ICE RAC Cocoa Beach arrests man after online threats

COCOA BEACH, Fl. – Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) office in Cocoa Beach and the Cocoa Beach Police Department arrested a man on Aug. 24 for violation of state law (FSS 836.10) concerning written threats to kill, do bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism.
“This is another example of HSI using our unique international investigative authorities to make our local communities safer,” said HSI Tampa, Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti.
“The strength of our law enforcement partnerships continues to serve as a force-multiplier as we work to ensure the public safety,” said Cocoa Beach Police Chief Scott Rosenfeld. “I am proud of the teamwork displayed and our investigators’ resolve to expeditiously locate and apprehend this individual.” Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-rac-cocoa-beach-arrests-man-after-online-threats

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Policy Manual Update

Introduction

Our latest update to the USCIS Policy Manual defines “residence” as it relates to citizenship for children of certain U.S. government employees and members of the U.S. armed forces who are employed or stationed outside the United States, to conform with the definition of residence in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This guidance rescinds previously established USCIS policy, which stated that certain children who were living outside the United States were considered “residing in” the United States.

As a result, it changes the process that parents of such children must follow to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for their children. Under the previous policy, parents of those children could file either Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, or Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322, on behalf of their children. As of Oct. 29, 2019, these parents must file Form N-600K to obtain U.S. citizenship for any child who did not acquire citizenship at birth or while residing in the United States. Therefore, we will apply current guidance to all applications filed before Oct. 29, 2019. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/fact-sheets/uscis-policy-manual-update

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

Indian artifacts repatriated to home country during London ceremony

LONDON – Pursuant to an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with participation from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS); the High Commission of India in London in coordination with Indian Customs; and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York (DANY), the limestone carved relief and Navaneetha Krishna Bronze figure from India were repatriated to their home country.  On Aug. 15, the High Commissioner of India in London accepted the return of the artifacts on behalf of India.

The artifacts are linked to one of the most prolific art smugglers in the world, who was recently charged in Manhattan, New York.  An individual in the United Kingdom who possessed the items came forward to HSI expressing a desire to surrender the pieces.  In June 2019, working with the MPS, the individual cooperated and turned over the artifacts to authorities. Read more at:https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/indian-artifacts-repatriated-home-country-during-london-ceremony

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

Mexican man extradited to the United States to face sex trafficking charges

NEW YORK — A Mexican man was extradited to the United States Wednesday to faces charges for his role in a transnational sex trafficking ring. This following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York with assistance from the HSI Mexico City Attaché office and the Mexican Federal Police.

Jose Miguel Melendez-Rojas was arrested in February 2019 in Mexico following the joint investigation, and is charged with five co-defendants: two were extradited from Mexico to the United States in October 2018, and three were previously arrested in the United States. He faces an 18-count indictment charging him with sex trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking of minors, interstate prostitution, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/mexican-man-extradited-united-states-face-sex-trafficking-charges#wcm-survey-target-id

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Helps Detect Marriage Fraud Ring

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — John H. Durham, United States attorney for the District of  Connecticut; the acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Boston; and a supervisory immigration officer for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS), announced that Jodian Stephenson, also known as “Jodian Gordon,” 35, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty on Aug. 19, in New Haven federal court to a conspiracy charge stemming from her arrangement of numerous fraudulent marriages so that non-U.S. citizens would receive U.S. immigration benefits.

USCIS officials within the FDNS Directorate learned of the potential fraudulent marriages to obtain Green Card benefits in 2016 and began collaborating with HSI investigators to reveal numerous cases of marriage fraud.

“We at USCIS take marriage fraud – and all fraud – seriously,” said USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli. “I commend the professionalism of the USCIS staff that reported the attempts to defraud our immigration system, and our officers who are partnering with HSI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut to investigate these claims. I also thank our law enforcement partners for their efforts to bring perpetrators to justice. Let this serve as a reminder that if you partake in fraudulent activity, you will get caught.” Read more at:https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-helps-detect-marriage-fraud-ring

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Issues Guidance on Discretionary Employment Authorization for Parolees

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today issued policy guidance (PDF, 305 KB) in the USCIS Policy Manual to address its discretion to grant employment authorization to foreign nationals who are paroled into the United States, including those who are otherwise inadmissible.

Certain foreign nationals may be paroled into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. Parolees are not entitled to employment authorization solely because they are paroled into the United States, but instead must establish eligibility and apply for employment authorization. USCIS will only consider employment authorization for parolees when, based on the facts and circumstances of each individual case, USCIS finds that a favorable exercise of discretion is warranted. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-issues-guidance-discretionary-employment-authorization-parolees

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

Former vice president of Venezuela Tareck El Aissami and Venezuelan businessman Samark Lopez Bello added to ICE’s Most Wanted List for international narcotics trafficking, money laundering

NEW YORK – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced earlier this month the addition of former Venezuelan Vice President and current Minister of Industry and National Production Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah and his co-conspirator, Venezuelan businessman Samark Jose Lopez Bello, to its Most Wanted list for international narcotics trafficking and money laundering. The action followed an ICE HSI New York investigation that led to their special designations as narcotics traffickers as well as sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2017 and criminal charges filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York earlier this year.

El Aissami was appointed executive vice president of Venezuela in January 2017. He previously served as governor of Venezuela's Aragua state from 2012 to 2017, as well as Venezuela's minister of interior and justice starting in 2008. He facilitated shipments of narcotics from Venezuela, including control over planes that left from a Venezuelan air base and routing drugs through Venezuelan ports. In his previous positions, he oversaw or partially owned narcotics shipments of more than 1,000 kilograms from Venezuela on multiple occasions, including those with final destinations in Mexico and the United States. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/former-vice-president-venezuela-tareck-el-aissami-and-venezuelan-businessman-samark

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.