Immigration Relief for Military Families

Photo credit Official U.S. Navy Imagery on Flickr.

Under a new policy released last week, the spouses, children, and parents of active military troops and veterans are now eligible to apply for legal immigration status.

Spouses and relatives of citizens and green card holders could apply for status. But under existing law, undocumented immigrants have to leave the country while their status is pending, sometimes for years at a time. This new policy means that relatives of troops and veterans can apply from within the country under a status known as "parole in place."

Changes to immigration laws have not yet been realized. The Senate passed an immigration reform bill earlier this year, but the House seems unlikely to take action on it. Some have speculated that, because of the lack of Congressional action, President Obama will attempt to reform immigration through smaller policy changes such as this.

For more information, please see this New York Times article and this Associated Press article. 

Immigration Reform in the House

Today the House Judiciary Committee is holding a full committee hearing on “America’s Immigration System: Opportunities for Legal Immigration and Enforcement of Laws against Illegal Immigration.”  Today’s hearing will have two witness panels. The first panel will examine the current legal immigration system and ways to improve it. The second panel will discuss the extent to which immigration laws have been enforced. 

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Goodlatte (a Republican), has opposed measures in the past that he regarded as amnesty for illegal immigrants.  In a statement released Monday, however, he noted that it would be important to carefully examine the current system in order to understand what isn’t working and how the system could be changed to work more efficiently and fairly.  “Reforming our nation’s immigration laws,” he said, “is a massive undertaking and is too important to not examine each piece in detail.” 

You can find the House Judiciary Committee press release here and an article in the New York Times here.

MA State Colleges and Universities To Allow In-State Tuition For Illegal Immigrants

The Boston Globe reported today that Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA) will direct state colleges and universities to permit illegal immigrants to pay resident in-state tuition and fees when they obtain work permits through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) federal program. 

DACA is a federal program enacted in June that allows undocumented immigrants aged 30 or younger, who arrived to the US before age 16, to obtain work permits and to avoid deportation for two years. The applicants must meet other requirements to be approved through DACA. The fee is $465. 

DACA did not require states to provide in-state tuition to illegal immigrants - President Obama left that as a decision to be made by individual states.

Gov. Patrick will send his directive to the Board of Higher Education today, with the change to take place immediately. 

For more on this story, click here. 

For representation on immigration matters, please contact Glickman Turley LLP at 617-399-7770.

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.

The Potential for Post-Election Immigration Reform

An editorial published today by Bloomberg  highlighted that support for immigration reform is inevitable now that President Obama has been re-elected. The editorial stated that Latinos, known to be a socially conservative demographic, comprised 10 percent of the total vote, giving "Obama almost three votes for every one earned by Romney." 

President Obama campaigned on immigration reform that would address the nearly 11 million illegal immigrants in the US. Republican Speaker John Boehner has stated that he is "confident that the president, myself, other can find the common ground to take care of this issue once and for all." 

The editorial further noted that: "Standard & Poor’s has found that cities with high immigration levels show improvements in credit ratings, tax bases and per-capita incomes. High-skills immigrants, meanwhile, not only increase productivity but also generate jobs."

For representation on immigration issues, please contact Glickman Turley LLP at 617-399-7770.

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.

Obama's Promise in Off-the-Record Conversation

The President Obama spoke with The Des Moines Register this week and stated off-the-record that "The second thing I'm confident we'll get done next year is immigration reform...And since this is off the record, I will just be very blunt. Should I win a second term, a big reason I will win a second term is because the Republican nominee and the Republican Party have so alienated the fastest-growing demographic group in the country, the Latino community. And this is a relatively new phenomenon."

Governor Mitt Romney has criticized President Obama for making a similar promise back in 2008 - a promise that he could not keep. Governor Romney has stated that should he win the election, he would not support the Dream Act - a bill President Obama tried to pass in December 2010 - and he has not outlined a plan as to how he would address the issue of "more than 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States."

The White House gave The Des Moines Register permission to publish the off-the-record statement, which was part of a conversation President Obama had in order to gain the newspaper's endorsement. 

To read the story in The New York Times, click here. 

For representation, please contact Glickman Turley LLP at 617-399-7770.

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.    

Children Crossing Mexican Border Up 50% in 2011

The Los Angeles Times reported that there was an increase of unaccompanied children from Central American countries who attempted to cross the Mexican border into the U.S. illegally in hopes of qualifying for asylum. There are significant pockets of growth from three countries: "El Salvador, with 68% more unaccompanied minors; Guatamala, with 72% more; and Honduras, with the number more than doubling, from 1,201 to 2,477." These 2011 statistics were cited in a reported called "Forced From Home: The Lost Boys and Girls of Central America" and the number is expected to rise in 2012. 

Click here to read more on this story. 

For representation, please contact Glickman Turley LLP at 617-399-7770. 

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.    

CA First State to Grant Drivers' Licenses to Eligible DACA Applicants

California became the first state to enact a law that would allow immigrants who qualify for the youth deferred action program (DACA) work permits to obtain drivers' licenses. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill into law late last night. The Department of Motor Vehicles in California will now accept the documents issued by the government to DACA applicants as proof of legal residence for the purpose of getting a valid driver's license. The purpose of the law is to "make roads safer while letting young immigrants drive to school and to work." Click here to read the Associated Press story on www.huffingtonpost.com. 

For representation, please contact Glickman Turley LLP at 617-399-7770. 

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.    

DACA and Potential Pitfall for Job Verification from Employers

The New York Times reported that businesses are concerned about providing job verification documentation for deferred deportation applicants. The Obama Administration announced in June 2012 that young undocumented immigrants will be able to apply for two year deferred deportation while obtaining legal work permits. The program does not allow applicants to gain legal immigration status. 

The program has been a source of concern for employers who have been approached by their employees to provide job verification that proves they have been in the country for the requisite time period (for more on if you qualify for DACA, click here.) When applicants admit to being an undocumented workers, employers  may have to fire them until the applicants legally obtain a work permit. Also, employers fear that if they agree to provide a job verification request, it will serve as proof that they knowingly hired an undocumented immigrant, which violates federal law. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released guidelines that confirm "the businesses could provide verification for deferred deportation applicants. This information will not be shared with the enforcement authorities, 'unless there is evidence of egregious violations of criminal statutes or widespread abuses.'" 

For more on this story, click here. 

For representation, please contact Glickman Turley LLP at 617-399-7770. 

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.    

Free Clinics Around Massachusetts for DACA Applications

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) is offering free assistance with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applications. on September 7, 2012 and September 14, 2012. Please contact MIRA by clicking here to RSVP - spots fill up quickly. MIRA has also provided a list of other free clinics around Massachusetts that are offering free assistance with DACA applications. Click here for more information!

For representation, please contact Glickman Turley LLP at 617-399-7770.

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.    

Thousands Gather at Information Sessions For Youth Deferral Program in Chicago

The New York Times reported that on Wednesday, August 15, 2012, thousands of illegal immigrants attended information sessions on how to apply for the deportation deferral program, which would also allow such individuals to qualify for work permits. Immigrant groups, church groups, and law firms are "flooded" with people looking to gain a "legal foothold" in the U.S. For more on this story, click here.

Attorneys at Glickman Turley LLP welcome individuals who are interested in applying for the youth deferred action program. Contact us at 617-399-7770 for a consultation.

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.   

Youth Deferred Action Applications Being Accepted by USCIS Effective Today

Today, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept applications in consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals. The applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis for individuals who came to the United States as children and meet other guidelines as directed by USCIS.  

The USCIS press release stated: "Deferred action is a discretionary determination to defer removal action of an individual as an act of prosecutorial discretion...While it does not provide lawful states or a pathway to permanent residence or citizenship, individuals whose cases are deferred as part of this process will not be removed from the United States for a two-year period, subject to renewal, and may also apply for employment authorization."

See "Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Process" at http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=f2ef2f19470f7310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=f2ef2f19470f7310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD.     

For representation, please contact Glickman Turley LLP at 617-399-7770. 

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.   

Clarification for Dreamer Deferred Action: What Is a Significant Misdemeanor?

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a revised guidance on what constitutes a "significant misdemeanor" under the youth deferred action policy. The new definition states that a significant misdemeanor includes simple assaults, drug possession and other minor crimes if an individual received a sentence more than 90 days for the offense. Additionally, a suspended sentence is not considered a sentence with respect to determining if a misdemeanor qualifies as a significant misdemeanor. Since deferred action remains a discretionary process where a decision is made based on the totality of circumstances per case; criminal history is one factor that is considered but does not necessarily determine the outcome.

For more information, see USCIS's website by clicking here. Please contact our attorneys to to schedule a consultation and learn more about the deferred action policy program. 

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.  

Demographic Profile of DREAMers: A Closer Look

The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) has released a demographic profile of immigrants who stand to benefit from the Obama Administration's deferred action plan that was announced in June, 2012. According to the IPC, "...approximately 1.4 million immigrants currently in the United States who might meet the requirements of the deferred action initiative, either now or when they are older." The deferred action plan allows individuals to obtain "a two-year, renewable reprieve from deportation to unauthorized immigrants who are under the age of 31; entered the United States before age 16; have lived continuously in the country for at least five years; have not been convicted of a felony, a 'significant' misdemeanor, or three other misdemeanors; and are currently in school, graduated from high school, earned a GED, or served in the military." Contact our attorneys at Glickman Turley LLP to schedule a consultation in order to apply for the deferred action initiative. 


For more on the IPC profile, click here. 


Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters. 

US Supreme Court Rejects Part of Controversial Arizona Immigration Law

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down parts of the controversial 2010 Arizona immigration law, but upheld the "show me your papers" provision where state law enforcement will be permitted to question the immigration status of anyone they stop or arrest if they have reason to suspect the person is here illegally. The Court noted that the provision is open to future legal challenges because of the potential of racial profiling. The Court noted that immigration is regulated by the federal government, and state law cannot preempt such policies. 


Click here to read the full opinion: Arizona v. United States, No. 11-182. 


For more on this story, click here to read an article in The New York Times.

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.  

Breaking News (UPDATE) - DHS: Deferred Action Will be Offered to DREAMers

The White House will announce today that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will stop deporting and start granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children and have led otherwise law-abiding lives. The new policy will impact approximately 800,000 undocumented immigrants, according to The Huffington Post. The policy change partially implements one of the objectives of the DREAM Act, "a long-sought but never enacted plan to establish a path toward citizenship for young people who came to the United States without documents but who have attended college or served in the military."

American Immigration Lawyers Association released the following preliminary information in a news alert this morning. Eligible applicants must:

- Be 15-30 years old, and have entered before age 16

- Have been present in the U.S. for 5 years as of June 15, 2012

- Have maintained continuous residence

- Have not been convicted of one serious crime or multiple minor crimes

- Be currently enrolled in high school, graduated or have a GED, or have enlisted in the military

- The deferred action offer will be available to those in proceedings as well as to those who apply affirmatively.

UPDATE: Here is the link to DHS's official memo. 

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.  

Former Gov. Jeb Bush Encourages GOP To Embrace Broader Approach Toward Immigration

Former Governor Jeb Bush (R-Florida) questioned the Republican Party's immigration policies at a breakfast with the press hosted by Bloomberg View in Manhattan on Monday. Gov. Bush said that his father, President George H.W. Bush and President Ronald Reagan would have "struggle[d] with 'an orthodoxy that doesn't allow for disagreement,'" according to an article in The New York Times.

The report said that the Bush family "for all their differences, believe the system should be more humane for hardworking and law-abiding Hispanic families," and that the Republican Party today needs to ramp up efforts to connect with the community. Gov. Bush expressed his support for a broader approach to immigration reform compared to Governor Mitt Romney who "referred to the tough immigration law in Arizona as 'a model.'"

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.  

Can Illegal Immigrants Practice Law in the United States?

The highest state courts in California and Florida will rule on cases considering whether illegal immigrants are eligible to practice law in the United States, according to the WSJ Blog. The Florida Board of Bar Examiners granted Jose Manuel Godinez-Samperio a waiver to take the bar exam when he was unable to provide proof of immigration status. Godinez-Samperio passed the bar exam and now the Florida Board of Bar Examiners awaits an advisory opinion from the Florida Supreme Court before formally allowing him to practice law.

In California, Sergio C. Garcia was sworn in as a lawyer but the California bar is taking a second look at Garcia's case because of his immigration status.

Illegal immigrants are "barred from receiving federal grants, loans and professional licenses, unless the benefits are approved by individual states" and it is against the law for an employer to hire knowingly an illegal immigrant. Click here for more on this story.

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.  

U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Two Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court decided two cases recently. One case involved a widow's claim that her children conceived by her late husband's sperm were entitled to survivor's benefits and the other case held that illegal immigrants cannot take advantage of a parent's lawful residence status when they are charged with crimes subjecting them to deportation, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

In Astrue v. Capato, the Court upheld "the government's multi-part definition of who deserves survivors benefits" in a 9-0 decision. Karen Capato had used sperm her late husband had deposited in a sperm bank to conceive her twins. She argued that the children were entitled to survivors benefits because they qualified as "natural children", despite being born after her husband's death, under the Social Security Act. The Court rejected her claim because regulations "define a 'natural child' as one who could inherit the father's property under state law." The Capatos were residents of Florida where state law specifies that children conceived after a parent's death are not entitled to inherit the late parent's property. The children were not named in their father's will before he passed.

In Holder v. Martinez-Gutierrez, the Court ruled that when illegal immigrants are charged with a crime that exposes them to deportation, they cannot take advantage of their parent's lawful residence. The Court held that "individuals must hear their own leniency through years of lawful residence."

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.  

United We Dream Network Campaign Raises Awareness

The New York Times reported that the United We Dream Network has launched a campaign to increase pressure on President Obama to act on preventing young illegal immigrants from being deported. The Dream Act, a proposal in Congress, would allow young illegal immigrants to obtain legal status in order to defer deportation and to attend college. Currently, many young illegal immigrants graduating high school are not able to enroll in college partly because they cannot apply for financial aid. Those who do graduate from college are then prevented from finding a job since they cannot legally work in the US.

The article stated that "The current proposal of the Dream Act would give legal status to foreign-born high school graduates who came to the United States illegally as children, if they complete two years of college or military service." President Obama has voiced his support for the Dream Act. However in 2010, the Act passed the House but did not pass through Senate due to opposition from the Republicans. For more on this story, click here.

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.  

Massachusetts Expands Program Targeting Illegal Immigrants

A federal program targeting illegal immigrants launched today in Massachusetts, allowing the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to share arrestee fingerprints to expedite identification of illegal immigrants. The goal is to deport illegal immigrants who are arrested for crimes, including repeated violations of federal immigration law. The Secure Communities program does not give local police the authority to enforce immigration law, but Governor Deval Patrick believes the program will result in an increase of racial profiling cases and will promote fear in minority communities.

For more on this story from Boston.com, click here. 

Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, trademark law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex co-parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.