The Pittsburgh Post Gazette that businesses and nonprofit groups are increasing their efforts to restore Pittsburgh's appeal as a place for immigrants. The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2006 to 2010 estimated Pittsburgh's foreign-born population to be about 7 percent of its total population. The percentage is much lower than that of other major American cities. Immigrant advocates such as Melanie Harrington, CEO of Vibrant Pittsburgh, and Victor Diaz, director of special projects for the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce believe Pittsburgh should work to attract immigrants and first-generation Americans. According to American Community Service data, the city and county are already experiencing an increase in immigration from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Pittsburgh isn't widely known in the Middle East, but the G-20 summit in 2009 helped to raise the city's profile, according to Haya Abdel-Latif, a Jordanian who lived in Saudi Arabia before coming to the U.S. for college. Many cities believe that immigration can help them bounce back from population loss and also help attract young professionals.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/pittsburgh-looking-to-increase-immigrant-population-650538/

*****

Phys.org reports that, according to research at Stanford University, President Obama's immigration policy, which allows some young illegal immigrants to remain in the country, may have the effect of lowering the crime rate. Like the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), the deferred action initiative offers undocumented youth opportunities in the legal workforce and, according to Stanford economics doctoral candidate Scott R. Baker, the initiative could lead to a nationwide drop in crime - as many as 50,000 fewer crimes per year. The IRCA was originally meant to illegalize the hiring of undocumented workers but, instead, led to the legalization of more than 2.5 million of the estimated 3.1 million illegal immigrants in the country at the time. Researcher Scott Baker compared IRCA applications with FBI crime statistics and found that more legalizations meant less crime. Legalizing 1 percent of the population in a county corresponded to a 2 percent decrease in crime per capita, which averaged around 200, 000 fewer crimes every year on a national level. However, since Deferred Action is more limited and tightly regulated than IRCA, the path to the formal employment through the initiative is less certain. Additionally, there is always the possibility that the offer could be withdrawn if the White House changes administrations, says Baker.

http://phys.org/news/2012-08-stanford-economist-immigration-reform-crime.html

*****

The New York Times reports that the Department of Homeland Security has already reached the annual 10,000 limit on special visas for undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assaults and who also assist in investigations or prosecutions. These visas, known as U visas, grant victims and their close relatives temporary legal status and work eligibility for at least four years. The program has been a valuable tool for encouraging immigrant victims to come forward and testify against their attackers. However, the federal government's fiscal year doesn't end until September 30 and many victims' advocates and law enforcement officials are worried that the suspension in issuing visas until October 1 will discourage some women from speaking out and put some victims who have pending visa applications in further jeopardy.

This problem is a direct consequence of a Congressional block over reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, the 1994 law that aims to combat domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. A strong bipartisan reauthorization bill approved by the Senate in May includes provisions to raise the yearly U visa cap from 10,000 to 15,000. However, House Republicans pushed through a regressive measure that omits the Senate's U visa increase, along with new protections for gay, bisexual and transgender victims of domestic abuse. The House bill also calls for the elimination of the existing ability of U visa holders to apply for permanent residency after three years.

http://nyti.ms/O7IKGd

*****

E-Verify and I-9 News reports that USCIS is accepting feedback on the new proposed two-page I-9 form until September 21, 2012. The department has already received over 6,200 comments and suggestions on the initial draft, which was revealed March 27, 2012. The proposed changes to the I-9 form include more detailed field names, addition of new fields such as email address, telephone number, and formatting changes for numerical fields requiring a certain amount of digits. The new I-9 form is not yet effective and employers should continue to use the current I-9 form with a revision date of 08/07/09 until further notice.

http://everifyandi9news.com/2012/08/uscis-second-draft-of-new-proposed-form-i-9/

*****

The New York Times reports that the first approvals for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applications were granted during the second week of September. More than 72,000 young immigrants have applied and, while the requests do not reach the high estimates of 250,000 officials reported, at the current rate, at least 200,000 young immigrants will have applied by the time of the presidential election. The surge of applicants has not been greater because of difficulties many young immigrants have encountered in gathering documents needed for the application and the $465 application fee. The program also posed a test for United States Immigration and Customs Services, which has not been known for their efficiency. However, the agency has been issuing receipts for applications within 48 hours after they were logged in, generally within three weeks after an application is received. Completed applications first reached immigration officers on Monday, September 10th. By that afternoon, the first few approvals were issued. Alejandro Mayorkas, director of USCIS, said that he expects the first work permits, which are approved in a separate but parallel process, to be issued in coming weeks. Administration officials have said the program will be paid for by fees, with no taxpayer money invested. California is leading in applications, followed by Texas, New York, New Jersey and Florida. Most applicants have origins in Mexico, and, surprisingly, South Korea. The first applicants to apply are starting to receive approvals of DACA status, though employment cards have still not been issued.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/us/program-offering-immigrants-reprieve-is-off-to-quick-start.html

*****

The Times of India reports that the US consulate in Chennai suspended visa processing September 19th, following the decision of more than 20 Muslim groups to hold more protest rallies over the controversial film 'Innocence of Muslims.' Security around the consulate was strengthened after about 2,000 protesters resorted to violence on September 13th. Chennai police chief J K Tripahty said they ready to face the demonstrations as police have deployed swift action group (SAG), rapid action force (RAG) and commando force around the consulate. Search lights have been installed on roads and the CCTV cameras, broken during the September 13th protest, have been replaced. Police arrested 18 people in connection with Thursday's incident and barricaded the area around the consulate by blocking service roads.

While the US consulate in Chennai was closed, other US consulates in India and the US Embassy in New Delhi remained open for services September 19th. However, consulate officials requested that visa applicants check their official websites for further updates. The consulate also asked American citizens to enroll the Smart Traveller Enrollment Programme (STEP) to make it easier for the embassy to contact them in case of an emergency. US citizens without internet access can enroll directly at the US embassy or the consulate at their destination.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-18/chennai/33924923_1_consulate-muslim-munnetra-kazhagam-chennai

*****

< Back | Index | Next >

Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.