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he provisional waiver program was implemented on March 3, 2013. Also known as a "stateside" waiver, or an I-601A waiver, this new program offers an exciting opportunity for immigrant families. The provisional waiver program allows spouses of U.S. citizens to apply for their green cards, or lawful permanent residency, without having to leave the United States, and being separated from their families, for long periods of time. It also allows parents of adult U.S. citizens the same opportunity, although the situation for parents, as opposed to husbands and wives, of U.S. citizens, may be a bit different. At Green | Evans-Schroeder, we know how long you have been waiting for this kind of extraordinary opportunity. Our immigration attorneys understand how important it is for you to get your green card as soon as possible. We also know how critical it is for you to avoid spending time away from your family, and we do everything possible to maximize our clients' chances of a smooth and successful application process. Over the years, we have shared in the joy of many of our clients who have won their green card cases through the provisional waiver program--and we look forward to many more provisional waiver green card wins in the future.

For over a year, the Trump administration has been developing a policy change to make it more difficult for immigrants to successfully obtain permanent residency in the United States, or their "green cards." The new public charge rule has come under intense criticism by immigration advocates. USCIS officials said the revised standards would apply to nearly 400,000 people seeking to adjust their immigration status per year, but the agency did not have an estimate of the total number of immigrants who would potentially be denied residency and other benefits. Advocates for immigrant rights said Monday that hundreds of thousands of immigrants are likely to forgo or withdraw from a federal assistance program they are legally entitled to receive amid fears that their families could be separated because some members would be deemed ineligible to enter or remain in the country.

Caterina (Cathy) Kretz joined the Green | Evans-Schroeder team in May, 2018. Cathy is an immigrant herself since she was born in Caracas Venezuela and was raised in New York City. Caterina was drawn to the practice of law through a family attorney. Since Caterina was born outside of the United States she had to obtain her citizenship. The attorney that helped Caterina gain her citizenship became a close friend of the family. Caterina always looked up to her and it became apparent she would pursue a career that would help immigrants. Caterina's main focus has been in family based immigration law and she enjoys helping families stay together. Many of her colleagues, judges and clients have used words like aggressive, tenacious, honest and hard working to describe her personality and work ethics. Caterina always has her client's best interest at heart and will do everything possible to fight for the rights of her clients.

A "fact sheet" was released earlier this month by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). The document is titled "myths versus facts about immigration proceedings." However, it contains inaccurate and misleading information.

Earlier this month, President Trump announced his new plan for reforming the immigration system.  The announcement was not particularly detailed, it was also short on any new ideas.  For example, the crux of the plan introduced a point system that would emphasize selection of new immigrants based...

We are excited to announce that Law Offices of Matthew H. Green is changing its name to Green | Evans-Schroeder. The name change reflects the fact that Jesse Evans-Schroeder has joined Matthew Green as a partner in the firm.

On June 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of the most significant immigration opinions in decades. In Pereira v. Sessions, the Supreme Court addressed the legal sufficiency of a Notice to Appear (NTA). Mr. Pereira argued, and the Supreme Court ultimately agreed, that the plain language of that statute unambiguously defines an NTA as specifying where and when the noncitizen must appear for removal proceedings. The Court concluded that NTAs that do not contain at least this basic information do not meet the definition of an NTA under 8 U.S.C. § 1229(a)(1) for purposes of the stop-time rule and remanded Mr. Pereira’s case for further proceedings. Because non-LPR cancellation of removal is one of the most common forms of waivers filed by non-citizens in immigration court, Pereira is very important. Or, more to the point, it is probably the most common waiver that many people in immigration court in the past two decades would have been eligible for if they had been able to establish ten years of continuous physical presence. The Pereira case also supports arguments for challenging the immigration courts' jurisdiction over cases that were initiated by defective NTAs that lack the required information of time and place of the court hearing.

On May 17, 2018, in a move that will affect the deportation cases of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, Attorney General Jeff Sessions essentially ordered a full stop to the practice of administrative closure. This new pronouncement comes after Sessions referred the case of Matter of Castro-Tum to himself last January. The main issue in the case addressed whether immigration judges have the authority to employ a tool that has been historically recognized as a legitimate practice of managing an immigration court's docket. As one article accurately explained, "Sessions' ruling doesn't just prevent judges from closing cases in the future. He also opened the door to reopening the cases of the 350,000 immigrants whose cases had already been closed — many of whom had been assured by the Obama administration they wouldn't be deported. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Matthew H . Green will continue to defend our clients whose cases have had their cases administratively closed. Any legally illegitimate attempts by ICE to recalendar those cases will be met with aggressive advocacy, challenging the constitutional authority of the Department of Homeland Security, and the Attorney General, to circumvent the legitimate power of immigration judges to close--and keep closed--the deportation cases of immigrants who, in the final analysis, are not properly considered deportation priorities.

The attorneys at the Law Offices of Matthew H. Green are no strangers to challenging unconstitutional practices by the Department of Justice. For our part, we intend to challenge Matter of A-B- and the July 11, 2018 policy memorandum head on. Doing so will likely require a much more thorough and aggressive approach to defending asylum-seekers, and it will likely require challenges in a variety of immigration courts, U.S. District Courts, and Circuit Courts of Appeal. However, with the proper strategy, we feel confident that thoughtful litigation strategies will ultimately be successful in rolling back and limiting the scope of Matter of A-B-, and will open the gates again to legitimate domestic violence and gang-based asylum claims.

Our elected leaders have no excuse not to compromise in the short term, and over the long haul, on immigration reform. And the simplest part of the process should be the beginning. Their options are literally staring back at them, from the pages of a bill that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, only a few short years ago.

Much of the discussion regarding the recent immigration changes focuses on those who are unlawfully in the country.  Deferred status will allow these people to be freed from the fear of immediate deportation, and provide work authorization.  However, there is also a group of people who are in the...

In the weeks after President Barack Obama presented his immigration executive action, many have voiced their opinions on the policy changes. Republican lawmakers have spoken out against the action as being illegal and bad policy. Some immigration activists have criticized the action for not going far enough. However, the country at large remains very divided on the issue.

Republican lawmakers have been speaking out against President Barack Obama’s immigration plans since they were announced over a month ago, but so far have taken no meaningful action against the policy changes. Instead, it was Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio who has attempted to strike the first blow against the immigration executive actions. Now his lawsuit against the immigration orders has seen its first day in court.

Immigrant detention centers have faced harsh criticism from immigrant advocates, and human rights groups for their harsh conditions. As one temporary facility in New Mexico is shuttered early, a new center opens in Texas. The Texas detention facility will be for immigrant families, and will be the largest of its kind in the country. However, the harsh conditions at the facility and past claims of abuse continue to follow the private prison operator who will take over the new detention center.

Despite all the complaints aimed at one of the least productive Congress’ in history, in the last days before leaving for the holidays the Senate has managed to pass a budget and confirm a couple Obama appointees. One of those appointees is the new head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. For the first time in the history of the office, the head of ICE will be a Latina.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is no stranger to controversy. He has been the subject of numerous lawsuit, often finding himself on the losing end. He was also the first Arizona official to file a lawsuit against President Barack Obama’s executive actions enacting immigration policy reforms. Now Sheriff Arpaio has agreed to dissolve his controversial immigration raid squad.

Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s lawsuit challenging President Barack Obama’s executive action awaits review. As does the larger lawsuit backed by more than 20 states, including Texas and Arizona, which argues the president has overstepped his constitutional authority in authoring the executive orders. Yet a federal judge in Pennsylvania has already chimed in on the issue, with an order declaring Obama’s executive actions unconstitutional. However, that order will have little impact aside from garnering headlines.

Just days ago, we questioned how the coming immigration reform changes would affect Tucson and southern Arizona. It appears the Tucson Police Department had the same questions, and came to a similar conclusion. In spite of the Arizona state laws, which have not yet changed in light of the coming executive actions, the police will no longer question all those they encounter about their immigration status.

It did not take long after President Barack Obama’s announced immigration policy changes before his challengers took to the courts to stop the executive actions. One of the most fervent anti-immigration figures in the country, Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio filed a lawsuit challenging the immigration changes within hours of the November 20th announcement. In response to the first of the coming lawsuits, the Justice Department has sought to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Arizona sheriff Arpaio.

The recurring issue of Arizona’s anti-immigrant laws finding themselves at odds with federal laws and constitutional guarantees is again rearing its head. After Arizona’s law barring those who qualify Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) from getting driver’s license was blocked, and reconsideration denied, there was one place left for a final ruling. Now, Governor Jan Brewer is asking the nation’s highest court to take up the issue.

The immigration policy changes announced by President Barack Obama will go into effect over the course of the next year. However, it remains unclear to what extent those changes will impact Arizona and the Tucson area. State law SB 1070 may stand at odds with the new executive action on deportation priorities. The new immigration priorities focus on criminals and national threats, while SB 1070 requires police to question the immigration status of all those they suspect to be in the country illegally.

Millions of immigrants rejoiced at the recently announced changes in the country’s immigration policy. President Barack Obama’s executive action has created a form of deferred deportation relief for additional childhood arrivals as well as the parents and spouses of citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs). With more than 30,000 immigrants detained on a daily basis, this newly created deferred status may offer many of them a chance at freedom.