One of the best sources of information about immigration issues is the American Immigration Council.(Council) Their website contains a wealth of information: www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org According to their website mission statement the Council “uses facts to educate the public on the important and enduring contributions that immigrants make to America. The Council is a national leader in challenging Read More
Inspiration from a 10 year old.
Each year for the last 27 years the American Immigration Council has sponsored The Celebrate America Creative Writing Contest for 5th grade students. The students are asked to reflect on and write about one of two themes: Why I Am Glad America is a Nation of Immigrants or What Does It Mean to be a Welcoming Nation. The contest starts with regional contests run by the American Immigration Lawyers Read More
September 17th , 2024 is National Voter Registration Day
During my decades of immigration law practice, I have assisted hundreds of people with their Naturalization process and received many pictures of clients proudly showing their naturalization certificate. The pictures often include them holding a small U.S. Flag that is given to the participants in the swearing in ceremony. It is always an honor to have played a part in getting my clients to this point. As I Read More
Olympics and Immigration
The U.S. topped the medal table at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both the U.S. and China won 40 Gold Medals, but the U.S. won 44 silver medals while China won 27 silvers. In June I wrote a blog about the economic benefits that immigrants bring to the U.S. With the Olympics just concluded I thought it would be interesting to see how immigration contributed to the U.S. doing so well in Paris. George Read More
The Truth about Immigration
Dear Friends Just a few days ago, the book – “The Truth about Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers” was released. Many articles and books focus on the idea that immigration is good for the immigrant. Some focus on why immigration is bad for the U.S. This book focuses on the benefits of immigration to us personally, to our economy, our communities and to our country. The book was written by Read More
Refugees, Asylum, and other humanitarian relief.
Many news articles talk about refugees and asylum. Do you know the difference? This article was written to explain the terminology relating to available U.S. humanitarian relief. I hope that this provides information that will allow my readers to better understand what is happening at this time. Refugee A refugee is a person who has been forced to flee their home country due to persecution because of their race, Read More
Florida Anti-Immigrant Legislation
In writing my blogs, I try not to get too political which is often difficult given that I write about U.S. Immigration law which is inherently political. Today I won’t even try not to get political. What is being done in Florida by our legislators and Governor is beyond outrageous. The anti-immigrant stance of Florida officials will not just harm undocumented persons, it will negatively impact the economy of Read More
Undocumented Immigrants Pay Taxes—Even Income Taxes.
Most people are surprised to hear that undocumented immigrants file income tax returns even though they are ineligible to obtain a social security number and ineligible for social security benefits. Obviously, undocumented persons pay sales tax and property tax. Some own their home or other real estate, so they pay property tax directly. If they rent their home, then they indirectly pay property taxes as part of Read More
Are Military Veterans being deported due to Service Related PTSD?
Unfortunately, the answer to this has been yes, but it may be changing. Military.com is a website that provides news and information about the US military, service members, veterans, and their families. One of their postings is titled “Deported Veterans, Stranded Far from Home After Years of Military Service, Press Biden to Bring Them Back.” In that posting, they discuss the case of Ivan Ocon, who was born in Read More
U.S. Welcome Corps appeals to the “generosity of everyday Americans” with a Private Sponsorship Program for Refugees
On January 19th, Anthony Blinken, Secretary of State announced the creation of the Welcome Corps, a “new private sponsorship program that will enable Americans to sponsor refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admission Program (USRAP), directly support their resettlement and make a difference by welcoming these new neighbors into their communities. This program invites Americans to be partners and guides to Read More