Category Archives: Immigration Court & Removal Proceedings
Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Residence
Some Lawful Permanent Residents encounter problems with U.S. immigration officials at the border or at the airport when returning to the United States after a trip abroad. Perhaps you took a long trip outside the United States – perhaps one year or more. Or maybe you have spent the majority of your time outside the United States over the past several years.
Under the “Resources” section of our website, we have some brief documents that outline various aspects of Immigration Law.
Cancellation of Removal
If you are required to appear in Immigration Court, there are several options that might be available to you, depending on your specific situation. One option for some people is a form of relief called “Cancellation of Removal.”
Under the “Resources” section of our website, we have some brief documents that outline various aspects of Immigration Law.
We have provided some basic information about cancellation of removal. Please take a look.
Some States Resist Obama’s “Secure Communities” Program
The New York Times has reported that an increasing number of states are expressing dissatisfaction with President Obama’s “Secure Communities” Program, in which the fingerprints of every person arrested by police are checked against databases of the Department of Homeland Security for immigration violations.
Some state officials have criticized the program, stating that, instead of deporting convicted criminals, the program appears to be focusing mainly on removing people with no criminal records.
Last week, Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois stated that he was pulling the state out of the program. Concerns have also been raised in other states, including Maryland, Massachusetts, and California.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association has called on President Obama to suspend the program.
To read the New York Times article, please click here.
Removal Proceedings in Immigration Court
If you have received a document from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security titled “Notice to Appear,” then you have probably been placed, or will likely soon be placed, in Removal Proceedings in Immigration Court.
Under the “Resources” section of our website, we have some brief documents that outline various aspects of Immigration Law.
We include a brief document regarding Immigration Court proceedings. Please take a look.
Detailed report on the many costs of detaining immigrants
The National Immigration Forum has published a detailed report on governmental policies regarding the detention of immigrants.
Titled “Immigrants Behind Bars: How, Why, and How Much?” the report documents the high costs to local communities of incarcerating immigrants in county jails, costs that often are not reimbursed by the federal government.
Because of the recent focus on enforcement and detention, persons who have legal status in the United States are unlawfully detained due to errors or lack of knowledge of immigration laws.
To read the full report, please click here.
“Secure Communities” program often targets immigrants with no criminal records
Critics argue that the federal government’s “Secure Communities” program, which was designed to target immigrants who have committed serious crimes, is being used to deport some immigrants with clean records.
“We’re not talking about people who are truly dangerous criminals,” said Gary Daniels, Ohio associate director for the American Civil Liberties Union. “These are people who are getting caught in the dragnet of law enforcement.”
“We’re talking about people who want to work, who want to pay taxes, who just want to be left alone to live.”
Click here to read the full article.
Allegations of ICE misconduct at Detroit elementary school
Media outlets report allegations of misconduct by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials at an elementary school in Detroit.
There are several media reports related to this incident. Links to two of the reports are below:
myFOXdetroit.com: U.S. ICE Operation May Not Have Been by the Book
Detroit News: Feds to probe allegations of agents harassing immigrants
Warren, MI student faces deportation after graduation
An 18-year-old student at Cousino High School in Warren, Michigan will soon graduate near the top of her class, was named to the Macomb area conference all-academic team, and has been accepted to the University of Michigan’s pre-medical program, according to a report by WWJ Newsradio 950.
But upon graduation from high school, Ola Kaso, an Albanian who has been in the United States with her family since she was 4 years old, faces deportation back to Albania.
“I don’t even know where to start over at. I mean, quite frankly, it would be a culture shock. I know nothing but the United States culture, the way of life, the language. I’m completely immersed within this culture. And to move to a place that’s completely foreign to me is just so, I don’t know, it’s bewildering,” Kaso said.
Judge dissents from “unconscionable” separation of family
Judge Harry Pregerson, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, recently dissented from the majority’s denial of an appeal from an Immigration Judge’s denial of cancellation of removal. The result means that five U.S. citizen children will be without their father, the sole breadwinner in the family. Two of the children suffer from severe medical conditions.
Judge Pregerson concluded that the majority’s denial of the appeal was an “unconscionable result” that “deprives American-born citizen children of their constitutionally protected right to remain in the country of their birth with their family intact. This outcome is unjust and violates due process.”
Click here to read the Court’s denial and Judge Pregerson’s dissent.
International organization criticizes DHS detention policies
An international rights group condemned U.S. immigration policies regarding the apprehension and detention of immigrants.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a part of the Organization of American States, issued a comprehensive review of the U.S. government’s immigration enforcement practices in recent years, and found fault with many aspects of actions taken on behalf of the U.S. government.
You can view the 155-page report here.