Articles

Articles

Immigration Consequences of Crimes: State of California Law Designed to Ensure Defendants are Meaningfully Informed 132 93 Taiyyeba Safri Skomra

Immigration Consequences of Crimes: State of California Law Designed to Ensure Defendants are Meaningfully Informed

The California legislature has a long history of enacting laws intended to protect immigrants from deportation based on state crimes. For example, since 1978, California has required judges to warn all defendants before accepting a plea of guilty or no contest that, for noncitizens, conviction could result in deportation or denial of naturalization. Cal. Penal…

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USCIS Intensifies Focus on Denaturalization 3423 2743 Andrew Grzegorek

USCIS Intensifies Focus on Denaturalization

Many people think that once they obtain U.S. citizenship through naturalization, their status as a U.S. citizen can never be lost.  It will come as a surprise to some to learn that U.S. citizenship can in fact be taken away or revoked by the government under certain circumstances. And the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services…

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Detention of Minors: The lasting impact of Flores v. Reno 4200 2400 Amy Lenhert

Detention of Minors: The lasting impact of Flores v. Reno

Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced a so-called “zero tolerance” policy on illegal entry into the United States, requiring the criminal prosecution of all individuals who enter the United States without authorization.  The results of this draconian policy were cruel and severe.  Thousands of children were forcibly separated from parents with no thought given…

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SGG Fights Recent Changes to Asylum Policies 244 302 Taiyyeba Safri Skomra

SGG Fights Recent Changes to Asylum Policies

In August 2014, the Board of Immigration Appeals issued a decision that allowed a woman to seek asylum based on the years of extreme domestic violence she suffered. That violence rose to the level of persecution, and it was on account of her membership in a particular social group of married Guatemalan women who were…

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USCIS Issues Revised Guidance on Unlawful Presence for Students and Exchange Visitors 1000 559 Kathleen Grzegorek

USCIS Issues Revised Guidance on Unlawful Presence for Students and Exchange Visitors

On August 9, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final policy memorandum revising the rules for calculating unlawful presence for those in student F (student), J (exchange visitor), and M (vocational student) nonimmigrant status and their dependents while in the United States. Most non-immigrant visa holders are admitted until a certain date,…

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SGG Litigation Gets a Win in CSPA Case 2298 1529 Amy Lenhert

SGG Litigation Gets a Win in CSPA Case

Lorena (not her real name) was distressed when she first came to our office.  She just received a decision from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denying her application for permanent residence.  Lorena had applied for permanent residence based on a visa petition filed by her mother, who is a lawful permanent resident of…

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Two Year Work Permits for Spouses of Abusive H-1B Visa Holders Now Available 3423 2743 Andrew Grzegorek

Two Year Work Permits for Spouses of Abusive H-1B Visa Holders Now Available

Until recently, the majority of H-4 visa holders (derivative spouses of H-1B professional visa holders) were dependent on their H-1B spouses for income and for many, their survival.  Since 2015, H-4 visa holders have been permitted to work in the United States if they meet one of two very limited criteria.  However, most H-4 visa holders…

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