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Immigration News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 21, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 21, 2014

The Emerald Isle Immigration Center announced yesterday that it welcomed President Obama’s Executive Order which will provide deportation relief for many undocumented immigrants in the U.S. The action will provide benefits to parents of U.S. citizen and permanent resident children and protections for others with long standing ties to the United States.

Brian O’Dwyer, Esq., EIIC Chairman stated “Thanks to the President’s Order now ‘The Irish Can Apply.’ Our work is just beginning. We look forward to continuing to provide comprehensive and solid advice to immigrants in need, especially with this much needed and important program.”

The President’s Executive Order has the potential to provide immigration relief to many Irish constituents in the U.S. and is a welcome change from the many previous failed efforts to fix our broken immigration system. Stated EIIC Executive Director, Siobhan Dennehy.

Lisa Johnston, Esq., EIIC Executive Board Member and an immigration attorney with over twenty years experience in the field added: “Eligibility under the President’s deferred action program extends to undocumented individuals who are living in the U.S. as of 11/20/14 and who are the parents of U.S. Citizens or greencard holders born on or before that date. Additionally, applicants must have continuous residence in the U.S. since 1/1/10 and must not have been convicted of certain crimes. It is imperative that applicants seek and receive sound legal advice over the coming months to prepare appropriately. Importantly, potential applicants should know that no applications are being accepted at present and all should be wary of scams and fraud. Your best course of action at this point is to ensure you seek reliable, trustworthy information and await forthcoming USCIS direction.”

People who may qualify are strongly advised not to travel. Frank Schorn, an immigration attorney and Vice Chair of Emerald Isle expressed concern that “even a brief departure from the U.S. in the next few months could destroy eligibility and increase the risk of deportation and removal”.

The plan as outlined by the President will not legalize the entire undocumented population but does allow for a broader use of discretion for those subject to removal or deportation.

To prepare for the formal application process those who are considering making an application should gather together all formal correspondence, financial records and proof of residence in the U.S.. Qualifying documents will likely include school and medical records, as well as utility records, bills, rent receipts and other legal documents.

“While this Executive action is not at all comprehensive or adequate, it is a very welcome interim solution to help address problems presented by our broken immigration system. We strongly encourage people to explore their eligibility with competent professionals, and take this opportunity to temporarily regularize their immigration status” stated Ms. Dennehy.

The EIIC Immigration Center will be staffing the public community information meetings being scheduled in conjunction with our CIIC community partners, Aisling Irish Community Center and New York Irish Center as follows:

Monday, December 1 at 6:00pm – The Emerald Isle Immigration Center in combination with the Aisling Irish Center at St. Barnabas High School Auditorium (H.S. Chapel). Entrance is located on corner of E. 241st Street, Woodlawn NY and McLean Avenue, Yonkers, NY.

Tuesday, December 2 at 6:00pm – Sunnyside Community Center, 4331 39th St, Sunnyside, NY, 11104

Wednesday, December 3 at 6:00pm – St Sebastian Parish Center, 39-60 57th St, Woodside, NY, 11377 (Bilingual Attorney Kelly Becker-Smith will be hosting the December 3 event)

Please check our website for additional updates at www.eiic.org

The EIIC is an active member of the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers, for further information about Irish centers in the US providing assistance outside of the New York consular region please call Aileen Dibra, National CIIC Coordinator at 914-837-2007 or refer to their website at www.ciic.usa-org

Information Meetings on President’s Executive Action on Immigration

President Obama has announced his Executive Action to provide administrative relief to certain individuals without immigration status currently in the United States. Early details indicate that his plan will help long-term undocumented parents of children who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents by giving them authorization to work legally and protecting them from deportation. We will have more official details about the program in the days and weeks ahead. In the meantime you can attend information meetings organized by the Irish Centers in the region (NYIC, Emerald Isle Immigration Center and Aisling Irish Community Center ), addressing the changes in US Immigration policy brought by this Executive Action. These information meetings will be held on the following times and dates at the following locations:

Monday, December 1st at 6:00pm – St Barnabas High School Auditorium (H.S. Chapel). Entrance is located at corner of E. 241st Street and McLean Avenue, Woodlawn.

Tuesday, December 2nd at 6:00pm – Sunnyside Community Services Center, 43-31 39th St, Sunnyside, NY 11104.

Wednesday, December 3rd at 6:00pm – St. Sebastian’s Parish Center, 39-60 57th St, Woodside, NY 11377 (Bilingual Attorney Kelly Becker-Smith will be hosting the Dec-3 event).

Experts will be on hand to answer your questions.

Be advised that no one is eligible at this time for these benefits announced by the president. The applications process will not start before May 2015.  Beware of any scams offering the ability to apply for benefits immediately under this new program.

Contact an Irish Center for the most accurate information and advice.

You can read more about the president’s Executive Action in the Coalition of Irish Immigration Center’s press release.

 

President’s Executive Action on Immigration

 

The President announced his plan for executive action to provide administrative relief to certain individuals without immigration status currently in the United States on November 20, 2014. Early details indicate that his plan will help long term undocumented parents of children who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents by giving them authorization to work legally and protecting them from deportation.

We will have more official details about the program in the days and weeks ahead and in conjunction with community partners at Aisling and New York Irish Center we will be scheduling public meetings the first week of December to provide further information about who will qualify, when to apply and the application requirements. Please call back or access our website www.eiic.org, sign up for EIIC newsletter updates, follow our Facebook page or Twitter stream for further updates and the dates and times of our upcoming informational meetings.

Importantly be advised that no one is eligible at this time and the applications process will not start before May 2015 and beware of any scams offering the ability to apply for benefits immediately under this new program

 

 

New York City Passes Groundbreaking Detainer Reform Laws

 

On Oct. 22, 2014, the New York City Council passed groundbreaking legislation dramatically expanding existing city laws that limit the circumstances under which the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) (Int 0487-2014) and Department of Correction (“DOC”) (Int 0486-2014) will honor an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) detainer. The bills were signed into law on Friday, November 14th and will take effect thirty (30) days later, on or about Dec. 14, 2014. These new laws will greatly benefit future noncitizen criminal defendants and could also potentially prevent noncitizens currently detained in DOC custody from being transferred to immigration detention. Once in force, the new laws will mean that very few, if any, individuals will be transferred from NYPD and DOC to immigration detention. Thousands of New Yorkers each year will be spared from deportation.

Under the new detainer discretion laws, the NYPD and DOC may no longer honor detainer requests issued by ICE unless two criteria are satisfied. ICE must present the City with a warrant from an Article III federal judge (or a federal magistrate judge) that establishes that there is probable cause that the individual sought is subject to arrest by ICE. Additionally, even if ICE possesses a judicial warrant, the NYPD and DOC will only honor a detainer if the person has been convicted within the last five years of a violent or serious crime or is found to be a possible match on the terrorist watch list.

The laws include several additional measures to protect immigrant New Yorkers. ICE is no longer allowed to keep an office on Rikers Island. Additionally, DOC cannot expend resources assisting in civil immigration enforcement, including sharing information about clients with ICE, except as required by federal law or under other limited circumstances. NYPD has no limits on information sharing; therefore there is still a risk that ICE will appear at the court or at people’s homes. Lastly, the NYC Department of Probation announced that it will issue a policy consistent with this legislation in the near future.

For more information, the Immigrant Defense Project and Cardozo School of Law have created a detailed chart and practice advisory here.

Courtesy of the New York State Defenders Association.