Studies Show Illegal Immigration Does Not Increase Violent Crime

Four academic studies are challenging the accuracy of the narrative promoted by the Trump Administration that immigrants are associated with higher rates of criminal activity. The studies all concluded that rising rates of illegal immigration have no bearing on the rates of violent crimes or drug and alcohol issues. Michael Light, a criminologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, analyzed the rates of violent crimes, defined as murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, over the past thirty years, the same time period during which illegal immigration rates have increased. After conducting this analysis, Light asserted that, “Increased undocumented immigration since 1990 has not increased violent crime over that same time period.” A separate study conducted by the same researchers determined, similarly, that the significant increase in illegal immigration did not raise rates of drug and alcohol arrests, nor did it increase the number of DUI deaths or drug overdoses. A third study compared the arrest rates for murder, sexual assault, and larceny of undocumented immigrants and native-born Americans in Texas. It found that undocumented immigrants were less likely to be arrested or convicted of these crimes than their American-born counterparts. A fourth study assessed criminal behavior in undocumented youth and legal immigrants and U.S. born youth of the same age group. The study’s findings indicated that the legal immigrant and U.S. born group was engaged in more criminal behavior than the undocumented group assessed.

For more information on the four studies, view the full article at NPR.org.

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USCIS Announces Policy Updates for EB-5 and Adjustment of Status Interviews

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an alteration to the guidance on EB-5 immigrant investor cases involving tenant occupancy. While USCIS previously permitted some petitioners to use tenant-occupancy methodologies to demonstrate the capital they create, the agency has decided that such methodologies provide unreliable predictions of indirect job creation. USCIS, therefore, does not consider such methodologies to support economically or statistically valid forecasting tools and will no longer accept such models for filings after May 15, 2018.

USCIS also announced an updated policy for adjustment of status interview guidelines and waiver criteria. Included in the update was clarification of USCIS’ interview of all adjustment of status applicants unless the interview is waived, the removal of employment and fiancé-based adjustment of status cases from the list of cases for which the interview requirement could potentially be waived, and edits to the guidance on relocating cases for adjustment interviews to remain consistent with the updated list of cases for which the interview requirement could potentially be waived.

For more information, view the EB-5 tenant occupancy policy alert or the adjustment of status interview guidelines and waiver criteria policy alert.

 

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USCIS Concludes Fiscal Year 2019 H-1B Cap-subject Petition Data Entry

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) finished entering data for all fiscal year 2019 H-1B cap-subject petitions, meaning that the agency will initiate the return process for all H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected. USCIS could not accurately pinpoint a time frame for the return of unselected petitions, due to the high volume of filings. Once USCIS has returned all of the unselected petitions, it will issue an announcement, so it requests that petitioners not inquire about their cap subject petitions’ status until either they receive a receipt notice or a returned unselected petition. Due to the high volume of cases, it is possible for petitions to be transferred between the Vermont and California Service Center. Once a petition has been transferred, the petitioner will receive notification via mail, and all correspondence thereafter is to be sent to the center which is processing the petition.

For more information, view the USCIS announcement.

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Teacher of the Year gave Trump letters from refugee, immigrant students

Mandy Manning, a high-school teacher from Washington state whose students are primarily immigrants and refugees, was named as National Teacher of the Year and used the award presentation to provide voices to her students. When meeting at the White House to accept her award, Manning brought letters written by her students, hand delivered them to Donald Trump, and extended an invitation to him to come to her school and meet with them personally. My goal is to share my student stories,” Manning said. “But to send a message, to not only by immigrants and refugee students but the LGBT community, that they are wanted, they are loved, they are enough and they matter.”

Manning’s students are primarily refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, and Syria; countries which are affected in the executive order pushed by the Trump administration commonly referred to as the “travel ban” which limits the admission of refugee seekers from those countries among others.

For more information, view the full article from The Hill.

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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.

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