Pre-Columbian clay ancient artifacts returned to the Dominican Republic

 SAN JUAN – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in conjunction with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), returned 12 ancient artifacts to the Dominican Republic during a repatriation ceremony, held at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in San Juan on Thursday.

HSI San Juan Special Agent in Charge, Ivan Arvelo, returned the artifacts to the Honorable Opinio Diaz, Dominican Republic Consul in Puerto Rico on behalf of the U.S. government. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/pre-columbian-clay-ancient-artifacts-returned-dominican-republic

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

ICE removes Polish foreign fugitive wanted for money laundering

 MIAMI – Aligned with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) civil immigration enforcement priorities, officers with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Miami Field Office escorted and removed an unlawfully present foreign fugitive and public safety threat from the United States. Adam Dziak, 46, was wanted by law enforcement authorities in his native country for money laundering, fraud, and forgery.

Pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice, Dziak was arrested outside of his residence in Miami by ERO officers Sept. 27, 2021. ERO charged him with inadmissibility as an immigrant without an immigrant visa and detained him at the Krome Service Processing Center. An immigration judge with the Executive Office for Immigration Review issued a final order of removal for Dziak Dec. 1, 2021. Dziak departed Miami International Airport Jan. 26; upon arrival ERO officers turned him over to authorities in Warsaw, Poland, Jan. 27. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-removes-polish-foreign-fugitive-wanted-money-laundering

Contact Darren Heyman,
immigration attorney, for more information.

San Diego ICE HSI, HIDTA task force investigation leads to historic sentence for convicted drug dealer

 SAN DIEGO – A San Diego and Imperial County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force investigation resulted in a local man’s 25-year prison sentence for distributing fentanyl that resulted in a death.

The task force, which includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego special agents, determined that Jahvaris Lamoun Springfield, 31, sold the lethal pills that resulted in the Feb. 5, 2019, overdose death of James Gallagher, a U.S. Army veteran.

The investigation revealed that on the day of his death, Gallagher contacted Springfield to purchase OxyContin pills. Later that afternoon, Gallagher’s roommates called 911 after finding his body unresponsive in his bedroom. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/san-diego-ice-hsi-hidta-task-force-investigation-leads-historic-sentence-convicted
Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

Tucson weapons smugglers sentenced to prison following ICE HSI investigation

 TUCSON, Ariz. — An Aguila area man was sentenced Monday to 15 months in prison for smuggling weapons from the United States into Mexico following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), special agents from Tucson’s Border Enforcement Security Taskforce (BEST) . U.S. Customs and Border Protection assisted in this case.

Alejandro Valles, 27, of Aguila, Arizona, joins his co-conspirator David Alberto Duarte-Marquez, 21, a Mexican citizen was previously sentenced to 33 months in prison – both men pleaded guilty to their offenses. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/tucson-weapons-smugglers-sentenced-prison-following-ice-hsi-investigation'

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Urges Eligible Applicants to Switch Employment-Based Categories

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services encourages eligible applicants to consider requesting to transfer the underlying basis of their adjustment of status application to the first (priority workers) or second (noncitizens in professions with advanced degrees or with exceptional ability) employment-based preference categories, because there is an exceptionally high number of employment-based immigrant visas available in these categories during this fiscal year (October 2021 through September 2022).

The overall employment-based annual limit for fiscal year 2022 is approximately twice as high as usual, because that limit includes all unused family-sponsored visa numbers from fiscal year 2021, which was approximately 140,000. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-urges-eligible-applicants-to-switch-employment-based-categories

Contact Darren Heyman,
immigration attorney, for more information.

DHS Proposes Fair and Humane Public Charge Rule

 WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would regulate how DHS applies the public charge ground of inadmissibility. The proposed rule would provide fair and humane treatment for noncitizens requesting admission to the United States or applying for lawful permanent residence from within the United States. DHS has posted an advance copy of the proposed rule. The official version will publish in the Federal Register in the coming days. 

“The 2019 public charge rule was not consistent with our nation’s values,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Under this proposed rule, we will return to the historical understanding of the term ‘public charge’ and individuals will not be penalized for choosing to access the health benefits and other supplemental government services available to them.” Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-proposes-fair-and-humane-public-charge-rule

Contact Darren Heyman,
immigration attorney, for more information.

Southeast Texas man sentenced to 151 months in prison for coercing a minor on Instagram

 CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A Southeast Texas man was sentenced Feb. 14 in the Southern District of Texas to 151 months in federal prison for coercing a minor on Instagram in order to have sex with her.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the investigation.

Steven Lopez, 31, a resident of Corpus Christi, was also ordered to pay restitution to his identified victim, to register as a sex offender and to serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. Lopez pleaded guilty to charges Nov. 8, 2021. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/southeast-texas-man-sentenced-151-months-prison-coercing-minor-instagram

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

IPR Center seizes $97.8M in counterfeit sports merchandise during annual Operation Team Player

 LOS ANGELES — Today, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center), the National Football League (NFL), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Los Angeles Sheriff Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced that more than 267, 511 counterfeit sports-related items, worth an estimated $97.8 million, were seized during Operation Team Player.

Operation Team Player is a year-round effort developed by the IPR Center to crackdown on the illegal importation of counterfeit sports apparel and entertainment merchandise. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ipr-center-seizes-978m-counterfeit-sports-merchandise-during-annual-operation-team

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

ICE HSI investigation leads to Lehigh county father and son charged with unlawful possession of more than a dozen machine guns and nearly as many silencers

 PHILADELPHIA — An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led to the arrest and charge of Joseph Raymond Berger, 67, and Joseph Paul Berger, 32, of Bethlehem, PA, this week with multiple firearms offenses including possessing machine guns, possessing non-registered firearms, and possessing non-registered silencers.

The indictment alleges that the defendants illegally possessed 13 fully automatic machine guns and 12 firearms silencers. According to court documents, law enforcement agents with Customs and Border Protection intercepted three firearms silencers that were illegally imported into the United States in packages addressed to the defendants at their shared residence. Investigators then obtained a search warrant for the home and recovered from the basement the 12 firearms suppressors/silencers and 13 fully automatic machine guns that are listed in the indictment. The machine guns included 11 rifles and 2 submachine guns. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-hsi-investigation-leads-lehigh-county-father-and-son-charged-unlawful-possession

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Opens a New Lockbox Facility

 As we announced in November 2021, we have opened a new lockbox facility in Elgin, Illinois. We are beginning to transition incoming work to the new location.

On Feb. 1, we added Elgin as a filing location for certain applicants filing Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. In the coming weeks, we will move additional workloads to the Elgin lockbox, including certain applicants filing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, and Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. We expect to complete the transition to Elgin by late summer 2022. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-opens-a-new-lockbox-facility

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Updates Policy Guidance on VAWA Self-Petitions

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is publishing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual on eligibility, filing, and adjudication requirements addressing Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitions to update practices and align USCIS policies with recent court decisions.

We are updating our interpretation of the requirement for shared residence to occur during the qualifying spousal or parent-child relationship. Instead, the self-petitioner must demonstrate that they are residing or have resided with the abuser at any time in the past. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-updates-policy-guidance-on-vawa-self-petitions

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more infirmation.

USCIS Announces New Agency Mission Statement

 WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur M. Jaddou announced the agency’s new mission statement. Last year, USCIS leadership empowered employees to submit words that they felt best illustrated the agency’s work. The new mission statement is a reflection of this feedback from the workforce, the priorities of the Biden Administration, and Director Jaddou’s vision for an inclusive and accessible agency. 

The new mission statement can be found here: “USCIS upholds America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve.” 

Director Jaddou released the following statement on today’s announcement: 

“At its core, USCIS is about delivering decisions to families, businesses, workers, and those seeking refuge in our country on their applications, petitions, requests, and appeals. This new mission statement reflects the inclusive character of both our country and this agency. The United States is and will remain a welcoming nation that embraces people from across the world who seek family reunification, employment or professional opportunities, and humanitarian protection. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-announces-new-agency-mission-statement

Contact Darren Heyman,
immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Issues Policy Guidance Regarding Exemptions from the Temporary Need Requirement for H-2B Workers on Guam and the CNMI Under the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act

 

USCIS is issuing updated policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify how petitioners may demonstrate that they qualify for an exemption from the temporary need requirement for a nonimmigrant visa petition for a temporary nonagricultural H-2B worker on Guam and in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) that falls under the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-issues-policy-guidance-regarding-exemptions-from-the-temporary-need-requirement-for-h-2b

Contact Darren Heyman,
immigration attorney, for more information.

ICE releases RFP for case management program geared toward young adults

 WASHINGTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is requesting contract bids to aid the agency in establishing the Young Adult Case Management Program (YACMP) to assist young adults who pose a low flight risk, ages 18 – 19, with the immigration process and facilitate access to community services.

The request for proposal (RFP) was posted on January 28, 2022 for interested contractors who can establish a program that provides appropriate monitoring services for participating young adults while promoting compliance with immigration obligations and release conditions. The services will be provided while these young adults await final determination of their immigration cases. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-releases-rfp-case-management-program-geared-toward-young-adults

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

Southern Arizona law enforcement agencies execute gang-related warrants

 

TUCSON, Ariz. - Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) partnered with multiple state and federal law enforcement agencies under the FBI’s Southern Arizona Violent Crime and Gang Task Force (SAVCGTF) to executed 11 search warrants throughout Pima and Santa Cruz counties, in connection with an ongoing investigation against a violent criminal street gang in Tucson. This gang is known to distribute fentanyl and other drugs, along with firearms offenses, and other violent crimes. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/southern-arizona-law-enforcement-agencies-execute-gang-related-warrants

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information. 

Public safety measures a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations at Super Bowl LVI

 LOS ANGELES — Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is working with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to provide essential public safety measures in and around the Los Angeles area. Measures include, but are not limited to, investigating human trafficking and intellectual property rights violations. The goal is to help address criminal threats the public, the National Football League, and the city of Inglewood may face leading up to and throughout Super Bowl LVI week, between Feb. 6-13. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/public-safety-measures-top-priority-homeland-security-investigations-super-bowl-lvi

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

Readout of Director Ur M. Jaddou’s Virtual Briefing with Stakeholders to Mark One-Year Anniversary of Executive Orders Aimed at Restoring Faith in Our Immigration System

 WASHINGTON— Yesterday, on the one-year anniversary of several executive orders (EOs) from the Biden-Harris administration aimed at restoring faith in our nation’s legal immigration system, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur M. Jaddou briefed national stakeholders on the agency’s efforts to implement these EOs. During this briefing, Director Jaddou and senior USCIS leadership shared policy and operational updates highlighting USCIS’ progress in responding to these executive orders.  Read more at:https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/readout-of-director-ur-m-jaddous-virtual-briefing-with-stakeholders-to-mark-one-year-anniversary-of

Contact Darren Heyman,
immigration attorney, for more information.

Human rights violator sentenced in Guatemala to 30 years for crimes against humanity, previously investigated and removed by ICE

 WASHINGTON – A Guatemalan national previously removed to his home country by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) was convicted in a Guatemalan court for his role in sexual violence targeting indigenous women in the 1980s. Francisco Cuxum Alvarado, 66, was convicted of crimes against humanity by a High-Risk Court in Guatemala City, Guatemala and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/human-rights-violator-sentenced-guatemala-30-years-crimes-against-humanity-previously

Contact Darren Heyman,
immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Updates Medical Examination Guidance for Afghan Parolees Arriving Under Operation Allies Welcome (OAW)

 USCIS announced today that it is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding immigration medical examination requirements for certain Afghan nationals applying for adjustment of status after arriving in the United States under Operation Allies Welcome (OAW). Effective immediately, these applicants may not need to repeat an immigration medical examination if they already completed an immigration medical examination conducted by a panel physician before they arrived in the United States.

The updated guidance allows Afghan nationals applying for adjustment of status after arriving under OAW to use a report of medical examination completed outside the United States by a panel physician to satisfy the requirement normally demonstrated by submitting Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-updates-medical-examination-guidance-for-afghan-parolees-arriving-under-operation-allies

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.