Legalization

Immigration Reform as Economic Stimulus

Published on Mon, Aug 31, 2009

In Immigration Policy Center's latest Perspectives on Immigration, Senior Researcher Walter Ewing argues that even as the U.S. economy begins a tenuous recovery, it is critical that policymakers look beyond short-term stimulus plans to the long-term economic revitalization of our nation.

Published in the Merchang Circle.com

IJs Should Exercise Authority to Halt Proceedings against Noncitizens with Serious Mental Disabilities

LAC Files Amicus Brief Supporting Termination of Removal Proceedings

Released on Thu, Mar 17, 2011

Washington D.C. - This week, the American Immigration Council's Legal Action Center (LAC) and Texas Appleseed filed an amicus brief with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) supporting Immigration Judges' authority to terminate removal proceedings against noncitizens with serious mental disabilities where a full and fair hearing would be impossible. Because immigration courts lack many of the due process protections that exist in other areas of our judicial system, more specific safeguards are necessary to protect the most vulnerable populations.

The LAC and Texas Appleseed filed the brief in the case of B-Z, a longtime legal permanent resident diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, who could not understand the purpose of the proceedings, assist counsel with his defense or present coherent testimony. The brief argues that immigration courts should adopt standards for evaluating mental competency similar to those employed in federal criminal or civil trials. Furthermore, Immigration Judges should be permitted to appoint counsel where non-citizens with serious mental disabilities are not competent to proceed on their own. Additional safeguards, including the appointment of a guardian ad litem, may also be required for noncitizens who are so severely incapacitated that they cannot understand and assist with their hearings even with the assistance of counsel. Finally, the brief contends that termination is proper where no conceivable set of safeguards would enable the respondent to participate meaningfully in proceedings and the record supports some inference of eligibility for relief.Read more...

View Release

The Memory Coat: A Board Game

The Memory Coat Journey - A Board Game is designed as a follow-up enrichment activity to the picture book The Memory Coat Journey which follows a Russian Jewish boy on his journey to America during WWII.

View File

Green Card Stories

The immigration debate is boiling over. Americans are losing the ability to understand and talk to one another about immigration. The new Arizona immigration law makes it clear that we must find a way to connect on a human level.

Green Card Stories does just that. The book depicts 50 recent immigrants with permanent residence or citizenship in dramatic narratives of about 1,000 words each, accompanied by artistic photos. Rather than couching immigration in terms of economics or politics, these stories appeal to the heart.

Each story is as old as the foundation of this immigrant nation, but also reflects the global trends and conflicts of the 21st century: the aspiring dentist who fled war-torn Sudan with just three T-shirts and a pair of shoes; the Caribbean-born orthopedic surgeon facing deportation; the Iraqi bodyguard for U.S. troops blinded by a car bomb; a former Mexican farm worker and school dropout turned high school principal. Arriving from all corners of the globe, coming for work, love, to study or escape persecution, they all share a steely resourcefulness and a fierce love for America. Green Card Stories tells the true story of our nation: E pluribus unum--out of many, one.Read more...

Understanding The Regulatory Changes For J-1 Trainee and Intern Programs

This practice advisory explores the interim final rule effective July 19, 2007, which introduced the J-1 intern category.

Download File

State and Local Law Enforcement

An increasing number of states and local communities have passed laws targeting non-citizens in the United States, creating obstacles to their ability to find work, secure housing, qualify for a driver’s license, and even obtain a marriage license. With increasing success, immigrant advocates have challenged many of these measures in court. A summary of the cases are below.

Contact Us! Please contact the Clearinghouse at [email protected] with any new cases or information relevant to the cases summarized below.

Developments By State|Additional Resources

Contact Us! Please contact the Clearinghouse at [email protected] with any new cases or information relevant to the cases summarized below.

Developments By State

Alabama

Court Issues Preliminary Injunction Barring Provisions of Sweeping Alabama Immigration Law, but Allows Other Provisions to Take EffectRead more...

Study: Fewer Mexicans migrating to United States

Published on Tue, Aug 02, 2011

PHOENIX - While illegal immigration has dominated a portion of political dialogue in the United States over the last few years, fewer Mexicans are crossing the border according to a new study.

"About 60 percent fewer people are coming to the United States from Mexico," said Wendy Sefsaf with the Immigration Policy Center. The center uses Mexican nationals as a proxy because they are a large part of the undocumented population, Sefsaf said.

The reason that fewer people are looking to head across the border is the downtrodden economy.

"The reason why people are not coming is the economy," Sefsaf said. "That's always been the case. Migration from Mexico for 100 years has been impacted the economic conditions in the receiving countries."

Data from the Pew Hispanic Center and the Rand Corporation also revealed that fewer immigrants are leaving the country and those that are in the United States have likely been here for more than a decade, showing a need for a more nuanced set of policies to help immigrants integrate fully into American society, Sefsaf said.

Published in the KTAR Arizona

A Perfect Performance For Two Local Schools

Published on Mon, Apr 20, 2009

In the fall of 2008, the Immigration Law firm of De Mott, McChesney, Curtright & Associates announced its sixth year of local participation in “Celebrate America”, an annual writing contest for 5th graders sponsored by the American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF) as part of its continual ongoing efforts to educate the public about the benefits of immigration to our society.

Published in the OPEN PR

Litigation Issue Pages

These issue-specific webpages focus on topics being litigated in courts nationwide. The pages include case updates, decisions, analysis, and relevant resources, such as practice advisories and pleadings.

Litigation Issue Pages Arizona SB 1070 | "Arriving Aliens" and Adjustment of Status | Brand X in Immigration Cases | Challenging the Legality of Detention | Enforcement, Challenges Against CBP | Enforcement, Lawsuits | Enforcement, Detainers | FOIA | Ineffective Assistance of Counsel | Mandamus | Motions to Suppress in Removal Proceedings | Naturalization Adjudication Delays | Noncitizens with Mental Competency Issues in Removal Proceedings | State and Local Law Enforcement

Archived Issue Pages: These issue pages are no longer updated. Each archived page provides the date on which it was last updated.Read more...