Legalization

Homeland Security revises immigration partnership with local jails

Published on Sat, Aug 22, 2009

The Department of Homeland Security is requiring counties that participate in its illegal-immigration enforcement program to agree to a new focus on violent criminals.

Published in the Washington Examiner

House Subcommittee Continues Assault on All Forms of Immigration

Released on Tue, Apr 05, 2011

Washington D.C. - Opponents of immigration reform are often quick to differentiate their disdain for unauthorized immigration from their alleged support of legal immigration. However, finding any evidence of that support has always been elusive and, over the past several months, the House Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement has conducted hearings that question the value of all forms of immigration. They continue to perpetuate the myth that all immigrants - including legal immigrants - are stealing jobs from native-born workers.

Today, the committee continues these same attacks on legal channels of immigration with a hearing on diversity visas, a program which provides 55,000 green cards annually by lottery to persons from countries that do not currently send many immigrants to the United States. The diversity visa is a relatively small program designed to increase the diversity of our immigrant flows. One prime example of a diversity visa winner is famed soccer player Freddy Adu.Read more...

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Immigration Themes in Film & Literature

Immigration Themes in Film & Literature uses literature and film to introduce high school students to various ways writers, poets, and filmmakers have depicted the immigrant experience in the United States.

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The Failure of Border Security

Published on Mon, Feb 28, 2011

With Democrats condemning House Republicans for slashing funding for border security in their budget, the American Independent reports on two new policy briefs that argue that increased U.S. funding and personnel for enforcement of the border with Mexico are proving totally ineffective at actually securing the border.

The National Immigration Forum’s report observes that despite hyperbolic political rhetoric to the contrary, Border Patrol funding has been increasing dramatically since 2005, rising at an average of $300 million per year. Under the combined efforts of the Bush and Obama administrations, the Border Patrol now has over 21,000 personnel, twice the amount they had in 2000, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) providing an additional 3,000 agents at the border. The reallocation of National Guard troops to prevent the feared “spillover effects” from Mexican drug violence costs $300 million every year. This in spite of the fact that “crime rates were already down in the border region” before the National Guard was deployed, with border cities like El Paso, Texas and San Diego, Calif. boasting some of the lowest crime rates in the country. Absurdly, the Obama administration’s unprecedented campaign to deport as many law-abiding immigrants as possible is costing the taxpayer $23,000 per immigrant. Read more...

Published in the Campus Progress

RICO Claim for Hiring Undocumented Workers

Mohawk Indus. v. Williams, 547 U.S. 516 (2006)Read more...

In a per curiam opinion dated June 5, 2006, the Supreme Court held that certiorari was improvidently granted and remanded the case to the Eleventh Circuit for reconsideration in light of Anza v. Ideal Steel Supply Corp., another RICO case the Court decided the same day.

Illegal Immigrants Paid $2.7 Billion in Taxes in California Last Year

Published on Tue, Apr 19, 2011

As you nurse your tax-day hangover, we bring you news from the flip side.

Despite what Lou Dobbs might have told you, turns out illegal immigrants do pay taxes. Lots of them.

The Immigration Policy Center, citing the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, put up some sobering figures.

California gets the most out of its undocumented workers apparently:

The Golden State pulled in $2.7 billion in taxes from households headed by illegals in 2010. That includes sales taxes, property taxes and some income taxes.

ITEP says that at least half of undocumenteds pay property taxes.

Other states that pull in decent income from our lowest-class, lowest-paid, non-rights-having workers:

Texas: $1.6 billion.
Florida: $806.8 million.
New York: $662.4 million.
Illinois: $499.2 million.

Nationwide, undocumented-led households poured $11.2 billion in tax coffers, according to ITEP.

So go ahead, blame the illegals for everything. We all know they provide the easiest scapegoat to just about any problem.

Published in the LA Weekly

What is the Australia/United States of America Work and Holiday Visa?

Recently AILF has been fielding questions regarding the Work and Holiday Visa announcement made in September by the government of Australia. The announcement has generated much excitement as it has been reported in the U.S. press as an unlimited opportunity for young Americans and Australians to work in each other’s countries. Sounds too good to be true? What’s really involved with the Australian Work and Holiday visa?

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Leadership Roster

American Immigration Council

2012-2013 Leadership Roster

Robert Cohen , Chair

Porter Wright

Rob's primary area of practice is immigration and nationality law. He has extensive experience in all aspects of business and family immigration procedures. In addition to his legal experience, he is also an instructor for the Legal Assistant program at Capital University. Rob was recently appointed to serve as Vice Chair of the American Immigration Council and served as Chapter Chair of the Ohio Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association from 2003 to 2005. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Immigration Law every year since 1995, and is recognized by Ohio Super Lawyers®.

Professional Associations

American Immigration Lawyers Association
Columbus Bar Association
Ohio State Bar Association
American Bar Association

Education

J.D., University of Cincinnati College of Law, 1976
A.B., Miami University, 1973

Website: Click Here

Lori Chesser, Vice Chair
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Terminating Removal Proceedings to Pursue Naturalization: Challenging Acosta Hidalgo

This Practice Advisory discusses 8 C.F.R. § 1239.2(f) and the BIA’s interpretation of it in Matter of Acosta Hidalgo. In Matter of Acosta Hidalgo, the BIA said that IJs and the BIA lack jurisdiction to determine prima facie eligibility for naturalization in order to terminate removal proceedings. The advisory sets out legal arguments for challenging the BIA’s decision.

Published On: Friday, September 18, 2009 | Download File

School districts told to monitor enrollment of Alabama immigrant students

Published on Mon, Oct 10, 2011

The impact of Alabama’s new immigration law, which requires K-12 schools to check the immigration status of their students, could be felt in several states, including Florida.

Sunshine State News reports today that “a number of school districts across Florida have been advised to monitor enrollment numbers for Hispanic migrant families relocating from Alabama after a federal judge upheld that state’s new immigration enforcement law.

The online news outlet adds that “Florida’s Education Estimating Conference said so far they haven’t seen any influx in the counties bordering Alabama or in counties such as Osceola, Hardee and Volusia where migrant families may seek agriculture employment,” and that the “Alabama Department of Education stated that on Oct 3, 5 percent of the state’s Hispanic students didn’t show up for school.”

Our sister site The American Independent recently reported that civil rights groups and the U.S. Justice Department sued to stop Alabama’s immigration enforcement law, “passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in May, from being enforced, as they did in the case of S.B. 1070, the Arizona immigration law. But unlike in Arizona, a federal judge chose to allow most of the Alabama law to go into effect.”

The Immigration Policy Center reported last week that Alabama school administrators “worry that Alabama’s immigration law will impact the state’s already cash-strapped school system.”

The Policy Center added that, “according to Alabama’s Department of Education, 2,285 Hispanic students (of 34,000 Hispanic students state-wide) were absent from school on Monday.”Read more...

Published in the The Florida Independent