On behalf of Hanlon Law Group, P.C. posted in Employment-Based Immigration on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
In this era of smart phones, web meetings and sprawling interconnectivity, it is easier than ever to manage or be a part of a business that does not operate in your country. This globalization is breaking the notion that running a business overseas may not be feasible, and thankfully the United States has visa programs that embrace this notion.
The E-2 Visa program allows immigrants to live and work in the U.S. on a temporary basis, granting a two-year term in the country. The employment immigration program is also called the Treaty Investors visa and is available to people in nearly 80 countries around the world.
On behalf of Hanlon Law Group, P.C. posted in U.S. Immigration Law on Thursday, February 16, 2012
Considering the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles, city residents will want to hear about a record-breaking settlement between ICE and 11 people that were unjustly arrested in Connecticut back in 2007.
That year, ICE officials conducted an immigration raid with local authorities in the city of New Haven. The raid detained roughly 30 people, but the arresting officials did not obtain any warrants before conducting the raid that led to the arrest of the 11 men involved in the settlement.
On behalf of Hanlon Law Group, P.C. posted in Deportation & Removal Defense on Monday, February 13, 2012
The parents of students at Miramonte Elementary School are uncertain about coming forward to authorities regarding the school's sexual abuse scandal, citing the potential for deportation. It's an issue of an immigrant's rights in a police case, and with programs like Secure Communities and 287 (g) on the books - the latter of which is supported by police in Miramonte's district - many families of the school are hesitant to assist the investigation.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has stated it will not pursue or inquire about the immigration status of any witnesses, victims or families with ties to the scandal. Unlike the Los Angeles Police Department, the Sheriff's Department has entered a partnership with the federal government under 287(g). That law gives local authorities who are a part of the 287(g) program to share inmate information with federal immigration officials, potentially leading to the person's deportation.
On behalf of Hanlon Law Group, P.C. posted in Deportation & Removal Defense on Thursday, February 9, 2012
New emphasis is being placed on the deportation of illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds, as seen with laws such as the Secure Communities Program. These initiatives may sound like positive steps towards lowering the crime rate, but they can actually entangle U.S. citizens - who are sometimes racially profiled - in illegitimate deportation cases.
Many of these directives are coming from the federal level, and state or local law enforcement partners with the appropriate agency to enforce the directive. One such directive was initiated by the director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, asking prosecutors in deportation cases to take things such as U.S. military service, family ties and criminal record into account when deciding whether to proceed with a case.
On behalf of Hanlon Law Group, P.C. posted in U.S. Immigration Law on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
An issue that is arising with U.S. immigration law is how to deal with illegal immigrants who have mental disorders. Specifically, judges are having a difficult time handling these cases because the defendant sometimes does not have the means to defend himself, and other times the legal guidelines just aren't there to allow a fair trial.
The American Civil Liberties Union is confronting this issue, filing a federal class action suit recently in an effort to change U.S. immigration law. The ACLU wants the government to provide three things for mentally-ill defendants who are illegal immigrants: a competency hearing, a lawyer and a bond hearing.
On behalf of Hanlon Law Group, P.C. posted in Employment-Based Immigration on Friday, February 3, 2012
On the heels of a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that says immigration laws should be eased to allow highly-skilled people into the country, the Department of Homeland Security announced this week that employment immigration programs will be reformed to allow longer stays for visa, H-1B and F-1 immigrants.
It is unknown exactly when this initiative will take effect, but the president - along with DHS - believes that opening up these employment immigration programs could stimulate job growth. Specifically, the reforms will include improvements to H-1B visas and the creation of a new "startup visa."
On behalf of Hanlon Law Group, P.C. posted in Deportation & Removal Defense on Thursday, February 2, 2012
The Secure Communities program is under fire again. Last week a group of people who oppose the controversial law - which allows local authorities to send an arrested person's fingerprints to Immigration and Customs Enforcement - sang and chanted outside a San Bernardino field office for the Department of Homeland Security.
The protestors were mostly children of illegal immigrants, meaning they did not have U.S. citizenship. Putting themselves on the line for something they believe in is an honorable act, but now they may face the consequences of the very deportation program they were protesting against.
On behalf of Hanlon Law Group, P.C. posted in Deportation & Removal Defense on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Assemblyman Tom Ammiano will soon introduce a bill into California's state Assembly that would attempt to counter the Secure Communities program run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under the Secure Communities program, law enforcement officers must forward the fingerprints of everyone arrested to immigration authorities.
If those federal authorities then discover an arrestee entered the country without permission, the local law enforcement officers are instructed to delay the arrestee's release so that ICE can take custody and initiate deportation proceedings. Many who have been arrested by ICE are either low-level offenders or have never before convicted of a crime at all.
On behalf of Hanlon Law Group, P.C. posted in Employment-Based Immigration on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Immigrants have a long history of creating great companies in the United States. Kohl's and Comcast were both founded by immigrants in the 1960s, while more recently Google, YouTube, and eBay were founded by people from Russia, Taiwan and France, respectively.
Employment immigration is at the center of a new report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The report shows that many immigrants who are looking to start a new business in the U.S. are returning to their home country if they do not establish themselves here.
On behalf of Hanlon Law Group, P.C. posted in U.S. Citizenship on Monday, January 23, 2012
A couple of weeks ago we brought you the story of Ayded Reyes, a cross country athlete at Southwestern College who was locked in a deportation case. One of the elements referenced in that story was the DREAM Act, a federal law that has yet to pass that would allow illegal immigrants the ability to establish residency.
Today, California passed its own version of the DREAM Act. This new law does not allow illegal immigrants to gain citizenship, but it does allow them to qualify for educational financial aid that they previously did not have access to.
