Citizenship & Nationality

August 24, 2009

Immigration Reform Set for 2010

Because the debates about Health Care Reform are taking so much of the Congress’ energy, the Obama Administration believes that Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) will not be considered by the Congress until the beginning of 2010. Romben Law, APC has many clients in Los Angeles, CA and throughout the nation who would benefit from the passage of CIR. In a recent article, President Obama restated his commitment to humane immigration law reform.

Two of the most anticipated provisions of CIR would be the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) and the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).

The DREAM Act would allow the normalization of the immigration status of certain undocument students who were brought prior to age 16 to the United States by their parents or guardians. These students have lived and been educated in the USA, and it would be fundamentally unfair to deny them immigration status, when they did not come to the USA through their own decision, and when the USA is often the only country these students have ever really known.

April 17, 2009

Pending Cal. Initiative Strips Citizenship from Native-Born Americans

by Romben Law, APC

A Southern California politician and some anti-immigrant activists are seeking to put a measure on the California ballot that would deny a “regular” California birth certificate to children born in the USA, if the parents are unlawfully present in the country. The initiative would also limit the public benefits such citizen-children could receive. The immigration law firm of Romben Law, APC opposes this initiative.

Not only does this cynical, divisive initiative cripple the State’s ability to look after all the children who reside in California, but the change it proposes violates the US Constitution. Do not let a radical right-wing measure create second-class citizens!

Please contact your friends and family and urge them to oppose this mean-spirited and unconstitutional measure.

December 2, 2008

Taiwan as Country of Nationality

by Romben Law, APC

Immigration law firms like Romben Law, APC, even though we’re located in Los Angeles, often get embroiled in international politics. There has recently been controversy about whether US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) would put “TAIWAN” as the country of former citizenship on US Naturalization Certificates.

Because the US Government recognizes the government of the People’s Republic of China to be the “government of all of China,” including Taiwan, some CIS employees have unilaterally insisted on putting CHINA on the Naturalization Certificates of new citizens who emigrated to the USA from Taiwan. This controversy has been resolved

Chapter 22 of the US Code, section 3303 provides that Taiwan is considered a SEPARATE country for purposes of US immigration law. As a result, this clarifies that the use of TAIWAN on Certificates of Naturalization or Citizenship is acceptable.