Two defectors from North Korea who were apprehended by Border Patrol agents when they attempted to enter the US from Mexico in April were granted asylum. Officials say it is the first time that anyone from North Korea has been granted asylum in the US.
*********
Nabil Almarabh, a citizen of Syria who was arrested during the investigation into the September 11th attacks, was recently ordered deported. Officials initially portrayed Almarabh as a prime suspect in the investigation, but ended up producing no evidence linking him to terrorism. He spent 11 months in prison and was convicted of conspiring to unlawfully enter the US.
*********
A federal judge recently dismissed a lawsuit filed by Mexican bracero workers seeking to recover millions of dollars of wages they claimed they were never paid. The bracero program was developed during World War II to replace a domestic workforce embroiled in the war effort. The workers, most of who were employed in agriculture, were told that some of their wages would be withheld and placed in a sort of retirement account in Mexico. According to the judge, the workers could not sue anyone involved in the transfer of funds. They missed the deadline to sue the US, the Mexican government is immune from suit, and the banks responsible for transferring the funds did not harm the workers.
*********
The INS recently announced that it would attempt to deny admission to a citizen of Rwanda on the ground that he had participated in genocide. Enos Iragaba Kagaba attempted to enter the US unlawfully last December and was in removal proceedings when the government added the genocide claim. It is the first time the INS has ever used genocide as the basis for denying admission.
*********
The INS recently extended Temporary Protected Status for a number of countries. For El Salvador, TPS is extended until September 9, 2003. For Somalia, TPS is extended until September 17, 2003. For Sudan and Burundi, TPS is extended until November 2, 2003.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. The information provided in this article has not been updated since its original posting and you should not rely on it until you consult counsel to determine if the content is still valid. We keep older articles online because it helps in the understanding of the development of immigration law.