Joint statement from ICE and CBP regarding Hurricane Harvey

Joint statement from ICE and CBP regarding Hurricane Harvey

August 25, 2017 by no comments

As Hurricane Harvey approaches the United States, the Governor of Texas has issued a State of Disaster declaration for 30 counties in Texas, and the Governor of Louisiana has declared a State of Emergency. In light of Hurricane Harvey, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) highest priorities are to promote life-saving and life-sustaining activities, the safe evacuation of people who are leaving the impacted area, the maintenance of public order, the prevention of the loss of property to the extent possible, and the speedy recovery of the region. Anyone in the path of this storm should follow instructions from their local officials and heed any warnings as this dangerous storm approaches.

The Department’s law enforcement components will be at the ready to help anyone in need of assistance. In evacuation or response, we are committed to making sure that we can assist local authorities quickly, safely, and efficiently. Routine non-criminal immigration enforcement operations will not be conducted at evacuation sites, or assistance centers such as shelters or food banks. The laws will not be suspended, and we will be vigilant against any effort by criminals to exploit disruptions caused by the storm.

ICE and CBP also seek to provide for the safety and security of those in our custody and to protect them from bodily harm in the event of a hurricane or a major destructive storm. As such, ICE detainees from the Port Isabel Detention Center are being temporarily transferred to various other detention facilities outside the projected path and destruction of the hurricane. In the event of transfers, the detainee’s attorney of record is notified, the Online Detainer Locator is updated, and the transfer is temporary in nature.

Original document at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/joint-statement-ice-and-cbp-regarding-hurricane-harvey

Biometrics Requirements for Naturalization

August 9, 2017 by no comments

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to specify that every naturalization applicant must provide biometrics regardless of age, unless the applicant qualifies for a fingerprint waiver due to certain medical conditions.

What happens when my green card expires?

August 6, 2017 by no comments

What happens when my green card expires?

Your status as a legal permanent resident will not change if your green card is expired. However, it is important not to let your green card expire because you are required by law to carry a valid green card with you at all times. Although an expired green card does not mean that you lose your LPR status, you may encounter some problems:

– If you travel, you will have difficulty reentering the United States.

– You may have trouble with your job or applying for a job. A valid green card is necessary to show that you are allowed to work in the US.

– You may also have trouble getting any benefits you are registered for or want to register for, like obtaining a drivers license.

 

What Is a Texas Child Support Lien?

August 6, 2017 by no comments

If you are owed back child support, and yet the other parent seems to have money or property for themselves but not the kids, you can obtain a lien against their property to ensure payment.

What Is a Texas Child Support Lien?

Under Texas law, it’s possible to obtain a lien for unpaid child support. There are four kinds of people and/or entities that can pursue a lien for unpaid child support and become formal claimants, including:

– The parent who is entitled to the support, or a private attorney representing the parent
– Any Texas agency providing federally funded (“IV-D”) child support services (e.g., cases where a Texas county is a party to the case, or someone is receiving public assistance)
– A domestic relations office or local registry, and
– Any attorney appointed as a “friend of the court” (a lawyer who is court-ordered to use informal methods, like telephone calls, to ensure the obligor complies with a child support order).

Texas child support liens can be filed against an obligor’s real or personal property, in the amount of any child support that is “due and owing” (e.g., the total amount of child support plus accrued interest, whether it’s been awarded by a court or not). It’s important to know that any amounts—even accrued interest—are considered due and owing even if a court has not issued a judgment stating so.

Lawful Permanent Residents must have their Green Card at ‘all time’

August 2, 2017 by no comments

If you are 18 or older, you do have to carry your Green Card with you. Section 264(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (I.N.A.) requires all lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to have “at all times” official evidence of LPR status.

Failing to have your Green Card with you is a misdemeanor and if you are found guilty you can be fined up to $100 and put in jail for up to 30 days. (I.N.A. Section 264(e).)

Public Policy – The Best Interest of the Child

July 25, 2017 by no comments

TEX. FAM. CODE § 153.001 (Public Policy)
The public policy of this state is to:
– Assure that children will have frequent and continuing contact with parents who have shown the ability to act in the best interest of the child;
– Provide a safe, stable, and nonviolent environment for the child; and
– Encourage parents to share in the rights and duties of raising their child after the parents have separated or dissolved their marriage.

A court may not render an order that conditions the right of a conservator to possession of or access to a child on the payment of child support.

TEX. FAM. CODE § 153.002 (Best interest of child)
The best interest of the child shall always be the primary consideration of the court in determining the issues of conservatorship and possession of and access to the child.

Charla sobre Ley Migratoria en Consulado General de México en El Paso

July 22, 2017 by no comments

Agradecemos la invitación del Consulado General de México en El Paso para dirigirnos a la comunidad y despejar sus dudas tras la charla sobre Ley Migratoria, llevada a cabo este viernes 21 de Julio an las instalaciones de la sede diplomática, donde el abogado Carlos L. Armendáriz y la asistente legal Ana Guerrero, staff de Jeanne Morales, Attorney/Immigration, dieron orientación gratuita a los interesados. #DACA #Dreamers #LeyMigratoria #ConozcaAsuAbogado #PodemosAyudar #JeanneMoralesAttorney

 

Ofrecen charla gratuita sobre Leyes Migratorias

July 21, 2017 by no comments

Con el fin de orientar sobre los recientes cambios en las Leyes Migratorias de los Estados Unidos, el abogado Carlos L. Armendáriz, del bufete jurídico Jeanne Morales Atty, llevará a cabo una plática informativa y pública en las instalaciones del Consulado General de México en El Paso este viernes 21 de Julio del 2017 a las 11 AM.

“El objetivo es aclarar dudas que pueden existir sobre los tipos de visa de empleo y de reunificación familiar, estas últimas donde los parientes inmediatos pueden hacer la petición y pedir la residencia a la vez”, dijo el abogado Armendáriz, quien impartirá la charla informativa en español.

De acuerdo al abogado la petición de familiares directos se puede realizar para los hijos menores de edad de un ciudadano americano, para los padres de un ciudadano americano e incluso vía matrimonial para los esposos de ciudadanos americanos, donde ya se incluye a los matrimonios del mismo sexo.

“Hay diferentes criterios de preferencia, ya que las leyes favorecen con la categoría F1 a los hijos de ciudadanos americanos mayores de edad, no casados”, señaló Armendáriz.

“Posteriormente con la preferencia F2A se beneficia a esposos y hijos menores de edad de un Residente Permanente, con la F2B a los hijos mayores de edad, no casados de Residentes Permanentes”, agregó.

Los criterios de preferencia en la petición de familiares directos se completan con la F3, otorgada a hijos de ciudadanos americanos mayores de edad, casados, mientras el F4 a hermanos de ciudadanos americanos, con mayoría de edad.

Entre los temas a tocar se incluye los reajustes de los estatus migratorios, los diferentes tipos de visas, así como los más reciente surgido respecto al programa de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia, también conocido como DACA por sus siglas en inglés.

Después de la charla informativa se sostendrá una sesión de preguntas y respuestas, para brindar orientación a los asistentes.

El evento público se llevará a cabo a partir de las 11 de la mañana en las instalaciones del Consulado General de México en El Paso, ubicado en el 910 East San Antonio Ave, El Paso, TX 79901. La entrada es gratuita.

Paying child support but incarcerated or about to be incarcerated?

July 20, 2017 by no comments

Do you have a family member or a friend that is paying child support but is incarcerated or about to be incarcerated?
Have them or someone on their behalf give our office a call we can help freeze or reduce their child support during the time when they cannot pay child support due to jail time.

DHS Provides Relief to American Businesses in Danger of Suffering Irreparable Harm

July 17, 2017 by no comments

Additional Visas for Temporary Workers Provided Until End of Current Fiscal Year
Release Date:

WASHINGTON — U.S. businesses in danger of suffering irreparable harm due to a lack of available temporary nonagricultural workers will be able to hire up to 15,000 additional temporary nonagricultural workers under the H-2B program under a final rule that the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor submitted to the Federal Register today. To qualify for the additional visas, petitioners must attest, under penalty of perjury, that their business is likely to suffer irreparable harm if it cannot employ H-2B nonimmigrant workers during fiscal year (FY) 2017.

After consulting with Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly determined there are not enough qualified and willing U.S. workers available to perform temporary nonagricultural labor to satisfy the needs of some American businesses in FY 2017.

“Congress gave me the discretionary authority to provide temporary relief to American businesses in danger of suffering irreparable harm due to a lack of available temporary workers,” said DHS Secretary John Kelly. “As a demonstration of the Administration’s commitment to supporting American businesses, DHS is providing this one-time increase to the congressionally set annual cap.”

The H-2B Temporary Nonagricultural Worker program was designed to serve U.S. businesses unable to find a sufficient number of qualified U.S. workers to perform nonagricultural work of a temporary nature. Congress set the annual H-2B cap at 66,000. A maximum of 33,000 H-2B visas are available during the first half of the fiscal year, and the remainder, including any unused H-2B visas, is available starting April 1 through September 30. On March 13, 2017, USCIS received sufficient H-2B petitions to meet the full FY 2017 statutory cap of 66,000. In May, Congress delegated its authority to the Secretary to increase the number of temporary nonagricultural work visas available to U.S. employers through September 30. The Secretary took the intervening time to consult with the Secretary of Labor on the issue and to properly develop this rule in accordance with Congressional requirements.

Starting July 19, eligible petitioners for H-2B visas can file Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and must submit a supplemental attestation on Form ETA 9142-B-CAA with their petition. A new tip line to report general H-2B abuse and employer violations has also been established.

Details on eligibility and filing requirements are available in the final rule and on the One-Time Increase in H-2B Nonimmigrant Visas for FY 2017 page. This page also includes information on how individuals can report abuse in the program.

If members of the public have information that a participating employer may be abusing this program, DHS invites them to submit information to [email protected].

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.gov or follow on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook(/uscis), and Instagram (@USCIS).

https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/dhs-provides-relief-american-businesses-danger-suffering-irreparable-harm