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Landmark Decision on Asylum Claims Recognizes Domestic Violence Victims
Last week, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) issued a landmark decision that recognizes that women who have experienced domestic violence may be deemed a “member of a particular social group” which would help support a potential asylum case. The case, Matter of A-R-C-G-, arrives at a time when many Central American women and children […]
Read MoreHere Are Some of the Stories of Women Held at Artesia
The lawsuit filed last week by the American Immigration Council, the ACLU, the National Immigration Project, and the National Immigration Law Center challenging government deportation policies at the family detention center in Artesia, New Mexico, has shined a light on the deprivation of due process occurring there daily. On Tuesday, the New York Times called […]
Read MoreU.S. competitiveness tied to solving immigration problems
President Barack Obama is expected to announce momentous decisions soon on the use of executive authority to help the more than 60,000 children fleeing Central American violence who have crossed into Texas, and an equal number of families currently being held at the border. While Congress has stalled on immigration reform, the president should act […]
Read MoreMunicipalities Help Advance Access to Counsel for Immigrants
Historically, “immigrants facing deportation are not provided an attorney if they cannot afford one.” But across the country, municipalities are taking steps to improve access to counsel for those who otherwise would be forced to proceed in immigration court alone. Cities are establishing programs to provide free legal assistance for immigrant detainees. In June, New […]
Read MoreImmigrants Work in More Arduous Jobs than U.S. Natives, New Study Shows
One of the reasons often cited to explain the importance of immigrant workers to the U.S. economy is the presumption that immigrants perform jobs that U.S. natives are unwilling to take. Numerous studies show that immigrant workers complement the native-born in various ways. But in spite of the growing evidence, restrictionist groups recurrently argue that […]
Read MoreHouse Uses Unaccompanied Kids as Excuse for More Enforcement, Less Due Process
Congress adjourned last week without passing a supplemental spending bill to cover the costs of managing the influx of unaccompanied minors and families in the Rio Grande Valley. If the issue had simply been one of how much of President Obama’s $3.7 billion request actually would be appropriated, there might have been a compromise. The […]
Read MoreMore Cities Charting an Immigrant-Friendly Path
Positive changes are happening at the local level throughout the country. A growing number of cities, counties, and metropolitan areas get that welcoming immigrants for better and more comprehensive integration is good for their communities. Just within the past week, for example, the Ohio cities of Cincinnati and Springfield officially decided to become more immigrant-friendly. […]
Read MoreCourt Approves Settlement in Duran Gonzalez v. DHS; Webinar Tomorrow
Last week, the federal district court issued its final approval of a settlement agreement in a long pending Ninth Circuit-wide class action, Duran Gonzalez v. DHS. This case involves eligibility for adjustment of status under INA § 245(i) (with an accompanying I-212 waiver application) for individuals who previously were removed and subsequently entered the country […]
Read MoreTaking Attendance: New Data Finds Majority of Children Appear in Immigration Court
As the number of unaccompanied children arriving at the United States border has increased, some lawmakers have argued that children frequently fail to appear for proceedings and thus proposed mandatory detention as a solution. Some say as many as 90 percent fail to attend their immigration court hearings. Yet government data recently published by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) indicates the opposite. Not only do a majority of children attend their immigration proceedings, according to TRAC, but 90 percent or more attend when represented by lawyers.
Read MoreRefugee Children Don’t Need More Immigration Enforcement
A humanitarian crisis requires a humanitarian response. In the case of the unaccompanied children from Central America who are arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, this would include decent food, shelter, and medical attention while in U.S. custody. Even more crucial, it would include careful screening of each child’s case to determine if he or she […]
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