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This morning, undocumented journalist, filmmaker, and activist Jose Antonio Vargas was detained by the Department of Homeland Security at McAllen-Miller International Airport in Texas. He has been in McAllen Texas with a film crew interviewing children and families who have been detained at the border after escaping the drug cartel and gang violence in the Northern Triangle countries of Central…
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has posted a new video which answers questions about the possibility of political asylum for Venezuelans. It is natural that people are curious to know about whether there are any special provisions for people fleeing the political turmoil that is currently happening there. The short answer is no, unfortunately. However, they may apply for…
I was just remarking yesterday about how fantastic it is to live and work in San Francisco. We have so many apps and companies at our fingertips that help us live better. For example, Google Shopping Express, which will deliver products from Target and other stores the same day for free, or Sprig, which delivers hot, healthy meals in about…
With my colleagues and Jose Antonio Vargas at the premiere of Documented. Last month, I attended a screening of the film, Documented, by Jose Antonio Vargas. Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and undocumented immigrant who is leading the conversation about what it means to be an American, and the struggle undocumented immigrants face trying to become “legal.” The screening…
I work with a lot of couples who are going through the fiancee visa process. I actually only take cases where I help the couple from beginning to end – from filing to obtaining conditional residence – to make sure that they will be ok. Knock on wood, as far as I know, all of the fiancee visa couples I…
Last month, USCIS released new processing time reports for various visa petitions, including Form I-130 petitions for immediate relatives. Immediate relatives are spouses, parents, and children under 21 of U.S. citizens and are the most favored category. There is no wait for a visa number in this category. Contrast it to someone who is a sibling of a U.S. citizen…
In the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, the immigration law community has been discussing the possibility of temporary protected status (TPS) designation for the Philippines. “The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may designate a country, or portions of a country, for TPS when conditions exist such as an ongoing armed conflict or an environmental disaster in the country…
1) My about.me page views randomly exploded when I uploaded one of my new headshots by Portraits to the People. I am, for the time being, a staff pick. It’s a nice social media barometer in a way and am glad to see that people like the new picture, bio, and feel a connection to me somehow; 2) I’ve always…
As a person of Venezuelan heritage, I share this post with sorrow. The world needs to know about what is happening there. Warning – there are some graphic photos. “Venezolanos somos todo.” By Grace Alano. Grace Alano is an immigration attorney at The Law Offices of Grace R. Alano in San Francisco, CA. Find Grace Alano on Google+
An article in the New York Times this week brings up “The Heartache of the Immigrant Family.” It discusses the painful decision some parents make to leave their children behind in their country of origin so that they can make a better life and send money to their families. Sometimes, they are able to send for their children later after…