The Cost of Doing Nothing
How often have we heard the refrain, just because it’s the easy path does not make it the right path? In the current immigration reform debate, I would like to drive home this conventional wisdom to my political party – the Republican Party. It’s easy to sit by and...
Where’s that Finish Line?
After what seemed like a whirlwind of action in the Senate with hundreds of amendments in committee and then hundreds more filed during the floor debate, we ended up with a bill passed at the end of June. Great timing of course because that still left a good month...
The Secretary Stakes
I admit to a considerable amount of surprise at Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano’s announcement that she’d be leaving DHS for the University of California system. I’ve read all kinds of news stories about how DHS Secretary is a thankless job where one...
Numbers Add Up
Numbers can be, well, mindnumbing. But they are something that all of us use every single day. Price of gas? A number. Mortgage or rent payment due? A number. Groceries, utilities, daycare, you name it and it can be numbered. I want to share some numbers with...
You Can Lead a Horse to Water…
After the House Republican Conference met this afternoon to discuss immigration reform plans, I held out hope that the Leadership of my party would see the light. (Yes, I’m an immigration lawyer and a Republican, there are actually quite a few of us out there.)...
The “H” in the House of Representatives
Just before the July 4th holiday, we witnessed the Senate approving a largely sensible, sound, secure and smart immigration reform bill. As this bill heads to the House of Representatives, the buzz is on what the House will or will not do. Statements from House...
Let’s Celebrate What Makes America Great and Keep Immigration Reform Moving Forward!
This past week was truly a historic week for our nation. The Supreme Court ruled that section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional as its “demonstrated purpose is to ensure that if any State decides to recognize same-sex marriages, those...
“I’d Like to Thank the U.S. Senate…”
Seriously, I can’t quite believe it. The Senate managed to give me a birthday gift, Christmas present, and welcome basket beyond my wildest expectations on the day that I was installed as AILA’s President. S. 744, the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and...
Anyone else getting dizzy?
Immigration reform seems to be both alive and dead, to be closer than ever, and further away. Depending on who you listen to, you would swear that it’s a done deal, yet somehow simultaneously dead. One guy says it’ll never get the votes it needs to get out of the...
U.S. Grads Deserve Better Than the Boot
Institute an OPT Extension for Grads Who Lost H-1B Lottery During the first week of April, 2013, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received approximately 124,000 petitions for H-1B work visas, more than the yearly limit of 85,000. That not only...
