Immigration Resources
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by lauraj on Dec.14, 2009, under Law and Policy, criminal immigration
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency arrests 300 in California over a three day sweep.
According to ICE, the nearly 300 arrested had a serious criminal record or criminally violent background. One third of those arrested have already been deported and the remainder are awaiting deportation processing. ICE defends its position on continued sweeps in the illegal immigrant community in an ongoing effort to improve public safety. However, skeptics question the validity that these sweeps are only targeting illegal criminals and not the entire illegal immigrant community.
by elianaphelps on Aug.12, 2009, under Deportation, Law and Policy
Even as a victim of a crime or traffic violation, an immigrant can be arrested, detained and possibly deported when law enforcement is involved.
The fastest way to inform the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) of your illegal immigrant status or your past/present violation of the immigration laws is to interact with police, prosecutors or jail personnel without legal representation.
A simple traffic violation will be the beginning of a hard and very stressful battle to remain in the U.S. when ICE is notified of the nationality of the violator. In a matter of minutes, the traffic violator is questioned, arrested and held in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency while awaiting the issuance, service and filing of a Notice to Appear, which initiates the person’s removal from the United States.
by lauraj on May.26, 2009, under Deportation
New Documentation for Border Crossing Effective June 1st: The Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) division of the Department of Homeland Security is putting out a reminder that as of June 1, 2009 new documentation must be presented for entry into the United States. The WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative)-compliant documents include:
Travelers are encouraged to apply for any necessary documents now as this process could take several weeks. (source: cbp.gov)
Is Immigration Reform Being Ignored?: Janet Napolitano, Director of Homeland Security, speaks out about the difficulties of immigration reform in the current economic climate. With the unemployment rate at 8.9 percent as of April, Napolitano believes that immigration reform becomes a difficult subject to sell to the American voters. With fewer jobs to go around, people that are here legally are concerned about immigrants taking jobs away. Advocates of immigration reform contend that immigration does not take away from the American worker’s wages. In fact, even Alan Greenspan, former head of the Federal Reserve, has argued that the illegal migrant worker has contributed to the nations previous economic growth. (source: politico.com)
E-Verify Program on the Rise in California: The E-Verify program is on the rise in California with an estimated enrollment of 1,000 businesses per month. The verification program, run by the Department of Homeland Security, allows businesses to check a job applicants legal status in order to ensure a legal workforce. This has become an essential tool for companies in hopes of avoiding the stiff and skyrocketing penalties associated with hiring undocumented workers. E-Verify utilizes the governments database verifying a potential employee’s name, date of birth and social security number. (source: capsweb.org and the LA Times)
Border Arrests on the Decline: New figures released on border crossing arrests shows a 27 percent decrease between October 1, 2008 to April 30, 2009, a level not seen since the early 1970’s. However, is this due to an increased security effort or a product of a troubled U.S. economy? Recent security measures have included the installment of the 626 foot long fence at the U.S./Mexico border and an increase of 7,000 border patrol agents since 2005. Almost simultaneously, the construction and landscape industry from which a majority of undocumented workers find their work has gone bust. Between increased border security and lack of employment opportunities, this figure could grow higher. (source: bloomberg.com and washingtonpost.com)
by admin on Dec.11, 2008, under Deportation
For families where some individuals, particularly children, may not be fully documented, arranging basic paperwork can be a prime step in preventing deportations that split families apart, according to immigration advocates and aid workers.