Tell me something I don't know. The US immigration system has broken down and it believes that the current government will not be included. Many people are asking: When will the reform happen?
I don't know, but there are some signs. But first, I have to ask: Do we need immigration reform? absolute. Our immigration system is managed by bureaucrats rather than professionals. Want to know why I think it has to change?
I believe that you have heard of the recent "self-deportation" plan of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] "scheduled departure." At the end of the retirement period, a total of eight [yes, eight] illegal immigrants appeared. This idea was very difficult to understand from the beginning, and only people living on different planets can think of this. Let us start with a basic commitment: illegal people arrange their own deportation. Why do any illegal Americans in the world do this? Without surrender, they can live happily, make a living, send money to family in El Salvador or Mexico, if they are eaten and exported... well, that's it. In addition, bureaucracies are not known for their fast and courteous customer service. The current airline service is terrible, but can you imagine what it must be when your flight is deported to the service agency? If experienced immigrants are responsible for immigration, do you think the mistake of "self-expulsion" will happen? I will let you answer this question.
What if the Immigration Department locks you? Remember, immigration usually keeps people away from prisons and co-criminals. A few years ago, I had a client who stupidly applied for asylum when she arrived at Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC. She soon found herself in a medium-security prison about four hours drive from Washington, DC.
Do you still believe that we need immigration reform? Let me give you a few more examples. There are a lot of frauds that need to be eliminated, but the current system seems impossible. Just last week, my office had a Hispanic client, a carpenter, seeking a second opinion on immigration issues. His lawyer applied for a so-called "labor certificate", which means that immigrant sponsorship is obtained through a business that requires a specific worker. He paid a lot of money to the lawyer [which made me immediately doubtful] and honestly believed that if the petition was approved, he could have worked for the sponsoring company and obtained permanent residency in the United States. Then, the lawyer told him that the petition was rejected because "the salary is too low." nonsense.
This was discovered within a few minutes of what I found on my computer: the lawyer who brought the case was not an immigrant practitioner, but apparently just wanted to make a quick response before the so-called 245[i] law final fall April. The law allowed illegal in the United States. The person submits a commercial petition for his permanent residence, pays a fine of $1,000, and then "adjusts his identity" [receives a green card] within the United States. In this case, the labor certification was drafted badly but never approved. In addition, the so-called sponsoring company has even closed down before the application is submitted. The hardworking carpenter was only dismissed by his lawyer for thousands of dollars.
If I can do all of this on my computer in about five minutes, then any immigration officer can, while stopping [1] fraudulent petitions, and [2] shyster lawyers and "notarios" [self-declared immigrant practitioners] Who makes money from these scams.
When it comes to fraud, people simply can't resist the temptation of these green papers. Have you heard of Samuel G. Kooritzky, a lawyer in Arlington, Virginia? He sold thousands of hot dog and other fraudulent work certificates. When he was arrested, he had $44,000.00 in cash. It's not enough for a fun night, but it's a start. His colleague has hidden $1 million in cash under the bed.
My favorite story is Robert T. Schofield. He worked in the Washington Immigration Office for 30 years [formerly INS, now USCIS] and served as the Assistant Director of Examinations from 1998 to 2004. I have long suspected that he has a problem. Every morning, when people line up to immigration, mentoring staff, lawyers and visitors, he is there. He is always on the most important thing [and often praised by immigration lawyers]. He is impeccably dressed. He just doesn't look like a bureaucrat. And don't like a person. It was alleged that a few years before his arrest, he fled to China with a beautiful Chinese escort and charged $36,000 to the government-issued credit card. He returned, was appointed as the supervisor, and sold the US citizenship of the illegal American to him for $10,000. When I called a university I had practiced in Washington, DC, I told him that he had recently been arrested as a "senior immigration official." He immediately said, "That must be Mr. Scofield, right?"
How to stop this fraud? It was actually very easy, and I met some immigration officials who were swimming by the river and doing the right thing. For example, a special immigration official decides an immigration application for a doctor working in a rural area. I have provided several permanent residency applications for these foreign doctors. These doctors serve in places where general medical graduates do not want to go. Immigration officials call the hospital, call a helpful doctor, and call me. Attorney, verify the information provided in the petition. In just a few minutes, the officer can confirm that the doctor is real and that he or she is practicing medicine in the clinic where he or she should be. Very smart, but unfortunately the exception.
I recently received a "lack of evidence" for a permanent residence application filed by the Immigration Service. The request itself is only a few pages. It involves the CEO of a large international truck manufacturer and asks to further prove that the beneficiary is really an "executive officer". If the official spends 30 seconds on the Internet, he or she will find that the beneficiary is well known, he is quoted in many articles, and his photos appear in magazines everywhere. It could have saved officials and me a lot of time.
With all of this in mind, let's go back and look at it for more than a year, when it seems that we are close to partial repair. The 2007 Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act [S. 1348] was launched in May 2007 by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and quickly failed in June 2007. The most notable aspects are: [1] "Z" visa, which could have been a long-term illegal immigrant on the road of permanent residence. The fines associated with this visa will fill the government treasury and will add millions of people as regular taxpayers; [2] "Y" visas, which will give hundreds of thousands of "guest workers" the opportunity to work temporarily in the United States
A few months ago, I listened to the speech of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security [DHS], Chertoff. Two times he mentioned the possibility of a guest worker program, probably as soon as next year. But he seems to emphasize the "guest work plan" and The possibility of "next year".
So, what opportunities can we expect if we have a chance to partially resolve with the newly elected president [whether McCain or Obama]? My guess is that we will eventually see a version of the "guest worker" program, which will grant illegal immigration a certain identity. Let us take a moment to look at it: in this country, many landscapes, babysitters, cleaning women and kitchen workers are illegal. Many spouses of US citizens cross the border without a test or have been tried by law. High-tech companies are clamoring for more H-1B visas [currently 65,000 per year] to bring computer workers and engineers into the country. In this country, we may have 10 to 20 million illegal immigrants. Some things need to be done.
Of course, it is best if we can get 245[i] law back, let people get sponsorship from employers or their relatives, and pay high fines. It will bring cash into the government's vault and fully integrate many hardworking people into the mainstream US.
Orignal From: Our immigration system is broken - when will the reform come?
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