A Note from the Editors:

The Iraq War And Immigration

While CNN.COM reports celebration by Arab-Americans upon the toppling of the Saddam statue in Baghdad, the war against Saddam Hussain's Iraq shows unexpected connections with immigration. WorldNetDaily.COM reports an online petition by a former Marine to grant citizenship to the Iraqi who helped rescue Prisoner Of War Jessica Lynch (online petition drive.) As readers of this periodical know, immigration is a complex topic, and remains complex in wartime. The Washington Post reports on an "Alice-in-Wonderland" situation where an Iraqi exile who was gassed by the Hussein regime and who met with President Bush in the Oval Office last month has reportedly been served with a deportation notice to deport her to ... Iraq. As we begin the gradual return to peace, Immigration Daily will continue to cover immigration developments for our readers.

Articles

A Legal Guide For INS Detainees: Part 6 of 6
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 (66 pps).

Women And Naturalization ca. 1802-1940: Finale
Marian L. Smith chronicles the history of women and the succession of laws in US history that worked to keep certain women out of the naturalization process.

Maintaining Proper H-1B Status In A Corporate Restructure
Fan Chen and Mark E. Harrington, Esq. writes "For those unfamiliar with the specific rules concerning corporate restructurings and H-1B employees, this field of law can be a legal minefield."

Immigrants Play Vital Role In US Economy
The Grundy County Herald reports "As the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) continues its efforts for comprehensive labor and immigration reform, the association is heartened by the fact that top government policymakers recognize the vital role of immigrants in the US economy now and in the future."

The California Shredding Fiasco: Examining the Evidence - Part 1 of 2
Jose Latour delves into the illegal shredding incident involving 90,000+ documents that occurred earlier this year at the California Service Center.

Gutierrez Joined The Marines As An Undocumented Alien, Returned As An American
An Editorial in the Wall Street Journal chronicles the path taken by Gutierrez that resulted in his receiving posthumous US citizenship.

Immigration Attorney Sues Nearly 40 Immigration Consultants In Southern California for Unauthorized Practice OF Law
The Daily Bulletin of Ontario, CA reports that "[Immigration Attorney] Earl Carter has sued nearly 40 immigration consultants in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, alleging they are illegally providing legal advice and engaging in the unauthorized practice of law, keeping original documents of clients, and failing to file a $50,000 bond with the Secretary of State as required by law."

The California Shredding Fiasco: Examining the Evidence - Part 2 of 2
Jose Latour delves into the illegal shredding incident involving 90,000+ documents that occurred earlier this year at the California Service Center.

Efforts To Repeal 1926 Law Prohibiting Asians From Land Ownership May Be Abandoned
The Lakeland, Florida Ledger reports that "[Sen. Geller (D-FL)] said he might abandon his effort to repeal a defunct Florida law banning Asian immigrants from owning property because other lawmakers want to use the opportunity to ban another group of people from land ownership: illegal aliens."

SEVIS System Creates Bureaucratic Red Tape For Area Institutions Of Higher Learning
The Pasadena Star News reports caught in a tangle of bureaucratic red tape, [area colleges and schools] are facing closure and heavy financial losses because of problems with the SEVIS tracking system.

Running to Canada
Anna Boryczewski writes "During the past several months, there has been a rush of immigrants from the US to Canada."

Cardinal Urges Conferring Of Citizenship To Noncitizens In US Forces
The New York Times reports that "Cardinal Mahony, [head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles], has urged President Bush to award immediate citizenship to all immigrant troops serving in the Persian Gulf."

Pittsburgh Is Home To A Growing Indian Community
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports "The city of Pittsburgh, PA notes that the Indian community is the largest and fastest growing immigrant group in the city.

Decision To Fire Immigration Inspector For Falsifying Time Sheets Upheld
Government Executive reports "The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) upheld the Justice Department’s decision to fire an immigration inspector for falsifying time and attendance sheets." "While careless bookkeeping or oversight could reasonably explain a few instances of timekeeping errors, it could not account for that volume," the MSPB ruling stated.

Family Sponsor Immigration Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-150, March 13, 2002)
Pravinchandra J. Patel, Esq. provides an analytical overview of this statute with some practical procedural guidance.

Survey Of New York Area Day Laborers Finds That They Earn Considerably More Than The $5.15 Hourly Minimum Wage Rate
The New York Times reports "In the first attempt to survey the informal system that provides workers for painting, landscaping, construction and housekeeping jobs in the NY metropolitan area, a study has found that ...they earn, on average, $9.37 an hour in the spring and summer and $7.61 an hour during the slower winter months."

How Do I Bring My Parents to Live in the US?
Read a comprehensive answer from BCIS on what how US citizens can bring their parents to live permanently in the US.

ILW Highlights

New Seminar On Labor Certs

ILW.COM is pleased to announce a new telephone seminar series ""Labor"-Intensive Immigration Practice: Advanced DOL Strategies on the Eve of PERM." For more info, including detailed curriculum, speaker bios, and registration information online, click here.
For more info, including detailed curriculum, speaker bios, and registration information by fax, click here.

Letters to Editors

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

Dear Editor:
My name is Margaret Wong, and I have been an immigration attorney in the city of Cleveland for over twenty years. As an American-born immigrant myself, I believe it is imperative to understand both the culture of the US and our ability to assimilate to it. To that end, I have attached a 2 page survey (pdf) to gather information that will benefit the immigrant population as a whole by defining both the benefits and concerns of the populace. Your answers to these questions will be kept anonymous and the information gathered from them will be made available to you at a later date. I thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this survey.

Margaret W. Wong

Dear Editor:
In response to your editorial, I'm a Californian (probably match the description of a WASP) ... and am embarrassed to know [Rep. Rohrabacher (R-CA)] represents my state. Admittedly I subscribe to Immigrant's Weekly because I've been working in immigration-related areas for large and small companies this past 6 years. However, I feel blessed to have had this opportunity. I have met so many wonderful people from so many countries, have developed a respect for their cultures and for their work ethics. The young green card holders who have died in this war represent yet another facet of immigration that I was previously unaware of.

Name Not Provided

Dear Editor:
In response to Corr's letter to the editor, take your son with you, and don't let the door hit you in the backside.

Name Not Provided

Immigrant Life

This site......

A study in the prestigious Archives of General Psychiatry provided a glimpse into the power of culture to cause mental illness.

The study compared the mental health of Mexican immigrants to US-born Mexican Americans.Despite having much less money and access to health care, the recent immigrants had one half the mental health problems of their richer, more Americanized counterparts. But still there's an exchange, you get material benefits, although you trade off emotional support. And of course such "affluenza," as other researchers have dubbed this problem, can be tranquilized by medication but not cured by it. As why our culture makes us so ill that we need psychiatric drugs, are being ignored, mainly because they lend themselves to political answers, not biological ones. This study about immigrant mental health, for example, disappeared with almost no media attention, though it certainly raised profound and urgent questions. (Post your reply).

This week's chat schedule

When	Attorney
Monday, April 14 8:00 pm Eastern Time	Ronald Falconi, Esq.
Wednesday, April 16 8:00 pm Eastern Time	Mitch Berenson, Esq.
Friday, April 18 8:00 pm Eastern Time	Fariba Faiz, Esq.

Classifieds

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