Trump expects to announce visa waiver program for Poland in weeks

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Poland’s president he expected to announce Polish entry into the U.S. visa waiver program in coming weeks as the two held talks on defense, security, energy and other issues, the White House said on Monday.

Speaking as he began a meeting with Andrzej Duda, Trump also confirmed his plans to move an unspecified number of U.S. troops to Poland from elsewhere in Europe and said the Polish government had agreed to pay for building facilities for them.


In June, Trump pledged to Duda that he would deploy 1,000 U.S. troops to Poland, a step sought by Warsaw to deter potential aggression from Russia. Duda has previously said he is considering naming the planned U.S. installation “Fort Trump.” Read more at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-poland-usa-military/trump-expects-to-announce-visa-waiver-program-for-poland-in-weeks-idUSKBN1W82BC

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ICE removes French national wanted for attempted murder, kidnapping

NEW YORK – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) deportation officers removed a French national Tuesday, wanted in his home country on attempted murder and kidnapping charges.

Samba Ndiaye, 42, also known as Mohamed Fall, was removed from the United States via an ICE Air charter flight and transferred into the custody of French law enforcement authorities.

According to French law enforcement authorities, in December 2002, under his true identity, Ndiaya was convicted of a 1997 kidnapping, sequestration with acts of torture and attempted murder of a male in the city of Marseilles. He was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-removes-french-national-wanted-attempted-murder-kidnapping

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com.

ICE Houston arrests 3-time-deported Mexican man wanted for homicide in California

HOUSTON — Deportation officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday arrested a three-time deported Mexican man who is wanted on an outstanding warrant for homicide in Anaheim, California.

This investigation was conducted by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Houston, Texas; Anaheim Police Department (APD); and Orange County (California) District Attorney’s (OCDA) office.

Leopoldo Serrano Vargas – aka Leonel Serrano Vargas and Ricardo Hernandez – an illegal alien from Mexico of uncertain age (reported as both 44 and 46), was arrested Sept. 11 at his residence in Northeast Houston for illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported, which is a felony. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-houston-arrests-3-time-deported-mexican-man-wanted-homicide-california

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com.

USCIS to Welcome More Than 34,000 New Citizens in Celebration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

WASHINGTON—USCIS announced today that it will celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day by welcoming nearly 34,300 new U.S. citizens during 316 naturalization ceremonies across the nation between Sept. 13 and 23.

The USCIS Constitution Week activities will feature a naturalization ceremony at the DAR Constitution Hall on Sept. 17, where USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli will administer the Oath of Allegiance and provide congratulatory remarks to 1,000 new U.S. citizens. View a list of other notable 2019 Constitution Week-themed naturalization ceremonies.

“Two hundred and thirty-two years ago, our great country adopted the United States Constitution, and as we celebrate Constitution Week, it is important to underscore the significance of citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution,” said Acting Director Cuccinelli. “These nearly 34,300 new U.S. citizens followed the law on their path to naturalization and now call the U.S. home. I can think of no better way to celebrate Constitution Week than to welcome thousands of new U.S. citizens who have assimilated, made a commitment to our great country, and have vowed to support the Constitution.” Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-welcome-more-34000-new-citizens-celebration-constitution-day-and-citizenship-day

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com.

US to remove mandatory interview for certain visas from September 1

The US is in the process of making its visa application procedure shorter for Indian nationals and some applicants can even apply for an exemption from the obligatory interview from September 1.
The US consulate in a communication to travel agent associations said that this initiative is intended to shorten turnaround times for visa renewals and improve customer service for visa requests across India.
The consulate further stated that starting September 1, the eligible applicants are required to book an appointment date to leave their passport and visa application materials at one of its 11 locations in the country, the Economic Times reported citing the communication. Read more at: https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/us-visa-indian-passport-holders-mandatory-interview-waiver-visa-application-united-states-of-america/story/376005.html

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com.

Cuccinelli Statement on Supreme Court’s Decision Allowing Enforcement of the Asylum Rule

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to permit the enforcement of the Trump Administration’s asylum rule requiring asylum seekers to seek protection in at least one third country they traveled through en route to the United States.

“I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down judicial activists’ injunction and allow the Trump Administration to carry out its rule to strengthen the asylum process. I commend the work done by the attorneys at the Department of Justice to achieve this outstanding outcome. The Administration’s rule is designed to safeguard the integrity of the U.S. asylum system and ensure asylum seekers seek protection in the first safe country they travel through.

“For far too long, the loopholes in our nation’s asylum system have been exploited by drug cartels, human traffickers and other organized crime factions in order to shuttle those seeking economic opportunities and family reunification through our southern border. Read more at:https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/cuccinelli-statement-supreme-courts-decision-allowing-enforcement-asylum-rule

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com.

ICE arrests 39 suspected human rights violators across the US during Operation No Safe Haven V

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 39 fugitives – 30 males and nine females – sought for their roles in known or suspected human rights violations during a nationwide operation that took place from Aug. 27 to 29.

The ICE National Fugitive Operations Program in coordination with the ICE Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, and the ICE Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, worked with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal (ERO) Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Newark, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco field offices to arrest these fugitives.

The foreign nationals arrested during this operation all have outstanding removal orders and are subject to repatriation to their countries of origin. Of the 39 known or suspected human rights violators arrested during Operation No Safe Haven V, 16 individuals are also criminal aliens in the U.S. with convictions for crimes including, but not limited to, domestic violence, driving under the influence of liquor, drug distribution, firearm possession, grand theft, reckless endangerment, robbery, fraud and theft. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-arrests-39-suspected-human-rights-violators-across-us-during-operation-no-safe

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com

USCIS Re-Opens Previously Pending Deferral Requests

Today, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services announced it will reopen non-military deferred action cases that were pending on August 7.  Letters will be sent this week re-opening all cases that were pending on August 7.

On August 7, USCIS stopped its consideration of deferred action for non-military requestors. At that time, USCIS sent out letters informing those who had requested deferred action that USCIS was no longer entertaining such requests. Deferred action is a discretionary determination to defer the deportation of an individual who is illegally present in the United States as an act of prosecutorial discretion on a case-by-case basis.  Those denied requests that were pending on August 7 did not have removal orders pending, and have not been targeted for deportation.

While limiting USCIS’ role in deferred action is appropriate, USCIS will complete the caseload that was pending on August 7.

As USCIS’ deferred action caseload is reduced, the career employees who decide such cases will be more available to address other types of legal immigration applications on a more efficient basis.

Deferred action related to military members and DACA was not affected by the August 7 action, and consideration of such cases is ongoing. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-re-opens-previously-pending-deferral-requests

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com

Molotov cocktail thrown into US Citizenship and Immigration office

A woman threw a lit Molotov cocktail into the lobby of a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in Oakland Park, Florida, on Friday. No one was injured, according to a report sent to Trump administration officials and seen by the Associated Press.

The woman walked into the office on Friday afternoon and threw a bottle filled with gasoline. A lit fuse disconnected from the bottle and the device did not ignite, according to the report.Law enforcement officials believe the woman intended to cause harm but the incident was not related to other recent instances in which homeland security agencies were targeted.Earlier this month in San Antonio, Texas, at least one vehicle pulled up to a building that houses offices for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or Ice, and a gunman fired shots through a window, FBI officials said. No one was injured. Another building used by Ice was also fired on. Read more at: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/31/molotov-cocktail-uscis-us-citizenship-immigration-services-office

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.