Virtual Office Attorney

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.

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.

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.

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.

Here is an article highlighting some of the challenges of immigrants detained in the U.S. 

Please see more of the article below.

Immigration Detention System Lapses Detailed - NYTimes.com.

DHS Chief: immigration reform bill in Congress before mid-term elections in 2010. 

See the link below. 

Homeland Security Today - preparedness and security news - Napolitano Urges Swift Action on Reform.

Here is the New York Times Editorial about Janet Napolitano.....it appears that this media outlet agrees with what the Los Angeles Times (and other media) has written about the Arizona Governor and what she might mean to immigration in the U.S. if she becomes the head of the Department of Homeland Security. 

Editorial - A Cool Head on Immigration - NYTimes.com.

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.  

Leadership Journal.

The link above is from the Department of Homeland Security's Leadership Journal.  It is DHS's response to a three part series featured in the Houston Chronicle focusing on the criminal justice system.  

Recently, Texas Governor Rick Perry has been critical of Department of Homeland Security's response to both immigration and Hurricane Ike.  As a result, Secretary of DHS Michael Chertoff and Governor Perry have been trading punches in the press.  

Read the series and the response.  My take, immigration and the negative indirect costs on our country is the "hot potato" that no one wants.  The solution:  real immigration reform.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the new U.S. Passport Card may be used in the Employment Eligibility Verification form (I-9) process.

In July, the Departments of State and Homeland Security announced that the new passport card was in full production.   The new card provides a less expensive and more portable alternative to the traditional passport book, and will expedite document processing at United States land and sea ports-of-entry for U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.

The new card is a valid passport that attests to the U.S. citizenship and identity of the bearer. As a result, the card may be used for the Form I-9 process and can also be accepted by employers participating in the E-Verify program.