Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

New Law Eliminates Widow Penalty and Reduces Need for Humanitarian Reinstatement

County clerks in a number of states have refused to issue marriage licenses to undocumented immigrants. The clerks argue that federal law requires marriage license applicants to provide a Social Security number. Undocumented immigrants, who are not eligible to apply for a Social Security number, are therefore denied marriage licenses. This article explains why states cannot deny marriage licenses to undocumented immigrants.

The article addresses a number of questions.

By Charles Wheeler, Director of CLINIC's Nation Legal Center for Immigrants

Laura Dogu, Deputy Consul General, and Mark Bosse, Communications Unit Supervisor, U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, as well as Warren Janssen, Field Office Director of the USCIS office located at the consulate, each spoke at CLINIC's annual family immigration law training in El Paso on February 5, 2008. We previously circulated Mr. Janssen's remarks. The following is a summary of the updated information provided by the State Department.

Discusses major raids by Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) including the Michael Bianco factory raid in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Regardless of what legalization program is eventually enacted and implemented, applicants will need to submit supporting documents to establish that they qualify. What documents are likely to be needed? What is the best way to organize them? How should clients now be counseled on ways to gather these documents? By looking at the prior legalization under the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986, and at the current proposals, we can estimate what may be required once a new legalization program is enacted.

Bishops, Catholic Charities staff, and Catholic school officials have inquired about whether Catholic schools can legally enroll undocumented children. As states and municipalities have taken an increasing interest in immigration issues over the last few years, some Catholic school officials have expressed concern that the enrollment of undocumented children in Catholic schools will raise legal issues. This article responds to those concerns and provides an overview of the relevant law.

Laura Dogu, Deputy Consul General, and Mark Bosse, Communications Unit Supervisor, U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, as well as Warren Janssen, Field Office Director of the USCIS office located at the consulate, each spoke at CLINIC’s annual family immigration law training in El Paso on February 5, 2008. The following is a summary of the updated information provided by the State Department and USCIS.

By Debbie Smith

Immigrant communities have historically been targeted for intense scrutiny during times of crisis. Among the better-known examples are the “Red Scares” of the early 20th century and internment of Japanese immigrants (as well as naturalized citizens) during World War II.2 Each recent emergency – from September 11 to the current program of DHS raids – has had distinctive elements. Certain strands of effective emergency response run through them, however. Persons hoping to respond to today’s emergencies have much to learn from what has worked well for others.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits individuals from transporting illegal immigrants in the United States. Under the law, it is an offense for any person who “knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, transports, or moves or attempts to transport or move such alien within the United States by means of transportation or otherwise, in furtherance of such violation of law.