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…
Immigrants are among the 86th Annual Academy Awards’ winners. I still can’t help but chuckle every time I read something about the Travolta-izing of Idina Menzel’s name at last week’s Oscars telecast. Over the years, like many persons from immigrant families, I’ve had my name mispronounced and misspelled in a…
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…
Los Angeles Immigration Judge Stephen Sholomson retires after 43 years of service One of the reasons that I enjoy immigration law (there are many, but I’ll save those for future blog posts) is the camaraderie and professionalism of its practitioners — on both sides. I don’t see the other immigration…
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…
New laws benefitting same sex couples can assist in immigration cases. Looking back on 2013, in my humble opinion, the biggest change in immigration law occurred on June 26, 2013. On that day, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Windsor v. United States that section 3 of the Defense of…