Virtual Office Attorney

A New Basis for U.S. Asylum Claims: Homeschooling - TIME

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike are not like other asylum seekers, people fleeing war or torture in places like Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia. They're music teachers from a village in southern Germany. And yet, in what appears to be the first case of its kind, the couple and their five children were granted asylum in the U.S. last week by an immigration judge who ruled that they had a "well-founded fear of persecution" in their home country for engaging in what has become a popular albeit somewhat controversial American practice — homeschooling their children.

via www.time.com

Here is a new way to establish asylum - persecution because you want to homeschool your children.

Daily Kos: What Does Scott Brown’s Victory Mean for Immigration Reform?

After the special election in Mass., the question on my mind is:  What about Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2010?  Is it DOA (Dead on Arrival)?  Especially with Healthcare Reform still in play (and potentially dead too). 

Here is one blog's stab at it.  See the link below.

Daily Kos: State of the Nation.

USCIS Fact Sheet For Haitian Orphans

Briefly, the eligibility requirements for Haitian Orphans.  See the link below for the full criteria. 

Category 1

Children who have been legally confirmed as orphans eligible for intercountry adoption by the Government of Haiti, were in the process of being adopted by Americans prior to Jan. 12, 2010 and meet the criteria in the link below.

Category 2

Children who have been identified by an adoption service provider or facilitator as eligible for intercountry adoption, were matched to prospective American adoptive parents prior to Jan. 12, 2010 and meet the criteria detailed in the link below.

Other Orphaned or Separated Children
Given the severity of the disaster in Haiti, we understand that there are additional children that have been orphaned and/or separated from relatives and may also be in varying stages of the adoption process.  Additional criteria is detailed in the link below.

USCIS - Secretary Napolitano Announces Humanitarian Parole Policy for Certain Haitian Orphans</br> Fact Sheet.

DHS Chief Napolitano announces a humanitarian parole policy allowing orphaned children from Haiti to enter the US

Janet Napolitano announced a humanitarian parole policy allowing orphaned children from Haiti to enter the United States temporarily.   

Please see the link below regarding the statement.

DHS: Secretary Napolitano Announces Humanitarian Parole Policy for Certain Haitian Orphans.

DHS: Janet Napolitano announces the designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian Nationals

To follow up my previous post on the decision of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop deporting Haitians after the recent earthquake,  DHS has announced the designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals who were in the United States as of January 12, 2010. 

In addition, DHS has announced a humanitarian parole policy allowing orphaned children from Haiti to enter the United States temporarily on an individual basis to ensure that they receive the care they need. 

See the full statement regarding TPS status from the DHS below. 


DHS: Statement from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

DHS: Removals Stopped due to Earthquake in Haiti

According to the Department of Homeland Security, all removals to Haiti are effectively halted.

Although recently rejected for Haitians, this most recent natural disaster may also have effect on those immigrants seeking TPS status in the United States. 

DHS: Statement by Deputy Press Secretary Matt Chandler.

Immigration policy case headed to Neb. high court

The city of Freemont, Nebraska is a party in a law suit regarding a proposal to ban renting to and hiring illegal immigrants within city limits. 

Immigration policy case headed to Neb. high court.

Feds: Texas green card scam was all in the family | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Folk who think you've fooled the USCIS with a fake marriage pay attention to the following paragraph from the article below:

But authorities aren't done with their investigation. They are now trying to track down the scores of immigrants who used sham marriages to obtain permanent residency.

USCIS is looking for the immigrants so that they can remove their green card status.  Worst case scenario, I'm seeing deportation in some immigrants future.

Why....so much time has passed?  The immigrants have their green cards.  Can't we let bygones be bygones?

The law says anyone who fraudulent receives some immigration benefit (green card, citizenship, etc.) can have it taken away.  For example, if you marry someone to get a green card and later on divorce them.  Later you re-marry and help that person get a green card.  All could lose their status. 

Best course of action if you are tempted to marry to get a green card -- Just don't do it! 

Feds: Texas green card scam was all in the family | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle.

U.S. immigration cracks down on foreign fugitives - Yahoo! News

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Federal agents in California arrested 280 foreigners with criminal records, most for serious offenses, in their largest such crackdown to date, U.S. immigration officials said on Friday.

via news.yahoo.com

More enforcement...hopefully leading to future action on comprehensive immigration reform in 2010.

Happy 2nd Birthday to Virtual Office Attorney Blog

This Blog turned 2 on Sunday, December 6th. Here's to another year!