[July 15, 2008]

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¨ù                 that the department of Justice had announced that the Board of Immigration Appeals had affirmed an order directing the removal of Josias Kumpf, 83, due to his participation in Nazi-sponsored crimes of persecution during World War II?

¨ù                 that contrary to what people think, undocumented workers are not (and have never been) eligible to claim social security benefits?

¨ù                 that moreover, most undocumented workers use a false social security number to prove work authorization,  paying money into a benefit system that they will never be eligible to use?

¨ù                 that according to the Social Security Administration (SSA), undocumented immigrants ¡°account for a major portion¡± of the billions of dollars paid into the Social Security system under names or social security numbers that don¡¯t match SSA records?

¨ù                 As of October 2005, the reported earnings on which these payments are based—which are tracked through the SSA¡¯s Earnings Suspense File (ESF)—totaled $520 billion?

¨ù                 that additional agreements were entered for visa waiver program with Bulgaria, South Korea, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and the Czech Republic?

¨ù                 that a notice of proposed rulemaking was published to extend for one year to maximum of a trade - NAFTA (TN) professional worker from Canada or Mexico?

¨ù                 that the proposed rule is intended to ease the administrative burden on TN nonimmigrants and their U.S. employers, as well as to make the TN classification a more workable alternative to other nonimmigrant classifications (such as H-1B or L-1) for Canadian and Mexican citizens?

¨ù                 that TN classification is available to qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens who seek temporary entry into the United States to engage in professional employment in specific occupations set forth in the North American Free Trade Agreement?

¨ù                 that the spouses and unmarried minor children of TN nonimmigrants may be granted TD nonimmigrant status, but are not permitted to work in the United States?

¨ù                 that the proposed rule will further allow eligible TN nonimmigrants to be granted an extension of stay in increments of up to three years, as opposed to the current maximum of one year.?

¨ù                 that on May 12, 2008, around 900 agents from ICE gathered in the  town of Postville, Iowa to execute what would be, according to one of these agents, ¡°the largest single-site operation of its kind in American history?¡±

¨ù                 that what happened next will go down as one of the most shameful days this nation has ever known?

¨ù                 that had it not been for the heroic actions of one man, a first hand witness, a man driven by bravery and moral outrage to report on and remove the shroud of secrecy from what he was about to see, the events of this date, and the subsequent ill-treatment and sufferings of hundreds of people who were affected as a result, might never have been recorded or noticed at all?

¨ù                 that close to 400 hard working individuals were arrested at the Agriprocessors meat packing plant in Postville that day?

¨ù                 that these individuals were seized by ICE agents for working without authorization, the result of their undocumented immigration status?

¨ù                 that the majority, according to a story in The New York Times, expected, even hoped, they would simply be deported, mostly so that they could find some other way of providing necessary financial support to their families back home?

¨ù                 but in a chilling and courageous essay, Professor Erik Camayd-Freixas, an interpreter summoned to act as a court translator on behalf of those arrested, explained that for over 260 of these individuals, what they received instead--and how they were treated in the process--was a far cry from what they ever expected or imagined from the country that touts itself as "the greatest nation on earth," built and supported largely by its veritable "melting pot" of immigrants?  

¨ù                 that there are more stories of fines and arrests by ICE such as the case of a company that owns 11 McDonald's restaurants in Nevada that was fined one million dollars recently after pleading guilty to employing 58 illegal aliens?

¨ù                 that according to the U.S. Department of Justice, the company, Mack Associates Inc., knew the employees were illegal aliens and had offered them names and social security numbers belonging to other people which is a very serious Federal crime violation?

¨ù                 that the company pleaded guilty in federal court in Las Vegas to conspiracy to encourage and induce an illegal alien's unlawful residence in the United States and aiding and abetting an alien to remain in the country?

¨ù                 that the company's director of operations also pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an illegal alien to remain in the country?

¨ù                 that the former vice president of Mack Associates also pleaded guilty to inducing an illegal alien to remain in the United States and faced a possible sentence of up to five years in prison and a 250,000 dollar fine?

¨ù                 that about 30 of the illegal workers were immediately deported to their native countries while the rest were allowed to stay in the United States as witnesses until the case closes?

¨ù                  that by July 13, 2008, only 23,589 H-2B petitions have been counted towards the 33,000 cap for the first half of 2009?

¨ù                 that the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced today that, effective July 21, 2008, documents filed with EOIR¡¯s immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) should indicate 9-digit alien registration numbers (A numbers)?

¨ù                 that for cases with a 9-digit A number, all digits must be provided. For cases with an 8-digit A number, a zero (0) must be inserted before the 8 digits?

¨ù                 that for example, A##-###-### should be provided as A0##-###-###?

¨ù                 that no document filings will be rejected in the foreseeable future for mistakenly failing to do so?

¨ù                 that 9-digit A numbers will also be required to access immigration case status information through EOIR¡¯s automated telephone system, which can be reached by dialing (703) 305-1662 or 1-800-898-7180 (toll-free)?

¨ù                 that the system will direct callers to enter a zero (0) before the 8 digits of an 8-digit A number?