Dear Readers:
Next week I’ll be attending the annual conference of the American Immigration Lawyers Association in Washington. I attend every year and as a board member and a speaker on two panels, I’ll have a busy few days. This is my 25th year practicing law and since I joined AILA in 1991, I’ve never missed the annual conference. Over the course of four days, I’m able to attend programs on the hottest topics in the field as well as in depth programs diving in to the minutiae of topics that many might consider obscure. I’m also able to see colleagues from all over the country, something that is great from a social standpoint, but also important professionally since I often need to reach out to immigration lawyers with expertise in a particular niche or who know the lay of the land in a particular geographic area.
This year, the keynote speaker will be Cecilia Munoz, the White House official in charge of the President’s immigration reform initiatives. A few AILA members are unhappy she’s the chosen speaker because they are upset with the Administration’s detention policies. They certainly are justified in their anger. The policy of detaining children in jail-like conditions with limited or not access to counsel is offensive, to say the least. On the other hand, the President’s November announcements were truly historic and will have a positive impact on the lives of millions if they are all implemented. But however one feels about the Administration’s immigration policies, hearing from one of the key policymakers in the White House is important and there are other ways to protest the Administration’s detention policies that are more respectful than revoking an invitation to speak.
I’ll also spend a day before the conference visiting members of Congress to talk about a physician immigration bill I’ve worked on for many years with the IMG Taskforce, another great lawyer organization. The Conrad 30 J-1 physician waiver program expires in September and we’re seeking it’s permanent reauthorization as well as improvements to the program. I’ve found over the years that complaining about the broken immigration system is not nearly as satisfying as actually working hands on to craft solutions and get them implemented.
Hopefully, shortly after the conference, there will be positive news from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. So far, the Deferred Action for Parents program (DAPA) remains on hold because of a single district court judge in Texas. But in a few weeks, the 5th Circuit will review whether Judge Hanen’s injunction should be overruled or continued. The White House has so far drawn bad hands on this, but we don’t yet know which judges will be on the July panel and we have a chance at a better set of judges this go around.
On the legal immigration front, some readers of my blog may know that I was the recipient of an anonymous letter that contained a legal memorandum outlining a plan to allow those with approved I-140s the opportunity to seek an employment authorization document even without a current priority date and also allow the I-140s to survive even if an employer seeks to revoke the petition or the employer closes. The veracity of the document was confirmed a few days later when the Administration announced plans to release a rule consistent with the memorandum.
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In firm news, Bruce Buchanan has written a new article for HR Pros Magazine on employer compliance trends. I’ve just been a guest panelist on a program on the 5th Circuit ruling put on by ImmigrationWorksUSA. And I spoke on a panel on PERM for university and non-profit employers at SHRM’s Council for Global Immigration conference in Washington, DC. Lynn Susser will be speaking on CBP trends at the annual AILA meeting and I’ll be speaking on a panel on law practice management as well as J-1 home residency requirements. I’ve also just completed my draft of a manuscript for a new book on physician immigration. Look for it to be published in the fall.
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Finally, we welcome new clients and if you or someone you know would like to contact the firm to inquire, you can either email me at [email protected], call our office at 901-682-6455 or go to our web site at www.visalaw.com and complete the consultation request form.
Regards,
Greg Siskind
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.