Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. For most of the last 20 years, politicians in the United States have discussed the concept of “comprehensive immigration reform” – what most people think of as the adoption of a complete overhaul of the US immigration system, dealing with all of increased border security, illegal immigrants already in the country, future legal immigration rules, and other immigration law-related matters, all in 1 sweeping piece of legislation. The fact that this issue is still being discussed in year 2019 evidences that no “comprehensive immigration reform” legislation has yet been
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an immigration program established by President Barack Obama in 2012 generally to permit undocumented immigrants who came to the United States before the age of 16 to avoid deportation and receive work permits for a period of 2 years, renewable upon good behavior. President Donald Trump has sought to rescind DACA. On May 17, the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals joined the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (which had ruled on November 6, 2018) in ruling that President
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. In the face of continuing anti-immigration policies from the Trump administration, it has been the judicial branch of the Federal government (the courts) that immigrants have often relied upon to protect immigrant rights. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in particular, has issued various decisions in defense of immigrant rights. However, even the Ninth Circuit is not a guarantor of a “pro-immigration” decision, as evidenced by its May 7 opinion upholding President Trump’s Migrant Protection Protocols program (known as the “Remain in Mexico” program). Based
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. “Asylum, you know I look at some of these asylum people, they’re gang members. They’re not afraid of anything . . . and they say ‘I fear for my life,’ they’re the ones causing fear for life. It’s a scam, it’s a hoax”. These prior comments by President Trump from early April clearly show that he opposes immigration to the United States based on asylum. Thus, it was no surprise when, on April 29, he issued “Presidential Memorandum on Additional Measures to Enhance Border Security and Restore Integrity