Individualized, Innovative
The U.S. Congress created U non-immigrant status (the U visa) in October 2000 to help victims of certain crimes who have experienced extreme mental or physical abuse and were helpful to law enforcement of government in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. The U visa bestows clear benefits, when granted: The applicant—and any qualifying family members included as the…
ICE has shown lately that it is becoming more willling to use any tool at its disposal to impact a removal proceeding. One such trend has been the notable increase in charging under section 212(a)(2)(C)(i) of Immigration & Nationalty Act. This charge of removal or deportation is known by its standard, a “reason to believe” that an individual is knowingly…
DACA recipients benefit from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) program which provides some immigration relief for children brought to the United States illegally at a young age. If you have DACA, then the U.S. government essentially overlooks your illegal entry into the country and you can obtain a driver’s license, work permit and are protected from deportation –…
The immigration law has long established that “any alien . . . likely at any time to become a public charge” is inadmissible to the United States. On October 10th, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposed a new rule to expand its definition of a “public charge.” These are proposed changes. They are not the law today, and…
It is an urban myth that those who work without authorization in the United States will still receive social security benefits. In fact, individuals who worked previously in the United States may need to act to ensure they receive proper credit for the work they performed after they become authorized to work. The root of this dynamic is the Social…
In the past few months the current administration has announced the ending of Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for multiple countries including El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan. If you are losing your TPS, there may be another way for you to obtain status in the United States. A few of these pathways are listed below. If you entered the U.S.…
In Minnesota, there are many levels of marijuana related criminal charges. The amount of marijuana which a person possesses or sells determines the level of offense. Possession or sale of 42.5 grams or more of marijuana can lead to felony charges. Consequences for felony level marijuana related offenses range from a year and a day to 30 years in prison.…
A controlled substance charge in and of itself likely means that your noncitizen client has the attention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), and that ICE will monitor the proceedings. ICE may detain your client during the pendency of the criminal case, and the charge alone can cause your client to lose the ability to remain in the United States. …
On September 5, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a “wind-down” of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Naturally, many people are questioning what that means, and so we have prepared a brief summary of the DACA rescission information, based on what is currently known. The DACA program is scheduled to officially end on March 5, 2018. Beginning September…