Immigration Law

Houston Lawyer Sues Immigration Officials for Alleged Defamation

A Houston lawyer is suing two federal immigration officials for alleged defamation over a letter that he says falsely accused him of tampering with a federal document. Kurt Clarke, who has a solo immigration and personal injury practice, filed a suit (PDF) this week against Sandra Heathman, the Houston field…

Aug 27, 2010 6:28 PM CDT

Few Immigrants Change Their Names Nowadays, Lawyer Says

In the 19th and 20th centuries, immigrants often changed their names after arriving in America. No more. The New York Times checked out more than 500 applications for name changes filed in June at New York’s civil court, and only about a half dozen appeared to be an attempt to…

Aug 26, 2010 2:50 PM CDT

Ex-AG Gonzales: Constitutional Amendment Won’t Solve Immigration Crisis

Some Republicans are supporting a constitutional amendment to combat “birth tourism,” but former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales isn’t one of them. The proposal is to amend the 14th Amendment that gives automatic citizenship to babies born here, even if the parents are illegal immigrants. Supporters argue the amendment will discourage…

Aug 20, 2010 12:28 PM CDT

Immigration Lawyer Is a Hero in ‘Mao’s Last Dancer’ Movie to Open Friday

Taken from his family in China at age 11 to be trained as a ballet dancer, Li Cunxin worked hard and became a star. In the 1980s, having traveled to Texas, as part of a cultural exchange program, he fell in love and decided to stay in the United States.…

Aug 19, 2010 11:29 PM CDT

DOJ to Sue Joe Arpaio if Ariz. Sheriff Doesn’t Cooperate with Immigration Probe

In an unusual threat against a law enforcement leader, the U.S. Department of Justice has threatened to sue a controversial Arizona sheriff if he doesn’t cooperate with an ongoing civil rights investigation. Although Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County is a folk hero to some, others contend that the 78-year-old…

Aug 17, 2010 8:41 PM CDT

ABA Backs Free Immigration Counsel for Indigent Defendants

Noncitizens charged with crimes should be entitled to free legal counsel on immigration matters if they cannot afford to hire their own lawyer, the ABA’s policy-making House of Delegates said Monday. The measure passed by an overwhelming voice vote. Resolution 100C (PDF) calls for federal, state and local governments “to…

Aug 9, 2010 9:43 PM CDT

Senator Proposes Constitutional Amendment to Combat ‘Birth Tourism’

A few Republican senators jumped on board the bandwagon when Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he’d like to amend the 14th Amendment that gives automatic citizenship to children born here, even illegal immigrants. Graham proposed changing the amendment to discourage “birth tourists” who travel to the United States to give…

Aug 9, 2010 3:06 PM CDT

Columnist Proposes New ‘Deserving Housewives’ Show, Says Lawyer Should Star

The new Bravo television show Real Housewives of D.C. annoys columnist Robert McCartney. In McCartney’s view, the show glorifies snobbery, pettiness and social climbing. Writing at the Washington Post, he suggests a follow-up show, “Really Deserving Housewives of D.C.,” and proposes three women for a spot on the program. One…

Aug 6, 2010 11:00 AM CDT

Haitian ‘Baby Lift’ Brings Legal Limbo as Skeptical Judges Question Adoptions

Legal requirements that had stymied some U.S. adoptions of Haitian children went by the wayside after an earthquake devastated the county and the United States lifted visa requirements for kids in the process of being adopted by Americans. The effort “quickly evolved into a baby lift unlike anything since the…

Aug 4, 2010 5:40 PM CDT

Va. AG Joins Immigration Debate, Supports Status Checks During All Cop Stops

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has issued a legal opinion that says police have the authority to check the immigration status of anyone lawfully stopped or arrested in the state. The opinion (PDF) says police in Virginia have the authority to make the same type of inquiries contemplated by the…

Aug 3, 2010 11:38 AM CDT

Judge Blocks Key Sections of Arizona Immigration Law

A federal judge in Phoenix has blocked the most controversial parts of the Arizona immigration law from taking effect Thursday. U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton issued a preliminary injunction, saying the U.S. government is likely to prevail in its argument that four sections of the law are pre-empted by the…

Jul 28, 2010 5:20 PM CDT

Think Racial Profiling Is Unconstitutional? Read Brignoni-Ponce, Law Profs Say

Those who think the racial profiling encouraged in Arizona’s new immigration law is unconstitutional should think again, two law professors say. A 1975 U.S. Supreme Court decision, United States v. Brignoni-Ponce, approved the kind of racial profiling contemplated by Arizona’s new immigration law, according to law professors Gabriel Chin and…

Jul 13, 2010 3:50 PM CDT

ABA to File Second Ariz. Immigration Law Brief, This One Weighing in on DOJ Suit

The ABA will file yet another unusual trial-level, friend-of-the-court brief, this time in a federal suit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice challenging Arizona’s controversial illegal immigration legislation. ABA President Carolyn B. Lamm said during a news conference today at the National Press Club that the ABA would file…

Jul 12, 2010 5:16 PM CDT

DOJ Files Suit Challenging Ariz. Immigration Law

Updated: The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit that challenges Arizona’s new immigration law and seeks an injunction to halt enforcement. The suit, filed in federal court in Phoenix, claims the the Arizona law is pre-empted by federal law, according to the Washington Post, Fox News and the…

Jul 6, 2010 7:15 PM CDT

ABA Files Amicus Brief with District Court Opposing Arizona Immigration Law

The American Bar Association has filed an amicus brief with an Arizona federal court seeking to block enforcement of the state’s new law designed to fight illegal immigration. The law requires police to seek proof of a person’s immigration status if they have a reasonable suspicion the person is in…

Jul 1, 2010 12:38 PM CDT