restrict the number of nonimmigrant work visas, like H-1B’s and TN’s.  In the Trump Administration, we can all surmise that these Cabinet Secretaries will likely find that the restriction of nonimmigrant work visas is warranted – and try to limit their entry.  So we may soon see a second Proclamation, much like the Muslim Ban that went through three iterations before it passed Supreme Court review.

At this time, if you got lucky, do everything you can to make progress in your case.  If you didn’t get lucky, stand by: immigration, like the weather in West Texas, changes constantly, and things may get better (or worse) with little notice.  And if you are on borrowed time, it’s a good idea to evaluate your options and see if there is anything you can do to stay ahead of the next Proclamation.

If you need legal advice, or would like to review your immigration options, please contact our office at (610) 664-6271 to schedule a consultation. 

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only.  Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information.  Readers of this blog should contact our office or their own attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.  No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.  Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation.  Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader, user, or browser and the law firm of Hogan & Vandenberg or its employees. 

DACA is Dying: What You Need to Know

By W. John Vandenberg

It hurts to write this title.  But we also need to be honest about where we are now.  Because DACA is dying.

In case you missed it, on September 5, Attorney General Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions announced the “winding down” of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”).  There are a lot of sources of information directly from the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service.  Here is a summary of what you need to know about the announcement NOW:

1. No new initial (first ever) DACA applications will be accepted after September 5, 2017.  If you didn’t already mail out your initial DACA application so that it arrived on September 5 – no DACA for you.  That said, maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world.  At least you didn’t give Immigration & Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) your home address — there has been some concern that ICE could use this information to find and deport DACA’s after the program ends.
2. DACA expiring before March 5, 2018?  You have until October 5 to renew.  Don’t wait til the last minute!!!  If you’re short on cash for the filing fee, the Mexican Consulate can assist you if you are a Mexican Citizen.  Other non-profits may help.  Or maybe even your employer.  Ask!  Because you got less than 30 days to get this done.  If you’re in the Philadelphia Area, the Pennsylvania Immigrant and Citizenship Coalition, HIAS, and the Nationalities Service Center are all scrambling to help DACA’s who need help and even money for the filing fee.  This is a deadline.  Got it?
3. If your DACA expires after March 5, 2018, then you’ve got what you’ve got.  Which may be 6 months or longer.  Make good use of it!  And pray for a legislative fix, or at least an extension.
4. If you lose your Employment Authorization Document (“EAD,” or Work Card), don’t panic!  You can get a new one.  Though you won’t get a new expiration date.
5. No new Advance Paroles will be issued.  If your application is pending, it will be administratively closed and you’ll get your money back.
6. Do you currently have Advance Parole?  Good for you!  It’s still valid for the period of time given.  Recent reports of post-September 5, 2017 DACA Advance Parole entries have been fine.
7. When your DACA/EAD card expires: that’s the end of your Deferred Action.  If and ICE officer arrests you, they can detain you.  Even with DACA, if ICE arrests you – especially for criminal matters – they can ask USCIS to cancel your DACA.  And they will.  So PLEASE do not get into trouble!

OK, info and warnings over.  What next?  Lawyer up. Now.  For three really good reasons.

First, an experienced and trustworthy immigration lawyer might be able to figure out a way to get you something better than DACA. Maybe you or a DACA you know has been a victim of crime, or trafficking.  Or maybe they qualify for Amnesty through a parent or family member.  If you just filled out DACA forms, you don’t know.  Because DACA appears to be coming to an end, now is the time.  To get an idea, answer our 27 questions.  Then call us to see how we can help.

Second, it’s time to lawyer up because you may need a good immigration lawyer sooner than you think.  To help you or a family member or friend who gets placed into deportation proceedings. To file a Stay of Removal.  To try to bond you out if you are detained and eligible for a bond. Or just to help you make sense out of all the info you’re getting from Googling it (yea, I know you are). And you might just note that Google actually hires immigration lawyers for their Immigration Specialist positions – it doesn’t Google for immigration answers.  They’re smart people.

And third, lawyer up because we can be really helpful.  I reached out to everyone I represent to answer questions personally.  All the good immigration attorneys I know did the same thing. DACA is special, and DACA’s are special people.  You have a lot of allies cheering for you – don’t forget that.  I want to make sure none of my DACA clients quit school (don’t do it), that they realize they have options out there (everyone does, some more, some less), and reminding them that if Immigration Law has one maxim, it’s this: be here. As long as you are in the United States, you have options.  And everyone DACA has been here for at least 10 years, so they know what it takes to make sure they are here when we get a DREAMER bill, or DACA gets extended, or something good happens to the person (like a loving marriage to US citizen, which can lead to a greencard), or something bad happens (like being a victim of a violent crime , which can give you a chance for a U visa that can lead to a greencard).

So, make the most of the time you have, DACA’s.  Stay out of trouble, of course.  And lawyer up!  Hogan & Vandenberg is here to help you.  Our office number is (610) 664-6271 if you’re in Philadelphia, and (302) 225-2734 in Wilmington, Delaware.

Disclaimer: The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only, and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information contained in this post should be construed as legal advice from Hogan & Vandenberg or the individual author, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this Post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

 

The Day After Trump, For Immigrants

by W. John Yahya Vandenberg

November 9, 2016

Trump’s election is likely going to change a lot of things, especially for immigrants, and most certainly for undocumented immigrants. So let’s walk through what happens now and the following days.

First, not much will change until Trump actually is sworn in in January. So there is some time to figure out who should be concerned, and why.

Second, there are some immigrants who have less time than others to take steps to work on their status. I’m especially thinking about DACA recipients. DACA’s – you guys rock. You are working, you are studying, you are making your communities better places. If you are near or close to 180 days til expiration, NOW is the time to file to extend your DACA. If there is more than 6 months, I think it would be worthwhile to file to extend no later than the end of December. This is about getting as much time as possible.

For persons eligible for DACA who didn’t yet make an initial application, you have a choice to make.  If you apply now for the first time, you are giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) your address and contact information.  If they want to detain you, they could.  At the same time, if you are granted DACA – well, a Social Security Card is a very handy thing to have, even if it’s only for two years.  So any new DACA’s should carefully consider the potential risks and benefits.

Third, there are some immigrants who don’t have much to worry about. If you have status in the United States – I’m thinking immigrants with work visas, or greencards, or you are petitioning for a relative who is overseas – you should be OK.

Finally, there are some immigrants who have a reason to worry. I’m thinking about immigrants who are undocumented. There is a good chance that after Inauguration Day on January 20, 2017, we’ll go back to the days when ICE could arrest anyone who is undocumented, detain them if they want to, and seek to deport them. It is also quite likely that those persons whose cases are Administratively Closed will see their cases reopened.

To those immigrants without status, our lawyers have been here before, and we know what to do: fight for you in the courts. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we saw this: immigrants targeted for detention and removal proceedings. Those who fought often won. Those who gave up, lost, and were either deported or left.

To those immigrants without status, we want you to know that America has been here before. Tonight I am reminded of my law school, the Villanova University School of Law. It is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, which is a suburb of Philadelphia.

Not many people know that Villanova University is in Villanova because in 1844, “Nativists,” persons who hated immigrants, burned down the St. Augustine Church in South Philadelphia. The Nativists did so because of a rumor that Catholics – then mainly Irish and Italian immigrants – were going to take the Bible out of Philadelphia public schools. The Augustinian Fathers literally were burned out of Philadelphia.

 

Lithograph of the old St. Augustine Church burning in 1844.

But you should also know that times change for the better. The Augustinian fathers founded Villanova University from that terrible incident, and the University served, and still serves, the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those Irish & Italian Catholics who lost their church. The Augustinian fathers sued the city of Philadelphia, and they won compensation for the loss of their church. And they rebuilt St. Augustine’s, which still stands today at 243 N. Lawrence Street in Philadelphia.

The children of those Italian and Irish immigrants got jobs that counted. They served as police, as members of the military, and members of the media. They organized themselves politically and they learned how to make their votes count. Now is the time to work, not to falter or become disheartened.

The sun will rise at 6:40am this morning. I’ll be in the office all day. If you’re worried, know that we’re here for you, and we’ll fight for your rights.  We might even sue.

The benefits of marriage for E’s and J’s

By W. John Vandenberg

We are all familiar with the benefits of marriage, right?  Love, companionship, joint mortgages.  A greencard.  But for immigrants already married to a non-U.S. citizen spouse, being married can mean something just as important – the ability to work.

We process a fair amount of E-1 and E-2 Treaty Traders and Investors, and choosing the lead applicant deserves careful attention. Especially in the husband and wife context.  But we have to always remember that the main applicant can only work for and at the corporate entity that petitioned for them.  That can be a good thing — especially when the company is doing well.  But it is always important to remember that the spouse receives a wide-open Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”).  They get their own social security card, and they can work for whomever — and for whatever — they want.  So it’s important to plan out which spouse undertakes which duties.

The J-1 intern/trainee also allows spouses (J-2’s) to have EAD’s.  So one can imagine that if one spouse is an intern, their spouse can do as much work as they like on their EAD card.  And again — for as much as they can negotiate. This can be very important for start-ups.  They often train persons from overseas because, well, because the United States is really good at IT 🙂  But this may also present an excellent opportunities for a “two-fer” for American companies.  Because if they provide training or an internship to one foreign national, the spouse can be a regular employee on the J-2 visa for the same amount of time.

So immigrants, and the companies who love them, should always remember that with the right immigration strategy, training and expertise can go together like, well, love and marriage.

 

“So, is there going to be a new law this year?”

Yea, I get this question a lot.  And one reason I came to the Annual Conference in Boston was to meet with the AILA Washington DC Headquarters staff.

I met with them yesterday.  Word on Comprehensive Immigration Reform?  NOT looking good.  Ugh.  We can argue the significance of the highly unusual loss of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va), and whether it’s because he was “soft” on immigration or just out of touch.  But according to the AILA national folks – it’s unlikely that it’ll happen this year.

Also, this morning Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security, gave the keynote address at the conference.  In the past, USCIS has had good news for us: last year it was the groundbreaking Windsor decision that allowed same-sex couples the same rights to permanent residence as heterosexual couples, and the year before they announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).  This year – nada, zip, zero, zilch!  No good news about reform, or fixes.

So… at this point in time, if you’re wondering if there will be a new law this year?  Probably not 😦

Comprehensive Immigration Reform? What can I do?

There is a way you can do something!  The American Immigration Lawyers Association website has a great tool for communicating with your Senator or Representative.  Go here, put in your zip code, and find out a lot of great information about those who represent you!  You can see a lot of great information, including how they have voted in the past on immigration legislation, and also useful background data like the schools they attended.

So now you can keep up to date, and let your opinion be heard!

 

 

Annual conference Highlights and Notes – Wednesday, Day 1

By W. John Vandenberg

Hello, Readers!  This week, Hogan and Vandenberg is at the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) Annual Conference in Boston.  We’ll be blogging about the updates we learn while here.

Day 1 was Wednesday.  Since I’m on the AILA Philadelphia Executive Committee, we receive leadership training that includes legislative updates.

So, here’s the bad news.  Not a lot of optimism about Comprehensive Immigration Reform (“CIR”) (see my subsequent post).  Indeed, the number of recent posts from AILA regarding immigration reform have become fewer and farther between.  Not a good sign.  While in soccer and politics, anything is possible (what happened with Spain?!?!?!), it seems we’re not going to have big news for 2014.

But here’s something that may help YOU to change that.  You can become even more active, and AILA will give you the tools.  Even though you have to be an immigration attorney in good standing to join AILA, anyone can access their Congressional advocacy page.  It has a ton of useful information, including Immigration Politics.  It also has very useful information about each Representative and Senator, including their voting history on immigration bills and even personal history about her or him, which you can use for research and to find out ways you can get to know them better, such as reaching out to alumni or members of the same denomination.  Want to keep up on votes?  Want to learn more about bills that have made it out of committee?  Go here and put in your zip code — then you’ll learn more!

Wednesday was also a good day because I got a chance to give a presentation on Temporary Protected Status, which of course got into adjustment based on Matter of Arrabally.  Different USCIS District Offices are adjudicating these in different manners.  But regardless, it is clear that DACA and TPS recipients are benefitting greatly from advance parole as a way to visit their families and loved ones.  And, upon return, seek Adjustment of Status.

Looking forward, there is a lot of speculation that President Obama could go ahead and make some immigration reform if Congress won’t address it.  One way he could fix it and give relief to millions of families would be to issue Parole in Place (“PIP”) to undocumented immigrants.  This would allow thousands more to gain status through Adjustment, and would give them enough legal status to prevent deportation.  Unfortunately, so far, no word on whether this potential fix will become a reality.

Stay tuned for more updates!

John

 

 

Welcome to the Immigration Law Monitor

Hello, and welcome to our blog.

The Immigration Law Monitor, published by Hogan & Vandenberg LLC, is meant to keep folks up to date on the goings-on within the sphere of immigration law in the United States and around the globe.

Our partners, W. John Vandenberg of the Philadelphia, PA office (Bala Cynwyd, to be exact) and Rick Hogan of the Wilmington, DE office are experts in their field, focusing solely on immigration.

W. John Vandenberg (left); Rick Hogan (right)

The firm offers innovative legal solutions for immigrants, their families, and global businesses as well.

Check out our website for more information and stay tuned for updates!