News Bytes

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is extending the time frame for stays of removal granted to aliens from countries affected by the Dec. 26, 2004, earthquake and tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia. Previously, ICE temporarily suspended all alien removals to Sri Lanka and the Maldives through April 7, 2005. Under the original policy, all citizens of Sri Lanka and the Maldives who were afforded a stay of removal for 90 days, beginning December 30, 2004, however this period is now being extended through July 8, 2005. The granting of the stay of removal is automatic; no request or petition is necessary. Non-criminal aliens from other nations affected by the tsunami were allowed to request a stay of removal to remain in the United States temporarily.

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Admiral David Stone has informed Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff of his intention to step down as the head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), according to a press release from TSA. Stone will become the third TSA leader to leave since the agency was created in 2002. Stone will step down in June after a replacement is named. No reason was given for his departure.

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently released new processing times for adjustments for Asylees. By law, only 10,000 asylees can adjust status to Lawful Permanent Resident per year; however, the Service’s website stated that it is receiving between 25,405– 43,881 applications per year. As a result, as of January 10, 2005, approximately 186,170 asylee adjustment applications were pending. USCIS anticipates that it will process pending applications according to the following schedule:

Date Received (Mail Date)	Timeframe to be Processed
Feb. 18, 1996 - May. 30, 2000	Oct. 1, 2004 - Sep. 30, 2005
May 31, 2000 - Apr. 12, 2001	Oct. 1, 2005 - Sep. 30, 2006
Apr. 13, 2001 - Mar. 7, 2002	Oct. 1, 2006 - Sep. 30, 2007
Mar. 8, 2002 - Jun. 20, 2002	Oct. 1, 2007 - Sep. 30, 2008
Jun. 21, 2002 - Sep. 30, 2002	Oct. 1, 2008 - Sep. 30, 2009
Oct. 1, 2002 - Feb. 6, 2003	Oct. 1, 2009 - Sep. 30, 2010
Feb. 7, 2003 - May. 23, 2003	Oct. 1, 2010 - Sep. 30, 2011
May 24, 2003 - Sep. 26, 2003	Oct. 1, 2011 - Sep. 30, 2012
Sep. 27, 2003 - Feb. 25, 2004	Oct. 1, 2012 - Sep. 30, 2013
Feb. 26, 2004 - Jun. 21, 2004	Oct. 1, 2013 - Sep. 30, 2014
Jun. 22, 2004 - Nov. 8, 2004	Oct. 1, 2014 - Sep. 30, 2015
Nov. 9, 2004 - Jan. 10, 2005	Oct. 1, 2015 - Sep. 30, 2016

USCIS emphasized on its site that these dates are approximations, and unforeseen occurrences may delay processing.

For more information regarding adjustments for Asylees, visit www.uscis.gov.

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Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott last week announced he has shut down three fraudulent East Texas immigration-consulting businesses. Abbott secured temporary restraining orders against the operations. The latest lawsuits were filed under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and accused all the defendants of misrepresenting to consumers that they were qualified to provide immigration-related services such as dispensing advice and counseling about U.S. immigration law and preparing immigration documents. None of the accused is an attorney or accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals. Individuals who believe they have been the victims of a scam should report it to the Office of the Attorney General at 1-800-252-8011.

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The Congressional Research Service (CRS) recently issued a report for Congress focusing on U.S. immigration policy on asylum seekers. In FY2003, there were 42,114 claims for asylum filed with USCIS, and by the close of the fiscal year, there were 262,102 asylum cases pending at USCIS. The report stated that USCIS asylum officers approved 11,434 cases in FY2003, and the percentage of cases approved was 29% of cases decided. The percentage of Executive Office for Immigration Review (EIOR) asylum cases approved was 37% of cases decided in both FY2002 and FY2003. At the end of FY2003, there were 158,624 cases pending for Asylees to adjust to legal permanent resident (LPR) status, and a person who receives asylum today would wait about 16 years to become an LPR due to numerical limits in the law.

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The Congressional Research Service (CRS) recently issued a report for Congress regarding the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations for biometric identifiers and border security. In its final report, the 9/11 Commission concluded that funding and completing a biometric entry-exit screening system for travelers to and from the United States is necessary for national security. The Commission noted that US-VISIT is already in place, but considers it a first phase in a process that should be consolidated with US-VISIT in order to streamline border inspections. Based in part upon the commission’s recommendations, Congress included biometric provisions related to entry/exit control in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced last week in a press release that foreign visitors departing from Philadelphia International Airport are required to follow checkout procedures before departing on their flight. Visitors must provide two index finger scans and take a digital photo as part of a pilot program to test and evaluate an automated biometric exit process.

The exit procedures being piloted at Philadelphia require foreign visitors to go through one of the following processes:

· Visitors departing the United States will check out of the country at exit stations located within the airport.

· Visitors still use the exit station but will also be required to present their receipt at the departure gate to confirm that they checked out at the exit station.

US Customs and Border Protection Officers will provide foreign visitors with a card explaining the exit process with they arrive in the United States.

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