DUI IS NOT A CRIME OF VIOLENCE: Leocal v. Ashcroft  543 U. S. ____ (2004) November 9, 2004.


A drunk driving accident is not a "crime of violence" allowing the
government to deport a permanent resident, the Supreme Court ruled in
Leocal v. Ashcroft   543 U. S. ____ (2004) November 9, 2004.

The court ruled unanimously in favor of Josue Leocal, a Florida man
challenging his deportation to Haiti in 2002 after pleading guilty to a
felony charge of drunk driving.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the DUI offense was a
"crime of violence" under the immigration statute because he had caused
injury to others.

The Supreme Court disagreed. It said the plain meaning of the statute
suggests that the felony offense must require intent in causing harm -
not mere negligence as in Leocal's case - before immigrants are subject
to the drastic consequence of deportation.

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Tue - March 30, 2004

Criminal Penalties for Marriage Fraud -- 8 U.S.C. § 1325(c) and 18 U.S.C. § 1546


Marriage fraud has been prosecuted, inter alia, under 8 U.S.C. § 1325 and 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a). The Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments Act of 1986 amended § 1325 by adding § 1325(c), which provides a penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for any "individual who knowingly enters into a marriage for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws." Under 8 U.S.C. § 1151(b), "immediate relatives" of U.S. citizens, including spouses, who are otherwise qualified for admission as immigrants, must be admitted as such, without regard to other, ordinary numerical limitations.

Posted at 01:23 AM     Read More  

Thu - December 4, 2003

Misdemeanor Domestic Battery not a Crime of Violence, Flores v. Ashcroft, Seventh Circuit, November 2003


In Flores v. Ashcroft the Seventh Circuit held that a respondent
convicted under the Indiana Battery statute was not deportable for a
crime involving domestic violence because there was not a substantial
risk that the offense involved the use of force. November 26, 2003,
2003 U.S. App. LEXIS 24051

Download PDF case

Posted at 07:10 PM     Read More  

Sat - November 8, 2003

DOMESTIC BATTERY CONVICTION (ILLINOIS) AND REMOVAL FROM THE UNITED STATES


Domestic violence and related convictions will cause immigration
problems not only for individuals that have a pending application for
permanent resident status (green card) with the local CIS office but
also for individuals that are already permanent residents or those who
seek to apply for United States citizenship through naturalization.

Posted at 12:02 PM     Read More  

Wed - October 8, 2003

LIST OF DESIGNATED CIVIL SURGEONS, Form I-693 medical examination, Citizenship & Immigration Services (CIS) CHICAGO


Most applicants for adjustment of status are required to have a medical
examination. The medical examination must be conducted by a civil
surgeon who has been designated by Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Posted at 08:21 PM     Read More  

Tue - October 7, 2003

Eligibility of Children Born out of Wedlock for Derivative Citizenship (BCIS September 26, 2003)


Assuming an alien child meets all other requirements of Section 320 and
322, an alien child who was born out of wedlock and has not been
legitimated is eligible for derivative citizenship when the mother of
such a child becomes a naturalized citizen.

Posted at 10:47 AM     Read More  

Mon - September 29, 2003

Revised Cable on Child Status Protection Act, Department of State ALDAC #2 (01/03/03)


State Department cable clarifies the main points of the Child Status Protection Act of 2000 ("CSPA"), Sample Worksheet for Calculating Age in Section 3 Cases, January 2003

Posted at 03:10 PM     Read More  

CIS Guidance on Child Status Protection Act (09/20/02)


On August 6, 2002 President Bush signed the Child Status Protection Act.
This new law addresses the problem of minor children losing their
eligibility for certain immigration benefits as a result of INS
processing delays. (when children of U.S. citizens turn 21 years of age,
they "age-out" of their immediate relative status to the status of
family-first preference: the Fl category.)

Posted at 02:37 PM     Read More  

Sun - September 28, 2003

Continuing Validity of Form I-140 Petition when the alien beneficiary claims eligibility benefits under §106(c) of AC21 due to a change in his or her employment.


08/04/03 Memo from William R. Yates /s/ Janis Sposato HQBCIS

Posted at 07:58 PM     Read More  

Sunset of Additional $1,000 Filing Fee, Return to 65,000 Annual Limit on H-1B Petition Approvals (September 15, 2003)


September 15, 2003 MEMORANDUM from William R. Yates /s/ Associate Director for Operations Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services

Posted at 07:36 PM     Read More  

Recent DUI cases, September 2003





Posted at 04:08 PM     Read More  

Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) Precedent Decisions


January 2002 to July 2003 Summaries

Posted at 04:03 PM     Read More  

Conviction under Immigration law includes Illinois sentence for "1410 probation" ( July 8, 2003)


Gill v. Ashcroft, (7th Cir.) 2003 WL 21525603. July 8, 2003

Ct. of Appeal lacked jurisdiction to consider appeal of instant removal
order under 8 USC §1227(a)(2)(B)(i) based on existence of alien's prior
Illinois state court conviction for possession of cocaine that was
ultimately dismissed upon alien's successful completion of probation
period; under 8 USC §1101(a)(48)(A), alien's state court proceeding
qualified as "conviction" that precluded alien from applying for
discretionary relief from removal order.

Posted at 03:54 PM     Read More  

Advance Parole, CIS form I-131 (travel document)


ADVANCE PAROLE (travel document) INSTRUCTIONS, Chicago CIS Office

Posted at 03:35 PM     Read More  

ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS INTERVIEW: DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS (I-485) Chicago CIS


CIS Notice of Appointment of Interview for Adjustment of Status to that of a Permanent Resident, Chicago, Illinois

Posted at 03:32 PM     Read More  

Was the Marriage Entered into for Immigration Purposes? What is a Bona fide immigration marriage


In order to be granted permanent residency, your spouse's relationship
with you must be established and your spouse must be admissible to the
United States under the immigration law. Also, the marriage must be bona
fide, not merely a sham to get the non US citizen spouse a green card.
The BCIS takes fraudulent marriage seriously and you will be asked to
provide supporting documents to show that the marriage is valid.

Over the past two decades, Congress and the BCIS have grown increasingly
suspicious of marriages. Since 1986, a foreign-born spouse who has been
married to the petitioner for less than two years is given conditional
permanent residence for two years. While this conditional status is for
the most part the same as regular permanent residence, it is designed to
provide assurance that the parties did not marry for immigration
purposes by allowing the conditional status to be revoked if the
marriage does not last two years.

Posted at 03:29 PM     Read More  









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