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Editor's Comments
Legislative Process For Immigration Reform Begins
The long road to making immigration reform legislation a reality began with the hearing before the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration in response to President Bush's temporary guest worker initiative. It is the first Congressional hearing on broad-based immigration reform. The Cornyn bill, the McCain-Kolbe bill, and the Hagel-Daschle bill, have not received any hearings in Congress yet. The AgJobs bill, still pending before the Senate, is not broad-based immigration reform since it affects only a fraction of the people who would be impacted under President Bush's immigration reform initiative. The Senate's hearing has begun the process to convert President Bush's immigration reform vision into reality. Immigration Daily will keep you on top of this matter as it develops over the course of 2004. To read testimony and statements from the "Evaluating a Temporary Guest Worker Proposal" hearing, see below.
ILW.COM Focus
Meet The SWA Chiefs - Outstanding Event In Labor Certs
For the first time ever, the four SWAs where the largest number of labor
certifications are filed - California, Texas, New York and Florida - will
speak before a national audience. These four SWAs put together receive
almost half the labor certification applications filed in the US, and this
notable occasion will bring them together in a telephonic seminar broadcast
nationwide to labor cert practitioners. In addition to the SWA chiefs, two
prevailing wage experts are on the speaker roster which also includes
several labor certification luminaries. Here is the speaker round-up for
this memorable happening.
- SWA Chiefs: Deborah Cusimano (CA), David J. Mance (NY), Richard Souder (TX), Sandra Stafford (FL)
- Prevailing Wage Analysts: Jeneace O'Brien (CA), Danny Romans (FL)
- Distinguished Practitioners: Angelo A. Paparelli, Jonathan C. Adams, Lawrence D. Bastone, Rebecca P. Burdette, Josie Gonzalez, Catherine L. Haight, Joel Stewart
Even the proposed PERM rule contemplates that the SWA role in prevailing
wages will continue. And as the PERM interim final rule remains "always
coming but never really arriving", the SWAs' central role in the labor
certification process is likely to be with us for some time to come.
Everyone involved in labor certs will benefit by being part of this unique
seminar series. The seminar is offered by phone, so law offices around the
country can participate. It is also a great training tool for the entire
law firm staff (one registration covers everyone sharing a speakerphone).
The seminar includes an in-depth Q&A period where you can pose questions
regarding your cases to the SWA representatives and distinguished
practitioners on the panel. The deadline to register is Monday, February
23rd. For more info, including detailed curriculum, speaker bios, and
registration information, see: http://www.ilw.com/seminars/february2004.shtm. (Fax version: http://www.ilw.com/seminars/february2004.pdf.)
Featured Article
Undocumented Immigrants: Facts And Figures
Jeffrey S. Passel, Randy Capps, and Michael Fix et al. of the Urban Institute Immigration Studies Program provide basic descriptive data on the undocumented population in the US.
Keep on top of the latest in immigration law! Attend ILW.COM seminars! You can attend ILW.COM phone seminars from the convenience of your office! For more info on the seminars currently available, please click here: http://www.ilw.com/seminars/
Immigration Law News
Senate Judiciary Testimony On Temporary Guest Worker Program
The Senate Subcommittee on Immigration conducted a hearing "Evaluating a Temporary Guest Worker Proposal". The hearing included testimony received from the following: Asa Hutchinson Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security Directorate, DHS; Eduardo Aguirre, Director USCIS; Steven J. Law, Deputy Secretary, DOL; Richard R. Birkman, President Texas Roofing Company; Demetrios Papademetriou, Co-director Migration Policy Institute; Charles Cervantes, General Counsel U.S. - Mexico Chamber of Commerce; Vernon Briggs, Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations Cornell University. Statements were made at the hearing by the following Senators: Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
Lack Of Credibility Cannot Be Sole Basis For Denial Of CAT Claim
In Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, No. 01-4071 (2nd Cir. Feb. 3, 2004), the court said that the BIA may not deny an alien's CAT claim solely on the basis of its determination that the applicant's testimony was not credible" in a case involving a petition for asylum based on Petitioner's status as a member of the Tamil ethnic minority in Sri Lanka.
Lawmakers Says Immigration Legislation May Not Pass
The Sacramento Bee reports "The Senate on Thursday kicked off an immigration reform debate that features as many obstacles as possibilities. Politically, influential lawmakers concede, that may translate into stagnation in this presidential election year."
Two Notario Organizations Busted For Defrauding Immigrants
The Wilson County News of Texas reports "[Texas] Attorney General Greg Abbott dealt a blow to two large operations in the Rio Grande Valley that scammed immigrants throughout the region by engaging in the unauthorized practice of law."
Attorney listings on ILW.COM are searched 200,000 times/year! Each attorney listed is searched an average of once each day! Just one new client will pay for the entire year's fee! Click here for more info: http://www.ilw.com/membership/
Classifieds
Help Wanted: Experienced Immigration Attorney
The Law Office of Lee & Kent seeks an immigration attorney with 5+ years of business immigration experience for its immigration law practice. Qualified candidate must thrive in a busy office setting, work efficiently and effectively, and possess excellent writing and analytical skills. The firm has a well-established immigration practice in the Los Angeles, CA area, and handles a full spectrum of immigration issues. Lee and Kent is a general practice law firm, with practices in business litigation, bankruptcy, and criminal law. We offer an excellent benefits and compensation package. Fax resume and cover letter along with salary requirements to 213-380-2826 or email Justin M. Lee, Esq., hiring partner at info@us-lawoffice.com (no phone calls please).
Help Wanted: Immigration Attorney And Paralegal
An immigration law firm has openings for 2 positions - an immigration attorney and a paralegal - to join its Fairfield County, CT office. Minimum 1-year employment-based immigration experience is preferred for both attorney and paralegal positions. Email cover letter, resume + salary requirements, along with the position sought to: jameslaw1000@hotmail.com. This is a blind listing. Qualified applicants will be contacted directly by the firm.
Case Management Technology
Do you want to grow your immigration business in today's market? If so, let Emaximm help. Successful attorneys invest in the best technology to run their practice, so they can maximize the use of their time. Emaximm technology uses automation and easy to use tools that allow immigration attorneys to maximize their resources and improve profitability. Just enter a sample case in Emaximm and have your prospects and clients log into their client center for instant status
and dialogue with your firm. No hidden costs, no setup fees, no per case fee, free phone support.
Best of breed technology for a simple price tag. Test it out. You'll find
it will be your smartest immigration tool. Visit our website at: https://www.emaximm.com to sign up for a test drive. For more information, email us at testdrive@Emaximm.com or call us at either one of our locations: Michigan: (248) 844-1200 x 204 or New Jersey: (732) 423-5159.
Immigration Law Books
Reserve your 2004 copies now. No immigration attorney should be without a complete, up-to-date reference library for all his/her primary resource needs. The 2004 edition of The Whole Act – INA, provides annotations, footnotes, editorial notes, updated Topical Index with a separate Index of Appendices, and 49 Appendices, to help both novice and experienced practitioners alike efficiently navigate the complex labryinth of immigration statutes. The 2004 edition of regulations in 2 volumes (both immigration regulations – 8 CFR – and all immigration-related regulations of the DOL, DOS, and DOJ) includes the latest changes in the regulations + handy and most detailed Topical Indices for each. The 2004 edition of Patel's Citations, covering the history and treatment of all reported administrative precedent decisions under immigration and nationality law, keeps you abreast of the status and standing of all such immigration citations (e.g., reversed, affirmed, modified, followed or not followed, criticized, distinguished, etc.). This entire reference library consisting of the Act, Regulations, and Citations, is an indispensable reference tool that you will reach for day after day. Reserve your 2004 editions now. We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're not satisfied with your purchase within 30 days of receipt, you can request a full refund - no questions asked. The 2004 editions will arrive hot off the presses (target publication March 2004). For more information or to reserve your pre-publication advance copies see here.
We carry advertisements for Help Wanted: Attorney, Help Wanted: Paralegal, Help Wanted: Other, Positions Sought, Products & Services Offered, etc.
For information on advertising in the classifieds please click here
For a listing of current immigration events please click here
For services/products of use in your law practice please click here
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor:
As you might have heard, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott recently shut down
two large "notario" scams in South Texas: Uresti Immigration and Trámites
Migratorios. The businesses are believed to have defrauded hundreds of
immigrants.
The Office of the Texas Attorney General worked in cooperation with Hidalgo County
and Cameron County District Attorneys, who are pursuing criminal charges
against the principals. The Texas Attorney General also filed independent civil
lawsuits pursuant to the State Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and courts
in the two counties granted the Texas Attorney General's request
for a temporary injunction against the businesses.
This is the first time that I know of that the "notario" criminal statute
is being applied, as amended in the Government Code in 2001.
Paul Parsons, Chair
State Bar of Texas Committee on Laws Relating to Immigration & Nationality
Dear Editor:
I have seen readers request in the letters to the Editor, links to news items in Immigration Daily that no longer work. For example, I have been able, since ILW.COM first published it, to access the report on the Taiwanese student deported.
Typing the phrase "taiwan student deported" would result in enough information about it.
I find difficult to believe that people interested a particular article do not know how to access the links ILW.COM publishes, when the title of the subject is enough to find the report online, even if you post a wrong link by mistake, by simply using such title in a search engine.
M. Schwartz
An Important disclaimer! The information provided on this page is not legal advice.
Transmission of this information is not intended to create, and receipt by you does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Readers must not act upon any information without first seeking advice from a
qualified attorney. Send Correspondence and articles to editor@ilw.com. Letters and articles may be edited and may be published and otherwise used in any medium. Opinions expressed in letters and articles do not necessarily reflect the opinion of ILW.COM.
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