A Note from the Editors:

Equal In Heroism, Equal In Punishment

Reuters reports that "A Marine who was among the first US soldiers to die in combat in Iraq was a Guatemalan once arrested as an illegal immigrant to the US." While this Marine and others in our armed forces perform acts of bravery, Rep. Rohrabacher (R-CA) has proposed a bill that would impose on aliens who commit designated offenses imprisonment "under circumstances that stress strenuous work and sparse living conditions." What is the connection here? Simply this. The United States was founded on the principle of equality of human beings before the law. Whether you are rich or poor, liked or hated, low-skilled or highly skilled, well-connected or without friends, urbanite or live in a rural area, everyone is equal here before the law. If you commit an offense, you can expect to receive punishment that is equal to those who are similarly situated. Rep. Rohrabacher's bill would seek to change that fundamental principle, proposing as an example, that a US citizen burglar be treated more kindly than an alien burglar who reentered without permission. Bear in mind that the alien burglar would already be punished additionally for the crime of reentry without permission, what Rep. Rohrabacher seeks to do is to punish the burglary itself more harshly. We submit that this violates one of the founding principles of our country and is therefore un-American. We believe that the Marine who died in combat should be treated no differently than any other similarly situated Marine or other US combatant. His act of heroism is as praiseworthy as that of any other American in uniform. In America, we are all equal - equal in heroism, and equal in punishment.

Articles

A Legal Guide For INS Detainees: Part 4
The Commission on Immigration Practice, Policy, and Pro Bono of the American Bar Association offers a detailed guide at how to petition for release from indefinite detention.

4 Former Nuevo Laredo US Consulate Employees Plead Guilty To Conspiracy To Commit Visa Fraud
The Department of Justice announced in a press release that four former employees at the US Consulate in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit visa fraud.

Impact Of War On Non-Citizens
Cyrus D. Mehta writes "What impact will military action by the US against Iraq have on immigration?"

Special Registration Spurs Sudden Exodus To Canada
The Seattle Times reports that "by 2005, visitors from all countries will be required to register, but for now, the Department of Justice had to choose a starting point: the 25 nations. He added that European countries have had foreign-registration requirements for years."

War-Time Immigration Policies
Gregory Siskind writes "Now that the war has begun, immigrants will now begin to realize the effects of various related government policies."

How to Avoid the Dreaded Request for Evidence: H-1B's and L-1A's
Carl Shusterman writes "A request for evidence (RFE) from the INS cannot always be avoided, but by following the suggestions, you should be able to at least minimize those "dreaded RFEs".

Tyson Foods Acquitted Of Hiring Undocumented Workers
The Austin American Statesman reports that "A federal jury acquitted Tyson Foods and three managers Wednesday of hiring illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America as part of a nationwide conspiracy to boost production and profits."

Green Card Delay Nearly Prevents Latin American Native From Attending Harvard
New York Newsday reports that a student accepted into Harvard University almost lost the opportunity to attend because her green card was delayed and without it she could not apply for financial aid.

Two Affluent Queens Neigborhoods Feel Impact Of Immigration Influx
The New York Times reports that "in the prosperous Queens [NY] neighborhoods of Douglaston and Little Neck, where the number of Asian immigrants has more than doubled in 12 years, there are many tales of how the American mill of assimilation works its special grace."

California Proposes To Provide Undocumented Students With Guaranteed College Financial Aid
The Sacramento Bee reports that "California would guarantee basic college aid to thousands of illegal residents of modest means under a proposed state law that differs radically from federal policies."

A Primer: Korean Law And US Immigration Law
Young H. Noh writes "The following areas of Korean law may prove useful when handling immigration cases of Korean nationals."

DOJ Announces Arrest Of Individual On Conspiracy To Commit Visa Fraud Charge
The Department of Justice announced in a press release that a Mexican national was arrested on charges of conspiring with former US Consulate employees to commit visa fraud.

How Do I Replace My Green Card?
Read a comprehensive answer from BCIS on what steps to take to replace your green card.

ILW Highlights

Processing Times Updated

Nebraska and California Processing Times have been updated.

Letters to Editors

To write to Editors, send emails to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.

Dear Editor:
In ILW.COM's editor's comments you write, "The presence of a massive US armed force in Iraq would not just obliterate Iraqi support for the terrorists, it would put Syria and Iran - both supporters of terrorists - squarely in our sights." Shame on you as legal workers for supporting the obliteration of the UN Charter. Iraq did not attack the US, nor was it on the verge of doing so. The 9-11 attacks were not based in Iraq nor done by Iraqis. Why is Iran in your war-sights and not Pakistan or Saudi Arabia? Did you forget how the US itself supported terrorism against Cuba (assasinations, sabotage, the Alpha 66, Omega-7 -CIA-nexus) Nicargua (mining the harbor; assassination of civlian literacy workers and teachers, etc); in Lebanon (naval shelling of civilian villages; financing car-bombing against Islamists); in Chile ( assassanation of loyalist general); Operation Phoenix in Viet-Nam, etc.? Does this mean that the the US should be invaded and bombed? Shame on you. Shame.

Jonathan Moore, accredited representative
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (for identification only)

Dear Editor:
I find it offensive that ILW.COM and Immigration Weekly has taken a stand on this war on Iraq, a war that stretches international law to breaking point - and may well have contravened it. Our country is split on this issue (even a month ago Gallup reported that only 25% of Americans support military action if the UN approval isn't there) and over 80-90% of people outside the US (including those who are trying to immigrate here) see this as an illegitimate war. This is a strictly political and intelligence issue, one that is based on assessments of whether a state has WMDs, how likely it is that they will be used against Americans, and how American military strength should be used. ILW.COM has absolutely no way of answering those questions - it does not have the resources or the expertise to do so. ILW's newsletter provides a great service, and I am very disappointed that you took a decision to express an opinion on an issue that relates to military and national security issues instead of sticking to immigration law. I hope that you will apologize to your readers for this - to at least those who have found this unbecoming.

Kinger Mallik
Boston, MA

Dear Editor:
Completely agree with ILW.COM's Editor's Comments entitled, We support the war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Right on.

Edgar Nunes

Dear Editor:
It's very obvious that ILW.COM watches too much Fox News. I'm completely baffled with ILW.COM's analogy that somehow smashing a foreign country that did not and could not threaten the US is good for immigration. Here are some points you fail to see:

1. The pro-war team failed to produce any evidence that Iraq is connected to the terrorists that attacked the US.
2. Immigrants like due process and the rule of law. This war doesn't have the proper backing from the UN security council which is the only body that can authorize war in cases other than self defense.
3. Occupying a foreign country and unleashing the might of our military without a just cause will only make less secure in the longterm.
4. This war is used as a tool to pretty much eliminate many civil liberties for both immigrants and citizens alike.

Khaldoon Abugharbieh
San Jose, CA

Dear Editor:
I have been checking ILW.COM for the California Service Center Processing times, the information hasn't been updated for over a month. What gives? I'm waiting for a fiance visa application, and the BCIS website is just useless.

Jeff Crane

Editor's Note: Processing times are updated as soon as it's available. California's Processing Times has recently been updated. Please see /govttimes/.

Immigrant Life

This site......

"The State Department has closed the US consulate in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The reason for the closing is that the Justice Department is investigating allegations that the consulate illegally sold visas to a number of people. It is the sixth busiest US consulate in the world, issuing 117,000 visas last year.

According to Mexican police, they heard rumors last November that Mexican citizens were being approached by consulate employees with offers to sell visas. They passed the information on to the US government, which is investigating. According to a Mexican news agency, consulate personnel have been ordered not to leave Nuevo Laredo while the investigation continues.

Officials believe the most of the documents sold were either tourist visas or border crossing cards. The names of those who bought visas are being entered into lookout lists and are being distributed to law enforcement agencies.

It is expected that the consulate will reopen shortly, but that visa services will remain on hold for some time." (Post your reply).

This week's chat schedule

When	Attorney
Monday, March 31 8:00 pm Eastern Time	Arthur Zabenko, Esq.
Wednesday, April 2 8:00 pm Eastern Time	Kyle Kinzy, Esq.
Friday, April 4 8:00 pm Eastern Time	To Be Announced

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