JFON Network Update
JFON in the News
On Feb. 22, 2008, Susan Reed, Regional Attorney for West Michigan JFON was invited to speak about the work of JFON during a radio interview by Linda Gellasch of WYCE community radio in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The interview, part of a half hour program, was a great opportunity to get the message about the plight of our immigrant neighbors and cracks in the immigration system to a wider audience. This is a good resource to pass on to anyone who may have questions about what JFON does or why we do it. Click here to access the interview online.
Florida JFON hires a new attorney
Mayuris Pimentel Alicea, Esq. will be re-joining the JFON family as the Regional Attorney for the Florida region on June 1. Pimentel is a life long United Methodist from Camden, New Jersey. She obtained a Juris Doctor from the Howard University School of Law in 1997 and will obtain a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in May. Since graduating from law school, Pimentel has dedicated her professional life to helping others through her work with various not-for-profit agencies. She has served the church in many capacities on local, conference, and national levels. Having previously worked with JFON from 2001-2003 in the New Jersey region, Pimentel is excited to be back in the JFON family.
Pimentel will be relocating to the Florida area shortly after her graduation from seminary with her husband and 1-year old daughter, Sofia. Please join us in extending a warm welcome!
JFON Annual Network Meeting
The 2008 JFON Annual Network Meeting will be held in New York City from October 2-5, 2008, following the National Advisory Council Meeting on October 1. It will be a time to share and celebrate the year's successes as well as receive additional training and education to strengthen JFON's effectiveness in the coming year. In addition, a meeting is planned for annual conferences' Refugee and Immigration Coordinators, who will join the JFON meeting on Saturday morning.
Annual Attorney Meeting
From April 24-25, 2008, the JFON Regional Attorneys will be gathering in Washington DC for a time of fellowship, training and networking.
Debunking myths about the impact of immigration on the US economy
The economic impact of recent immigrants on the US economy is an issue that raises complex questions. Some maintain that immigrants are a drain on public services and their presence lowers wages and take jobs away from hardworking Americans.
Lawyers who advocate for JFON's clients assert that the individuals they represent are an important element to the growth of the U.S. economy. Please click on the following links for more information in these areas:
The American Immigration Law Association: exploring the value of immigrant laborers and their contributions into Social Security and Medicare as the U.S. "Baby Boom" generation begins to retire.
"The Wall Street Journal" article: questioning the affects the U.S. immigration policies have on the nation's ability to keep a competitive edge.
"Los Angeles Times" article: highlighting companies that are opening offices in Canada to work around the limited number of visas awarded.
Immigration OnPoint
The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) is the research arm of the American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF). They have compiled and published many well-supported studies and papers. Immigration OnPoint is their clearinghouse of documents relating to various immigration-related documents and fact sheets organized by topics such as immigrants and the economy.
Our Work
from Flushing, New York
On February 26, 2008, a 40-year old Filipina client from JFON's clinic at La Promesa Presbyterian Mission of Flushing, New York was sworn in as a U.S. Citizen based on her 3-year marriage to a U.S. Citizen, a 75-year old man with a terminal illness. This couple's relationship with JFON began several years ago when she asked JFON to represent them at their initial green card interview. Despite their age difference, the couple overcame U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services' doubts about the bona fide of their marriage with the use of affidavits, including a letter from a federal District Court judge and voluminous documentation of shared finances.
On February 20, 2008, a client from Honduras who sought representation at JFON's clinic at La Promesa Presbyterian Mission of Flushing, New York, appeared for a green card interview. Since she had originally entered the U.S. in 1990 without inspection, she normally would have been subject to deportation. Because of a statute (Section 245(i) of the Immigration & Nationality Act) which expired in 2001 and her husband's farsightedness in submitting an immigrant petition on her behalf prior to April 30, 2001, she remained eligible to apply for a green card while she remained in the U.S. At the conclusion of her interview, Citizen and Immigration Services recommended that her green card be issued based on her marriage to a lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
If not for this expired statute, this client would have had to pursue her immigration papers at the U.S. Embassy in Honduras. The current immigration law imposes a 10-year bar forbidding entry to people who have been in the U.S. without status for more than one year. People in this situation cannot gain legal status here and also cannot return to their home country to go through consular processing.
