Legalization

Court Approves Settlement in National Class Action Lawsuit on Work Authorization for Asylum Seekers

Released on Tue, Nov 05, 2013

Washington, DC – On Monday, November 4, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jones ordered the final approval of a nationwide class action settlement agreement. The settlement will help ensure that asylum seekers, who have fled persecution in their home countries, are not unlawfully prevented from working and supporting their families while the government adjudicates their cases. The changes will commence on December 3, 2013.

The agreement stems from a case filed in December 2011 by the American Immigration Council and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP), with co-counsel from the Seattle law firm Gibbs Houston Pauw and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. The complaint challenged widespread problems with the “asylum clock”—the system government agencies use to determine when immigrants who have applied for asylum may obtain permission to work lawfully in the United States.

The case, filed on behalf of asylum seekers around the country, alleged that the current system unlawfully denies asylum applicants the opportunity to obtain employment authorization if their asylum applications have been pending for six months or more. Some end up waiting several months or years for the government to make a decision on their asylum applications. Indeed, one plaintiff from China had been waiting nearly 10 years for his case to be resolved.Read more...

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Immigration reform's economic impact is debated

Published on Tue, Jan 12, 2010

As the U.S. unemployment rate hovers at around 10 percent, a key question is emerging in the unfolding immigration reform debate: whether legalizing millions of undocumented immigrants will further erode the economy or speed its recovery. The answer is hard to pin down because of clashing conclusions in recently issued reports.

Published in the Miami Herald

GOP Talking Immigration Reform Ahead of Elections

Published on Wed, Mar 24, 2010

Today, Immigration Impact, the blog of the Immigration Policy Center, reported on a shift in tactics in the immigration debate: A growing number of Republican lawmakers say the party needs to adjust its positions on Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) in order to boost Latino support:

More Republicans have acknowledged that the GOP must change its tune on Latinos and immigration, especially in the lead-up to midterm elections. This week, RNC Chair Michael Steele not only agreed to a meeting with an immigration advocacy group (after the group staged a sit-in), but went a step further to say that he’s concerned with harsh GOP rhetoric on immigration…

Published in the The Washington Independent

Expert Calls for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Create Internal Ombuds Program

Published on Mon, Apr 26, 2010

Mary Giovagnoli, Director of the Immigration Policy Center, says that ICE could substantially improve its performance by appointing an ombudsman "to serve as an internal conscience, taking in reports on individual cases, making sure that policy is followed and serving as an internal watchdog."

Published in the The Ombuds Blog

Immigration reform vital to Alaskans

Published on Wed, May 05, 2010

Once again U.S. immigration policies are in the national spotlight. Arizona Gov. Brewer signed legislation on April 23 to authorize the arrest of Arizona residents if a police officer has reasonable suspicion that the person is in the United States without immigration documents. Her decision to sign this legislation has catapulted comprehensive immigration reform from the end of a long list of important Congressional legislation to competing for first place with financial reform.

Published in the Anchorage Daily News

Arizona Lawmaker Takes Aim at Automatic Citizenship

Published on Tue, Jun 15, 2010

Adopting such a practice in the U.S. would be not only unconstitutional but also impractical and expensive, said Michele Waslin, a policy analyst with the pro-immigrant Immigration Policy Center in Washington.

"Every single parent who has a child would have to go through this bureaucratic process of proving their own citizenship and therefore proving their child's citizenship," she said.

Published in the Associated Press

An Immigration Measure Republicans Could Get Behind

Published on Wed, Jul 21, 2010

Mary Giovagnoli, director of the Immigration Policy Center, said that bipartisan support for the bill has been much harder to achieve this year. In addition to pressure leading up to the midterm elections, she said, "there seems to have really been a sense that one of the most effective ways to undermine the Obama administration was just to be pretty negative or to block pretty much anything that was seen as an administration priority -- and immigration falls into that category. In some ways, I think the fight for the soul of the Republican party is being fought out on immigration issues."

But if Congress cannot muster the force for comprehensive immigration reform, Giovagnoli thinks the DREAM Act could have a good shot at passing on its own. In addition to Lugar, she identified "easily ten" Republican senators whom she believes could be convinced to support the bill.

Published in the Atlantic

The Criminal Justice Act: Appointment of Counsel in Habeas Corpus Proceedings

This Practice Advisory presents a short introduction to the Criminal Justice Act (CJA), which authorizes U.S. district courts to appoint counsel to represent financially eligible individuals in habeas corpus actions brought pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241.

Published On: Saturday, August 1, 2009 | Download File

Creative Contest Winners Participate in USCIS Naturalization Ceremony

Northern California Students "Celebrate America"

Published on Fri, Aug 13, 2010

Every year hundreds of fifth grade students in Northern California participate in the American Immigration Council's "Celebrate America" Creative Writing Contest. On August 19 the top winners of the local contest in San Francisco, which is sponsored by the local chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association will speak at a naturalization ceremony. Two of the people being sworn in are parents of one of the contest winners.

Published in the USCIS

Mandamus Litigation Addressing DOL Delays

This Practice Advisory provides basic information about mandamus actions and suggests strategies and practice tips for bringing a mandamus action against the Department of Labor (DOL).

Published On: Thursday, August 18, 2011 | Download File