All that glitters is not gold So don’t believe what you’ve been told — Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Last Tuesday as I was leaving court, I reached for my phone to find that it was blowing up (as the kids say these days). Apparently, there was an internet article that…
US Naturalization 101 What you need to know to apply for naturalization in the United States Regular readers of this blog may have noticed that I have been writing about naturalization quite a bit lately. First, the one about a looming deadline. More recently, the one about my client with…
How the USCIS really handles marriage interviews The other night, I was watching the tele with my wife. As regular readers of this blog know, that means I was watching one of my wife’s shows again. On a recent episode of “Trophy Wife,” Kate (played by Malin Akerman) discovers that…
When seeking to hire a good immigration attorney, “buyer beware” applies. A few weeks ago, I raved about how I enjoy the “camaraderie and professionalism” of my fellow immigration practitioners. This is true . . . for the most part. Unfortunately, as with many things, there are a few bad…
If you are planning to apply for citizenship, you may want to do so before May 4, 2014. I have previously discussed the benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen in order to “save” one’s children. I still believe that if you want to become a U.S. citizen, you should pursue…
What do the current discussions on immigration reform mean for immigrants? Last week, on Tuesday, the President gave his fifth SOTU address (State of the Union for hashtag challenged among us). In each of his prior SOTUs, the President mentioned the need for comprehensive immigration reform. And so it was…
Should you file a motion to reopen your case with the court or with ICE? Last week, I discussed the use of prosecutorial discretion by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to allow certain individuals in removal proceedings to have their cases taken off the “active docket” of the immigration court.…
Prosecutorial discretion: What it means and how it can affect immigration cases The Los Angeles Times recently reported that immigration court case closures due to prosecutorial discretion appear to be on the rise. This means more cases are being temporarily closed due to the artful use of prosecutorial discretion. Although…
What changes can we expect to see in immigration law in 2014? New laws affecting immigrants have already gone into effect as of January 1, 2014. Previously, under the “Secure Communities” program, many immigrants were placed on an “ICE hold” even for low-level offenses. Under the California Trust Act, state…