DACA: Under Constant Threat

Aug13

By Taher Kameli and Chathan Vemuri   In 2012, then-President Barack Obama provided a crucial piece of legal protection for residents who unlawfully arrived in the United States as children in the form of the policy known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.[1] By executive action, the president provided these residents (or “Dreamers”) a two-year shield from deportation despite not having citizenship or lawful permanent residence.[2] Under the DACA policy, these residents are able to obtain work permits, health insurance offered by employers, afford an education, and pursue higher education.[3] Depending on the state, Dreamers

August 13, 2021
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Biden Administration Gives Much Needed Legal Protection to Undocumented Crime Victims with a Sped-Up U-Visa Application Process

Jul14

By Taher Kameli and Chathan Vemuri   In a move that is sure to be welcomed by many in both the immigrant community and law enforcement, the Biden administration has decided as of June 14, 2021 to speed up the process of granting U-Visas some undocumented immigrants who are victims of crime.[1] Under the new policy, the Biden administration will expand access to work permits and deportation relief to certain immigrant victims of crime with pending visa applications.[2]   Typically, the Government is only permitted to issue 10,000 U-Visas a year, with the rest of the U-Visa applicants being left on a

July 14, 2021
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Supreme Court Approves Broadened Government Power to Detain Criminal Immigrants

Criminal Immigrants Detained by U.S. Government
Mar21

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. If you oppose President Trump’s immigration policies, did you vote for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election?  One effect of President Trump being elected is that he is able to appoint Supreme Court justices who share his harsh views on immigration.  This point was evidenced in the March 19 Supreme Court decision in the case of Nielsen v. Preap (Case No. 16-1363), which held that the government has a broad right to detain immigrants with past criminal records under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA

March 21, 2019
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U.S. Permanent Residency through Employment-Based Visa Categories: Far from Unfeasible

Permanent Residency through Employment-Based Visa
Jan25

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. Trump’s stringent immigration policy running afoul of America’s long-standing tradition of embracing immigrants is widely known across the globe. Anti-immigration policies as the centerpiece of Trump’s agenda through which U.S. major issues could allegedly be resolved have stoked concerns among foreign nationals. In such an unwelcoming climate, individuals with outstanding academic and professional profile as well as investors (qualifying for the EB-1, EB-2 NIW and EB-5 categories) may view U.S. permanent residency unachievable

January 25, 2019
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U.S. Government Shutdown: Touching the Lives of Hundreds of Thousands of Federal employees

U.S. Government Shutdown: Touching the Lives of employees
Jan14

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. Three weeks have passed since the federal government shuttered, leaving almost 800,000 federal employees frustrated. Marked as the longest government shutdown in the U.S. history, it has been driven by the disagreement between Donald Trump and the Congressional democrats over the construction of a wall along the Mexico-U.S. border. With Donald Trump persistently refusing to sign a spending bill without the requested $5.7 billion for the border wall, it is hard to predict how long the government shutdown will last. The shutdown has resulted in the closure of some departments including

January 14, 2019
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