Immigration and US Citizenship News

By Kieran C. O’Sullivan – Kieran@ipcboston.org

Review of Deportation Cases

We welcome the recent government decision on deportation cases.  On August 18th, administration officials announced that all 300,000 cases currently in deportation proceedings will be reviewed by DHS, one-by-one, in an effort to focus purely on “high-priority” cases of criminals and individuals who pose a serious threat to the US. Cases deemed “low-priority” will be completely removed from the case log and, non-criminal immigrants once facing deportation will have the possibility to obtain work permits.  People who seek more detailed information on this announcement can email me, or attend our upcoming clinic.

It is important to note that immigrants who lack immigration status and are not in deportation proceedings should not see this as any kind of easing of general immigration enforcement efforts.  Those without status are still subject to detention and removal from the US.  We have a number of Irish immigrants currently in custody who are visited regularly by our chaplain Fr. John McCarthy.  Enforcement efforts including programs like SECURE Communities which encourages local police to exchange information with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on those who come to their attention remain in full effect.

Immigration Hotline calls

We had a number of calls this month relating to immigration forms, fees, and form questions.  We want to remind people that all USCIS forms should be reviewed by an attorney or immigration specialist before they are filed.  Our next clinic is on September 6^th at 6:30 PM in The Banshee, 934 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester.

Visa Extensions

Usually as the summer draws to a close we get some calls from people on obtaining visa extensions or changing status to another visa.  The answers can be complex and the eligibility issues deem many not qualified for such a benefit.  However everyone’s situation is different and for this reason readers are encouraged to email us for more information or attend our monthly clinic.

Legal Clinic

Fourteen Irish immigrants received detailed assistance from our pro bono attorney Dan Harrington at our August clinic.  You may attend our free clinics and get a free one to one consultation with full time immigration attorneys including Dan and Chris Lavery.  All matters are dealt with confidentially.

New Location & Open House

Remember we are now at our new location at 15 Rita Road, Dorchester.  Readers are invited to attend our Open House in Fr. Lane Hall, St. Brendan’s, 589 Gallivan Blvd., Dorchester, on Thursday Sept. 8^th, 2011 from 3 to 7pm.

Contact us:

We are experiencing some temporary difficulty increasing our phone line capacity at our new offices.  We expect this to be rectified shortly, however in the week ahead it may be best to email me kieran@ipcboston.org or attend our September 6^th clinic for answers to your immigration and citizenship queries.

Disclaimer: Please note that the information contained in it is provided to inform generally, and is not intended as a substitute for individual advice.  Immigration law is subject to frequent changes and individual circumstances can affect the application of certain legal provisions.  For individual legal advice, please contact the Irish Pastoral Centre directly regarding upcoming legal clinics or consultation with an immigration attorney.