On January 26, 2016, Kathryn N. Karam attended a seminar on Texas's new open carry laws. At the seminar, Attorney Karam noted that many people are not aware that certain firearms offenses may render a person deportable from the United States, even if the person charged with a firearms offense is a Permanent Resident and even if the crime is not an aggravated felony, a crime of violence, or a crime involving moral turpitude.

The United States Supreme Court issued a decision in Mata v. Lynch, noting that an individual may request that his/her case be reopened even if the Motion comes after the filing deadline if he/she received ineffective assistance of counsel from a prior attorney.

The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Government has delayed thousands of immigration court hearings for five years. While this move appears to be a concession to individuals in immigration proceedings, attorneys representing those whose hearings have been delayed fear it may affect their clients' cases if evidence is considered stale or circumstances related to the case change in the coming years.

On Veterans Day, I am thankful to all of our Veterans for their service to our country. In particular, I remember my experience representing a Desert Storm Veteran a few years ago. He had been a permanent resident for many years. He had also been convicted of possession of cocaine in 1986. He had turned his life around, and he served our country for many years with very good reviews from his supervising officers. He was honorably discharged when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Over 20 years after his conviction, when he applied to renew his greencard, he received a Notice to Appear in Immigration Court for a controlled substance conviction. We successfully persuaded the government to terminate his removal case and applied for citizenship under military naturalization provisions. He became a United States citizen just before Christmas in 2011, and it was one of the most rewarding cases I have been involved in. He was thanked for his service to our country at the conclusion of his naturalization interview and the Immigration Service noted that they would make a special announcement about him at his oath ceremony.

The Oregonian reported on Thursday afternoon that ICE Attorney Jonathan Love is accused of forging a document in order to get a man seeking Cancellation of Removal in immigration court deported.

In an unpublished decision, the Board of Immigration Appeals held that although the Respondent did not have his passport with him when he requested Voluntary Departure at his hearing, which is a requirement in the regulations, the Immigration Judge still had discretion to grant voluntary departure under the regulations if the Judge is "satisfied that the Respondent was making diligent efforts to secure the passport."