U.S. to consider spousal abuse in immigration claims

A government immigration board has determined for the first time that domestic violence victims may be able to qualify for asylum in the United States. The ruling comes in the case of a Guatemalan woman who crossed into the U.S. illegally in 2005 after fleeing her husband.
She said she called local police in Guatemala to report the abuse but was repeatedly told that the authorities would not interfere in her marriage. She argued that the abuse and the lack of police response should make her eligible for asylum. Read more:http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2024403701_apximmigrationasylum.html

Contact Darren Heyman, Las Vegas Immigration attorney, for more information. 

US introduces new non-immigrant visa appointment system

Islamabad

The Embassy and Consulate General of the United States of America in Islamabad and Karachi, Pakistan will transition to a new appointment and document delivery service for the non-immigrant visa unit as of August 24, 2014.

This new system, which is being implemented in phases at US embassies and consulates worldwide, is designed to be more comprehensive and user-friendly. It replaces the current appointment system of scheduling at Amex and Speedex locations in Pakistan, though these contractors will also be involved in the new system. Read more: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-268648-US-introduces-new-non-immigrant-visa-appointment-system

 Contact Darren Heyman, Las Vegas Immigration attorney, for more information. 

In immigration news: Executive action hopes, lawsuit over expedited deportations, migrant youth shelters, more

As Obama returns, advocates look for executive action - The Hill Now that President Obama has returned from vacation, advocates are hoping he'll soon move forward on immigration. The president has stated that he'll take executive action on immigration in the near future, a move some hope will spare more immigrants from deportation and make it easier for businesses to hire foreign workers. Read more: http://www.scpr.org/blogs/multiamerican/2014/08/25/17196/in-immigration-news-executive-action-hopes-lawsuit/

Contact Darren Heyman, Las Vegas Immigration attorney, for more information.  

Ineligible illegals file request to get Dreamer status, force Obama’s hand

Nearly a dozen illegal immigrations announced a campaign Wednesday to force President Obama’s hand on halting deportations, saying they would file papers demanding to be let into the existing program granting legal status to so-called Dreamers, although none qualifies.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/20/illegals-file-applications-force-obamas-hand/#ixzz3B02ppo6Z

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney Las Vegas, for more information.  

Application fee for U.S. citizenship is unaffordable

With just a few legislative days left for the 113th Congress before the November elections, it is clear that House Republicans will ignore the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill passed by the Senate last year. Even when the business, labor, justice and faith communities, as well as the majority of Americans, think Congress should act. This is not surprising; the 113th Congress has a knack for kicking cans down the road on transportation, spending, tax reform, gun control and just about every other issue. Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-illegal-immigration-emanuel-guietteriz-perspec--20140814-story.html
 Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney Las Vegas, for more information.  

Department of State Releases September 2014 Visa Bulletin

The National Law Review:

The bulletin shows continued forward movement in the EB-2 India category while the cutoff dates in most other employment-based categories remain unchanged.

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released its September 2014 Visa Bulletin. The Visa Bulletin sets out per-country priority date cutoffs that regulate the flow of adjustment of status (AOS) and consular immigrant visa applications. Foreign nationals may file applications to adjust their statuses to that of permanent residents or to obtain approval of immigrant visas at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, provided that their priority dates are prior to the respective cutoff dates specified by the DOS. Read more: http://www.natlawreview.com/article/department-state-releases-september-2014-visa-bulletin

Gay illegal immigrants demand special treatment from Obama

Gay immigrants are mounting a campaign to demand that they be included in any unilateral moves President Obama makes this year to halt deportations, arguing that they face unusual circumstances that otherwise might leave them on the outside.

The demands pose a tricky test for Mr. Obama, who has made major inroads with gay rights groups during his time in the White House, but who will have to draw lines somewhere as he seeks to craft a more lenient deportation policy without canceling deportations altogether.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/12/gay-illegal-immigrants-demand-deportation-protecti/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS#ixzz3APe3XC82
Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney Las Vegas, for more information.  

Immigration Reform Update: Alaska Republican Senate Candidate Defends Comparing Immigrants to Hispanic Gang Members

The immigration crisis has become an issue for U.S. states thousands of miles away from the southern border. In Alaska, three Republicans vying for the state's GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate debated immigration.
Former Alaska Attorney General Dan Sullivan and Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell commented on their refusal to sign a pledge set forth by fellow candidate Joe Miller, who has garnered support from the tea party. The pledge by Miller would reaffirm opposition to any efforts to grant amnesty to undocumented immigrants if any of the three GOP candidates were elected to the U.S. Senate. Read more: http://www.latinpost.com/articles/19014/20140811/immigration-reform-update-alaska-republican-party-candidates-debate-amnesty.htm

 Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney Las Vegas, for more information.  

A Better Immigration Compromise

One of the more striking aspects of the immigration reform debate is the simple, important fact about public opinion that it has largely ignored. President Obama and his allies often emphasize that though the Senate immigration bill has been backed by a large majority in the Senate and a broad array of constituencies, from organized labor to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to various immigrant advocacy organizations, recalcitrant House Republicans stand in the way of comprehensive immigration reform. But this opposition makes more sense when we consider that voters consistently oppose a substantial increase in immigration and the Senate immigration bill will, according to the Congressional Budget Office, substantially increase immigration. Read more: http://www.nationalreview.com/agenda/385196/better-immigration-compromise-reihan-salam
Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney Las Vegas, for more information.  

Feds: Applicant for U.S. citizenship failed to disclose ties to terrorist group

Philly.com:

A convenience store clerk was charged today in federal court with immigration fraud for failing to disclose his ties to a terrorist group on an application for U.S. citizenship.
Hayatullah Dawari, 62, is an Afghan citizen who has lived in Northeast Philadelphia since 2008.
Dawari allegedly has a connection to Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), an anti-Western insurgent group active in Afghanistan and Pakistan, said federal prosecutors. HIG, which is closely associated with al-Qaeda and the Taliban, took credit for a 2008 assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai and has advocated for the establishment of a fundamentalist Islamic state, according to published reports. Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Feds_Applicant_for_US_citizenship_failed_to_disclose_ties_to_terrorist_group.html

 Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney Las Vegas, for more information.  

Many Americans Renounce Citizenship, Hitting New Record

Forbes:

It may seem like a drop in the bucket, especially when droves want to immigrate to America. Still, the newly published names of individuals who renounced their U.S. citizenship or terminated long-term U.S. residency is up, with 576 for the quarter and 1,577 so far this year. The growing trend is a sad one as Record Numbers of Americans Are Renouncing Their U.S. Citizenship.
For all the immigrant arrivals, the trickle the other direction is becoming more pronounced. The tally was 2,999 for all of 2013, a 221% increase over the 932 who left in 2012. The Treasury Department is required to publish a quarterly list, a kind of public outing putting Americans on notice of who relinquished their rights. Consular expatriations, where people don’t file exit tax forms with the IRS, are apparently not counted. Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2014/08/07/many-americans-renounce-citizenship-hitting-new-record/

 Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney Las Vegas, for more information.  

UPDATE | Translator who helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan issued visa

Fox 59: ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (Aug. 5, 2014)—Over the last two years, FOX59 has followed Hayat Nooristani, a translator who helped American forces overseas.  Along that road, there have been many heart-breaking moments, where there was promise and then a door slammed shut.But today, FOX59 received word from the U.S. State Department that the special immigrant visa, approved long ago, has now been issued from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. That means Hayat may soon be on a plane headed for the United States.
Hayat was born and raised in the mountains of Afghanistan.  Fluent in six languages, the now 29-year-old man landed a job as a translator with the United States Army, finding himself fighting the Taliban alongside American soldiers. When his time was up, he qualified for a chance to come to America.  However, the State Department kept the process dragging on, and Hayat was on the run from the terrorists he helped fight. Read more: http://fox59.com/2014/08/05/translator-who-helped-u-s-forces-in-afghanistan-is-one-step-closer-to-becoming-an-american/

100-year-old fulfills lifelong dream, becomes U.S. citizen on birthday

The Baltimore Sun: 

Since she was 7 years old, Donatila Leticia Munoz Orantes has wanted to become a U.S. citizen. On Wednesday, her 100th birthday, her wish came true.

Munoz Orantes, a native Nicaraguan who lives with her daughter in Germantown, came to the United States from El Salvador in the 1980s and never left. Read more: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2014-07-30/news/bs-md-100-year-old-naturalizes-20140730_1_u-s-citizenship-immigration-services-naturalization-ceremony

Young immigrants must risk deportation for chance to gain legal status

LA Times: Since  November, Oscar has been living with his grandmother in Fort Worth, attending public high school and dreaming of becoming a police officer.He is one of thousands of young migrants from Central America who crossed the border illegally and hope to win permission to stay in the United States. He was told to report to immigration court on July 24. Read more: http://www.latimes.com/nation/immigration/la-na-immigration-law-20140803-story.html#page=1