Obama immigration policy changes… what’s to come in 2015 In November 2014, the President announced a number of changes to immigration policies. With the Republican party in charge of both chambers of the U.S. Congress, there have been some rumblings about their plans to try to nullify the President’s actions. However,…
What do Republicans have planned with regard to immigration reform? Last week, Congressional Republicans held a bicameral retreat to discuss their plans for advancing their priorities, now that the party controls both the House of Representatives and the Senate. At the end of the retreat, there was no unified front on…
Undocumented Immigrant Driver’s Licenses What you should know On January 1, 2015, California joined a handful of other states that issue driver’s licenses to undocumented individuals. Among the many goals that supporters of AB60 hope is that the requirement that undocumented individuals must pass the driver’s exams prior to the…
In my sophomore year at UCLA, one of my professors Stewart Kwoh assigned us a social services research project. I came to him with some vague ideas and he suggested that I go see his good friend J Craig Fong (Retired from the practice of law) to develop them into…
Happy Holidays! You can say “happy holidays” in many different languages. Here are a few: Joyeuses Fêtes! Felices Fiestas! Hạnh phúc ngày lễ 節日快樂 Masaya pista opisyal Laethanta saoire sona Trevlig Helg! Boas Festas! Mutlu Bayramlar! Sarbatori Fericite! 행복 휴일 Vesele Praznike Selamat Hari Raya! Sretni praznici! Boldog Ünnepeket Καλές…
The medical exam for immigration is a bit outdated Toward the end of a recent immigration interview, the officer told my client that his doctor had forgotten to fill out certain sections of the medical examination form. As a result, my client would have to go back to the doctor…
Legal US immigrants have rights to benefits If you are here legally, you may be missing out on benefits you are entitled to receive Many legal immigrants (whether they are lawful permanent residents or naturalized U.S. citizens) do not apply for benefits for which they are eligible because they fear that…
President Obama takes action to help keep families together On Thursday evening, President Obama announced that he would issue executive actions in order to fix certain aspects of the immigration system. The executive orders are expected to affect up to 5 million undocumented immigrants inside the United States. However, the…
Merits Hearing in Immigration Court vs. Master Calendar Docket There are two different types of court hearings during removal proceedings involving non-detained individuals. The first is known as the Master Calendar hearing and the other is known as the Individual hearing or Merits hearing. In past posts, I have discussed the…
A Republican Congress What will this mean for Immigration Reform? This is the new reality: in 2015 and 2016, Republicans will control both houses of Congress – the House of Representatives and the Senate. And to that, I say: It’s time for the Republicans to show us – the American…