Protect Yourself and Your Family: Get Immigration Help from a Licensed Professional (PDF)

"Notarios," Visa Consultants, and Immigration Consultants Are Not Attorneys (PDF) 

U.S. makes case against Alabama's immigration law

November 16, 2011 - CNN - Alabama's immigration law is unconstitutional and aims to threaten "the most basic human needs," the U.S. Department of Justice said in a court filing.

The crisis in the immigration courts

October 24, 2011 - American Judicature Society - The glaring deficiencies in our immigration court system have lingered for far too long. The cornerstone American principle of fair justice, including timely and meaningful access to justice, is neglected in this system. We must elevate this principle back to its proper place. President Obama recently took a step forward by demanding the implementation of prosecutorial discretion within the system. The responsible federal actors must execute that demand. Additionally, further steps are needed to address more comprehensively the shortcomings of the immigration court system.

New U.S. Deportation Policy Spares Some (link to audio)

August 25, 2011 - Morning Edition - Immigrants and their lawyers are beginning to see the effects of the White House policy announced last week that downgrades some deportation cases.

The Department of Homeland Security says it hasn't officially begun to prioritize all 300,000 cases before the nation's immigration courts, but prosecutors are definitely employing newfound discretion.

U.S. Issues New Deportation Policy's First Reprieves

August 22, 2011 - New York Times - A working group from the Homeland Security and Justice Departments met Friday to initiate a review of about 300,000 deportation cases currently before the immigration courts. Under the policy, immigration authorities will use powers of prosecutorial discretion in existing law to suspend the deportations of most immigrants who, although they have committed immigration violations (which generally are civil offenses), have not been convicted of crimes.

In particular, officials will look to halt deportations of longtime residents with clean police records who came here illegally when they were children, or are close family of military service members, or are parents or spouses of American citizens.

Secretary Napolitano Announces the Extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti Beneficiaries

May 17, 2011 - Department of Homeland Security Press Release - Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti beneficiaries. This extension will be effective July 23, 2011 and is for an additional 18 months. It will allow these TPS beneficiaries to remain in the United States through Jan. 22, 2013. The designation of TPS for eligible Haitian nationals who had continuously resided in the United States since Jan. 12, 2010 was originally announced by Secretary Napolitano on Jan. 15, 2010 and became effective on Jan. 21, 2010. Currently, approximately 48,000 Haitian nationals with TPS reside in the United States.

Mexican Actress Gets 30 Days in Marriage Case

April 25, 2011 - Associated Press - A Mexican soap opera star accused of entering a sham marriage to stay in the United States was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail after admitting she lied during an immigration proceeding.

From Eritrea to U.S.: Complex migration routes worry U.S. officials

April 24, 2011 - Washington Post - Tekle estimated his family spent $24,000 for bribes, smugglers and his living expenses during the nearly year and a half he was in transit.

Obama rules out back-door legalization of immigrants

March 28, 2011 - Washington Times - President Obama said Monday that he does not have the power to suspend deportations, putting the nail in a plan some administration officials had explored that could have granted de-facto legal status to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants.

Abused and Deported: Immigrant Women Face Double Disgrace

March 17, 2011 - New America Media - María Bolaños has been fighting her deportation for more than a year, since a fight with her husband when she called the police to report that she was a victim of domestic violence. The police arrived at her home and, suspecting her of illegally selling phone cards, ordered her arrest.

Immigration Audit Takes Toll

March 15, 2011 - Wall Street Journal - Harvard Maintenance Inc., a national janitorial company, will lose over half its Minnesota work force after an immigration audit, making it the second major business in that state to be hit by an Obama administration crackdown on employers of illegal immigrants.

The audit by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will result in about 240 workers losing their jobs, the Service Employees International Union said on Monday.

Tax Preparer Led Clients Down Road to Deportation

March 14, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle - Ramon Rodriguez promised his clients, immigrants from Mexico who spoke little English, that he would win them legal residence if they paid him a few thousand dollars and let him handle the paperwork. All that most of them got was deportation orders.

A state appeals court upheld the former Santa Rosa tax preparer's grand theft convictions and four-year prison sentence last week. The court also ordered Rodriguez to repay $22,000 to his former clients, who may have a hard time collecting if they're deported.

State Legislatures Slow on Immigration Measures

March 13, 2011 - New  York Times - Under newly fortified Republican control, many state governments started the year pledging forceful action to crack down on illegal immigration, saying they would fill a void left by the stalemate in Washington over the issue.