Immigration Newsletter

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Privately Operated Federal Prisons for Immigrants: Expensive. Unsafe. Unnecessary | Justice Strategies

Privately Operated Federal Prisons for Immigrants: Expensive. Unsafe. Unnecessary | Justice Strategies
from http://www.justicestrategies.org


Privately Operated Federal Prisons for Immigrants: Expensive. Unsafe. Unnecessary


Presented before a House of Representatives briefing sponsored by Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado on September 13, 2012, Privately Operated Federal Prisons for Immigrants: Expensive, Unsafe, Unnecessary chronicles the May 2012 Adams County Correctional Center uprising in Natchez, Mississippi, a private for-profit facility operated by Corrections Corporation of America, under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The report details some of the tragic personal consequences for Juan Villanueva, his family, and others caught in the midst of the horrific conditions at the facility, leading to the insurrection. The report weaves into this narrative a look at the rise and fall of the private prison industry, and its resurrection through the benefit of federal contracts to detain and imprison undocumented immigrants, in an atmosphere of moral panic after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Program Offering Immigrants Reprieve Is Off to Quick Start - NYTimes.com

Program Offering Immigrants Reprieve Is Off to Quick Start - NYTimes.com

Julia Preston for the NYT writes:



One month after the Obama administration started a program to suspend deportations of young illegal immigrants, more than 72,000 of them have applied for the temporary reprieve, senior immigrationofficials said on Tuesday, and this week the first approvals have been granted.

The figures for applications received so far — the first results the administration has released since a federal agency began receiving the documents on Aug. 15 — show that large numbers of young immigrants are ready to take the risk of coming forward, administration officials and immigrant advocates said, and that the agency in charge has been able to manage the rush of paperwork.
The immigrants requesting two-year deportation deferrals do not reach the high estimates of 250,000 that officials had said they were prepared to handle in the first month of the program, which is President Obama’s most significant immigration initiative.
click the link to see the rest of the article

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

CBP Stamps on I-20 Form Discontinued - CBP.gov

CBP Stamps on I-20 Form Discontinued - CBP.gov
fromCBP.gov

CBP Stamps on I-20 Form Discontinued
(08/27/2012)
As of Aug. 10, 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) no longer provides admission stamps on Forms I-20/DS-2019 for prospective and returning international students and scholars (traveling with F, M, and J visas) seeking admission to the United States. This change makes CBP processes consistent with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s (USCIS) recent change to stop stamping Forms I-20/DS-2019. 
International student visitor moves through CBP processing
USCIS implemented this change as part of the launch of its online immigration benefits system, USCIS Electronic Immigration System, as it transforms the agency from a paper-based system to an online environment. (
USCIS Electronic Immigration System )
Although placing an admission stamp on Forms I-20/DS-2019 has been a longstanding practice at CBP, it is not required. While the admission stamps on Forms I-20/DS-2019 are not indicators of lawful status or academic program duration, some state and federal benefit granting agencies have required international students and scholars to present stamped versions. State requirements vary.
If a state benefit granting agency rejects an unstamped Form I-20/DS-2019, applicants may make an appointment with USCIS online through InfoPass and take their Form I-20/DS-2019 to their local USCIS office to be stamped. InfoPass )This transitional step will end on Nov. 21, 2012.
International students and scholars who encounter issues with their state or federal benefit applications should continue to contact the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) at (703) 603-3400 orSEVP@dhs.gov.