Pace Immigration Law Society

Information Overload: A Ride Aboard the USCIS Processing Times Roller Coaster - Blog: Think Immigration AILA Policy Associate Paul Stern describes the rollercoaster clients and attorneys find themselves on as they try to determine where their application stands given crisis-level delays and backlogs at USCIS.

NEW from AILA and Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition - CAIR Coalition: This resource acknowledges the expansion of the virtual legal landscape and provides guidance on how best to provide remote representation to detained clients: www.aila.org/detained

The American people have spoken and Congress must act.

DHS’ New Work Permit Measures Are Welcome Change with Potential to Address USCIS Challenges DHS will accelerate the processing of some work permits and extend their validity period, potentially fixing some major problems at USCIS.

A quick, preliminary comment on the “emergency order” “migrant ban” recently issued by the Supervisor of the Town of Mount Pleasanthttps://www.mtpleasantny.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif4741/f/alerts/town_of_mt._pleasant_state_of_emergency_5.26.2023.pdf :

I just found the text of the Mount Pleasant emergency order on its website. First basic problem: as far as I can see, it does not contain a definition, and there is no general legal definition, of “migrants or asylum seekers.” Who is a “migrant”? If the noncitizen grandmother of someone who lives in Mount Pleasant has received lawful permanent residence (a “green card”) to live and work lawfully in the United States, and is coming to live with the family from her current home in Oshkosh, Wisconsin -- or if that grandmother is coming to visit the family on a temporary visa for the holidays -- is that person a “migrant” under this Order? This Order says that “no person” . . . “may make contracts with persons” . . . “doing business within the Town to transport migrants or asylum seekers to locations in the Town for any length of time without the express written permission of the Town Supervisor.” So if a Town resident calls an Uber to pick up his grandmother at the airport, he could be violating this Order unless he first gets the written permission of the Supervisor?

Similarly, numerous “asylum seekers” -- again, does that mean someone who has already filed an application for asylum, specifically, with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services agency? Does that mean someone who is in the process of preparing such an application? Thinking about applying for asylum? Seeking information about eligibility for asylum? – anyway, many people who might be called “asylum seekers” are completely financially independent and self-sufficient, and may be living in or visiting the Town of Mount Pleasant without any contact with or action by the City of New York or any other municipal government. This Order apparently applies to them. These same people may already have lawful immigration status within the United States, such as for example Temporary Protected Status or Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, quite independent of whether they may also be seeking or considering seeking asylum protection. This Order apparently applies to them, as well.

Just pointing out some of the problems that arise when government officials who may not be well-informed about our extremely and unnecessarily complex immigration law start legislating or issuing orders on this topic. Let’s remember that this entire “crisis” has been manufactured over a very long time, during the past thirty years at least, by a refusal of members of Congress, largely Republicans, to engage in meaningful reform of our grossly outdated and dysfunctional immigration law, even though the American public very much favors comprehensive immigration reform. It is not surprising that government officials and law-makers and the general public do not know about and understand the structure and operation of our immigration system because unfortunately, teaching about this topic is not part of the curriculum of most high schools or other mandatory education programs, and otherwise there is little opportunity for people to learn about it. For that matter, most lawyers know very little about our immigration law. There is also a great deal of mythology and stereotyping about the very broad category of “immigrants”, such as the idea that immigrants are the source of additional criminal activity, when most responsible studies show that the opposite is true: rates of crime committed by noncitizens are by and large substantially lower than the rate of crimes committed by U.S. citizens. See, e.g.,

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/undocumented-immigrants-are-half-as-likely-to-be-arrested-for-violent-crimes-as-u-s-born-citizens/

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2014704117 or https://www.ojp.gov/library/publications/comparing-crime-rates-between-undocumented-immigrants-legal-immigrants-and

https://www.politifact.com/article/2022/sep/06/surprising-number-americans-believe-these-false-cl/

https://www.mtpleasantny.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif4741/f/alerts/town_of_mt._pleasant_state_of_emergency_5.26.2023.pdf

www.mtpleasantny.com

APRIL 24 & 25 - PILS BAKE SALE
(Pace Immigration Law Society)
STUDENT LOUNGE 11:00 am-5:00 pm

Hello All: PILS is hosting a two-day bake sale April 24th-April 25th. We will be tabling from 11 AM-5 PM at the Preston Student Lounge. All proceeds will go to displaced victims of the March 2023 landslide in Alausi, Ecuador. We will be offering an array of yummy treats such as rice pudding/arroz con leche, flan, baked empanadas, dulce de leche, cookies, and much more!! Prices will range from $1-$2.
Please stop by to grab a sweet treat!
- Michelle

Lunar New Year Event rescheduled to March 7, 6:00 pm - O-202

The lunar new year event that was originally scheduled for 2/28 has been rescheduled for March 7th, Tuesday, from 6PM-8PM in O-202. We will be watching the Oscar nominated Sci-Fi/Adventure Film: Everything Everywhere All at Once. The plot centers on a Chinese-American immigrant who, while being audited by the IRS, discovers that she must connect with parallel universe versions of herself to prevent a powerful being from destroying the multiverse. Food and drinks will be provided. See you all there!
Please RSVP using the same link:

Lunar New Year RSVP O202 from 6-8 pm March 7th, 2022

FREE PUBLIC WEBINAR ON HAITIAN TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS March 17, 2023 -- 1:00 pm

Online from ABA Commission on Immigration -- register here:

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians in Removal Proceedings [CC] The presentation aims to provide information, practical pointers, and creative solutions to common issues to guide advocates in their representation.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2023/01/07/biden-immigration-border/

Immigration pivot shows Biden facing hard reality of border politics The unveiling of new border policies Thursday was a deflating and lonely moment for a president who promised to abandon Donald Trump’s harsh approach.