Immigration
Efforts Underway to Limit Legal Immigration
According to a recent NBC News report, the Trump Administration is getting ready to make a proposal that would make it tougher for immigrants in the United States legally to become American citizens, or obtain their green cards. The ability of these legal immigrants to get citizenship could be affected if the applicant used one…
Read MoreGiving DACA Students a Chance at College
When President Donald Trump was elected in 2016, he took a hard stance on immigration. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is on the verge on ending, currently facing a federal court battle over its future. Many young people are uncertain about their own futures, wondering if they’ll be able to continue their…
Read MoreMissing Children at the U.S. Border and Breaking Up Immigrant Families: Clearing Up the Confusion
The latest patently hostile treatment of immigrants to the United States at the U.S.-Mexico border has erupted into a confusing mashup of two distinct issues regarding undocumented immigrants and unaccompanied children. We are going to untangle these two issues and try to bring some clarity to an emotionally-charged situation brewing at the border. The issue…
Read MoreHow Can I Get a Bank Account as an Undocumented Immigrant?
As an undocumented immigrant, you may think you’re unable to open a bank account for savings and checking. However, this is untrue and, if you can, you should consider keeping your money in the bank. Using a local financial institution has many advantages that can help you with your life in Tennessee and the United…
Read MoreThe Department of Justice Has Ended a Legal Advice Program for Detained Immigrants
The Vera Institute of Justice is a nonprofit organization with a mission to improve justice systems that ensure fairness, promote safety and strengthen communities. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on April 10 that it will be halting the Vera Institute’s Legal Orientation Program (LOP) as of April 30th. The LOP program serves more than…
Read MoreAmid ICE Raids and Lawsuits, California Stands by Its Sanctuary Cities
At the end of February, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted raids and arrested more than 150 people in the San Francisco Bay area who were reportedly in violation of federal immigration laws. A story on CBSNews.com reports that about half of the individuals arrested in the raid had past criminal convictions in…
Read MoreCould the New Bipartisan Immigration Proposal Be the Compromise that Solves the Dilemma Facing Dreamers?
March 5th is fast approaching, and U.S. lawmakers continue to be unable to come up with a legislative solution for the “dreamers,” who are immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Former president Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provided protection for Dreamers, has been rescinded by president Trump.…
Read MoreU.S. Federal Appeals Court Orders Immigration Officials to Reconsider the Deportation of a Mother to Mexico
The Washington Post reported, in January, that the Board of Immigration Appeals must provide a spouse and mother of four children a new chance to show the deportation would endanger her life. The three-judge panel, based in Ohio, determined that the Board improperly rejected her request to reopen her asylum request even though there were…
Read MoreHaitian Earthquake Victims Will Lose Temporary Protected Status in 2019
On November 20, the Trump administration announced that the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haiti has been withdrawn. The effective date for the termination of TPS for Haitian citizens, which was announced by Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke, is July 2019. This gives Haitians 18 months to transition their lives back to…
Read MoreActing Secretary of State Elaine Duke Announces Changes in Temporary Protected Status for Haiti, Nicaragua and Honduras
In November 2017, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke announced that she has terminated the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Nicaragua. The effective date is January 5, 2019 to allow Nicaraguan citizens ample time to transition back to their home country in an orderly way before their TPS status expires. The Secretary was…
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