Immigration and FEMA - What You Need to Know After Hurricane Harvey

Our office is deeply invested in the Houston community and our hearts go out to all the people affected by Hurricane Harvey in our city. As many neighborhoods are still recovering and individuals are trying to figure out their options for recovery, we thought it would be useful to provide some information for assistance and relief and alleviate concerns people might have regarding immigration enforcement.

As an immigration lawyer in Houston, I am often asked about changes to immigration law. If you keep up with immigration news, you might be wondering, what is the RAISE Act? The Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act is a proposed reform of the U.S. Immigration System. Today, we look at its components, its questionable arguments, and the future of this proposed legislation.

What is the INA 287g Program?

What is the INA 287g Program and what does it mean for Texas? Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) allows state and local police officers to collaborate with the federal government to enforce immigration laws. State and local governments have entered into  287(g) agreements in the past several years as a means of identifying and arresting undocumented individuals more easily.

While the Travel Ban has received the most press coverage over the last four months, there are other provisions of the Executive Order that contained the most recent version of the Travel Ban that  immigrants and international travelers need to know about. The Department of State Will Begin Collecting New Data on travelers to the United States. This increased scrutiny of international travelers could mean delays for visa applicants and increased chances for errors and complications.

As an Immigration Lawyer in Houston, every day I speak to people who want to apply for green cards, many of them based on family relationships. I want to get as much specific information as I can so I know how to best present a case.

This always includes understanding how a person got to the United States. Sometimes people explain that they used a visa or Border Crossing Card. Sometimes they tell us a coyote smuggled them in. Sometimes they just say “I entered illegally.” 

CBP is Deploying New Technology and “Extreme Vetting” for International Travelers and Immigrants

Over the last few months, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has rolled out several new technology based initiatives and interrogation strategies to further secure the border and prevent individuals from overstaying their visas. International travelers and even permanent residents need to be aware of these changes so that their entry into the United States can go smoothly.

As an immigration lawyer in Houston, H-1B visas are on my radar. On March 19^th, CBS 60 minutes covered the H-1B visas and its “outsourcing of American jobs to foreign workers, often at lower pay.” The show interviewed individuals who claimed they were required to train H-1B workers who then replaced them for less pay. 

Trump's Travel Ban 2.0

On January 27, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order stating that citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya would be banned from entering the United States. The order did not differentiate between visa holders, people with green cards or even dual citizens.

Lawyers in various jurisdictions filed lawsuits to stay the enforcement of the order. As the 9^th circuit court of appeals considered a lower court’s decision to stay execution of the order, the Trump administration asked the court to hold its ruling so that the administration could issue a new order that was more carefully considered.

Espanol

President Trump’s Executive Orders for Immigration institute wide-ranging changes. Beyond the “travel ban” that has garnered most of the focus, President Trump has also made many other changes to the immigration landscape through his executive actions. His actions range from detaining more individuals who are caught crossing the border to broadening the definition of “criminal” for purposes of who will be a priority for deportation as a “criminal alien.”