Matter of Alyazji (BIA 2/3/2011) The BIA rarely reverses itself (but is reversed on many occasions by the circuit appellate courts), but it does happen from time to time. In this case, the BIA conceded that an issue that it considered in an earlier case was decided wrong. The issue is: What is the meaning […]
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Court Strikes Down Discriminatory Law Against Nonimmigrant Aliens
Adusumelli v. Steiner (U.S.D.C. New York. So. Div. 2010) I usually don’t write about cases which arise outside of the Ninth Circuit, but this case from New York piqued my interest because it involved a conflict between a state regulation and federal immigration laws. The main issue resolved in this case was whether a New […]
Vote on DREAM Act Coming?
With comprehensive immigration reform stalled, it’s been a slow summer for immigration related news, so yesterday’s announcement that the DREAM Act will be part of the Defense Appropriations Bill to be voted on early next week by the senate is the equivalent of a minor earthquake.
Arizona Anti-Immigrant Law Bites the Dust
U.S. v. State of Arizona Unless you’ve been living in a cave underneath the ocean, you know that Arizona passed a law known as SB1070 this year in order to curb its immigration problem, real or perceived. You may also know that the federal government sued the state of Arizona in order to prevent its […]
Moral Turpitude Watch
Nunez v. Holder (9th Cir. 2010) The Ninth Circuit ruled that a conviction for indecent exposure pursuant to Cal. Penal Code Sec. 314 is not a crime of moral turpitude. In a nutshell, the court determined that the wording of Sec. 314 is too broad and encompasses too many types of conduct which may be […]
U.S. Will Lift Travel Ban Against HIV Positive People
HIV infection is the only medical condition explicitly listed in the immigration regulations as a basis for inadmissibility in the U.S. That will end soon because President Obama said today that the U.S. plans to overturn a 22-year-old travel and immigration ban against people with HIV. In the beginning of January 2010, the ban will […]
Weakness in U.S. Immigration Policy Exposed
An article in the New York Times today highlighted a gaping weakness in the United States’ immigration system—our government has no reliable way to track if a visitor has left the country. That’s right, the immigration agencies don’t know whether or not the 2.9 million persons who entered the U.S. last year (and the tens […]
USCIS Unveils New Website Design
On Tuesday, DHS Secretary Napolitano unveiled a redesigned USCIS website. I think the site does look better and is easier to navigate. The changes are not just cosmetic, though, because the site now includes tools and apps which allows you to track the status of your citizenship application, update your immigration records, and access forms. There is also a Spanish language version of the site. One […]