By: Samantha Howland *Legal Assistant at BOILA PC From September 15, 2013 to October 15, 2013, the District of Colombia, along with the rest of the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. This month is a time to celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions and heritages of Hispanics and Latinos in the United States. It is […]
By: Danielle Beach-Oswald The current U.S. government shutdown is having adverse impacts on the immigration process for both immigrants in the U.S. and U.S. citizens. A brief discussion of how the immigration process is being impacted is detailed below. Due to the fact that the fact that the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) is […]
“As advocates rally across the nation today to urge Congress to adopt comprehensive immigration reform, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed legislation to enhance school, workplace and civil protections for California’s hardworking immigrants. “While Washington waffles on immigration, California’s forging ahead,” said Governor Brown. “I’m not waiting.” Immigration reform advocates are rallying today in cities […]
By: James Sellars JD/MA Candidate, American University In a 2010 agency-wide memo describing the Obama Administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, former ICE director John Morton stated that “the removal of aliens who pose a danger to national security or a risk to public safety shall be ICE’s highest immigration enforcement priority.” Despite the Obama administration’s […]
An esteemed immigration law professor at the American University Washington College of Law begins every semester by having his students sing a parody about Congress’ plenary power over immigration to the tune of “Let it Be” by the Beatles. The song effectively grapples with questions regarding the constitutionality of the doctrine and although the exercise […]
By: James Sellars The “Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement” (SAFE) Act is one of several bills that the House leadership has proposed as part of its incremental approach to immigration reform. The bill, introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC), was the subject of a contentious committee […]
By James Sellars Earlier this month, Lexology published an article discussing the recent steps taken by federal agencies to align the Nation’s immigration policies with the recent Supreme Court ruling in U.S. v. Windsor. The article, written by Helen Pihlstrom, gave an in-depth analysis on the preliminary efforts taken by various governmental agencies to ensure […]
By James Sellars Earlier this month, a U.S. District Court in Connecticut approved a settlement in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit which challenged Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) refusal to release thousands of documents regarding the operation of its Criminal Alien Program (CAP). In an effort to better understand the daily workings of […]
The “Doctrine of Consular Non-reviewability” may be a concept unfamiliar to many yet it is very important for anyone outside the country desiring to enter the United States with a visa. When an individual is not on U.S. soil, he must go through the U.S. Department of State and visit a consulate abroad in their […]
Last week, the 9th Circuit came out with an opinion rejecting the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) decision. In Madrigal v. Holder, the 9th Circuit granted a petition for review of the BIA’s decision denying asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”) to a Mexican citizen who sought asylum based […]
