Siskind Susser - Abogados de Inmigración

03/16/2020

Siskind Susser PC has been working diligently to prepare an FAQ regarding COVID-19 Travel restrictions. You can read the FAQ in full on our website:

Siskind Susser covid 19 immigration faq from Greg Siskind

01/13/2017

From Lily S. Axelrod, Immigration Attorney / Abogada de Inmigración

Here's a quick Q&A on today's announcement regarding the "wet foot, dry foot" policy for Cubans. I will attempt to keep my followers up to date as this administration, and the next, offer further clarification. Keep in mind that this situation is rapidly changing, that my Facebook posts are not legal advice, and that individuals should seek the advice of a trusted immigration attorney regarding their own cases.
WHAT WAS THE WET FOOT / DRY FOOT POLICY?
When an immigrant arrives at a border, coast, or port of entry without permission to enter, she is usually subject to "expedited removal" (immediate deportation) unless she says that she is afraid to go back to her home country. If she's afraid to go home, she is detained and given a "credible fear" interview to determine whether she is eligible to enter into the US to apply for asylum. This can result in lengthy detention.
Under the wet foot dry foot policy, Cubans were treated differently from all others. Those who arrived in the US (on "dry land," not apprehended in coastal waters) were automatically "paroled into" the United States and did not need to be detained for very long, and were not subject to a "credible fear" interview. This made it far easier for Cubans to enter the US without visas, and without lengthy detention.
This is an executive policy that has been in place for many years, but is not an act of Congress.
WHAT IS THE CUBAN ADJUSTMENT ACT?
This is a law passed by Congress that remains in effect. Under the CAA, most Cubans who have been paroled into the United States and have been here for more than one year can apply for permanent residency (a green card). They do not need to apply for asylum, and they are exempt from some of the normal green card requirements like having a relative or employer to sponsor them.
Obama's announcement today does NOT change the Cuban Adjustment Act. Cubans who have been present in the US for more than a year after being paroled into the US will still have this special, easier process to get a green card.
HOW WILL CUBANS BE TREATED UNDER THE NEW POLICY?
Cubans who arrive in the US without a visa will no longer be automatically paroled into the United States. This means that in order to benefit from the "shortcut" offered by the Cuban Adjustment Act, Cubans will likely be subject to the same "credible fear" process as other asylees. To be allowed into the US, they will need to convince an asylum officer (in a brief interview, often over the phone without counsel present) that they have a credible fear of persecution in Cuba. This is a challenging interview to pass, because Cubans will have to show that there is a chance they will be individually persecuted on the basis of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
Once a Cuban passes their "credible fear" interview, they can request to be paroled into the United States. If the Department of Homeland Security grants this parole, the Cuban will be able to adjust under the Cuban Adjustment Act, and does not need to apply for asylum before an immigration judge like people from other countries.
Cubans who do not pass the "credible fear" interview will be subject to immediate deportation to Cuba.
HOW MIGHT THIS NEW POLICY AFFECT ASYLEES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES?
Now that Cubans will be subject to lengthy detention and the "credible fear" process, our already-swamped border detention centers and asylum offices will likely become even more overwhelmed and backlogged. This might mean that over-capacity detention centers will release people more quickly. On the other hand, if the next administration expands detention capacity and / or reduces the Asylum Office's staff, it might mean longer and harsher detention for eveyone seeking our protection.
WHAT ABOUT CUBANS WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE US?
Cubans who have already been paroled into the US under the old "wet foot dry foot" policy should be eligible for green cards under the Cuban Adjustment Act as usual. The change in policy is only for newly-arriving Cubans.
HOW MIGHT THIS CHANGE UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION?
President Trump can immediately revert to the old "wet foot dry foot" policy, he could keep Obama's new policy, or he could come up with an entirely new policy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident, a senior

12/21/2016

From Lily S. Axelrod, Immigration Attorney / Abogada de Inmigración:

Here is my analysis of the text of the BRIDGE Act, S. 3542. Read on to learn about what the proposed law would do, how it would affect DACA beneficiaries and how the requirements differ, and what you can do now to protect yourself.
1. What’s the BRIDGE Act?
The Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act, S. 3542, is a bipartisan bill which proposes to provide employment authorization and create greater protection from deportation for current Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) beneficiaries and those who are eligible but have not yet applied for DACA. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced it on December 9, 2016.
2. Does this bill help me now? Is there something I can apply for?
No. This is a legislative proposal that has not become law yet. It might never become law at all, it might become law exactly as proposed now, or it might be modified before it becomes law. There is no application or benefit now. However, DACA still exists; for my commentary on what Trump’s victory could mean for DACA please see http://www.visalaw.com/what-does-trumps-victory-mean-for-d…/.
3. If the bill becomes law, what would it do?
The bill would create a new type of immigration status, called “provisional protected presence,” which would exist for three years starting on the date the bill passes.
This status is similar to DACA because it grants employment authorization and protection from deportation. However, it is a stronger protection against deportation because it explicitly prohibits the government from deporting people with provisional presence, and people whose applications are pending. The protection can only be rescinded if the beneficiary has a new conviction for certain offenses, poses a threat to national security or public safety, or travels outside the US without authorization.
The bill also prohibits the government from sharing information about DACA applicants and “provisional protected presence” applicants with immigration enforcement authorities, except to identify fraudulent claims, for “national security purposes,” and for investigation and prosecution of non-immigration related felonies.
Under this bill, the government is not allowed to share a big database of applications in order to help deportation officers identify and arrest people who have been in the US unlawfully, and it is not allowed to “refer” unsuccessful applicants to authorities unless there is an allegation of fraud, non-immigration related crime, or danger to the public.
4. I already have DACA. How would this bill affect me if it becomes law?
If the bill is passed, people with DACA would automatically be granted “provisional protected presence,” which would last until the date of their current DACA expiration and would allow them to work lawfully and be protected from deportation. They can then apply to renew their “provisional protected presence” before their current DACA expires, which will automatically extend their work authorization and provisional protected presence while their application is pending.
This solves a common frustration among DACA beneficiaries (and many other immigration benefits such as TPS and asylum), who may find themselves temporarily unable to work lawfully if the government is slow to process their applications.
5. Who is eligible to apply for provisional protected presence?
The requirements are nearly identical to the current DACA requirements. The applicant must meet all of the following criteria:
• Born after June 15, 1981;
• Entered the US before turning 16;
• Lived continuously in the US between June 15, 2007 and the date of filing the application;
• Was physically present in the US on June 15, 2012, and the date of filing the application;
• Was unlawfully present in the US on June 15, 2012;
• Be currently enrolled in high school or a GED program; graduated from high school or a GED program; or an honorably discharged veteran;
• Have no convictions for a felony, a significant misdemeanor, or three or more misdemeanors (see #6 below for more information);
• Does not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.
People who are prima facie eligible (who can show that they meet the basic criteria) can apply even if they are in immigration detention, even if they have been ordered deported before, even if they are currently in removal proceedings. The government cannot deport someone with a pending application, if the person is prima facie eligible.
6. What criminal convictions disqualify me? Is this different from DACA?
The criminal bars are nearly identical to DACA, with one small difference explained below.
A single felony conviction disqualifies you. This means you cannot have a conviction for a crime that is punishable by more than a year of jail or prison time (regardless of the sentence you actually received or served – you can have a felony conviction even if you’ve never spent a night in jail). This is the same as DACA.
A single “significant misdemeanor” conviction also disqualifies you. A “significant misdemeanor” is a crime of domestic violence, sexual abuse or exploitation, burglary, unlawful possession or use of a firearm, drug distribution or trafficking, or driving under the influence. A significant misdemeanor also includes any misdemeanor where you were sentenced to more than 90 days (not including a suspended sentence).
Unlike for DACA, a “driving under the influence” offense only disqualifies you for provisional protected presence if the state law “requires, as an element of the offense, a finding of impairment or a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher.” This means that some state DUI laws would not disqualify you, even if you actually were impaired or your BAC was over 0.08.
For example, a state “zero tolerance” law would not disqualify a “provisional protected presence” applicant if the law prohibits people under 21 from driving after drinking any alcohol, regardless of BAC and regardless whether they are actually impaired. Similarly, a law which prohibits driving after smoking ma*****na, but which does not actually require a finding of impairment, would not be a disqualifying misdemeanor. However, watch out, especially if you have a recent conviction or more than one: the government could still deny your application if it believes you are “a threat to public safety.”
7. Does the bill provide a path to a green card or long-term lawful status?
No. Just like DACA, “provisional protected presence” is not a direct path to lawful permanent residence (also called a “green card”).
However, as with DACA, people with “provisional unlawful presence” can apply for residency if they are otherwise eligible (for example, through a petition by a family member or employer, or through a successful humanitarian application such as asylum or special immigrant juvenile status).
Also as with DACA, the bill seems to contemplate that people with “provisional unlawful presence” can travel on advance parole. People who originally entered unlawfully, but traveled and returned to the US under a grant of advance parole, may become eligible to apply for residency if their only obstacle was the fact that they didn’t have a “lawful entry.”
8. The bill says provisional protected presence lasts only three years. What happens after that?
The bill is clearly designed to pressure Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that would create a longer-term solution for DREAMers and their families. Unless Congress amends the bill or passes another law, “provisional protected presence” would end three years after the bill is passed and leave DREAMers once again out of luck.
The government would still be prohibited from sharing information from DACA and BRIDGE applications with enforcement agencies under most circumstances. In theory, this means that it would be difficult for ICE to do a “mass round-up” of people whose provisional protected presence is ending.
9. If the bill passes, can’t President Trump just reverse it?
No. DACA is a presidential action, not a law passed by Congress. That means that the next president can change or destroy it as easily as Obama created it. On the other hand, the BRIDGE Act is a legislative proposal, which means that it if passes both houses of Congress, it becomes law that only Congress can change. Trump’s administration must then process applications for “provisional protected presence” whether it wants to or not, though Trump could try to obstruct the process or slow it down.
Fortunately, the bill is also designed to prevent Trump from obstructing the process by slowing down adjudications. People who already have DACA would be automatically protected until their DACA expiration date, and would continue to be automatically protected upon filing an application for “provisional protected presence” as long as they apply before their current DACA expiration date. Similarly, the government would not be able to deport people with pending applications who are prima facie eligible, no matter how long the government delays adjudicating their applications.
If the BRIDGE Act passes both houses of Congress, Trump could try to veto it. If that happens, two thirds of both houses of Congress would need to vote for the Act to override the veto.
10. What should I be doing now, to make sure that I’m eligible for the BRIDGE Act if it passes?
If you haven't applied for DACA yet, you should consult with an experienced immigration attorney about the risks and possible benefits of coming forward now.
If you haven’t graduated high school or attended a GED program in the US, now is a great time to enroll.
Keep records, and make sure you have documents that prove when you were present in the US. This can include things like school transcripts, vaccination records and other medical documents, employment records, bank statements, bills, mail from family, etc.
If you’ve ever had any contact with the criminal justice system, talk to an experienced immigration attorney to evaluate your record. A lot of people think that their past arrests can’t hurt them if the case was dismissed, or if they completed their sentence or probation, or if they paid their fine. This is not true. If you have ever been in handcuffs, ridden in the back of a police car, received a notice in the mail to come to court, seen a judge, spent the night in jail, etc, you may have a case that will affect your eligibility. If you don’t have records, call each court and ask for your “record of disposition,” and if possible, all other documents in the court file including police reports, complaints, docket sheets, and plea sheets. Bring these documents to an experienced immigration attorney, who can evaluate whether you are eligible for DACA and/or the BRIDGE Act, how your criminal record will affect the strength of your case, and whether you may want to consult with a criminal attorney about getting any of your cases reopened and vacated.
If you’ve ever been arrested, you’ll want to have evidence that you’re not a “threat to public safety.” If your arrests involve drugs or alcohol or violence, now is a great time to start individual counseling, anger management classes, or a recovery program like Alcoholics Anonymous. This will help you show the government that you won’t repeat your past mistakes.
The full text of the bill is available at:

12/15/2016

Greg Siskind's op-ed has been featured in The Commercial Appeal. You can read it below!

We need a deal on immigration.

11/21/2016

¡Protega Sus Derechos!

11/14/2016

¿Qué significa el triunfo de Trump para DACA?
Por Lily S. Axelrod (Lily S. Axelrod, Immigration Attorney / Abogada de Inmigración)

Por Lily S. Axelrod Trump ha prometido que va a acabar con DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals/Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia), un programa que ha permitido que cientos de miles de personas jóvenes sin un estatus legal salgan de la sombra para solicitar permiso de trabajo…

11/14/2016

Inmigración en la Edad de Trump
Por Greg Siskind

Como la mayoría de la comunidad de abogados de inmigración, yo creía que Hillary Clinton iba a ser el 45º Presidente y que no íbamos a ver ningún cambio dramático en las políticas de inmigración de nuestro país. Más bien al contrario, yo suponía que, después de la elección de la Sra. Clinton, iba a ser más probable que viéramos reformas a las leyes de inmigración que son tan necesarias. Desafortunadamente, no es el caso y me encuentro considerando de nuevo las políticas de inmigración propuestas por el Presidente electo Trump. Y si usted cree que la inmigración es algo beneficioso para los Estados Unidos (aun si usted no apoya las medidas para ayudar a las personas indocumentadas), hay mucho por el cual hay que preocuparse.

Trump se ha destacado en los titulares por sus planes en cuanto a la inmigración, pero realmente no ha dado mucho detalle. El ha propuesto un plan de 10 puntos que se puede encontrar en el sitio web de su campaña, el cual menciona algunas ideas que sin duda usted ha escuchado hablar:

- Construir un muro grande en la frontera sureña y proporcionar impuestos sobre las remesas que los trabajadores mexicanos en los Estados Unidos les mandan a sus familias en México.
- Dedicar billones de dólares al cumplimiento de las leyes de inmigración, lo cual incluye triplicar el número de agentes de ICE (Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas, por sus siglas en inglés) y construir nuevos centros de detención de inmigración masivos.
- Acabar con el programa de DACA, lo cual permite que los “Dreamers”—personas que llegaron a los Estados Unidos en la infancia y que han vivido en los Estados Unidos durante muchos años—puedan trabajar y les da protección de la deportación.
- Prohibir la emisión de visas para personas que vienen de lugares donde no se puede hacer revisión de antecedentes adecuada (ésta es una adaptación de la prohibición de musulmanes).
- Aplicar mano dura a los empleadores que empleen ilegalmente a los inmigrantes.
- Restringir los programas de visas de trabajo temporales y cortar el número de tarjetas verdes disponibles.

El llevar a cabo muchas de las propuestas de Trump va a causarles muchos dolores tanto a los contribuyentes de impuestos como a los inmigrantes.

Los costos asociados con sus políticas de cumplimiento de las leyes de inmigración van a explotar el déficit del presupuesto federal. Se estima que el muro costaría por lo menos unos $25 billones de dólares y los impuestos sobre las remesas mexicanas que él cree que cubrirían los gastos, ni se acerca al costo total. El triplicar del número de agentes de ICE y la construcción de nuevos centros de detención también tendrán que ser pagados por los contribuyentes de impuestos, y los trabajadores que van a ser deportados, los cuales pagan mucho más en impuestos que lo que reciben en beneficios, se agrega a los costos.

Y ahora hablamos del sufrimiento de las familias afectadas. Unos 665,000 jóvenes están trabajando legalmente con sus tarjetas de trabajo otorgadas bajo el programa de DACA. Otra vez se les va a voltear su mundo. La mayoría de ellos llegaron a los Estados Unidos en la infancia y crecieron hablando inglés y asistiendo a las escuelas públicas estadounidenses. Muchos ni siquiera se acuerdan del país donde nacieron. El programa de DACA ha permitido que miles hayan podido trabajar y estudiar en la universidad, y hasta visualizar un futuro para sí mismos. Están al punto de ser forzados otra vez a la sombra y pueden enfrentar el exilio a sus países nativos, donde ni siquiera hablan el idioma. También volveremos a ver redadas en los lugares de trabajo, causando que los muchachos, al regresar a la casa después de la escuela, vayan a encontrar que sus papás fueron detenidos y deportados sin aviso.

También vamos a pagar un alto precio si hacemos aún más difícil el acceso a nuestro sistema de inmigración patrocinada por empleadores. Por el lado de los trabajadores de mano de obra no especializada, sin un programa de trabajadores temporales que reemplazaría a los que perdimos a través del cumplimiento de las leyes de inmigración, vamos a ver aumentar los costos de los alimentos en los mercados. Algunas industrias, como las de la construcción y la hospitalidad, completamente dependen del trabajo de los inmigrantes y estos costos también van a aumentar.

A los empleadores les va a faltar el acceso a los trabajadores especializados. Los estudiantes del extranjero en los campos de las ciencias, la tecnología y la ingeniería van a encontrar la puerta cerrada si querían quedarse en los EEUU. Los empresarios que quieran abrir negocios y que eventualmente podrían contratar a trabajadores estadounidenses, van a irse a Canadá y a otros países. El reducir la cantidad de tarjetas verdes disponibles convertirá el sistema en algo no atractivo, a medida que los países que son nuestros competidores van a poder atraer a estas personas talentosas porque van a convencerles fácilmente que los Estados Unidos ni siquiera tiene interés en ellos.

Claro que el Sr. Trump tiene opciones y puede, de acuerdo con la tradición de los mejores políticos estadounidenses, abandonar a muchas de estas promesas. De hecho, él sugirió durante su campaña que estaba abierto a la idea de construir un camino a la legalización para los inmigrantes que no tienen antecedentes criminales y que han estado en los EEUU durante muchos años. Cuando rápidamente fue criticado por Ann Coulter y otros, no lo volvió a mencionar, pero me dejó con la esperanza que haya espacio para la compasión y el sentido común en la Administración de Trump.

Yo sé que muchos están a la expectativa de que lo peor vaya a pasar. Pero espero que el hombre de negocios que acabó de ser la primera persona elegida como presidente sin tener ninguna experiencia ni política ni militar, considere su posible impacto histórico. Espero que quiera ser recordado por tener un impacto parecido al que Nixon tuvo en su viaje a la China y de tal manera alcanza a arreglar el sistema de inmigración donde varios presidentes anteriores fracasaron.

11/10/2016

Greg Siskind's take on what the election means for immigration:

Immigration in the Age of Trump

I was like most in the immigration lawyer community who believed that Hillary Clinton would be the 45th President and that we would not see any dramatic changes in our country’s immigration policies. If anything, I was assuming that much needed immigration reform would be more likely after the election of Mrs. Clinton. Alas, that is not the case and I’ve found myself having to revisit President-Elect Trump’s immigration policy positions. And if you think immigration is good for America (even if you don’t support measures helping those not in the US legally), there is much to be worried about.

Trump has made headlines for his immigration plans, but there actually is not a lot of detail. He’s proposed a 10 point proposal on his campaign web site that has a few ideas you’ve no doubt heard:

- Build a big wall on the southern border and tax money transfers from Mexican workers in the US to their families back home.
- Spend billions increasing immigration enforcement including tripling the number of ICE agents and building massive new immigration detention facilities.
- End the DACA program which allows “Dreamers” – people who came to the US as children and have lived in the US for many years – to work and be protected from deportation.
- Ban the issuance of visas to people from places where adequate screening can’t occur (this is a morphing of the Muslim ban).
- Crack down on employers illegally employing immigrants.
- Make temporary work visa programs more restrictive and cut the number of green cards available.

Trump’s carrying through with many of his proposals will come with a lot of pain for American taxpayers and immigrants alike.
The costs associated with his immigration enforcement policy would blow up the nation’s budget deficit. The wall is expected to cost at least $25 billion and the taxes on Mexicans he thinks will pay for it won’t even come close. The tripling of the number of immigration enforcement officers and the construction of new detention centers will also have to be paid for by taxpayers and the deported workers who are paying a lot more in taxes than they’re receiving in benefits will add to that cost.

And then there are the tolls on families. 665,000 young people are working legally with work cards issued under the DACA program. Their worlds are about to be turned upside down again. Most came to the US as young children and grew up speaking English and attending American public schools. Many don’t even remember the countries where they were born. The DACA program has allowed thousands to work and attend college and envision a future for themselves. They’re about to be forced back in to the shadows and could face exile in countries where they don’t even speak the language. We’re also going to see a return to worksite raids where children would return home from school and find their parents were rounded up and deported with no warning.

We’ll also pay dearly by making our employment-based immigration system a lot tougher to access. On the lower skilled end, without a guest worker program to replace the workers we’ll lose through enforcement, we’ll see the cost of food at the grocery soar. Certain industries, like construction and hospitality, completely depend on immigrant labor and those costs will rise.
Employers will also lack access to talent workers. Foreign students in science, technology and engineering fields will find the doors slammed on remaining in the US. Entrepreneurs interested in starting companies that will eventually hire American workers will end up in Canada and other countries instead. And reducing green card numbers will make the system so unattractive that our competitor countries will have an easy time making the case to these individuals that America is no longer interested in them.

Of course, Mr. Trump has a choice and can, in the finest tradition of American politicians, abandon many of these promises. He actually suggested during the campaign that he was open to looking at putting immigrants with no criminal histories and who had been in the US for many years on a path to legalization. When he was quickly attacked by Ann Coulter and others for this, he didn’t mention it again, but it left me hoping there’s some room for compassion and common sense in a Trump Administration.

I know many are ready to assume the worst will happen. But I hope the savvy businessman that just became the first person ever elected President with no political or military experience is now thinking about whether he’ll make history as someone who did a “Nixon goes to China” and manages to fix the immigration system after several Presidents before him failed.
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11/10/2016

Our very own Lily S. Axelrod is about to be on the radio. Tune in to Radio Ambiente around 1:05 pm Central today -- that's AM 1030 in Memphis and Little Rock, or online at http://ambiente1030.com/ -- for a quick interview on what a Trump presidency can mean for our immigrant neighbors.

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