A Note from the Editors:

Arnold Schwarzenegger And Immigration

Austrian immigrant Arnold Schwarznegger is one of the leading contenders for Governor of California in the recall election scheduled for October 4th in that state. Being the largest state in the nation, and in many ways the front line in the unfolding story of immigration today, the role of immigration in that election bears notice. Mr. Schwarzenegger voted for Proposition 187, the notorious anti-immigrant measure that apparently cost the Republican Party dearly in California. However, in recent days, he has sounded somewhat less anti-immigration, e.g. the following quote on undocumented immigrants in the San Francisco Chronicle: "These are people that are working here, many of them are working here for many, many, many years, and doing a great job. And so we have to figure out how we handle that." It appears that Mr. Schwarzenegger is looking for ways to include the 10,000,000 undocumented into our polity in recognition of the fact that they are already de facto Americans. In this he joins many ordinary Americans, who do not like undocumented immigration, but cannot stomach the Gestapo-style techniques that would necessarily be required if the anti-immigration lobby's dream of mass deportation were to be realized. According to current polls, it appears that either Mr. Bustamante, the current Lt. Governor of California (and son of immigrants) or Mr. Schwarzenegger will succeed Mr. Davis as Governor of California. In either event, California will see either an immigrant or son of immigrants elected Governor of our nation's largest state, home to almost 1 in 8 Americans.

Articles

Refugee Women At Risk: All Parts Compiled (Parts 1-4)
Eleanor Acer et al. of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights describe how recent US laws have undermined the ability of refugee women to obtain asylum.

Lawyers Committee Mourns Death of Arthur C. Helton in U.N. Bombing: Helton, Built LCHR's Refugee Program
Jill Savitt of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights writes "When the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights was founded in 1978, one of its programs was devoted to helping win asylum in the US for those fleeing political and religious persecution in their home countries. Helton took that idea and created an innovative - and now much replicated - pro bono representation program for asylum seekers."

"X" Marks The Spot: The Nexus Between Requirements & Duties In H-1B Specialty Occupation Job Offers
Alice Yardum-Hunter writes "Where the "employer normally requires a degree," it is important to differentiate between similar positions at different levels, some of which may require a degree, while others would not."

EOIR Announces Disciplinary Actions Against 6 Attorneys
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) of the Department of Justice has taken disciplinary action against six attorneys after charging them with violations of the rules of professional conduct for immigration practitioners.

BCIS Says 56,000 H-1B Petitions Filed To Date In FY '03
The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that during the first three quarters of FY 2003 it approved 56,986 H1-B petitions.

DOJ Says 450 Trafficking Victims Have Received T Visa Status
The Department of Justice released its report assessing US efforts to combat human trafficking, including the fact that approximately 450 victims of trafficking have obtained T Visa immigration benefits.

DV 2005 - The Diversity Lottery - New Technology or a Trap?
Bernard P. Wolfsdorf and Naveen Rahman write " Now more than ever, DV applicants must be advised of the risks and potential legal vulnerabilities."

DOS Provides 2005 DV Program Instructions
The Bureau of Consular Services of the Department of State provided information on how to apply for the 2005 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2005).

GAO Says DHS Needs To Address Vulnerabilities Of Border Inspections Process
The Government Accounting Office released its letter to BCBP Commissioner Bonner where it addressed the result of its review of the immigration-related inspections at land border ports, including its recommendations.

Top Ten Search Engine Optimization Myths
Peter Boyd, Esq. provides an answer to some of the most common queries on search engine optimization misconceptions.

How Do I Remove the Conditions on Permanent Residence Based on Marriage?
Read a detailed response from the BCIS on how to remove your conditional permanent residence based on marriage.

ILW Highlights

Immigration Daily Archives On CD-ROM

ILW.COM is pleased to announce the launch of our new CD-ROM product. The CD-ROM has 3 years of immigration law material from the Immigration Daily archives with a powerful, easy-to-use search engine. You can find articles, letters to the Editor, cases, Federal Register announcements, INS memoranda, and more. This CD-ROM gives you the convenience of having 3 entire years of the Immigration Daily archives on your computer - no need to worry about long download times for large documents from the internet! To order, please see: http://www.ilw.com/resources/ (for the fax version of the order form, please see: http://www.ilw.com/resources/faxorderformcdrom.pdf).

Letters to Editors

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

None this week.

Immigrant Life

What is a Social Security Card?

A Social Security number and card is used by the government to keep track of earnings and witholdings. The Social Security witholdings are disbursed to people who have retired or are disabled.

Why is a Social Security Card important?

It is needed before you can obtain other things. For example, you cannot open most checking accounts or get a credit card without a social security card. Many organizations and schools use this number to identify people.

Steps:

1. Locate the Social Security Office in your area.

2. Stop by your local office to get an application or download a printable application from the Social Security Administration Web site.

3. Bring the application and supporting documents to your local office.

   You cannot mail the application. Most importantly, you will need to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status, which means bringing your visa or green card. You will also need a document that proves your age and who you are. A birth certificate or a school record is suitable. Driver's license, Marriage or divorce record, Military records, Employer ID card, Adoption record, Insurance policy , Passport , Health Insurance card (not a Medicare card) and School ID card are all other forms that can be used for identification. They must be original documents or certified copies of the documents.

4. Wait for your card.

   You will receive the card by mail in a few weeks. Be sure to give them a correct address. If you do not have a permanent address, use the address of a friend or your business address.

More Information on getting a Social Security Card.

Have a story that you'd like to share with us? Send your story as an immigrant to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.

This week's chat schedule

ILW.COM announces that as of May 2nd, all chats will be held at 7:00 pm Eastern Time.

When	Attorney
Monday, Sep 1 7:00 pm Eastern Time	No Chat Scheduled
Wednesday, Sep 3 7:00 pm Eastern Time	Alice Yardum-Hunter, Esq.
Friday, Sep 5 7:00 pm Eastern Time	To be announced

Classifieds

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