Salomon Juarez, who had a deportation order, was hired by Superior Protection to patrol the Houston, Texas immigration office as an armed guard.  Mr. Juarez was arrested on March 3 and Superior Protection is now under a federal investigation.  The investigation will also look at the role of the Federal Protective Service, the federal agency that contracts with Superior Protection for security at many federal offices in Houston.  The agency is also responsible for conducting background checks for security employees.

Juarez entered the US in 1992 and was charged with possession of a firearm as an illegal immigrant.  Juarez’s attorney stated that Juarez’s is in “legal limbo” and that at the time the background check was conducted, Juarez did have a legal work permit.  That permit has since expired.

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have announced that the “Hartford Pilot Program” being conducted in Hartford, Connecticut to determine the impact of detaining immigrants who have been issued final removal orders has been extended to Denver and Atlanta.  Instead of allowing immigrants several weeks to reappear for their deportation, under the program, ICE immediately detains these immigrants in order to ensure that those who have been issued removal orders are removed quickly. 

Over 40,000 non-detained immigrants fail to leave the country each year after they have been granted voluntary departure by a judge according to ICE.  ICE currently has a list of 400,000 absconders who must be deported, including 80,000 criminal immigrants.

A General Accounting Office (GAO) study conducted in 2001 discovered that only 15% of those immigrants not immediately detained actually depart the country.  The Hartford Pilot Project has reported that so far, 94% of those detained by ICE at the time of the judge’s order are removed from the US.  The remaining 6% cannot be removed for diplomacy/foreign relations issues.

Immigration advocates are calling the program unconstitutional and are requesting less costly alternatives.

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At a meeting of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced his priorities for the following year.  Included in his priorities are expanded information sharing, greater infrastructure protection, improvements in cross-jurisdictional communication and the use of new technologies and new tools to enhance the department.

Ridge said the department plans to work to loosen visa restrictions on non-immigrant foreigners, particularly for business and student applicants.  He acknowledged that businesses have been negatively affected by the increased travel restrictions since the September 11 terrorist attacks, and that the department will do its best to ease them.

Ridge has said that the budget proposed by President bush for FY 2005 would provide adequate funding for putting these priorities into action.

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The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is reminding those with applications for adjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident to obtain Advance Parole by filing Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document with the USCIS before traveling abroad) before leaving the United States.  Travel outside the US without advance parole could yield harsh penalties for certain people who are in the process of adjusting their status, as they may be unable to return to the US, their applications may be denied or both.

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The USCIS announced on March 23, 2004 that thousands of illegal immigrants may qualify for amnesty under the terms of a settlement of two lawsuits filed in the 1980’s.  Those eligible must fall within narrow criteria, including entry into the US prior to January 1, 1982, unlawful residence in the US until May 5, 1987, and refusal of amnesty in the past for reasons such as visa violations or leaving and returning illegally.  The new application period is from May 24, 2004, to May 23, 2005, and an English form application will soon be available online at the agency’s website.