Dear Readers:
The last week has been a topsy-turvy one for immigration-watchers. We witnessed a horrible earthquake in Haiti that has so far killed 200,000 people and left that country in a complete shambles. After a quick, but very effective campaign, pro-immigration groups succeeded in pressuring the White House to confer Temporary Protected Status for the estimated 100,000 to 200,000 individuals in the US from Haiti who are either in a legal non-immigrant status or are illegally present. DHS also granted special humanitarian status to 53 Haitian orphans and airlifted them to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center so that their adoption process in the US can be expedited.
We’ve prepared a detailed FAQ on TPS for this week’s newsletter that should help those trying to get information on how this relief works. In short, it is available to people in the US who are unable to return home due to a war, disaster, etc. and whose country is designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The relief is available for up to 18 months and is often extended unless conditions have improved markedly in the home country. People in TPS status can work legally after getting an employment card and they can also travel back to the home country with a travel document. One of the goals of TPS for Haitians is not just to offer a safe haven for those in the US who likely no longer have homes to return to, but also to allow people to earn money that they can send home to help the country recover. That will very likely mean that TPS for Haiti will go on for much longer than 18 months.
I will be moderating a series of three telephone seminars on immigration options for Haitians that is being sponsored by ILW.com. The first of the programs is next Wednesday, January 27th and all of the profits will be going to Haitian relief charities. You can sign up for the program by going to http://www.ilw.com/seminars/haiti.shtm .
The other big news of the week was the Senate race in Massachusetts. Republican Scott Brown won in a surprising victory to take over the seat of Senator Ted Kennedy. While Brown is on the record as being against an “amnesty” and he receive praise from anti-immigration groups, immigration was hardly discussed in the campaign and many are still hoping he will be a moderate voice on the topic. But in the wake of the race, many people are concerned that Democrats will try and run away from dealing with the issue this year.
My one comment to this would be that if Democrats are perceived as breaking their promise to Hispanic voters, they do so at their own peril. Hispanics are the fastest growing part of the electorate and they have dramatically shifted their votes to Democrats largely on the immigration issue. If the Democrats do not “lock down” the Hispanic vote as a loyal voting bloc, they could lose out on one of the biggest opportunities of the next half century.
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In firm news, I’ve been named for the sixth straight years to the Top 150 Lawyers in Tennessee list as compiled by Business TN Magazine. http://businesstn.com/content/201001/tennessees-best-150-lawyers-2010#Greg-Siskind .
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Finally, we would invite readers interested in becoming Siskind Susser clients to contact us. My email is gsiskind@visalaw.com and my phone number is 901-682-6455. Our firm assists clients locating anywhere in the US and we have attorneys with expertise in most areas of immigration law.
Regards,
Greg Siskind
