Family Litigation Articles

Delay in naturalization applications leads to litigation, Congressional inquiry https://www.sggimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/uscis_data_on_application_and_petition_processing_times_feature.jpg 1000 559 Amy Lenhert Amy Lenhert https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c1197c6ec0a5eb3eed80e2b4382e662a?s=96&d=mm&r=g April 10, 2019 June 4, 2019

Amy Lenhert
April 10, 2019

Delay in naturalization applications leads to litigation, Congressional inquiry

The number of Applications for Naturalization submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) went up by 25% from 2013 to 2017, and then saw a decline in 2018. The significant jump in the number of applications in 2016 alone contributed to a backlog in processing naturalization (N-400) applications. However, despite the fact…

Going to Tijuana to Uphold U.S. Law and International Law on Asylum https://www.sggimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/home-state-1175789_960_720.jpg 960 678 Helen A. Sklar Helen A. Sklar https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a76e9a2a354e70a9b491efb865885c18?s=96&d=mm&r=g April 10, 2019 June 4, 2019

Helen A. Sklar
April 10, 2019

Going to Tijuana to Uphold U.S. Law and International Law on Asylum

Since the 1980s, countless Central Americans have made the difficult decision to leave family, home and community, risking life and limb journeying across Mexico in hopes of reaching the safety of the United States. The principal sending countries are El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, known collectively as the Northern Triangle of Central America. It is…

Effective Use of the Freedom of Information Act https://www.sggimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/FOIA-GAVEL.jpg 2000 1000 Helen A. Sklar Helen A. Sklar https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a76e9a2a354e70a9b491efb865885c18?s=96&d=mm&r=g April 10, 2019 June 4, 2019

Helen A. Sklar
April 10, 2019

Effective Use of the Freedom of Information Act

A brief history of FOIA Signed into law in 1967, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was heralded as an iconic achievement on behalf of governmental transparency. In light of the current attacks on the media and press freedom, it is worthwhile to remember that FOIA was enacted for the stated purpose of implementing “a…

Immigration Consequences of Crimes: State of California Law Designed to Ensure Defendants are Meaningfully Informed https://www.sggimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CALIFORNIA-LAW.jpg 2287 1477 Taiyyeba Safri Skomra Taiyyeba Safri Skomra https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4e6c8bb0d0b258b56e2b10f6d2b487e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g April 10, 2019 June 4, 2019

Taiyyeba Safri Skomra
April 10, 2019

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 non-citizens, conviction could result in deportation or denial of naturalization.[1] The California…

Immigration Consequences of Crimes: State of California Law Designed to Ensure Defendants are Meaningfully Informed https://www.sggimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/gavel.jpg 132 93 Taiyyeba Safri Skomra Taiyyeba Safri Skomra https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4e6c8bb0d0b258b56e2b10f6d2b487e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g March 13, 2019 June 4, 2019

Taiyyeba Safri Skomra
March 13, 2019

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…

SGG in the News https://www.sggimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/la-1549076260-0ia2g7ihsm-snap-image.jpg 800 450 Andrew Grzegorek Andrew Grzegorek https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/04e1b23b6e5b9057556a3c6cabe3c843?s=96&d=mm&r=g February 8, 2019 June 4, 2019

Andrew Grzegorek
February 8, 2019

SGG in the News

On February 1, 2019, Nora Phillips, a lawyer at the forefront of providing legal services to asylum seekers and deportees in Tijuana, was detained and deported by Mexican authorities for reasons that the Mexican government has yet to specify. At 11:30AM, when the call went out to immigration attorneys in Los Angeles that Nora was…

Ninth Circuit Rejects Collateral Attack on Removal Orders https://www.sggimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/gavel.jpg 132 93 Amy Lenhert Amy Lenhert https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c1197c6ec0a5eb3eed80e2b4382e662a?s=96&d=mm&r=g January 24, 2019 June 4, 2019

Amy Lenhert
January 24, 2019

Ninth Circuit Rejects Collateral Attack on Removal Orders

The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently published a decision upholding convictions for illegal reentry after removal despite the fact that the defendants were no longer removable as charged in their administrative proceedings. USA v. Martinez-Hernandez involves two men, Jose and Oscar, who entered the United States without authorization at a young age. …