Tuesday, January 20, 2009

A father of three United States citizen children awaits an interview at U.S.C.I.S. Family unity is a major issue in the immigration debate in the United States.

North Korean Asylum


In 2006, I worked with the Human Rights Project and attorney Judith Wood, to obtain the first grant of political asylum under the North Korean Human Rights Act. These cases are difficult because South Korea claims North Koreans as citizens and as a result the U.S. Immigration Court considers these refugees as "firmly resettled" in a third country - a bar to asylum in the United States.

3 seconds to leave the courthouse

3 seconds to leave the courthouse
October 2008: Los Angeles Immigration Judge orders a notario, who was interfering with the efforts of a pro bono attorney, to leave the court building post haste. Notarios are a very big problem in the immigrant community - often holding themselves out as attorneys and or otherwise offering legal advise based upon little or no knowlege of immigration law.

Allegation 6 was admitted

Allegation 6 was admitted
October 22, 2008: Immigration Judge has 47 cases on her morning master calendar. Clients and attorneys crowd the hallway however cases move through at an efficient clip.