As an asylum and refugee lawyer, I noticed the youth refugee situation unfolding as far back as 2009.
Like most folks, I was surprised by the sharp increase of new arrivals last summer. But I was not shocked by the appearance of young children at our door steps.
A few weeks ago, I endorsed the position that blindly voting for any political party is not in the best interests of immigrants seeking compassionate immigration reform.
I suggested a hybrid posture between not voting at all and voting as a political dunce.
For instance, in Matter of A-R-C-G, the Board of Immigration Appeals recently held that abused immigrant women qualify for asylum in the U.S. under certain circumstances.
Media pundits and legal analysts applauded the decision as a landmark ruling.
They’re right.
However, the woman seeking protection has not yet won her case.
And many abused spouses were left out of the court’s sphere of protection.
Human trafficking, a form of modern day slavery, is growing.
It’s growing across the globe. It’s growing across the United States. Now, it’s growing locally. Recent news reports confirm its arrival in the Inland Empire and Southwest Riverside.
As an immigration lawyer whose practice takes me into various regional communities, I sensed its growing presence based on tell-tale signs a few months ago.
When is a victory not a victory?
