[February 15, 2008]

IMMIGRATION JUDGES

¨ù                 that there are 213 immigration judges working in 54 different courts?

¨ù                 that immigration judges are lifetime appointments and they serve at the pleasure of the attorney general?

¨ù                 that their decisions can be overturned by the head of the Justice Department?

¨ù                 that the credibility of the immigration court system has been called into question for a while now and politicizing the court has been a major concern?

GUILTY BUSINESSMEN

¨ù                 that two Chinese businessmen in Virginia pled guilty to charges arising from an immigration fraud conspiracy?

¨ù                 that they owned a construction company and submitted to the Department of Labor and other governmental agencies, fraudulent immigration-related documents to obtain permanent residence?

¨ù                 that the aliens never worked for the company?

NEW PROPOSED RULES FOR H-2A WORKERS

¨ù                 that the Department of Labor posted proposed regulations for obtaining  H-2A temporary Labor Certification permits?

CANADIAN BORDER

¨ù                 that Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to get into Canada as border agents with better access to American criminal databases are turning people back for offenses ranging from assault to drunken driving to shoplifting?

¨ù                 that Americans took nearly 44 million trips to Canada in 2000, according to Canadian statistics and the federal government¡¯s statistical agency?

¨ù                 that fewer than 29 million made the trip in 2006?

H-2B VISAS

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¨ù                 that the H-2B category allows U. S. employers in industries with  peak load, seasonal, or intermittent needs to augment their existing labor force with temporary workers?

¨ù                 that typically, H-2B workers fill labor needs in occupational areas such as construction, health care, landscaping,  lumber, manufacturing, food service/processing, and resort/hospitality services?

¨ù                 that H-2B numerical limit set by Congress per fiscal year is 66,000?

¨ù                 that the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act of 2005 (SOS Act) divided the annual numerical limitation into two halves?

¨ù                 that USCIS regulations allow for filings six months in advance?

¨ù                 that the cap of 33,000 for the first half of FY2008 was met on September 27, 2007?

¨ù                 that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released     H-2B statistics for the second half of Fiscal Year (FYI) 2008?

¨ù                 that as of December 10, 2007, the agency had received filings for 13, 434 H-2B beneficiaries?

¨ù                 that of these, 5,267 cases have been approved, and 8,167 cases were still pending on December 10?

US. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE)

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¨ù                 that in fiscal year 2007, ICE made more than 4,900 arrests in connection with worksite enforcement investigations, including 863 involving criminal violations?

¨ù                 that this represents a 45-fold increase in criminal worksite arrests compared to fiscal year 2001?

¨ù                 that in addition, ICE obtained more than $31 million in criminal fines, restitutions and civil judgments in fiscal year 2007 as a result of worksite related enforcement actions?

GREEN CARDS WITH NO EXPIRATION DATE ARE STILL VALID

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¨ù                 that U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a statement clarifying that despite recent  rumors, Permanent Resident Cards (¡°Green Cards¡±) with no expiration date are still valid, and lawful permanent residents carrying such cards will continue to receive all appropriate benefits?

LABOR CERTIFICATIONS UPDATE

¨ù                 that approximately 85,112 cases were certified during the four calendar quarters of FY2007?

¨ù                 that the top five states of intended employment for these permanent labor certifications were California (20,222), New York (8,843), New Jersey (6,594), and Florida (5,128)?

¨ù                 that alien beneficiaries representing 176 different countries were certified for permanent employment in the U.S.?

¨ù                 that the top 10 countries of citizenship of alien beneficiaries included India (24,573), China (6,846), Mexico (6,442), South Korea (5,159), Canada (4,837), Philippines (4,821), United Kingdom (1,8111), Taiwan (1,503), Pakistan (1,486), and Colombia (1,482)?

¨ù                 that top job titles certified for permanent employment included Computer Software Engineers (15,560), Computer Systems Analysts (4,012), Restaurant Cooks (2,642), Computer and Information System Managers (2,235), Electronics Engineers (2,090), Financial Analysts (1,744), Market Research Analysts (1,587), Electrical Engineers (1,488), and Computer Programmers (1,340)?

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