According to Kim Anderson, former President of American Families United, “U.S. citizens are the most neglected constituency in the immigration debate.”

Hyperbole aside, Anderson raises a critically significant issue that is grossly undervalued by many pro-immigrant advocates.

Simply stated, U.S. citizen spouses are far too minimized in immigration reform discourse. [continue reading…]

Several years ago, I moved into a new neighborhood. Being a multiculturalism enthusiast, a family of five living across the street quickly caught my attention.

The wife was fair-skinned, short, with wavy red hair. The husband was dark, tall, with straight black hair. She was from Ireland. He was from Mexico. Their children’s pronunciations were unlike any version of English I had ever heard before.

I sensed one of my new neighbors lacked legal immigration papers. [continue reading…]

Once again, the big lie of anti-immigrant lobbies has been exposed.

Politically Invisible African And Caribbean Immigrants

Immigration reform is not a one-ethnicity issue, contrary to the claims of Donald Trump and his ideological cohorts.

Various studies over the past few years have shown the number of Black immigrants of African and Caribbean descent have doubled every decade since 1970.

Their totals may be small relative to the much larger figures of Latino immigrants. But their significance, as part of the overall reform movement, should not be minimized. [continue reading…]

War is ugly.

The bleeding does not end with the final gunshot.

And the bill for it, as Benjamin Franklin once noted, comes afterwards.

Events in Iraq and Afghanistan confirm Franklin’s insight. [continue reading…]

It’s always a danger to rely on immigration statistics.

Due to the wide divide between supporters and opponents of immigration reform, the same data has been used to two conflicting opinions.

Of course, the manipulation of information to prove one’s position is not unique to immigration issues.

Still, when government statistics are used properly, they provide valuable insights about the issues being studied. [continue reading…]

Love happens.

More often than not, love happens unexpectedly.

For immigrants who have entered the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program, love can lead to deportation – and a ten year to permanent separation from their spouse and children.

Despite years of battling this issue as a green card attorney, I’m still saddened every time government agents fail to grasp love and marriage deserve a second look before family ties are destroyed and immigrants are blindly sent back to their country of origin.

Policy makers, it seems, should grasp that love can happen, instantly, and innocently, even for tourists.
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Historians will tell you the Cold War officially ended several decades ago.

Only not between Cuba and the United States.

Even today, as the nations inch closer to restoring full diplomatic ties, harsh feelings and distrust between the two nations still linger.

Overcoming 50 years of a politically severed relationship will not be simple. [continue reading…]

Once in a while, common sense rules the day in immigration law.

As a Riverside immigration lawyer, it seems like these days are like a burst of sunlight in the middle of week-long thunderstorms.

But they happen.   And when they do, like the recent ICE policy change regarding needless deportation and removal hearings, the government deserves praise. [continue reading…]

The Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA) of 1966 is one of our most unique immigration programs helping immigrants earn green cards and win permanent resident status.

Like many immigration programs, the Cuban Adjustment Act was created in response to our political policies.  Back in 1966, the U.S. was furious at the Cuban government.  As a result, the Cuban Adjustment Act was passed to help Cubans fleeing their country due to political dissension. [continue reading…]