As the government shutdown continues to drag on, thousands of immigration hearings have been cancelled or postponed. Figures released on January 11, 2019, indicate that more than 40,000 hearings have been delayed as a result of the shutdown. This has left many immigrants in limbo and has added even more to the existing backlog of...Read More

In a ruling that can greatly assist New York asylum seekers, a Federal Court imposed a nationwide injunction stopping Justice Department policies making it harder for immigrants to claim political asylum because of domestic violence or gang violence. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan found that the new policies which had the effect of impeding...Read More

Federal Court rules that mandatory detention violated due process of the asylum seeker in severe rebuke to the government’s policies The Trump administration’s efforts to apply harsh treatment to valid applicants for political asylum are being tempered by the Federal courts. In a recent decision relating to an asylum applicant who had been detained for...Read More

the Mayor of the City of New York has intervened by instituting a program to start in December, 2014 to grant a New York immigrant I.D. to all New Yorkers over the age of 14 regardless of their immigration status. The State and City I.D’s should be issued in December which will provide a beacon...Read More

Permanent residence through employment – a great option! It is a terrific time to file for permanent residence if you have skills and a work-related background that is unavailable in the U.S. job market. The wait times recently have significantly decreased for nationals of most countries, so now is the time to consider such action....Read More

Over the past two years, immigration journalists have noted that children who have had lawyers received more favorable results in Immigration Court. In 2013 for example 78% of children with attorneys received permission to stay in the United States; those children without attorneys were only approved 10% of the time and more than 57,000 have...Read More

Mayor William de Blasio announced on July 10, 2014 that he had signed a new law allowing all residents of New York City to be granted a New York identification card regardless of whether they are in the U.S. legally or illegally. New York City is the largest city in the United States to grant...Read More

Rising unauthorized numbers of children are trying to enter the U.S. border through Mexico, some with their parents or close family members, some helped by coyotes and some just coming alone. The stampede to the U.S. is first and foremost the result of terrorism south of the border: Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and Salvador. These children...Read More

Public schools throughout the U.S. may not discriminate against any child because of immigration status. Under Federal law, all States and Municipalities must provide equal access to all children residing within their districts without discrimination because of race or natural origin or reference to their parents illegal status. The U.S. Supreme Court held in 1982...Read More

In March, 2013 by executive order President Barack Obama permitted undocumented foreign nationals with qualifying relatives to apply for waivers while in the United States. This order helped those undocumented aliens who entered the US unlawfully to regularize if they have qualifying immediate family members who will suffer hardship. The President’s purpose was to avoid...Read More