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July 29, 2008
IMMIGRATION LAW UPDATE:
Webinar Scheduled For July 30th
at 8:30 AM
On July 30th at 8:30 AM
EST Clark Hill will have a free interactive webinar to address the issues
with I-9s, social security "no-match" letters, and the E-Verify
program. This webinar is designed for human resources professionals,
employers, and in-house counsel. To register, visit the Clark Hill website.
E-Verify Update
E-Verify is an
electronic work authorization verification system administered by the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS). For more on E-Verify visit the DHS website. US House of
Representative Democrats had been considering ending the program's funding
when the program expires later this year. However, Representative Zoe Lofgren,
chairwoman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, has stated
that there is too little time left in this year's legislative calendar to
decide whether to expand, overhaul or end the E-Verify program. The program
is expected to continue to be funded until next year.
US Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) Updates
Below are summaries of
recent efforts by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as they
enforce laws related to employment of persons not authorized to work in the
US. While there were many actions that took place in the last few months,
below are a few of the highlights.
ICE Raid in Ohio
On July 23rd ICE searched eight Casa Fiesta
restaurants in northern Ohio and arrested 58 workers. ICE
confirmed this was after a year long investigation.
ICE Raid in Hawai
On July 21st ICE executed nine search warrants
and arrested 43 foreign nationals in a raid on a Waipahu apartment complex,
all of whom were employed by The Farms, an agricultural business.
McDonald's
Franchisee Executives Plead Guilty
On July 16th a former and current top executive for a
McDonald's franchisee in Nevada pleaded guilty to federal felonies
for encouraging undocumented foreign nationals to reside in the US and work
for their restaurants.
State Immigration Law Updates
New state laws continue
to be passed that deal with US immigration law issues. Below is a summary
of some of the latest developments.
Missouri
In July Governor Matt Blunt signed a new law
under which that state attempts to deal with the difficulties and issues
surrounding undocumented foreign nationals. Among other penalties, the
legislation prohibits the creation of sanctuary cities in the state;
requires verification of legal employment status of every public employee;
allows for cancellation of state contracts for contractors if they hire
illegal immigrants; requires public agencies to verify the legal status of
applicants before providing welfare benefits; criminalizes the
transportation of illegal immigrants for exploitive purposes; and enacts
provisions to punish employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers.
Visa Priority Dates - August Visa
Bulletin
The August Visa Bulletin has been posted.
It is worth noting that ALL employment based third preference cases remain
"unavailable". This is expected to go back to dates posted in the
June 2008 Visa Bulletin in October 2008
when the government's fiscal year begins. EB2 for India and China
will now move to June 1, 2006. For a summary of priority dates and how
these dates impact US green card processing, please visit our previous Immigration Updates.
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