Virtual Office Attorney

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.

Richard (Dad) decided to take a felony plea for his part in their hoax to create interest in the family for a reality tv show.  Mayumi, instead pled guilty to a misdemeanor, avoiding a felony conviction that might have lead to her deportation to Japan. 

Lucky for her, she had a criminal defense attorney who took into consideration the immigration consequences of the plea. 

Richard and Mayumi Heene Plead Guilty.

Napolitano: a border-law enforcer in D.C.? - Los Angeles Times.

From the LA Times article:

Her record in Arizona, where she has been both the U.S. attorney and the state's attorney general, suggests she is willing to be a tough enforcer. Her state has a 376-mile border with Mexico, and she was the first governor to call for stationing the National Guard along it.

But Napolitano also has shown an instinct for finding her way through the immigration minefield in a state where political battle lines were well drawn. She took a centrist position, supporting strong steps to prevent new illegal immigrants from coming to Arizona, while opposing most measures that would punish illegal immigrants who were already living and working there.

My thoughts: it appears that she has the experience the US needs for the polarizing immigration issue.  

According to the New York Times, in 2007, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested more than 35,000 illegal immigrants, including unauthorized workers and immigration fugitives, more than double the number in 2006.

This increased enforcement activity caused an increased sense of alarm among Hispanics.  According to a survey by the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research group in Washington, 53 percent of Hispanics in the United States worry that they or a loved one could be deported.   

The fear does not only apply to people who are unauthorized to be present in the US.  The anxiety affects spouses, children or other relatives who are legal immigrants and citizens. 

The anxiety is affecting many every day activities many people take for granted.  This includes attending meetings at children's schools, doing without doctor's visits, and shopping in local communities. 

As a result, many stores that cater to immigrants in many communities have closed due to declines in spending by customers.  This decline may be caused by the economy, but ancedotal evidence also point to increased immigration enforcement. 

How long can families live in this constant state of stress and uncertainty? 

I would encourage distressed families to seek out reliable immigration attorneys regarding their own particular immigration circumstances.  Don't rely on rumors and hearsay of friends. 

There may be a strategy to attain legal immigration status.  Armed with a plan of action, rather than constant distress, would be a step toward the security many immigrants were and are seeking here in the United States. 

According to The Telegraph even Paddington Bear may be subject to police interrogation if he doesn't have his immigration documents in order.  In June 2008, a new Paddington Bear novel is coming to mark the 50th anniversary of his debut.  The author, Michael Bond, was reluctant to write a new novel unless he could make it more contemporary.  Illegal immigration is a hot topic in many countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.  My unsolicited legal advise to Paddington:  apply for a visa from the embassy instead of traveling as a stowaway.