Previous Issues:

Sept 15, 2008 -  Nine American citizens sued the federal government, challenging the U.S. Department of States¡¯ refusal to issue them passports because of their race and ancestry and because their births were attended by midwives. The class action lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations. For countless Latinos who were delivered by midwives in the Southeast and don¡¯t have a birth certificate, trying to obtain a passport has become an exercise in futility

July 15, 2008 -  Federal immigration agents and state police raided six Rhode Island courthouses on July 15, 2008, arresting dozens of people, all believed to be maintenance workers, employed by two contractors hired by the state. The raid led to a noisy demonstration by at least 100 people outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office at 200 Dyer St.    Some in the crowd were relatives of the arrestees. Others included clergy and at least one state representative, Grace Diaz, and members of immigrant advocacy groups.

June 15, 2008 -  President Bush signed a new law amending portions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow certain spouses of members of the military to naturalize overseas where they are stationed.  Before January 2008, these spouses could only naturalize while physically within the United States.  With all the immigrant bashing that is taking place nowadays, the reality is that the 21 new citizens fighting for the U.S. were born in American Samoa, China, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Great Britain, Grenada, Haiti, Hungary, Israel, Jamaica, Liberia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia and Togo.

May 15, 2008 -   Federal officials moved about 40 immigrants out to detention centers in the western United States in April after a riot broke out at a Lancaster detention center in which deputies used tear gas to quell the riot which allegedly involved the South Siders and Paisa gangs, according to a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

April 15, 2008 -   U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on February 12, 2008, that more than 52,000 employers have voluntarily signed up to participate in E-Verify, the federal government¡¯s web-based employment authorization verification program.  USCIS claims that the program has been growing approximately 1,000 new employers each week since October 2007.

March 15, 2008 -   Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates asked Congress to make it easier for techo companies to hire foreign workers - even though some members of Congress want to make it harder.  Gates testified before the House Committee on Science and Technology and said that the USA faces ¡°a critical shortfall of skilled scientists and engineers.¡±  Improvements in education would help, but more visas for skilled workers are desperately needed, he said.

February 15, 2008 -   USCIS will continue to request name checks from the FBI once the I-485, I-601, I-687 and I-698 applications are received; however, the FBI has ¡°committed¡± to provide name check results within 180 days of receiving requests.  Per the new memo: If the name check result has been pending for more than 180 days, the adjudicator shall approve the application and issue a Green Card.

January 15, 2008 -  The Federal Court of Canada has struck down an agreement that barred thousands of refugees from seeking refugee status in Canada, saying the U.S. does not meet international refugee protection requirements, nor does it respect international conventions against torture.

November 15, 2007 -  The Governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, who planned to give illegal aliens drivers licenses changed his mind and now dropped the idea because of overwhelming public opposition.  Spitzer, a Democrat, proposed the initiative in an effort to improve safety in New York, home to at least one million illegal aliens who drive and work in New York.

October 15, 2007 -  President George W. Bush has issued Proclamation 8158, entitled ¡°Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons Responsible for Policies or Actions that Threaten Lebanon¡¯s Sovereignty and Democracy.¡±

July 15, 2007 -  One of the oft repeated contentions by immigrant haters is that they are more likely to commit predatory crimes than native-born American citizens.  Although numerous studies have proven the opposite, restrictionists and media continue to propagate images of immigrant communities plagued by crime.  Now, finally, the nation¡¯s experts on immigration and crime are speaking out.

June 15, 2007 -  There is a good chance that Congress will pass, and President Bush will sign, a new Immigration Law.  If it happens, it would benefit many people.  But as of this day, it is still not a sure thing.

April 15, 2007 -  Congress is about to discuss again the much needed immigration reform law.  However, it seems that a lot of the talk is just lip service and the President is not willing or unable to pressure his own party to finally resolve the terrible situation that is hurting our economy.

February 15, 2007 -  As the 110th Congress begins its first full week in session, members of Congress have already introduced a flurry of immigration-related legislation.

December 15, 2006 -  Now that the elections are over and the Democrats will control the House of Representatives and the Senate, we believe that an Immigration Reform Act is coming..

January 15, 2005 -  H-1B and L-1 workers and their spouses and minor children are eligible to recapture days spent outside the United States and extend their H-1 or L status by the same amount of time.

November 15, 2005 -  If an alien convicted of a crime, or has been cited, he/she must disclose such incident prior to naturalization.

October 15, 2005 -  At the time of adjustment interview, most officers continue to fail to inform males between 18 - 26 of the requirement to register for Selective Service.

September 15, 2005 -  In situations where an applicant for an immigrant visa has been denied admission to the U.S., often the only way is to file an application for a waiver claiming that denial of admission will result in extreme hardship to the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse parent or child of such alien.

August 15, 2005 -  President Bush signed an emergency spending bill in May with an unrelated rider that denies drivers licenses to illegal aliens.  At the National Governors?Association meeting in Iowa, both Democrats and Republicans denounced the measure known as Real ID Act as impractical and vastly underfunded. 

July 15, 2005 -  If you are a citizen of a Visa Waiver Program-designated country, you are allowed to apply for admission for 90 days or less as a non-immigrant visitor for business or pleasure without first obtaining a U.S. non-immigrant visa.

April 15, 2005 -  Congress is poised to pass and the White House to sign, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill (H.R. 1268) that would support the military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and tsunami relief efforts.

January 15, 2005 -  When Congress returns, your Senators and Representatives may be voting on intelligence reform legislation.

October 15, 2004 - The USCIS announced recently that it has received enough H-1B petitions to meeting the congressionally-mandated cap for fiscal year 2005.

August 15, 2004 - The Los Angeles Times recently published a major editorial regarding “Broken Immigration Policy?

May 15, 2004 - Very recently, Federal courts approved final settlements in the CSS and LULAC (Newman) legalization cases.  These settlements will provide legalization of status to very many aliens who are still residing illegally in the United States.

February 15, 2004 - On December 31, 2003, the 5,500 annual numerical cap imposed on Mexican TN non-immigrants (TN special visa for Canadians and Mexicans created as a result of NAFTA) ended.

January 15, 2004 - On Wednesday, January 7, 2004, President George W. Bush delivered a speech in the White House, in which he laid out his ideas about a reform in Immigration laws of the U.S.

October 15, 2003 - On October 15, 2003, the President signed into law a new law that will extend the special immigrant religious workers program for an additional five years.

September 15, 2003 - The Special Immigration Religious Worker Program expired on September 30, 2003, but the House and the Senate have taken up legislation to extend the program for an additional five years.

August 15, 2003 - Republican and Democratic senators got together and introduced the  “Dream Act?

June 15, 2003 - The Kentucky Consular Center has registered and notified the winners of the DV 2004 Diversity Lottery.  Approximately 110,000 applicants have been registered and notified and they may now apply for an immigrant visa.

May 15, 2003 - Pursuant to the Homeland Security Act, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of State, is responsible for establishing entry/exit system.

April 15, 2003 - Latinos have been giving up their lives for the United States?
Is it not time to legalize their families and friends rather than fight them as if they were all terrorists?

March 15, 2003 - A new era has started.  INS ended its life as a separate agency and has been absorbed by the new Homeland Security Department.  As of March 1, 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service ceased to exist.  

Jan 15, 2003 - Senator Russell Feingold, Senator Edward Kennedy and Congressman John Conyers sent a letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft requesting the suspension of the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System until Congress conducts a complete and thorough review of the program.

October 15, 2002 - One of the results of 9/11 are the new “special registration? provisions that have been enacted for certain foreigners.

September 15, 2002 - Dick Gephard, House Minority Leader, introduced legislation this month that will allow millions of illegal aliens to legalize their stay.

August 15, 2002 - Applications for Employment Based Permanent Residency Cases May be Expedited

July 15, 2002 - The number of permanent residents seeking U.S. citizenship from Oct. 1, 2001 to May 31, 2002 increased 65% over the same period beginning in 2000.

June 15, 2002 - President Bush urged Congress to help create a new single cabinet agency that would gather more than 100 federal entities involved with domestic security issues.

May 15, 2002 - The Senate panel passed a security bill on April 19, 2002

April 15, 2002 - Remarkable benefits may accrue to an alien if a marriage can be established in a jurisdiction that recognizes common law marriages. 

February 15, 2002 - The House of Representatives voted on an extension of Section 245(i) to the end of November, 2002.

January 15, 2002 - The Department of Labor had issued a final rule that allows employers to submit “Labor Condition Applications?(LCAs)electronically via web-based forms.

November 15, 2001 - The United States Congress passed the USA Patriot Act of 2001 as a direct result of the September 11, 2001 attack on the U.S.

October 15, 2001 - The September 11 attack at the World Trader Center has awakened the U.S. to a new reality.

September 15, 2001 - Entries for the Diversity Visa Lottery must be filed between noon on Monday, October 2, 2000 and noon on Wednesday, November 1, 2000.

May 15, 2001 - EL SALVADOR DESIGNATED FOR TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS (TPS) FOLLOWING DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKES

January 15, 2001 - Aliens in the U.S. without proof of legal entry, could not apply for a Green Card - even if married to an American citizen.

November 15, 2000 - The U.S. Immigration Service announces that effective Dec. 15, 1999, it will start to adjudicate again those H-1B visa petitions subject to the 115,000 cap.

September 15, 2000 - DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT VISA PROGRAM (DV-2002)

April 15, 2000 - NEW PROCEDURES FOR J-1 WAIVERS

January 15, 2000 - H-1B VISAS

October 15, 1999 - certain convictions for drunk driving as the equivalent of "crimes of violence"

September 15, 1999 - 2001 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program

July 15, 1999 - 110,000 applicants for the DV-2000 visa lottery

June 15, 1999 - Waiting for U.S. Citizenship?

May 15, 1999 - The U. S. Immigration & Naturalization Service is now conducting "sweeps".

April 15, 1999 - The Board of Immigration Appeals came down with a decision on March 3, 1999 which further proves the "toughening" attitude towards aliens.

March 15, 1999 - The Immigration Service is making great efforts to process the huge mountain of applications for citizenship

February 15, 1999 - Good news for Salvadoreans and Guatemalans (and also citizens fo former East Block countries)!!!

October 15, 1998 - U.S. Immigration & Naturalizaion Service Institutes Interim Rule for Nurses and Occupational Therapists

August 15, 1998 - Diversity Immigration (DV-2000) Visa Program Lottery Registration Begins October 1, 1998

June 15, 1998 - Nicaraguans and Cubans can now apply for adjustment of status

May 15, 1998 - Available H-1 Visas for Fiscal Year 1997 Have Run Out