Building Bridges to a Safer Community Without 287(g)

Image by conner395 via Flickr

In the last few years, we have seen an explosion of 287(g) agreements between ICE and local police departments. 287(g) is a federal program that allows local police to enforce federal immigration laws or assist in the enforcement of those laws. The idea was to assist the Federal immigration agencies with local manpower on the streets. The outcome of these agreements was not foreseen and now police chiefs are fighting to rebuild bridges to the immigrant communities.

With the onset of 287(g) the local immigrant communities became even more isolated and the police lost there ties to a community that had become suspicious of police activity began to fear all kinds of police involvement in there community. The police lost a conduit and to solving and preventing crimes. No longer can the police rely on a community to report or to open dialogue with a community that fears the police will now deport them.

The local police force is charged with "protecting and serving" the community. These agreemnets are impeding and preventing the police from performing these basic functions. We need a neutral police force that has an open dialogue with all members of the communty in order to protect and serve the population at large.

It seems that local police agree: Police Leaders Call For Immigration Reform

"We can’t afford to have a group of residents be afraid of reporting crime because they believe we may report them for deportation. To allow that fear to exist in the minds of victims or witnesses endangers them and the rest of the community and lets criminals off the hook."

The counterpoint to this story is that a Police Force is supposed to enforce the laws, and if someone is guilty of violating the law then the Police are obliged by their position to enforce those laws. The problem is that the immigration system in the United States is one of the most complicated areas of our Federal Law, even more so than the U.S. Tax Code. By this logic, we should have local police also enforcing our U.S. Tax Code. Better still what if we ask local police to begin enforcement of Federal Securites Law, they could help us find the next Bernie Madoff!

Simply put, 287(g) is a waste of police resources that burns bridges to an already isolated community.

2011 Diversity Visa Registration begins October 2, 2009

Image via Wikipedia

The U.S. Department of State announced today the the registration period for the Diversity Visa Lottery begins on October 2, 2009.

The Diversity Visa Lottery is a wonderful opportunity for America to shine and share our values and culture with historically under represented immigrant groups.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/sept/129956.htm

Agency preparing for legislation allowing legalization???!!!!!

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The Director of the USCIS dropped a bombshell as reported by the LA Times in an article discussing potential of fee increases:

And the agency is preparing for the possibility of legislation that could result in millions of undocumented immigrants applying for legalization, Mayorkas said.

Does Director Mayorkas know something that the rest of us could only dream of? This is a welcome comment from the Director and we continue our sustained support of the current administration's efforts to pass a sensible immigration policy.

USCIS - E-Verify Federal Contractor Rule Effective Today

Image by evoque via Flickr

USCIS - E-Verify Federal Contractor Rule Effective Today

Posted using ShareThis

Contractors with the Federal Government could be subject to the use of a flawed electronic verification system, as the system hits a critical mass the harm caused to U.S. Citizens wrongly identified as unauthorized workers may be collateral damage in the latest immigration enforcement-only measure by the U.S. Government.

Immigration Reform in the Mist

Image via Wikipedia

While the administration has been taking its lumps on the healthcare debate raging across the United States, last week the administration took a quiet breather in the form of immigration reform. On August 20, 2009, the administration invited approximately 130 stakeholders invovlved in the immigration debate to a white house meeting.

The meeting was originally seen as an attempt for the administration to reaffirm its commitment to immigration reform after sputtering out and apparently turning blindly to an enforcement only approach adopted and hailed by the radical right.

Immigration reform is a serene escape from the jarring debate on healthcare. As many of you know this is a comical reference, as the immigration debate was once just as loud and vocal as the healthcare debate. However, given that, the administration wasted no time in seeking a domestic policy agenda salvation in the form of immigration reform.

DHS Secretary Napolitano was to be the pointperson at the meeting, however in a show of support and perhaps looking for a kinder, more gentle debate, President Obama also spoke at the meeting.

The administration heard from all "rational" spectrums of the immigration debate. High-tech corporations, low-tech corporations, labor unions, non-partisan immigration reform groups, and government associations. The administration listened to the concerns of many, including the skepticism that many shared entering ther meeting. Chief of the concerns was a fear that the immigration debate was getting lost in the shuffle. Namely that the administration was going to continue the enforcement only approach of its predecessor.

Based on commentary and press releases after the debate it appears that the administration is committed to passing a sensible immigration reform policy. The hope of the administration is that a bill could be drafted through the fall and put forwad on a vote in early 2010.

The administration has consistently supported immigration reform publicly, however, behind the scenes the administration had thrown its weight behind enforcement only measures. The fear of many was that the possibility of passing immigration reform had, once again, fallen to the wayside. However, with the politcal heat generated by the Healthcare debate, it appears the administration is seeking cover from the storm in the form of a passable domestic policy agenda item (immigration reform). Immigration Reform is a policy initiative that is sure to win goodwill for a battered administration in the healthcare debate.

The adminsitration will be able to lock in a large voting block, gain the trust of the business community and quite possibly use the political capital gained from immigration reform to achieve its goals in the healthcare debate.

Bipartisan Taskforce Calling for major rework of US Immigration

Image via Wikipedia

According to an article in the Washington Post a bipartisan Task Force to Recommend Overhaul of U.S. Immigration System.

"the country should end strict quotas on work-based immigrant visas to maintain its scientific, technological and military edge. The continued failure to devise and implement a sound and sustainable immigration policy threatens to weaken America's economy, to jeopardize its diplomacy, and to imperil its national security," concluded an independent Council on Foreign Relations panel, co-chaired by former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R) and former Clinton White House chief of staff Thomas V. "Mack" McLarty III."

ICE Launches unprecedented I-9 initiative

Image via Wikipedia

Today the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency announced an unprecedented I-9 initiative. On July 1, 2009, ICE served 652 businesses nationwide with Notices to Inspect their I-9 forms. This latest action by ICE marks the new direction that the current administration is taking in regards to enforcement actions. The new administration will be focusing on employers that hire undocumented workers in an effort to stop the flow of unauthorized migration into the United States. You can see the press release release and find out more information about this new intiative through the link below.

Please see: http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0907/090701washington.htm

Should you receive a Notice of Inspection from ICE, please do not hesitate to contact Murad & Murad, P.C. to address how to respond to the audit and what to expect during the inspection process. Murad & Murad, P.C. is also available to conduct an internal I-9 audit and address compliance issues within your organization.