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Greetings! Beach-Oswald Immigration Law Associates is committed to providing you with this newsletter to keep you up to date with information regarding immigration law and other issues that affect you! Read on for our January 2012 e-newsletter edition!  
In This Issue
1. Immigrants Contribute to Maryland Economy
2. Secure Communities Shut Down or a Bird of a Different Color
3. International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
4. Department of State Priority Dates for Family and Employment
5. Europeans Resistant to Immigration
economy

A recent report from The Commission to Study the Impact of Immigrants in Maryland found that immigrants have a positive impact on Maryland's economy. The foreign-born population makes up nearly 14 percent of Maryland's total population. This number is above the national average of foreign-born people in the United States, as well as the foreign-born percentages in states like Virginia and Arizona. International immigration was responsible for over half of the workforce expansion that occurred in Maryland between 2000 and 2010.

An important contribution made by immigrants was their participation in agriculture, seafood, construction, tourism, and transportation. For example, each year, Maryland's crab industry recruits Mexican women to come to the eastern shore of Maryland and employs them in seasonal crab picking jobs. The industry is highly reliant on these immigrant women, who come to the United States on H-2B temporary worker visas, to produce the seafood that in turn brings in millions of dollars of revenue for the Maryland economy. Without contributions from workers like these women, industry growth would have stagnated and negatively impacted the state economy.

The report also focused on the connection between the economy and education. It noted that providing education to children of unauthorized immigrants may initially strain the education system, but it has produced long-term benefits. Children of immigrants who attend the public school system will likely become part of the Maryland workforce after they finish school. Therefore, children of immigrants should have the opportunity to get the best education possible so they can make skilled, informed contributions to the economy. A report from the Migration Policy Institute emphasizes this point by noting that better-educated immigrants are beneficial to the overall economy, in part because education reduces poverty and reliance on welfare.

The Commission's report looked at the fiscal impact that immigrants have on the economy. It noted that while unauthorized immigrants receive benefits, such as medical care and education, these costs are weighed against income received from unauthorized immigrants who have taxes subtracted from their earnings and do not receive refunds for excessive withholding. The fiscal drain that would result from the loss of part of the United States labor force, especially in the lesser-skilled positions, cautions against policies that further restrict immigrant workers from entering the United States.

Two practices could help improve relations between immigrants who come to the United States seeking jobs and United States citizens. First, the government could focus more effort on locating and punishing employers who are hiring unauthorized immigrants. This would discourage employers from driving down the wage rate, which occurs when employers hire unauthorized immigrants and pay them lower wages than authorized workers. Increasing consequences and reducing incentives for hiring unauthorized immigrants would in turn slow the flow of unauthorized immigrants who enter the United States, and lessen the need for expenditures that are used to find and deport unauthorized immigrants. Second, the government could strengthen its labor laws to ensure that employers of migrant workers who are authorized to work in the United States are complying with federal working conditions and occupational safety standards. The opportunity to obtain adequate wages and job training would hopefully encourage more immigrants to make the effort to obtain temporary worker visas rather than enter the country undocumented. Assuring immigrants receive proper job training would also give them the skills they need to contribute successfully to the United States economy.

For the report from The Commission to Study the Impact of Immigrants in Maryland, click here:

 
 
For more information on the migrant female workers in the Maryland crab industry, click here.
 

For the report from the Migration Policy Institute, click here:

 

  SECURE COMMUNITIES SHUT DOWN OR A BIRD OF A DIFFERENT COLOR

 

secure communities

Finally, the day has come where some common sense has been injected into 287(g). Secure communities program that should never have been implemented to start with and was doomed to failure from its inception. This program trained local officers to act as immigration officers without the training or knowledge needed.

 

Close to 70 agencies had signed contracts with ICE and though the program began as a voluntary one, it became increasingly clear that opting-out was just not an option.

Those counties or cities that refused to participate were put under pressure and criticized as sanctuaries for the illegal immigrants. Clearly the program became under increasing financial constraints under President Obama as it grew bigger and bigger and more and more mistakes and problems were discovered.

 

This program had many enemies aside from the victims. Victims included those who had petty offenses such as traffic lights, tags, speeding but also those who had

witnessed a crime but were too afraid of arrest to then report it or who were victims themselves of abuse by citizens. A report by Migration Policy, stated that immigrants had " fear and mistrust" of authorities as their police who was supposed to protect them became ICE agents. Often police officers who felt that this was just not their job and that they were at the risk of losing the confidence of their communities as well as of being at risk of being sued for errors that they might make. Legislators also often opposed the program as the cost burden became increasingly evident. Even the Homeland Security Inspector General criticized the program in reports stating that it was leading to "racial profiling" as well as mistakes due to lack of training.

 

Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum stated the "secure communities program is surrounded by grave concerns about the impact to public safety, community policing and civil right abuses."

 

Now Department of Homeland Security has stated that it will not sign new contracts for 287 (g) officers working in the field and that it will terminate some of the "least

productive" agreements. Just this step alone is estimated to save our nation over $17 million.

 

In reality, though the Secure Communities program will be expanded and just the 287 (g) program will be phased out. This means that the fingerprints of all people booked into local jails will be checked against federal immigration databases and ICE agents will then lodge a detainer on them before they are released. So the only difference will be to those who have not had their fingerprints taken in a federal database as they may be more difficult to identify.

 

This is unlikely to mollify either side of the debate. For immigration advocates want both programs to end rather to be curtailed.

 

photo source 

Press Statement
Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC

67th United States Secretary of State

February 6, 2012

Today, we mark the ninth annual International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C). It is estimated that 100 to 140 million women around the world have undergone this brutal procedure and three million girls are at risk every year. We must continue to act to end this affront to women's equality and the rights and dignity of women and girls.

No religion mandates this procedure, though it occurs across cultures, religions, and continents. It is performed on girls in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Even in the United States we are fighting this practice. FGM/C became a federal crime in the United States in 1997, but the procedure persists in some communities. The U.S. Government is working with practitioners in the health and legal community to educate groups about the negative consequences of FGM/C.

Over the years, community advocates have found that when men come to understand the physical and psychological trauma FGM/C causes, they often become effective activists for eradication, including fathers who refuse to allow their daughters to be subject to the procedure. Communities must act collectively to abandon the practice, so that girls and their families who opt out do not become social outcasts. This approach has led around 6,000 communities across Africa to abandon the practice, usually through a public declaration. Communities working together can ensure stronger, healthier futures for girls and young women.

Every government has an obligation to protect its citizens from such abuse. As we commemorate International Day of Zero Tolerance and remember those who have been harmed, we reaffirm our commitment to overturning deeply entrenched social norms and abolishing this practice. All women and girls, no matter where they are born or what culture they are raised in, deserve the opportunity to realize their potential.

  


 
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Department of State Priority Dates for Family and Employment
As of March 1, 2012

For nationals of all countries but India, China, and the Philippines:

 

FAMILY:
 

F1, Unmarried Sons and Daughters of US Citizens who are over 21 - February 1, 2005

 

F2A, Spouses/
Children of Lawful Permanent Residents - July 22, 2009

F2B, Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents who are over 21 -November 15, 2003

F3, Married Sons and Daughters of US Citizens - January 1, 2001

F4, Brothers and Sisters of Adult US Citizens - October 8, 2000

 

EMPLOYMENT

 

E1, Priority Workers - Current

 

E2, Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability - Current

 

E3, Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers - March 15, 2006

 

E4, Certain Special Immigrants - Current
 
E5, Employment Creation - Current

Religious Workers - Current

Unskilled Workers - March 15, 2006

 

 

 

EUROPEANS RESISTANT TO IMMIGRATION

In recent years, the increasing rate of large-scale immigration has altered local communities all around the world, disrupting many countries' notions of national identity. In some cases, this has caused extreme anxiety and social unrest in affected communities.

 

In many European nations, the local populations feel that globalization is weakening their cultures, and are thus tightening their grip on their identity, culture, language, and values. As a result, they shun the immigrants whose cultures would diversify their own culture. Residency and citizenship requirements have been made more harsh, so as to make the immigrants conform to local norms and practices before being allowed to stay in their country.

 

Many European nationals feel that too much change is taking place too quickly. They fear that this change will have negative impacts on their communities, and that they will not be able to adapt quickly enough. The negative impacts include overburdening the education, transportation, and public safety systems. In addition, there is also concern that there will be unequal distribution of public goods and resources.

 

In order to ease tensions and make the immigration process smooth for both immigrants and local communities, there are ten steps that need to be taken by political leaders:

 

  1. Political leaders must listen to their constituents and show them that they understand their concerns.
  2. Political leaders must help citizens to build a sense of "ownership" in the integration process by getting them all involved in building the future generation of cultural norms. This will make them feel like they have ownership over the immigration process.
  3. Political leaders must emphasize that national identity should be in the process of developing instead of remaining constant - that it needs to be more inclusive instead of exclusive.
  4. Policies should allow multiple identities to coexist in the same communities instead of being separated.
  5. Policy needs to be established that outlines specific and clear procedures in obtaining permanent residence and citizenship. These policies must then be implemented impartially.
  6. States should offer practical, nonpunitive integration assistance to the newly incoming immigrants.
  7. Policy needs to be created that focuses integration efforts in workplaces and schools, because those are the places where integration occurs most naturally.
  8. Political leaders should focus their efforts on assisting all populations at risk, not just immigrants. Otherwise, disadvantaged citizens will be angered that the government is helping immigrants instead of its own citizens.
  9. States should legislate cultural practices as a last resort, not a first impulse.
  10. Political leaders should set an example when it comes to interacting with immigrant populations. They should do so through both political language and through their actions.

 

If these steps are taken, it is very probable that tensions over immigration will be eased and that local communities will be more and understanding of and welcoming of immigrants.

 

Source 

The information contained in this email is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The transmission of information to or from this email does not create an attorney-client relationship between the sender and receiver. We take our privacy policy seriously and will never sell, rent, or share our email list. View our Privacy Policy here. To schedule a consultation with one of our immigration lawyers, please click here. � 2012