Dallas-Fort Worth Immigration Lawyer
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U.S. Census Kicks Off Nationwide Promotional Tour
Category: General Information
The ABC News Web site has a good article today about the federal government's program to encourage people to comply with the requirement of cooperating with census workers. As you know, the census is taken every ten years, and the federal government bases many budget decisions on the results of the census. States also use the census information for political redistricting, which affects the party makeup of the states' political delegations. Here are excerpts from the ABC article:
The U.S. government today launched a massive outreach effort to alert the nation about this year's census, kicking off a $340 million promotional campaign that will travel across the country in the upcoming months.
After launching today in New York City's Times Square, the census road tour will stop at more than 800 events nationwide, including high-profile sporting events such as the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four. There is even a scheduled stop at New Orleans' Mardi Gras.
It is all part of an effort to notify the American population about this spring's census. In March, the census form (10 questions for most Americans) will arrive in mailboxes, the government's once-a-decade attempt to paint a new portrait of the country.
Then on April 1, only about 100 days away, comes National Census Day.
One fact that the public might learn is that the 2010 census form is the shortest in history. The bureau says it can be completed in only 10 minutes. For the first time since 1930, the bureau is using just one form, not two. The bureau has also unveiled a bilingual form that will be sent to areas with high Hispanic populations.
The objective is to maximize the number of completed forms that get mailed back to the bureau. Non-responses, the bureau knows, can be very costly. For every one percent increase in the number of people who mail back their forms, the bureau saves $80 million by not having to seek them out.
However, a recent analysis conducted by the bureau said there may be a three-percent decrease in mailed-back forms, caused by government mistrust, fear of identity theft, and the surge in home foreclosures.
The census will also have to overcome other issues, such as Hispanic advocacy groups calling for illegal immigrants to boycott the census unless immigration laws are not changed. The boycott is led by the National Coalition of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders, a group claiming to represent 20,000 evangelical churches in 34 states.
Global Usage of New Form DS-160 by Non-Immigrant Visa Applicants Expected April 30, 2010
Category: General Information
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) reports that no later than April 30, 2010, all non-immigrant visa applicants worldwide will be required to use web-based form DS-160. The DS-160 form will combine the previous forms DS-156 and DS-157 and 158. Since not all U.S. Embassy’s and U.S. Consulates have implemented form DS-160, all consular posts that are not currently utilizing the DS-160 Web-based form will eventually be instructed to implement the DS-160 between March 1, and April 30, 2010. To review the list of the 24 consular posts currently using the new form DS-160, please visit
www.travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/forms/forms_1342.html.
Four Immigration Programs Extended Through September 2012
Category: General Information
The following U.S. Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) programs have been extended until September 30, 2012:
- E-Verify
- Immigrant Investor Pilot Program (EB-5)
- Special immigrant visa category for non-minister religious workers
- Conrad 30
USCIS will continue to accept and process the petitions/applications for the programs that have now been extended to September 30, 2012.
E-Verify Program: Program operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) allowing employers to verify the employment eligibility of the newly hired employees.
EB-5 Program: USCIS will continue to receive and decide the Petitions by Alien Entrepreneur and Applications to Adjust Status.
Special Immigrant for Non-Minister Religious Worker Program: Non-minister workers include non-ministers within a religious vocation or occupation and their spouses and children.
Conrad 30: Allows the state health departments to request from the Department of State a waiver of the two year foreign residence for foreign medical graduates in J-1 status. The program extends to cover J-1 admissions before September 30, 2012.
More information regarding the programs is available at www.uscis.gov.
Tidbits From Ruben Navarrette, Jr.
Category: General Information
On December 8, 2009, Ruben Navarrette, Jr., a Syndicated Columnist and Editorial Board Member for the San Diego Union-Tribune was in Dallas, Texas to talk about “Business Immigration Reform." He provided some interesting immigration facts. The following are a few excerpts.
- Immigrants make up 12% of our nation’s population, and 40% of the DFW metroplex are either immigrants or children of immigrants. www.dfwinternational.org/demographics;
- Current estimates of the unauthorized foreign born population is almost 12 million. www.dfwinternational.org/demographics;
- Six in ten Hispanic adults in the U.S. who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents lack health insurance. This rate is twice as high as the rate among Hispanic adults who are citizens or legal permanent residents. Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
- The flow of immigrants from Mexico to the U.S. has declined sharply since mid-decade, but there is no evidence of an increase of Mexican-born migrants returning home from the U.S. Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
- The number of Hispanic children has nearly tripled since 1980 and their demographic profile has changed. More than half of the nation’s Hispanic children are now “second generation.” Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
- During the housing boom of 1993-2005, the nation’s minority groups experienced greater gains than whites in homeownership rates. Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
- The levels of participation in last year’s presidential election was the most racially and ethnically diverse in U.S. history. The Hispanic vote was 7.4% of the total electorate up 1.4% from 2004. Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
- The nation’s approximately 12 million unauthorized immigrants are more geographically dispersed than in the past. Unauthorized immigrants are more likely than either U.S. born residents or legal immigrants to live in a household with children, a growing share of whom — 73% — are U.S. born citizens. Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
DNA Testing During Visa Application Process
Category: General Information
Individuals unable to provide documentation to prove a biological relationship may prove the biological relationship through DNA testing. The DNA testing is the only acceptable non-documentary method, and only if no other credible proof of the relationship exists. Thus, all other methods for confirming a biological relationship must be exhausted, and a consular officer will recommend DNA testing only as the last resort.
Once the consular officer recommends the DNA testing, a lab technician employed by the panel physician will take the DNA collection at the U.S. embassy or consulate (off-site testing facilities are not acceptable). The DNA collection is witnessed by the consular officer or another American citizen employee of the consular section possessing national security clearance. Once the DNA collection has been taken, the consular officer will forward the petition to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) since USCIS is authorized to approve petitions supported solely on DNA testing, and consular officers are not authorized. In order to prove a biological relationship, the DNA test results must show 99.5% or greater between a parent and a child to be accepted.
For more information on other possible methods for confirming existence of a biological relationship or DNA testing, call Kraft & Associates at 214-999-9999.
USCIS Web Site Makeover Improves Services
Category: General Information
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched its newly re-designed Web site. Although the Web site update was scheduled to be introduced September 22, 2009, attorney Eugenia Ponce visited the site Monday and has this report:
The updated Web site is organized according to categories.The categories are displayed as Topics, Forms, Resources, Laws, News, and About Us. The topics are categorized as follows: Adoption, Permanent Residence, Humanitarian, Citizenship, Members of the Military and Their Family, Family, Visit the U.S., Working in the U.S, and Genealogy. After clicking on a specific topic, I was provided helpful information and even more additional information was available through the links on the left of the screen.The advantage of categorizing the information by topic is that individuals are now able to familiarize themselves with the process from start to finish. There are other helpful links and tools within each specific topic.
Another key feature to the Web site is that there is a “where to start” link. Before, individuals could navigate throughout the Web site not knowing where to even begin their search on a narrow issue. Now, the “where to start link” will allow individuals to begin their immigration search by narrowing it down to their specific issue. For instance, there is a scroll-down available for individuals under the “where to start” link. It states “I Am,” and one can select from the various choices available and get specific information relating to any issue.
Given the new era with text messaging (even various airline companies provide flight and gate status information through text messaging), USCIS has upgraded its site by adding a link that allows individuals to receive case status updates via text messages. The newly designed site has provided a one-stop resource center for individuals with specific queries and I am excited in navigating throughout their links. Visit the newly re-designed USCIS Web site and see the improvements for yourself.
Five Tips About Sending Checks to USCIS
Category: General Information
Before submitting petitions and applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it is vital to make sure the appropriate filing fees for the particular application is included. We’ve had several queries regarding payment to USCIS in connection with the filing fees. Some queries involved what to include on the check, who to write the check to, who should sign the check, and whether personal checks or money orders are allowed.
5 Useful Tips Regarding Checks to USCIS
- Make sure your home address, phone number, correct date, correct amount, and signature are on your check;
- Make checks payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security”;
- Make sure the amount on the check is the exact amount of the application fees as listed on the USCIS Web site;
- Only an authorized person designated on the bank account is allowed to sign the check;
- Bank drafts, cashier’s checks, certified checks, personal checks, and money orders are allowed – and must be drawn on U.S. financial institutions and payable in U.S. funds.
For more information on filing immigration fees, and check instructions, please visit the Immigration Service’s Web site at www.uscis.gov.
What Does "Relatively Short Period of Time" Mean?
Category: General Information
Attorney Eugenia Ponce recently wrote a blog post here cautioning Lawful Permanent Residents to keep their trips abroad relatively short. Here is the text of that post:
Lawful permanent residents (LPR) of the United States (green card holders) need to keep their trips abroad to a relatively short period of time. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could determine that an LPR has abandoned their residence if the LPR’s intent was not to return to the U.S. within a relatively short period of time.
Factors DHS could consider in evaluating the LPR’s intent include:
Whether the trip abroad is lengthy or for a short period of time;
LPR’s family ties in the U.S.;
property holding in the U.S.;
business affiliations within the U.S.;
LPR’s family, property, and business ties in the foreign country.
After that was posted, we were asked what exactly we meant by the term "relatively short." Of course the answer, as always, depends on several factors. But here is a further explanation from Ms. Ponce:
What a "relatively short period of time" is can't be defined in terms of elapsed time alone. Generally, lawful permanent residents (LPR) can use their green cards to return to the United States after a temporary absence not exceeding one year. The most important factor in concluding whether an LPR abandoned his or her U.S. residence is to look at the LPR's actual intent to return to the United States after a short trip, along with the other factors such as property, business, and family ties inside the U.S. and in the foreign country. An LPR returning to the U.S. once a year for a few days doesn't "automatically revalidate" a green card in a situation in which the lawful permanent resident has actually been residing abroad.
Additional Airport Locations Utilizing Global Entry Program
Category: General Information
U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPR) of the U.S. who are pre-approved, low-risk travelers are eligible to participate in the Global Entry Program, which allows expedited clearance upon arrival from international travel. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began their pilot system on June 6, 2009, in seven airport locations throughout the United States. Beginning August 24, 2009, the Global Entry Program will expand the program to include kiosks at 13 additional international U.S. airports including airports in Boston, Massachusetts; Dallas, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Honolulu, Hawaii; Las Vegas, Nevada; N.J.; Orlando, Florida; Sanford, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Juan, Puerto Rico; San Francisco, California, and Seattle, Washington.
Upon arrival from international travel, approved members of the Global Entry Program will use kiosks and complete their CBP processing. After answering customs declaration questions on the kiosk’s touch-screen, a transaction receipt will be printed. The receipt will be presented to CBP officers before leaving the inspection area. This program is an alternative to regular passport processing lines. Thus, individuals wishing to utilize the program may complete their interview and biometric data collection at enrollment centers at any of the Global Entry sites.
More information on the Global Entry Program is available at the CBP Web site.
New Passport Agency Located in Dallas, Texas
Category: General Information
U.S. citizens throughout the southwest border region who suddenly have an urgent travel need now have access to a new passport issuance facility. On July 13, 2009, the 22nd U.S. passport issuance facility opened in Dallas, Texas. The Dallas Passport Agency joins the Houston Passport Agency in providing in-person passport services to U.S. citizens and issuing the passport books on-site to qualifying applicants.
The Dallas Passport Agency is located at 1100 Commerce Street, conveniently located in downtown Dallas. For more information regarding passport costs, and applications, please visit the U.S. Department of State’s Web site at www.travel.state.gov.
Lawful Permanent Residents - Keep Trips Abroad Relatively Short
Category: General Information
Lawful permanent residents (LPR) of the United States (green card holders) need to keep their trips abroad to a relatively short period of time. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could determine that an LPR has abandoned their residence if the LPR's intent was not to return to the U.S. within a relatively short period of time.
Factors DHS could consider in evaluating the LPR's intent include:
Whether the trip abroad is lengthy or for a short period of time;
LPR's family ties in the U.S.;
property holding in the U.S.;
business affiliations within the U.S.;
LPR's family, property, and business ties in the foreign country.
Please call Kraft & Associates at (214)999-9999 if you have any questions regarding abandonment of residency.
Permanent Residency Based on Employment & Family
Category: General Information
A frequent question that arises is whether a foreign national living in the United States for a certain number of years can obtain permanent residency based on the years of living in the United States. There is no law or regulation currently in place allowing foreign nationals to automatically obtain permanent residency based on the number of years residing in the United States. There are however, many ways foreign nationals can immigrate and obtain permanent resident status. Two ways to obtain permanent resident status are based on employment and family sponsorship.
One of the ways foreign nationals can obtain permanent residency is based on employment. The U.S. employer will sponsor the employee to qualify under a certain visa category. Specifically, the foreign national may qualify under one or more of the employment-based “EB” visa preference categories that are divided into four separate categories.
The four EB visa preference categories are:
EB-1: Extraordinary Ability, Professors, Researches, or Executives, filed on form I-140
EB-2: Exceptional Ability in the Sciences, Arts or Business, filed on form I-140
EB-3: Skilled Worker, Professional, Or Unskilled Worker, filed on form I-140
EB-4: Immigrant Religious Worker, filed on form I-360
Another process to obtain lawful permanent residence in the U.S. is through family sponsorship. That is, either a U.S. citizen or permanent resident family member or as a fiancé to a U.S. citizen and subsequent marriage. The process begins by either the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident relative filing form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative or form I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). Just as in employment-based sponsorship, there are visa preference categories in family-based sponsorship. Family-based “FB” preference categories are divided into four categories.
FB-1: Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. Citizens
FB-2A: Spouses and children of lawful permanent residents of the U.S.
FB-2B: unmarried sons and daughters of permanent residents of the U.S.
FB-3: Married sons and daughters of U.S. Citizens.
FB-4: Brothers and sisters of U.S. Citizens who are at least 21 years old.
The above preference categories are subject to a numerical limitation. More information on these visa categories is available at the U.S. Department of State’s visa bulletin at: www.travel.state.gov
Eight Tips for Proper Filing of Immigration Forms
Category: General Information
Certain immigration forms are used to petition U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to classify a foreign national for an immigrant or a non-immigrant visa based on either employment or family. Prior to submitting the forms to USCIS, there are 8 simple tips to follow for proper filing. They are:
- Use the most current edition of the form available on the USCIS Website;
- Follow instructions on the form to see who qualifies;
- If a question does not apply to you, make sure you write “NONE” or “N/A”;
- Type the information. If typing is not feasible, then print legibly;
- Don’t forget the appropriate filing fee. Make the check or money order payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Do not send cash;
- Make sure the Petitioner or Beneficiary signs and dates where appropriate;
- Do not forget the supporting documentation to support the petition or application;
- Send the petition to the correct mailing address. If the petition is sent to the wrong mailing address, the petition can be rejected for improper filing.
You can avoid a petition being rejected or a final decision being delayed by USCIS by following these eight simple tips.
What is a U.S. Passport Card?
Category: General Information
U.S. Citizens can apply for a passport card that allows re-entry into the U.S. at land border-crossings or sea ports-of–entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region (which includes 17 nations), and Bermuda.
The 17 Caribbean nations are: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica (except for business travel), Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos.
The passport card was designed to comply with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI which became effective June 1, 2009, for land and sea requirements). The card is a U.S passport and it attests to an individual's U.S. citizenship and identity.
There are security features on the card to mitigate the possibility of counterfeiting and forgery. Some of the advantages of the passport card are the convenience of having a wallet-size card, it is less expensive than the passport book ($45 for adults; $35 for minors under age 16), smaller than the book, and U.S. citizens who travel frequently to countries listed above don’t have to take their U.S. passport book every time they seek to re-enter the U.S.
More information is available at www.travel.state.gov.
USCIS Begins Transfer of Historical A-Files to National Archives
Category: General Information
A signing ceremony was held on June 3, 2009, to formally announce the schedule that will initiate the permanent retention and transfer of alien registration files (“A-files”) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to the National Archives and Records Administration.
An A-file documents the complete history of every interaction between the United States government and an individual alien. These comprehensive files may contain a wealth of information for genealogists and historians, from photographs, marriage licenses, foreign birth certificates, recordings, and interview transcripts, in addition to the more routine biographical and demographic information. A-files were previously considered to be temporary records and could have been destroyed 75 years after the date the file was retired to a Federal Records Center or date of last action. Now, however, these A-files will become a permanent record and will be transferred to the custody of the National Archives 100 years from the person’s date of birth. Newly-eligible files will also be transferred to the National Archives for processing every five years.
USCIS currently maintains approximately 53 million A-files. Of these 53 million, 21 million have been retired to a Federal Records Center. The National Archives could finish processing 135,000 files by next summer, at which time these files would become available for public access at National Archives facilities in Kansas City or San Francisco. Copies of the A-files will also be made available through the mail.
More information about the USCIS or the A-file preservation program may be found at: www.uscis.gov.
Updated Information on the Swine Flu Outbreak and Travel Restrictions to Mexico
Category: General Information
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Travel Health Warning, alerting all U.S. citizens of the health risks of traveling to Mexico as a result of the swine flu outbreak. The travel alert will be effective until July 27, 2009 and can be found here.
With the travel alert in effect, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico has taken precautionary measures as well. All consular offices in Mexico are closed until May 5, 2009, with the exception of the immigrant visa section in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Thus, applicants with visa and waiver appointments in Ciudad Juarez should proceed with attending their scheduled appointments. The travel restriction to Mexico affects individuals with scheduled appointments this week. The Embassy’s scheduling center will contact these individuals to reschedule appointments. It is important that individuals with upcoming visa appointments in Mexico regularly visit the U.S Embassy in Mexico’s Web site for additional information as well as the U.S. Department of State.
Information on Swine Flu Outbreak
Category: General Information
An outbreak of swine flu cases in Mexico has led to more than one hundred deaths, and the death toll continues to increase. The Center of Disease Control issued a precautionary notice for all travelers going to Mexico to avoid the infection. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City announced that from April 27, 2009, until April 30, 2009, consular services will remain available for U.S. citizens and are limited to citizenship applications, passports, U.S. reports of births abroad, and emergency assistance only. The Embassy’s visa unit is suspending normal business hours this week. For updated information please visit the U.S. Embassy Web site.
There have been several swine flu cases reported in California, Texas, Ohio, Kansas, and New York. Despite swine flu concerns, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that all USCIS offices remain open. Applicants with scheduled interviews or ceremonies should plan to attend their scheduled appointments. For up to date information, please visit USCIS’s Web site: www.uscis.gov.
Please Attend TECHSHOW - April in Chicago
Category: General Information
I've been attending TECHSHOW, presented by the American Bar Association almost since the beginning, many years ago. It's always a highlight of my year. The enormous amount of technical information presented is only one reason to attend. Equally important to me is the opportunity to meet in person with many of the friends I correspond with online.
This is one event that lawyers can't afford NOT to attend. Now is the time to learn about new technologies and new methods of doing business.
I think TECHSHOW is absolutely wonderful, and I recommend it very highly. It's aimed more toward the solo and small firm lawyer, but there are seminar tracks for IT specialists and Big Law members as well. The exhibit area is fascinating and the hallway conversations are always fun. Check it out at TECHSHOW.com.
Here are some details, provided by the ABA:
• The ABA TECHSHOW 2009 is presented by the ABA Law Practice Management Section, April 2-4, 2009, once again at the Hilton Chicago, in the magnificent Windy City!
• TECHSHOW offers something for everyone--from new solos to large firm partners, from tech beginners to advanced IT directors--there are educational sessions for all. With plenty of "networking" time to talk with other lawyers and experts on the technology issues facing your firm.
• The social networking and marketing with technology sessions, alone, are well worth the price of admission. These seminars will help you generate new clients and new business from existing clients.
• The growth of eDiscovery is not stopping due to recession, so lawyers must continue to learn and update their knowledge.
• The sessions feature the best of the best in legal technology. Practicing lawyers and nationally-known legal technologists sharing practical strategies and ideas to build new business and make your firm or offices more efficient and cost-effective.
• Expand your referral network by meeting other lawyers from around the country. Build relationships at organized activities such as TECHSHOW After Dark for entertainment, food and drinks. Participate in the Taste of ABA TECHSHOW and dine with speakers and other attendees at one of several Chicago restaurants.
• Friday, April 3 is Solo & Small Firm Day, offering lawyers in these firms a special one-day admission with two all-day tracks of seminars especially for small firms.
• ABA TECHSHOW also features a two-day expo. Learn about the latest products and services in the Expo Hall, featuring more than 100 companies providing the latest hardware, software, and technology services to attorneys and law firms.
• Meet product and service vendors who may have more knowledge and experience than your local representative. No one wants to make a mistake buying the wrong software for the entire office. Make sure you are getting the right information before you buy!
• One-day passes are available at discounted registration fees. Super passes are also available for groups up to 10 persons from the same firm or for ANY group of 10 people (submitting their registrations together and one 1 check) for one flat rate!
• Attendance to the Expo Hall only is free with an Expo Hall Pass.
• Take advantage of the world's premier legal technology CLE conference and expo at a substantial discount by registering before the February 28, early-bird deadline.
• This year's featured keynote is Richard Susskind, author of The Future of Law, and his new sequel, The End of Lawyers?, who has 25 years of legal technology experience, and serves as Chair of the Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information and has been IT Adviser to the Lord Chief Justice of England.
Re-Entry Permits - Get Biometrics Expedited Before Departing U.S.
Category: General Information
Lawful permanent residents (LPR) who are outside the United States for a short period of time, and seek entry back into the U.S. must present their permanent resident card ("green card"). If an LPR is going to be outside of the U.S. for more than one year, then the LPR must apply for a re-entry permit. The re-entry permit must be applied for in the United States, and the LPR must remain in the United States until biometrics (fingerprints) are taken.
If you applied for a re-entry permit, and departed the U.S. before the biometrics were taken, the permit may be denied as abandoned. Before departing the United States, a request to expedite scheduling of the required biometrics appointment may be made.
Please call us for more information on expedited biometric appointment scheduling.
Get Your Fee Refunded If No Expedited Passport Service
Category: General Information
Individuals who applied for U.S passports, paid the additional $60 for expedited service, and have reason to believe they did not receive the expedited service, may request a refund of the $60 expedited passport fee. Refunds are determined by the Department of State on a case-by-case basis. If you applied for your passport, paid the $60 expedited service fee, had a planned trip, did not receive your passport in time for the trip, and reasonably believe the service was not expedited, e-mail your refund request to refundsatpassportservices@state.gov.
Please visit the Department of State’s Web site for more information.
Immigration Attorney Makes Presentation To Students
Category: General Information
On October 8, 2008, Kraft & Associates immigration attorney Eugenia Ponce made a presentation to teenage students of the Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School. This is a magnet school of the Dallas Independent School District, and is located on Robert B. Cullum Blvd. in Dallas. The students who attended the presentation are interested in becoming attorneys.
The presentation covered such topics as the exam required for admission to law school, the law school experience, law school tests, the bar exam, and the various practice areas available to lawyers in Texas.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Category: General Information
I'm not sure how anyone could disagree with the statements in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but even if you do, you'll still appreciate the beautiful video representation of the words in this declaration. Enjoy.
LPGA Reverses Decision On English-Only Golfers
Category: General Information
I wrote a note just a few days ago about the seemingly unjustified decision by the LPGA to require all professional golfers to be proficient in English in order to play on the U.S. tour. Now the Dallas Morning News reports that the tour has reversed its decision, and will simply encourage players to "get by with the basics of the language."
Of course I understand the reasons for the original decision —the corporate sponsors of the golf tournaments want the players to be able to chat with the sponsors and with the amateur players who pay thousands of dollars to play on the pro-am days of the tournament. But the original decree was just too ham-fisted. A gentler approach will be better, and will ensure that the LPGA appears to be more interested in good golf than in keeping the sponsorship money flowing. Here are excerpts:
Under increasing criticism, the LPGA Tour on Friday backed off plans to suspend players who cannot speak English well enough to be understood at pro-ams, in interviews or in making acceptance speeches at tournaments.
LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens said she would have a revised plan by the end of the year that would not include suspensions, although fining non-English speakers remains an option.
Bivens disclosed the tour's original plan in a meeting with South Korean players two weeks ago at the Safeway Classic in Portland, Ore., Golfweek magazine reported. The policy, which had not been written, was widely criticized as discriminatory, particularly against Asian players.
Bivens' announcement came two hours before the Asian Pacific American Legal Center planned a news conference in Los Angeles to demand the LPGA overturn its policy.
Female Professional Golfers Must Speak English
Category: General Information
Here's an interesting little story not directly related to immigration. I watch quite a bit of golf on TV, men's and women's. I've noticed the dominance of Asian players on the ladies tour, especially South Korean players. Now a story emerges that the Ladies Professional Golf Association is going to require fluency in English in order to qualify for the tour. This seems a bit like requiring truck drivers to read English in order to get a commercial driver's license, but without the same justification. Here are some excerpts from an Associated Press article today:
The LPGA Tour boasts players from all over the world, and it wants all of them to be able to speak English. Golfweek magazine reported on its Web site Monday that speaking English will be a requirement starting in 2009, with players who have been LPGA members for two years facing suspension if they can't pass an oral evaluation of English skills. There are 121 international players from 26 countries on the LPGA Tour, including 45 players from South Korea.
Please Help The Muscular Dystrophy Association
Category: General Information
This is my second request for donations to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, but time is running short, and I'm still not at my goal. I'm going to be locked away in "jail" if some of you don't help bail me out. Here's what I said earlier in the month:
I'm proud to tell you that I'm being locked up...that's right, I'm going behind bars to help Jerry's Kids and MDA. To be released on good behavior I have to raise bail and I need your help!
All you have to do is click here to make a secure, online donation before 08/28/08. Your donation will help families living in our community and help guarantee me an early release. I can't wait to add you to my list of contributors. No amount is too small to help.
If you don't want to pay by credit card online, you can mail a check for any amount, payable to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, to me at:
Kraft & Associates
2777 Stemmons Freeway, Suite 1300
Dallas, Texas 75207Thank you so very much for your help. Don't hesitate to call or e-mail me with any questions.
Together we'll make a difference,
Bob KraftP.S. I'm counting on you, click here to donate.
If the link above does not work, please cut and paste the address below into the address bar of your Internet browser.
https://www.joinmda.org/2008dallastelu/rkraft/
Please Help Bail Me Out Of Jail!
Category: General Information
I'm proud to tell you that I'm being locked up...that's right, I'm going behind bars to help Jerry's Kids and MDA. To be released on good behavior I have to raise bail and I need your help!
All you have to do is click here to make a secure, online donation before 08/28/08. Your donation will help families living in our community and help guarantee me an early release. I can't wait to add you to my list of contributors. No amount is too small to help.
If you don't want to pay by credit card online, you can mail a check for any amount, payable to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, to me at:
Kraft & Associates
2777 Stemmons Freeway, Suite 1300
Dallas, Texas 75207
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Movie Discusses Immigration, But Focuses On Love
Category: General Information
This is the first-ever movie review in this blog, and probably the last, but a new movie got such a good review today in the Dallas Morning News that I wanted to mention it.
Under The Same Moon is directed by Patricia Riggen. Here are excerpts from the Dallas Morning News article:
Anti-immigration talk bubbles to the surface in election years and burbles from the mouth of Lou Dobbs seemingly every minute. It's been a rallying cry from the days of the 19th-century Know Nothing movement to today's skirmishes in Farmers Branch. But for those on the outside, the talk often lacks a human dimension. And that's where movies enter the picture.
Patricia Riggen, Guadalajara-born and Columbia University-educated, hopes her Under the Same Moon, which opens today at the Magnolia and Plano Angelika theaters, can be one of those movies.
On one level, it's the most basic and universal of stories: A child, separated from his mother, embarks on an epic journey to find her. "I want to remind people that it's about the human condition and the separation of loved ones," Ms. Riggen said recently in a Dallas hotel conference room.
But the dividing line of this particular separation is the U.S.-Mexican border. Rosario (Kate del Castillo) has journeyed to Los Angeles to make a living as a domestic. Her young son, Carlitos (Adrian Alonso), remains back home in Mexico with his grandmother – until she dies and the kid decides he needs his mom.
Finding mom. It's an impulse so basic that it makes talk of "illegals" sound like a dry policy debate.
"All of the conversations and controversy are always focused on the economic or political side of immigration and not on the human family side of it," Ms. Riggen says. "That's what I wanted to look at. I didn't want to do a political film. I just wanted to show the human side of this story that we hear every day."
She leaves the obvious unstated: It's harder to hate people once you've walked in their shoes. Even when you walk sitting down in a dark theater.
Movies that put children in jeopardy have to be handled in a delicate manner. There needs to be enough danger for the audience to become invested in the story. Too much danger, and the movie becomes manipulative or even exploitative.
Ms. Riggen's film could have been a forum for a political debate about immigration laws. There are a few mentions, but never enough to distract from the movie's central message: what we will do for love.
For Rosario, it is the willingness to be away from her only son to be able to give him a better standard of living. She shows a real strength when a simple solution to her problem presents itself. But the script by Ligiah Villalobos takes that plotline in a refreshing direction.
It would be easy to dismiss Under the Same Moon as being of interest only for those who understand or care about immigration issues. But the heart of the film is a story of how love can make people move mountains. And that is a universal theme.
In Spanish with English subtitles.