The Pennsylvania Superior Court decided Commonwealth v. Raul Maria Garcia, ___ A2d ____, 2011 PA Super 124, and held that the US Supreme Court's Padilla decision was not retroactive for purposes of the "new constitutional right" exception to the Pennsylvania Post Conviction Relief Act's normal...
The Legal Action Committee reported that frustrated by Congress’ failure to enact comprehensive reform, immigration advocates have increasingly advocated for a robust prosecutorial discretion policy that encourages immigration officers to grant relief from deportation in compelling cases. In a letter in early April, the American...
The U.S. government unveiled today a multi-agency, nationwide initiative to combat immigration services scams. The Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are leading this historic effort. This initiative targets immigration scams involving the unauthorized practice of immigration...
Today, the Brookings Institution released a new report which finds that more working-age immigrants hold college degrees than lack high-school diplomas. This newly-released data has broad implications for an immigration debate that is driven largely by myths and stereotypes of less-skilled, unauthorized immigrants while devoting...
The American Immigration Council reported that in a poll, “U.S. immigration policy” beat out “economy and jobs” as the issue most important for Hispanic voters. The poll conducted by independent research firm Latino Decisions, asked 500 registered Hispanic voters to name the most important issues...
USCIS announced the opening of the 90-day re-registration period (May 23, 2011 through August 22, 2011) for individuals who were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under the original designation of Haiti for TPS and whose initial TPS applications were approved on or before May 19,...
Matter of A-G-G-, ID 3713, 25 I&N Dec. 486 (BIA 2011) - (1) Pursuant to section 208(b)(2)(A)(vi) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(2)(A)(vi) (2006), and 8 C.F.R. § 1208.15 (2011), the framework for making firm resettlement determinations focuses exclusively on the...
The American Immigration Council reported that our nation’s immigration courts are backlogged. Historically backlogged. At the end of last year, more than 260,000 cases remained pending before immigration judges. Across the country, the average wait was nearly sixteen months. In California, thousands of cases have...
Science Insider reported that foreign students studying at U.S. universities have traditionally had a year after graduation in which to find a job, allowing them to live and work in the United States. Three years ago, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) changed immigration...
Matter of A-G-G-, ID 3713, 25 I&N Dec. 486 (BIA 2011) - (1) Pursuant to section 208(b)(2)(A)(vi) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(2)(A)(vi) (2006), and 8 C.F.R. § 1208.15 (2011), the framework for making firm resettlement determinations focuses exclusively on the...
