According to a press release by the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims, a lawsuit which challenged the constitutionality of the 2005 International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) was dismissed in U.S. District Court.  The lawsuit, brought by various international marriage brokers (IMB’s), alleged that the law requiring them to provide information to foreign women about their legal rights and the criminal backgrounds of their potential American husbands infringed upon IMB’s constitutional rights.  

The international marriage brokers, more commonly known as “mail-order bride” agencies, had their motion denied by the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Ohio.  This motion was for a temporary restraining order preventing the enforcement of the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act.  

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The American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF) is contemplating filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) because of its delay in getting work authorization cards to many applicants that are eligible for them.   

The AILF, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting immigrants’ rights, will potentially file the lawsuit against the CIS for violation of 8 C.F.R. § 274a.13(d), which says that CIS must decide an EAD application within 90 days.  If CIS fails to decide the application within 90 days, the regulation requires CIS to give the applicant a temporary interim EAD that will allow the person to work.  This temporary card is good for up to 240 days or until a decision is made on the application for the permanent EAD.  

AILF argues that the harm to EAD applications is significant because an interim EAD is essential for them to work while they wait for the existing immigration application to be decided upon.  Without an interim EAD, many applicants will lose their jobs or have already lost their jobs or potential employment opportunities.  

For more information on this lawsuit, please visit the AILF website at www.ailf.org.