Four years ago as a senator, I joined many of you at a march like this one in my home state of Illinois. And today we remember someone who stood with you--not just on days like this, but for his entire career. This march would make Ted Kennedy proud. And I know that his spirit is with us as we continue his life's work to bring about real comprehensive immigration reform for our country.

Teddy's commitment to the cause never wavered and neither is mine. I've always pledged to be your partner as we work to fix our broken immigration system, and that's a commitment that I reaffirm today. Nobody knows the cost of inaction better than you. You see it in the families that are torn apart and the small business owners who strive to do the right thing while others game the system. You see it in the workers who deserve the protection of our laws and in the officers who struggle to keep our communities safe while earning the trust of those they serve.

That's why today, there is a growing coalition of law enforcement officials, faith and community leaders and members of the labor and business sectors who understand that immigration reform is critical to our security and our prosperity.

In the end, our broken immigration system affects more than a single community; it affects our entire country. And as we continue to strengthen our economy and jumpstart job creation, we need to do so with an immigration system that works, not the broken system we have now.

That's why nine months ago, I asked members of my team to lead our efforts to move the legislative process forward. Since then, they've met with elected officials from both parties and stakeholders from all across the country, and we've worked together with Senators Schumer and Graham as they developed a framework that includes common sense, effective strategies to protect our borders and enforce the law while offering a path to citizenship for hardworking people who register, pay taxes, pay a fine, and agree to play by the rules.

I congratulate Senators Schumer and Graham for their leadership and I pledge to do everything in my power to forge a bipartisan consensus this year on this important issue. You know as well as I do that this won't happen overnight but if we work together across ethnic, state and party lines, we can build a future worthy of our history as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.

Thank you so much.

As a result, Haitians in the United States (and other individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) are unable to return safely to their country. DHS will continue to work with other branches of the United States Government to closely monitor developments in Haiti to determine the need for additional action. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will efficiently and timely process immigration applications for TPS filed by nationals of Haiti. Further detailed information will be posted in the Federal Register Notice announcing the Secretary’s decision to designate Haiti. DHS estimates that approximately 100,000 to 200,000 individuals will be eligible for TPS. (See additional details: USCIS) (...hide)

Among the highlights:

• Providing a path to legalization for undocumented persons by creating a new non-immigrant visa, after which they can apply for adjustment [green card] and then citizenship.


• "Recapturing" unused visa numbers from 1992 to 2008, and allowing unused visa numbers to roll over into the next year.


• Creates a Southern Border Security Task Force composed of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers to protect United States border cities and communities from violence and crime along the U.S.-Mexico border.


• Protects family unity by prohibiting the separation of families with children and increasing protections for detained parents, guardians, and caregivers.



(For a complete summary of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act (CIR ASAP) of 2009, by the The Immigration Policy Center: See PDF of Summary) (...hide)

Congressman Gutierrez said “We have waited patiently for a workable solution to our immigration crisis to be taken up by this Congress and our President. The time for waiting is over. This bill will be presented before Congress recesses for the holidays so that there is no excuse for inaction in the New Year. It is the product of months of collaboration with civil rights advocates, labor organizations, and members of Congress. It is an answer to too many years of pain —mothers separated from their children, workers exploited and undermined security at the border— all caused at the hands of a broken immigration system. This bill says ‘enough,’ and presents a solution to our broken system that we as a nation of immigrants can be proud of.” (Source: Immigration Impact) (...hide)

In her first major speech on the overhaul, Ms. Napolitano dispelled any suggestion that the administration — with health care, energy and other major issues crowding its agenda — would postpone the most contentious piece of immigration legislation until after midterm elections next November.

Laying out the administration’s bottom line, Ms. Napolitano said officials would argue for a “three-legged stool” that includes tougher enforcement laws against illegal immigrants and employers who hire them and a streamlined system for legal immigration, as well as a “tough and fair pathway to earned legal status.”

With unemployment surging over 10 percent and Congress still wrangling over health care, advocates on all sides of the immigration debate had begun to doubt that President Obama would keep his pledge to tackle the divisive illegal immigration issue in the first months of 2010.

Speaking at the Center for American Progress, a liberal policy group in Washington, Ms. Napolitano unveiled a double-barrel argument for a legalization program, saying it would enhance national security and, as the economy climbs out of recession, protect American workers from unfair competition from lower-paid, easily exploited illegal immigrants.

“Let me emphasize this: we will never have fully effective law enforcement or national security as long as so many millions remain in the shadows,” she said, adding that the recovering economy would be strengthened “as these immigrants become full-paying taxpayers.”

Under the administration’s plan, illegal immigrants who hope to gain legal status would have to register, pay fines and all taxes they owe, pass a criminal background check and learn English.

Drawing a contrast with 2007, when a bill with legalization provisions offered by President George W. Bush failed in Congress, Ms. Napolitano said the Obama administration had achieved a “fundamental change” in border security and enforcement against employers hiring illegal immigrants. She said a sharp reduction in the flow of illegal immigrants into the country created an opportunity to move ahead with a legalization program.

Some Republicans were quick to challenge Ms. Napolitano’s claims that border security had significantly improved or that American workers would be helped by bringing illegal immigrants into the system.

“How can they claim that enforcement is done when there are more than 400 open miles of border with Mexico?” asked Representative Lamar Smith of Texas, the senior Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. He said the administration should “deport illegal immigrant workers so they don’t remain here to compete with citizen and legal immigrant job seekers.”

But Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the top Republican on the Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, agreed that it was time to open the immigration debate. “My commitment to immigration reform has not changed,” he said in a statement Friday. “I am interested in seeing a proposal sooner rather than later from President Obama.”

Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York and the chairman of that subcommittee, has been writing an overhaul bill and consulting with Republicans, particularly Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Mr. Schumer said that the administration’s agenda was “ambitious,” but that he was “confident we can have a bipartisan immigration bill ready to go under whatever timeline the president thinks is best.”

Ms. Napolitano has been leading the administration’s efforts to gather ideas and support for the immigration overhaul, meeting in recent weeks with business leaders, religious groups, law enforcement officials and others to gauge their willingness to go forward with a debate in Congress.

Framing the administration’s proposals in stark law and order terms, she said immigration legislation should include tougher laws against migrant smugglers and more severe sanctions for employers who hire unauthorized workers.

Ms. Napolitano said that the Border Patrol had grown by 20,000 officers and that more than 600 miles of border fence had been finished, meeting security benchmarks set by Congress in 2007. She was echoing an argument adopted by Mr. Bush after the bill collapsed in 2007, and by Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, in his race against Mr. Obama. They said Americans wanted to see effective enforcement before they would agree to legal status for millions of illegal immigrants.

Some immigrant advocates were dismayed by Ms. Napolitano’s approach. Benjamin E. Johnson, executive director of the American Immigration Council, praised her package of proposals, but said some enforcement policies she outlined “have proven to do more harm than good.” (Source: The New York Times) (...hide)

“This expanding investigation continues to uncover evidence that organizations and individuals disregard the law and give unauthorized legal advice to New York’s immigrant communities,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “The consequences of bad legal advice can devastate individuals and their families, threatening their citizenship and chances for a life in this country. Today’s subpoenas broaden our investigation to nearly 100 entities across the five boroughs and underscore our commitment to finding and prosecuting unauthorized service providers that disregard the rights of people trying to make this country their home.”

Subpoenas were issued today to the following organizations and several of their principals: Amanda C. Gillespie Inc., Mister Enry’s Consulting Services Ltd., Immigrants United Foundation, Immigration Specialist Helpline, Yours and Yours Only, Simply Different, Lian Tong Services, American Corporate Society, Mendez Accounting and Tax Service Corp., New York Novelties, North America Immigrant Services, Inc. d/b/a North America Immigration Consulting Corp., Omnipoint Naturalization Center, National Foundation for New Americans, Simply Done Immigration, Tamizdat Inc., Tanc. Inc., Worldwide Immigration Consultation Services, Baocheng Immigration Service Center, American Assessment Association, Xiu's Restoring Center, and JP Consulting Services.

The subpoenas are the latest step in Attorney General Cuomo’s ongoing investigation into allegations that immigrants and their families are being targeted for fraudulent and unauthorized immigration-related services and, in some instances, with false promises of United States legal permanent residency and/or citizenship. The Attorney General previously issued more than fifty subpoenas to organizations and individuals across the five boroughs who are accused of engaging in fraudulent immigration business practices.

Further, last month, the Attorney General shut down three New York companies accused of providing these unlawful services to immigrant communities. As a result of Cuomo’s investigation, Immigration Solutions and Systems, Inc. of New York, Alisandra Multiservices, Inc. of Brentwood, Long Island, and All Immigration Services of Great Neck, Long Island are permanently barred from operating a business that provides immigration-related services and must collectively pay approximately $118,000 in penalties.

The Attorney General also filed suit in New York State Supreme Court against three additional companies providing legal services to immigrants which they were neither authorized nor accredited to do. Immigration Community Service Corporation of Manhattan, Professional Solutions Consultants (doing business as Reliable Clerical Services and Reliable Immigration Services), and Centro Santa Ana, both located in Queens, are charged with offering legal counsel to immigrants without being licensed attorneys or having the proper accreditation. Earlier this year, Cuomo also filed suit against Miriam Mercedes Hernandez, a businesswoman from Queens, for an immigration scam that targeted and defrauded over a dozen immigrants out of tens of thousands of dollars.

Under state and federal law, only lawyers or accredited representatives can represent individuals before immigration authorities. Further, under New York State law, it is unlawful to mislead or defraud any person in providing any service, including immigration-related services. New York law also requires anyone providing immigration services to comply with advertising guidelines, signage and surety requirements, as well as provide consumers with written contracts in both the consumer’s native language and English, detailing the services they will be providing and the cancellation policy. The Attorney General is authorized to seek an injunction, penalties of up to $7,500 per violation and restitution.

To further inform New Yorkers about their rights and educate them about immigration fraud, the Attorney General also announced a web-based education campaign, which includes links on how to avoid immigration scams and unscrupulous immigration service providers. The Attorney General’s website specifically provides a listing of individuals and organizations that are not legitimate immigration service providers and describes the various forms of immigration fraud to assist consumers in identifying the scams and prevent them from becoming a victim. In addition, consumers can find a listing of resources of legitimate organizations where they can obtain assistance, including accredited organizations, bar associations and attorneys providing pro bono services.

Chung-Wha Hong, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said: “We applaud the Attorney General’s continued efforts to stamp out immigration fraud in the State. There are individuals and organizations that claim to be legitimate immigration service providers, when in fact they lack any legal authority to provide such services. The Attorney General’s investigation and education campaign will certainly help New Yorkers learn about the law and the services they are entitled to receive, and help them avoid scams.”

The investigation is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Vilda Vera Mayuga and Assistant Deputy Counselor Elizabeth De León with the assistance of Investigators John McManus and David Negron, under the supervision of Civil Rights Bureau Chief Alphonso B. David and Counsel for Civil Rights Spencer Freedman.

If you have been a victim of immigration assistance fraud you are urged to contact the Attorney General through the Offices Immigration Services Fraud Unit Hotline at (212) 416-6149 or this website. (Source: OAG Media Center) (...hide)

Although President Obama has put off an immigration overhaul until next year, the federal agency in charge of approving visas is planning ahead for the possibility of giving legal status to millions of illegal immigrants, the agency’s director said Thursday. “We are under way to prepare for that,” Alejandro Mayorkas, the director of the agency, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, said in an interview. Mr. Obama has told immigration officials that a legalization program would be part of legislation the White House would propose, said Mr. Mayorkas, who became director in August. The agency’s goal, he said, is to be ready to expand rapidly to handle the gigantic increase in visa applications it would face if the legislation, known as comprehensive immigration reform, passed Congress.

The citizenship agency faces a difficult balancing act, preparing for a potential workload bigger than any it has faced, based on legislation in early stages of discussion that is fiercely opposed by many lawmakers in Congress. Also, the agency must work to reduce backlogs and delays that have hampered its performance.

There are no official estimates of the number of illegal immigrants who would apply for legal documents. The Pew Hispanic Center and the Center for Immigration Studies, two research groups in Washington, estimate that at least 10.8 million illegal immigrants live in this country. But a large number of those would not be eligible for legal status for many reasons, including past immigration violations.

Currently, the citizenship agency can handle applications from about six million immigrants a year, Mr. Mayorkas said, including the time-consuming collection of fingerprints and other biometric identity information. Under some plans for legalization, the agency might receive that many applications in a few weeks.

An example of the planning, Mr. Mayorkas said, is an effort to improve the agency’s ability to receive applications via postal mail at secure reception points known as lockboxes. The agency currently receives about 65 percent of applications through lockboxes, which is more efficient than receiving them through local offices. The agency is trying to move quickly to receive all applications through lockboxes.

One idea calls for illegal immigrants to start the legalization process by verifying their presence in the United States through a simple registration form mailed to a lockbox, according to officials familiar with the planning.

As part of the planning, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Mr. Mayorkas and other officials have held meetings around the country in recent weeks to gather suggestions from the public for the overhaul.

The Obama administration’s planning contrasts with that of the Bush administration, which also supported a legalization program. Some opponents of President Bush’s proposal, which was defeated in Congress in 2007, cited the immigration agencies’ lack of preparation.

Some lawmakers who oppose the overhaul have questioned whether the planning was a good use of limited resources. “There is a risk to national security that they will take their eyes off background checks of immigrants,” said Representative Steve King of Iowa, the senior Republican on the House immigration subcommittee, “while they are busy setting up for legislation that has not been introduced in any way, shape or form.” (source: The New York Times) (...hide)

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