U.S. Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") Secretary Michael Chertoff recently signed Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with Ministers from Estonia, Slovakia, Hungary and Lithuania and Latvia. The agreements outline security enhancements that put these countries on the path toward visa-free travel to the U.S., and possible designation as VWP members later this year.

The extension of the TPS designation for Somalia is effective on March 18, 2008 and will remain in effect through September 17, 2009. The 60-day re-registration period begins March 12, 2008 and will remain in effect until May 12, 2008. To facilitate processing of applications, applicants are strongly encouraged to file as soon as possible after the start of the 60-day re- registration period beginning on March 12, 2008.

A spokesman for Governor Haley Barbour said he will probably support the first immigration-reform legislation sent to him by state lawmakers, a bill that would force companies to take extra measures in making sure illegal immigrants aren't hired. Senate Bill 2988, approved overwhelmingly by House members Wednesday, is headed to Barbour for his consideration. If approved, it would require employers to use an online database to determine whether potential workers are authorized to work. Companies would have to use E-Verify, a federal pilot program that is voluntary. It accesses Social Security and federal immigration records, but critics say it sometimes provides inaccurate information.

DHS recently released Supplemental Proposed Rulemaking for the No-Match Rule previously issued on August 15, 2007. DOJ subsequently released anti-discrimination guidance for employers following safe-harbor procedures set forth in the no- match rule.

On October 4, 2007, DHS published an interim rule in the Federal Register at 72 FR 56832, establishing rules necessary for the ratification and implementation of the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, signed at The Hague on May 29, 1993 (''Convention''). The comment period ended December 3, 2007. Of the 54 comments received by DHS, most requested an extension of the comment period to allow sufficient time to provide meaningful and substantive comments. DHS is re-opening and extending the comment period for 60 days until May 27, 2008.

The DHS and the DOS announced today the final rule for the land and sea portion of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative ("WHTI"), a core 9/11 Commission recommendation. The WHTI final rule requires travelers to present a passport or other approved secure document denoting citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the United States. WHTI establishes document requirements for travelers entering the United States who were previously exempt, including citizens of the U.S., Canada and Bermuda. These document requirements will be effective on June 1, 2009.

CIS has issued revised instructions for CIS Form I- 131, Application for Travel Document. The instructions include changes, which will become effective March 5, 2008, that require applicants for re-entry permits and refugee travel documents to provide biometrics (e.g., fingerprints and photographs) at a CIS Application Support Centers ("ASC") for background and security checks and requirements for secure travel and entry documents containing biometric identifiers.

The DOS is amending its regulations to add new classification symbols to the immigrant and nonimmigrant classification tables. The amendment is necessary to implement legislation that has created additional immigrant and nonimmigrant classifications as described herein. Additionally, the DOS is removing immigrant classifications that have become obsolete as a result of either their deletion from the Immigration and Nationality Act (''INA") or the expiration of legislative provisions that had temporarily authorized them.

Ultimately, defendants may not hide behind the guise of governmental deference or national security each time its policies or procedures are questioned without a specific and compelling justification otherwise. Huang v. Mukasey, W.D. Wa., Mar. 4, 2008.

If the Government is concerned about public safety and national security, it should find a way to process name checks more rapidly, thereby revealing threats to security more quickly. The Government protects no one by delaying a decision on an application while a name check languishes with the FBI. Ali v. Mukasey, W.D. Wa., Mar. 7, 2008.

Interim Decision #3603, Matter of Heidy Hazel BAIRES- Larios (March 10, 2008): "A child who has satisfied the statutory conditions of former section 321(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1432(a) (1988), before the age of 18 years has acquired United States citizenship, regardless of whether the naturalized parent acquired legal custody of the child before or after the naturalization."

In Fiscal Year 2007, CIS received a significant increase in naturalization applications (Form N-400). To address the increase, CIS is expanding work hours and adding staff to complete these filings within its processing time goals.

If you receive a notice from CIS that your naturalization interview has been scheduled on a Saturday, Sunday, or after traditional business hours, the notice is correct and you should appear at the scheduled time.

UNDER THE SAME MOON (LA MISMA LUNA) tells the parallel stories of nine-year-old Carlitos and his mother, Rosario. In the hopes of providing a better life for her son, Rosario works illegally in the U.S. while her mother cares for Carlitos back in Mexico. Unexpected circumstances drive both Rosario and Carlitos to embark on their own journeys in a desperate attempt to reunite. Along the way, mother and son face challenges and obstacles but never lose hope that they will one day be together again. Riggen's film is not only a heartwarming family story; she also offers subtle commentary on the much-debated issue of illegal immigration.

The Visitor, a new film from the director of The Station Agent and the producer of An Inconvenient Truth and Syriana, highlights the impact of detention on two young immigrants and the American professor they befriend.

An Honest Look at Illegal Immigration in the new Colombian film Paraiso Travel that should be watched by any American who has ever hired illegal immigrants and, for that matter, any American who has ever made overtures about their deportation, says Time Magazine, (March 11, 2008).