Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Proposed Law Could Help Immigrants Working in Agriculture
If there’s one area that relies on immigrant workers to keep them in business it is agriculture and farming. Many immigrants work hard to help farmers, and to help put food in our stores and on our tables. Recently, the House of Representatives passed a bill to recognize, and to help these hard workers…. Read More »
What Happens When ICE Goes After Your Employer?
Many businesses do whatever they can to try to skirt and avoid immigration laws. Some do it for their own benefit, to avoid taxes or regulatory paperwork, or to continue to employ immigrants working for less than what the business would otherwise have to pay U.S. citizens. Others do it as favors to workers… Read More »
Getting a Parent into the U.S.
Let’s say that you are here in the United States lawfully, and on your way to citizenship. Congratulations. You have already overcome a tremendous hurdle. Except there is still one problem: Your parents want to join you here in America. Maybe they are already here illegally, or maybe they are overseas. Either way, there… Read More »
States Look to Ban ICE From Arresting Immigrants in Courthouses
Stories are everywhere about ICE officials nabbing or detaining suspected immigrants in places that the immigrants have to, or need to be. Health clinics, hospitals, relief centers after a disaster, and courthouses unfortunately cannot be avoided for most people living in this country. When immigrants go to these facilities, they often risk being detained… Read More »
Crime Victims Can Apply for a U-Visa
If you have been a victim of a crime, especially a violent crime, you usually face a fair amount of hardship, stress and trauma. Knowing this, immigration has a program for immigrants who are victims of crimes, and who are helping law enforcement in solving or prosecuting crimes. The U-Visa Program The program is… Read More »
ICE Detention Program Held to be Unconstitutional
A federal court has found that a program where Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) worked with law enforcement agencies to detain immigrants, and potentially deport them based only on biometric information from a computer report, is unconstitutional. Secure Communities The program, called Secure Communities, works like this: When someone is in the custody of law… Read More »
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Arguments in Important Cases
Immigration law is constantly changing, and policies put in place are routinely being challenged for legality. Sometimes, the legality of these programs gets argued all the way to the Supreme Court. Although the Supreme Court does not hear a great many cases every year (compared to the number of times litigants request the Court… Read More »
Per Country Employment Visa Caps Still Exist
The employment green card system was almost altered for the better recently. The change would have affected how employment based green cards are given out on a per country basis. Currently, aside from the other hurdles to obtain an employment based green card, applicants also had to deal with what are known as per… Read More »
What is Temporary Protected Status?
We know that in cases of asylum, people fleeing their home country to avoid oppression, danger, reprisal against them if they are returned, or severe hardship, have a pathway to come to America and stay here, at least temporarily. However in many cases, an immigrant’s home country is not permanently dangerous, but temporary conditions… Read More »
Children Born or Adopted Overseas by Servicemembers Face New Immigration Hurdles
It seems like every week there is another announcement from the government making it more difficult for people to become residents of the United States. A new rule—really, a new definition of an existing rule that has to do with who is eligible to become a citizen—this time threatens the citizenship of children born… Read More »
