US Immigration News & Commentary

The USCIS may not be the best organized government agency on the planet. There was a bit of a scandal about the intentional destruction of files that were backlogged if I recall correctly. Now it’s been discovered that they lost over 100000 files of naturalization applicants.

I wonder how many non-natz cases they’ve lost. Considering that it’s happened to more than one client of mine, I’m guessing it’s lots. The agency which has gone through numerous name changes since 9/11 really needs a top to bottom overhaul and some modernization to deal with the millions of cases that they handle a year.

More on the USCIS here.

According to a new study by the Rand corporation, undocumented immigrants use relatively little health care resources, in part because they are generally healthier than their American counterparts. See more here.

Utilizing the recently signed Military Commisions Act, the Bush administration is making the claim that immigrants can be taken from US soil and deprived of all rights. Ali Saleh Kahlah Al-Marri, was arrested in 2001 while studying in the US. He has been labeled an “enemy combatant” and is being detained. The label can’t be challenged in court and neither can his detention, according to a reading of the MCA. His lawyers are arguing that the lack of judicial review is unconstitional. This is another good reason to become a US Citizen as soon as you possibly can.

I said it in forums other than here; the GOP stance on immigration was going to hurt or doom their party for many years. I expected it to take a generation or so to catch up with them but it appears that it has already started. In the 2006, midterm elections the Latino vote went heavily for Democrats while being just about evenly split in the 2004 elections. As the fastest growing group in the United States the Latino vote must be considered when policy issues are on the table. Legislation such as HR4437 that makes everyone who assists any undocumented person or person who overstayed their visa a felon (which would include family, clergy, lawyers) is so xenophobic (as were many of the GOP campaigns this year) and clearly devastating to mixed-status families that there will most certainly be a backlash. When I went to the immigration marches the main focus was on advocating for a sensible immigration bill and stopping such HR4437. With the takeover of the House by Democrats I predict that HR4437 is now dead. It looks America, with the help of the Latino vote, is moving towards a sensible immigration strategy. I doubt it will be perfect but it will certainly be better than what was proposed in the House.

ESCONDIDO, California (Reuters) – U.S. rights groups filed a federal lawsuit on Friday seeking to overturn an ordinance in the southern California city of Escondido that prevents landlords from renting homes to illegal immigrants.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union’s San Diego chapter led five other organizations in the suit against the city, located 50 miles north of the border with Mexico.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in San Diego to challenge a measure, passed 3-2 last month by councilors in this prosperous commuter city, that would prevent landlords to prove the legal immigration status of tenants.
More about this immigration matter here.

Interesting maps showing the distribution of permanent residents and naturalized citizens in the US. here and here.