Thirteen months ago, I met Christina. Christina is a lively, colorful 70-year old woman from Mexico. She’s lived in the United States since the early 1950s and swore she was a lawful permanent resident. She had lost her green card sometime in the 1970s, and since she lived in California, the need for her to […]
When You Know You’re Right Read More »
For those of you in Georgia, you’ve probably heard about Senate Bill 404. What this bill proposed to do was to deny immigrants who had been granted “deferred action” from being able to obtain a Georgia driver’s license. There are similar bills and even laws across the United States, but I’d like to talk about SB
The Power of Advocacy Read More »
Picture yourself in this situation: You’re a man from Mexico who has lived in the United States for 12 years. Your wife is mentally disabled, but you’ve never had her professionally evaluated because you just didn’t have the money. She has temper tantrums, she refuses to shower, she forgets to eat and it’s clear to
There’s an ice storm in Atlanta today and I thought it was appropriate to write about ICE, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I hope everyone here in the Southeast has stayed warm and safe as we’re dealt another cruel hand by Mother Nature. As part of my non-profit work with the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN),
ICE Isn’t Always the Enemy Read More »
On Tuesday this week, USCIS announced major revisions to the Application for Naturalization (N-400). From now until May 2, 2014, lawful permanent residents eligible for U.S. citizenship can decide whether to use the old form or the new form. If you are eligible for U.S. citizenship, I strongly recommend that you file your N-400 before May 2nd to
The New Naturalization Application Form N-400 Read More »
No, it’s not just a song by Rod Stewart. “Reason to Believe” is a standard created by USCIS when deciding whether or not a provisional waiver can be adjudicated. Let’s take a step back and talk about provisional waivers first. About 13 months ago, USCIS announced that certain people who entered the United States without inspection could proactively apply
Reason to Believe New Guidance on I-601A Waivers Read More »
The immigration system can seem like it’s in a time warp. Three months’ processing is considered fast and waiting for three hours is normal. If I went to my job and made my boss wait three months for a small project or kept my team waiting for three hours while I worked on something else,
Over the past few months, I’ve had consultations where just-turned-21-year-olds come in and want to start the immigration process for their undocumented parents. The families are excited and happy that the magic age of 21 has been reached. It breaks my heart when I tell them there isn’t anything that can be done. When these
Why Don’t U.S. Citizen Children Count? Read More »
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! One of the many advantages of being married to a German is that we often spend Christmastime in Germany. In addition to seeing my in-laws, who I only get to visit once a year, I get to experience a new culture and step outside my normal comfort
A Tale of Two Borders Read More »
I believe that the Christmas story is not only about Jesus, but also about hope. Hope for a better future, hope for peace, and hope for compassion and kindness. Hope is a big part of my philosophy as an immigration attorney. People come to the United States with grand hopes – exactly the same hopes
