Musings on Immigration

I have never seen the show, I promise, but I couldn’t help but notice some interesting headlines in the news regarding the Real Housewives of New Jersey cast.  Real Housewife Teresa Giudice and her husband Jose Giudice were recently convicted of conspiracy and bankruptcy fraud with Joe being sentenced to 41 months confinement.  Where this gets interesting is that Joe did not realize (supposedly) that he is not actually a U.S. citizen, but rather just a permanent resident of the United States, and could be deported for his crimes.  Apparently Joe was born in Italy and brought to the U.S. at a young age, and did not understand that the steps to becoming a U.S. citizen were never taken. Unless Joe can somehow negotiate some sort of deal with immigration, you most likely will not be seeing him in any future episodes of Real Housewives for two reasons.  First, a conviction for fraud, where the loss is $10,000 or more is considered an aggravated felony for immigration...

Siempre que se habla de nuevos cambios de inmigración, salen como cucarachas aquellos que se aprovechan de los inmigrantes.  ¡Eso es exactamente lo que está sucediendo ahora!  Estén atentos a las estafas y los impostores y procuren advertir a otros para  evitar ser víctima de estafas relacionadas con temas de inmigración. Existen diferentes tipos de estafas reportadas recientemente, incluyendo las siguientes :   Los estafadores se dirigen a personas con apellidos extranjeros, de base de datos recopiladas por empresas que realizan muchas contrataciones a través de las visas H-1B .  Los estafadores pueden obtener una gran cantidad de información de varios sitios web, incluyendo las listas de solicitud de condición laboral del Departamento de Trabajo, LinkedIn, medios de comunicación social, y otras fuentes. Los estafadores son capaces de recoger información en una variedad de formas y la utilizan para convence...

Whenever new immigration changes are talked about, those that prey on immigrants come out of the dark corners like cockroaches.  That is exactly what is happening now!  Be on the lookout, be warned, and warn others to avoid immigration-related scams.  Several different types of scams reported recently include: Scammers are targeting people based on foreign-sounding names or based on information gathered about companies hiring many H-1Bs.  The scammers can get a lot of information from various websites, labor condition application listings from the Department of Labor, LinkedIn, social media, and other sources.  Scammers are able to collect information in a variety of ways and use it to convince unwitting victims of their purported authenticity. Scammers claiming to be from the Department of Homeland Security or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  They call and state that the victim's paperwork has problems and threaten to deport the victim or ...

Despite the relief that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, brought to thousands of young American immigrants in 2012, some 11 million immigrants in the United States remain undocumented today due to gaps and inconsistencies in our immigration system. They live in fear each day that immigration officials will deport them due only to their lack of status and take them their families and lives in the United States. On August 20, 2014, 11 of these undocumented American immigrants presented their cases to Immigration and Customs Enforcement requesting “deferred action.” Deferred action refers to the power of the government to defer action on one’s case and grant him or her temporary legal status. A grant of deferred action would allow these immigrants to have temporary protection from deportation and the ability to work and drive in the United States. The 11 undocumented immigrants that presented their cases are from all over the world:  Mexico, Sen...

DUI is a common crime that could tank your chances at lawful immigration status. When it comes to immigration and criminal offenses, many people think that violent crimes, drug offenses, and gun crimes will harm your chances of getting lawful status the most. But one crime that has been creeping up as a major road block to achieving lawful status is the DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs). DUIs and DACA Previously, immigration typically only considered DUIs as a negative factor when evaluating the case as a whole. A conviction for DUI wouldn’t automatically and definitively prevent someone from getting lawful status. However, in 2012, when the Department of Homeland Security announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA, the “Dream Act,” or “accion deferida”), many were surprised to see that DUIs were included on the list of “significant misdemeanors” that would definitively and permanently bar someone from receiving DACA. The guidelines stat...

A surge in unaccompanied minors fleeing Central America landed immigration issues back on the top of news feeds this summer, renewing discussion on our current system and the potential of future comprehensive immigration reform (or lack thereof).  Not unlike any other highly charged political debate, this issue brought out some interesting opinions which needless to say were fueled by confusion and fear rather than actual fact.  Some common misconceptions include the following: MYTH : Immigrants will take jobs away from US citizens.  FACT:   Demand continues to increase for many jobs that not many Americans are willing or able to perform including increasing need for high-skilled workers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. Not to mention the countless number of immigrants who are skilled in business and invest in job-creating enterprises in the United States. MYTH: Immigrants who are here illegally are probably running from...

El Presidente Obama declaro que ya llego el tiempo en el cual va crear una  expansión de su programa de discreción fiscal sobre la tema de inmigración .  El gran "Pero" es que no ha dicho exactamente lo que va  hacer.  Por cual razón es importante no dejarse engañar antes de que haya un anuncio oficial del programa que se va a instituir, se conozcan los requisitos para aplicar y  cuando se hará efecto. Por ahora recomendamos que si creen que calificaran para algún programa, que se mantengan informados y vayan preparando sus documentos de identidad y pruebas de residencia en el país.  Hay una expectativa que los que han vivido por un mínimo de 10 años en los Estados Unidos sin condenas criminales y que tienen hijos aquí, incluyendo los que están cubiertos por DACA, podrán participar en el programa.  No se conoce exactamente lo que el Presidente Obama puede hacer, pero eso es lo que se murmura hasta ahora. Si hay anuncio o acción del Presidente,...