Author Archives: Jay Butchko
US Takes A Hard Line Position On Haitian And Cuban Immigration
Normally, there are a number of immigration programs to help people who are fleeing violence, oppression or unrest in their home countries. Whether it be asylum, or a country being put on a temporary protected status, when drastic but temporary conditions exist, the United States often makes exceptions for immigrants fleeing from those countries…. Read More »
DACA Is Halted, And In Jeopardy–Again
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, is once again on life support. The program has been implemented and stopped numerous times. This time, a federal court ruling threatens to end it for good, and appears to have, at least for now, suspended the program. What is DACA? DACA is a program that… Read More »
Court Says Incomplete Notices To Appear May Be Invalid
If you are an undocumented immigrant, you may eventually get what is known as a “notice to appear.” As the name indicates, it is the document that requires that you appear in immigration court on the date and time stated in the notice. Deadlines and Time in the Country As a general rule, if… Read More »
Could Court Appointed Lawyers Be Coming To Immigration Courts?
We have often written about how unfair it is that immigrants with low incomes still do not have access to good, qualified immigration lawyers, outside of programs that may provide free legal services to them—programs that are often overworked and understaffed. Despite the fact that in immigration, people’s lives and liberty are often at… Read More »
Supreme Court Says Immigrants Have Burden Of Proof In Hardship Cases
We recently wrote about the ability of an immigrant to apply for a hardship waiver, which would avoid deportation where the deportation would cause a severe and undue hardship on relatives. But the ability to get a hardship waiver isn’t available to people who are not already in the country legally, nor to people… Read More »
Can You Work In The United States Without A Social Security Card?
A Social Security number is used by the government to allow people to work legally in the United States. Whether here legally or not, a lot of immigrants simply don’t have a valid Social Security number. So can you work without a Social Security number? How to Get a Social Security Number A Social… Read More »
All About Travel Visas
If you are coming into this country, but not with the intention of staying here permanently, a travel visa may be right for you. There are even situations where you may not even need a travel visa. Remember that if you are travelling somewhere else—outside of the United States—whether you need a visa or… Read More »
Haitian Nationals Get TPS Protection
There should be some relief for the Haitian immigrant community, as the government has announced a new temporary protected status (TPS) designation for the Haitian community. Haiti had previously been given TPS status, then had it removed in 2019, and many lawmakers urged the administration to provide it once again. Why Haiti? The basis… Read More »
What Is An Inspection And What Happens At An Inspection?
Immigrants seeking to enter the US can come into the country under a number of different programs. But when they come in, they need to submit to an inspection, so that customs knows what program the immigrant is coming into the country under, and to ensure that the immigrant in fact qualifies to enter… Read More »
New Policies Get Rid Of Fines And Arrests Of Immigrants At Certain Locations
If you are an undocumented immigrant, and you face deportation, the consequences of being taken out of the country are stressful enough. But for many years, the threat of deportation has been occupied with another threat—the fine that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has put on those who are undocumented. Fines for Deportation In… Read More »
