Month: September 2007

Curious about a particular Immigration Judge’s record on deciding asylum cases?  Visit the TRAC Immigration – Immigration Judge Reports – Asylum.  It provides statistical information on asylum decisions rendered by IJs nationwide.

On a separate note, our firm’s new website, www.magedrost.com has been launched.  I welcome comments and suggestions as we will be constantly striving to improve it.

Below is an e-mail I received from a representative of DAP (Dream Act Portal):

Dear Immigrant Advocates,

As you already know, the DREAM Act may be offered as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill in the Senate. We do not know exactly when it may be offered or if the DREAM Act will be offered at all; however, we do know that the immigration opponents are flooding the phone lines.

Timing:

• Whether the bill is introduced today or next week, we need you to call NOW (remember that you can call everyday), before the Senators get the idea (again) that there is not any support for the DREAM Act

What to do:

• Use the HOTLINE created by the FAIR IMMIGRATION REFORM MOVEMENT (FIRM): Call 1-800-828-0498 to connect to the Capitol switchboard.

• You can also call your two Senators directly.  You can find their numbers here:

     http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

What to Say:

“Please vote for the Durbin-Hagel-Lugar DREAM Act amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization bill so that immigrant students brought here as children can realize their potential.”

Tell them that the DREAM Act is not “Amnesty;'” The DREAM Act is an “opportunity” for the best and the brightest to earn a path to citizenship.

• Send an e-mail through the web-site of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC). Click on or paste the link below into your browser to send an automatic e-mail:

     http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/NILC/

     campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12129

• Circulate this email. Don’t forget to ask your friends and family to make a call and send an email!

What is the DREAM Act?

• The DREAM Act would provide a 6-year path to permanent residence and eventual citizenship for individuals brought to the U.S. years ago as undocumented children if they graduate from high school and continue on to college or military service.  For more on the DREAM Act, CLICK HERE.

Slow immigration news day.  I recommend this entertaining column I found on arkansasnews.com.

The Department of State has issued the 2009 DV Lottery Instructions.

According to a New York Times article:  “New York State, home to more than 500,000 illegal immigrants, will issue driver’s licenses without regard to immigration status under a policy change announced yesterday by Gov. Eliot Spitzer.”

The USCIS e-Filing System will be temporarily unavailable on Tuesday, September 25, 2007, from 5:00 PM EDT until 7:00 PM EDT for necessary maintenance.

The latest USCIS Application Receipting Update released today shows some progress.  The Texas Service Center is processing EB I-485 applications received on 7/29/07.  Meanwhile the Nebraska Service Center maintains its lead and is now processing EB I-485 applications that were filed on 8/9/07.

US Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced the DREAM amendment and has a podcast explaining it on his website. The podcast is on the upper-right hand side of his site.  Call your Senators if you want this amendment to pass.

Another weekly Receipting Update should be released to day.  Our office has received receipts through the last week in July for cases filed with the Nebraska Service Center, most of which were transferred to the Texas Service Center.  In an odd twist, some cases were transferred to the Vermont Service Center.  Maybe the USCIS is getting additional service centers involved to move through the high volume of cases.  I will link to the Update once it has been released.

According to an article in the LA Daily News:  “In an unusual twist on the national immigration debate, the city of Simi Valley sent a $40,000 bill Wednesday to a church harboring an undocumented immigrant after a protest there over the weekend prompted a police presence.”

Regardless of the underlying Church sheltering an undocumented alien issue, this looks like another local politician trying to make a name for himself using the issue of immigration.  How does a three hour protest that had between four and fifteen officers at any given time come out to $40,000?  That comes out to roughly $100 hourly per officer – maybe more.  Perhaps that’s what the city’s taxpayers should be looking into.  Just my two cents.