CLASS RECAP FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

-MIDTERM EXAM

-GRADES WILL BE EMAILED TO STUDENTS BEFORE THE CONCLUSION OF THE MIDTERM BREAK

-Continue Reading assignment on Syllabus, Ngai, Chapters 1-2, Deportation Policy and the Making of Illegal Aliens.
-Read handout "WHY WE FIGHT"
-Read handout "THIRD AND SEVENTH CIRCUITS CONDEMS PATTERN OF ERROR IN IMMIGRATION COURTS"

NOTE: CLASSES WILL NOT BE HELD NEXT WEEK (MIDTERM BREAK)

NOTE: OUR NEXT CLASS WILL MEET AT THE CHICAGO IMMIGRATION COURT, 55 East Monroe Street, 19th Floor. 9 a.m.

Since this Blog is dedicated to you and all others who wish to engage in a respectful debate, I'm posting the comment below made on your site. Please comment on it if you wish.

Britanicus said,

The bombardment of American voters at the doors of Congress must be heard, to make E-Verify a permanent illegal immigrant enforcement tool? It's incredulous that we are winning small wars against our lawmakers beneficiaries--the special interest lobby. LEGISLATORS ARE FINALLY HEARING OUR ANGRY VOICES. Rep. Joe Wilson C-SC opened the eyes of millions of Americans, who are been left unaware of the cloaked--AMNESTY--committees that is going to rip the fabric of every voters life apart. Any detail in the national media has been subdues or intentionally omitted, as with the crowds of Tea Party opponents. Sen. Harry Reid could be stretching his neck out for the headsman in his re-election campaign, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They both have used their political influence in trying to overturn E-Verify. Pro-Illegal alien lawmakers could table it, under the "Sunset Provision" on September 30?

President Obama's direction towards an unmentionable path to citizenship for all those who broke our law is abhorrent. After the controversial eruption in the Session of Congress, they surely must be aware that imposing immigration reform on the people could break them? Americans taxpayers are already supporting business welfare? Corporate entities want these destitute people here to exploit, but don't want to pay for their health care, schooling or towards the massive numbers surviving in prison. They leave that to the fading middle class taxpayers who carry the tax burden? Over a decade has passed since illegal people started coming here in droves and with little or no laws, to blockade their arrival we are now talking over 20 million. Nor does it stop there? Owing to the clarion call of Amnesty ringing out in the slums and ghetto's of foreign criminals, sick, elderly and those without means, from all over the world will descend on us. IT MEANS OVERPOPULATION?

Bad as it may be now, who is going to subsidize the new arrivals? Not the business cartels that’s for sure? Once again taxpayers will be heavily taxed to pay for the new shipment of poor, uneducated from every region. How can we expect to have any government public option for our own people, when our gates remain wide open for "Anchor Babies" and the illegal millions expecting a free handout? A nurse in a Nevada hospital indicated they have a row of beds of illegal immigrants on dialysis, which was costing weekly $18.000 dollars for each treatment. Tell me who pays for that? The US government pays a small portion; the rest is acquired from the hospital or taxpayer.


I want a single payer system for homeless veterans, seniors, single mothers with children and poor American families. But I refuse to pay for everybody who climbs, crawls under the fence or bluffs the Federal officer at shipping ports and airports of entry. It's not our responsibility. DON'T WAIT! PESTER YOUR SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY AT 202-224-3121? Find true facts by GOOGLING NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIAL WATCH & IMMIGRATION COUNTERS

3:35 PM

CLASS RECAP AND SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2009

I. Conclusion of Avalon and discussion.
II. Midterm Review
III. The Documtary Patriot Acts, getting "Tossed-Out" of America and the NSEERS "Special Registration" Progam.

MIDTERM REVIEW

You will have the entire period to answer the exam.

The midterm exam will consist of 2-3 questions to answer. You will have the option of choosing from two questions in separate sets.

During the semester, we first discussed that there really is not common sensical—even rational, way to answer the question, “Why are the immigration laws and policy made that way?” Unlike criminal law and policy, for example, where you have generations of precedent, common sense foundations for the way things are done a certain way for example, immigration law and policy is a creature of what?

Politics and economics.

-We also discussed the three reasons why one comes to America? What are they? People come to America for one of 3 reasons or a combination of them:
(1) Generally, to reunite themselves with family members; for financial reasons, or
(3) because they fear persecution in their home country or are stateless and are persona non grata (not wanted). Or a combination of all three.

--that being said, procedurally speaking, generally there are FOUR (4) ways, with a few exceptions that we have discussed in class, that one can come to the United States permanently. Can anyone tell me what they are?? These are called VISAS, or IVs for short:

(1) via Job sponsor;
(2) via Family Sponsor:
(3) via Political Asylum;
(4) via The Visa lottery;

• What are the elements for a job sponsor?
• What are the elements for a family sponsor?
• What is political asylum How can one stay in America permanently thru political asylum?
• What is the visa lottery system?

Most people come to American via the family-based green card method. Job sponsor is second in line.

-We also discussed the temporary ways to come to America legally? Those are called NIVs or NON-immigrant visas.
--There are temporary in nature and the road never leads to a green card. How many visas are there?
--Since they all begin with the first letter of the Alphabet, how many NIVs can there possible be then? 26 (or so--for the purposes of this course).
--So there’s approximately 26 nonimmigrant visas (or so) in the US! We also discussed the Frog and the Lilly Pad example and how the NIV visa system is very similar to that.
We Also covered some of the “THE EXCEPTIONS” the generally (4) ways of coming to America permanently: Amnesty Programs and Cancellation of Removal. Please know what each of these two are be able to provide an example of each.

(Victor C., my case in Florida, or any example in Daniels)

-We discussed that people from all over the world come there through these ways. But we also discussed that some people don’t come here with the express invitation and consent of the US government. They come here illegally. Or they overstay their visas and become "illegal" or "unlawfully present". And then there are those who are not citizens in the US, and commit certain crimes here. Some already have lawful status here (such as "green card" holders or lawful permanent residents ("LPRs").

-There are various bureaus within the US Department of Justice which oversee all of these different types of ways people come to America, their benefits and enforcement of the immigration laws here. And what is the Department's name that handles all of this? The "DHS" or Department of Homeland Security.

-The DHS was created as a direct result of the events occurring soon after 9/11, where for the first name, IMMIGRATION and TERRORISM were seen really for the first time, as causally connected, whether true or untrue.

-What are the DHS Branches?

-USCIS;
-ICE;
-CBP; (Customs and Border Patrol)

-You may also be given a hypothetical fact pattern question on the exam, possibly on current controversial issue like heathcare reform and immigration. Well-known, contemporary individuals who seem very much like historical figures cited in Daniels may appear in your fact pattern (i.e., "modern-day nativists"). Be prepared to compare them with those discussed in Daniels' Guarding the Golden Door...

We discussed that like the debate between O’Reilly and Geraldo Rivera, many issues may get distorted or clouded. Despite heated, often emotional debates over immigration, it is important to parse through irrelevant issues, often red hearings, and reach a conclusion that is supported in existing law and policy. The law and policy that we have discussed this semester. So if you are asked about an undocumented person who needs healthcare, for example, you know that we have discussed that Heathcare reform proposals do not include "illegal" aliens—so remember that this would certainly not be a relevant point if asked whether health care would affect undocumented persons in the US or not. You may optionally used the “IRAC” method of answering the question for any fact pattern question you see on the exam.

As for Patriot Acts, the material on NSEERS will be covered, but not the information on Enes Hadzovic anything mentioned in the syllabus but not discussed in class or on the blogspot. Know what it is and the lessons we have learned from this unfortuate page in our immigration history and our "war on terror" Know all chapters GUARDING THE GOLDEN DOOR, and HIS PANIC, expecially topics discussed in class from assigned in the syllabus.

OK. Good luck with your preparations and Ill see you next week. If you have any questions, please email me.

--Christopher Helt, Esq.

CLASS RECAP AND SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2009

-Class Meeting at La Unica today at 4:15 p.m.

-Questions on Avalon film
-One question from Avalon study guide will be on the mid-term exam
-IRAC method of answering test questions
-We have covered thus far the four ways of coming to America permanently and one of the two exceptions. This afternoon we will discuss one of the other ways (the other exception to the four general ways: Amnesty programs.
-Meet Victor C. In what ways does Victor's story bring to life the issues discussed in Geraldo's His Panic that you have read thus far?
-As Geraldo Rivera's asks us in Chapter 10 of his book, "Do Hispanics and other Immigrants steal our jobs?" What does our author say?

Class Recap and Summary for Tuesday SEPTEMEBER 8, 2009

STUDY GUIDE HANDOUT for film, AVALON
-Recap from last week-Obama's talk to students: "Take responsibility for your education. Go to class and listen."
-Daniels, The Golden Doors Closes and Opens, 1882-1965; The Beginnings of Immigration Retriction, 1882-1917; Statistics: Between 1860 abd 1920, a period when almost every aspect of American life was transformedm tge incidence of immigrants in the American population was remarkly stable: in seven successive censuses, about one American in seven was foreign born, the actual percentages varying only between 13.2 and 14.7 percent.

-What did the Founding Fathers know about immigration?

-The Dualistic Attidude;
-Nativism, "their 3 complaints" as discussed in Daniels, and Geraldo Rivera's HIS PANIC
-The Know-Nothings;
-Chinese immigration, the Gold Rush and the Railroad;
-American labor concerns in the 1880s and today.
-Daniel's view of early immigration and the film Avalon: some similarities.

NEXT WEEK'S CLASS WILL BE HELD AT the same time, but at LA UNICA RESTAURANT 1515 West Devon Avenue (chicago, Il).

Class Recap & Summary for September 1, 2009
LAST WEEK we continued our discussion of the Four (4) ways in which one may stay permanently (and lawfully) in the United States, noting some of important "exceptions": the previous amnesty or "legalization" law, passed during the Reagan administration, in which an individual (similar to the Bracero program mentioned in Daniels) who had been illegally and continuously present in the United States from January 1982 or before could legalize their status and obtain their green card (formally known as "lawful permanent residency"). The second method is called cancellation of removal (for non-permenant residents). This later method can only be done via an immigration judge. One has to be placed in removal ("deportation") proceedings. There is no "application process" with USCIS.

-We also viewed the heated debate shown on YouTube between Geraldo Rivera and Bill O'Reilly. What does Geraldo say about his debate with O'Reilly in his book?

-We discussed the currrent statistics on health care and illegal immigration;
-We discussed the fact that dispite divergence of opinions on the immigration debate, everyone agrees that the current immigration system we have in place is BROKEN.

We also discussed that since 9/11, in March of 2003 the former Immigration & Naturalization Service or "INS" was "abolished" (very strong words, don't you think?). Legacy INS was replaced by the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS has three Bureaus: (1) United States Citizenship & Immigration Services ("USCIS"); (2) Immigration & Customs Enforcement ("ICE"); and (3) Customs & Border Patrol ("CBP"). Links to the three (3) respective DHS bureaus are to the right of this blogspot...

Nicole has made an interesting comment about an event on November 6, 2009 at Navy Pier. One of the topics, assimilation and immigration--will be a major theme (and test material!!) in our film Avalon, next week. Her comments are below:

"Tonight in class(and probably more in classes to come), we learned and discussed just how difficult it may be to obtain a greencard.On a somewhat different note, there will be an event touching upon the difficulties that many immigrants face even after gaining citizenship: Zócalo in Chicago, "What Does Immigrant Integration Mean Now?" on Nov. 6th.

Visit the website below for more information and to make your reservation:
http://zocalopublicsquare.org/upcoming.php?event_id=334


-Last week's important points to consider...
-Health care reform and immigration
-Three reasons why one "comes to America"
-the Geraldo v. O'Reilly heated debate: what, if anything, does it symbolize about the divided opinions on our "broken" immigration system.