Veronica Martinez was sentenced to prison and upon termination of her prison term, three years supervised release.  The sentence came after an investigation by U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement Office of Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and West Palm Beach Police Department who were alerted to suspicious behavior at the Martinez residence.

Martinez plead guilty to alien smuggling and forced labor after admitting she illegally smuggled two Honduran females and forced them to work in a bar to pay off their debt.   Prior to coming to the US the victims were told it would cost $6,500 dollars and that they would be providing cleaning services and daycare to work off their debt. Upon arrival the cost increased to $12,000 and Martinez forced the victims to work in a local bar dancing, talking, and drinking with male clientele.  The women were also paid to touch and be touched by the customers.  It was reported that Martinez used threats to keep the women compliant.

Do not send the original document evidence to USCIS unless you are specifically instructed to do so.  However, always bring your original documents with you to any interview.

There is a difference between the visa expiration date and the length of time you have permission to remain in the U.S.

A visa gives a foreign citizen permission to apply to enter the U.S. at a port-of-entry; it does not by itself permit entry into the U.S.  A visa will have both an expiration date and an issuance date and the time in between these dates is the visa validity.  As long as the visa is valid you are allowed to travel to a U.S. port-of-entry to seek admission.  The visa expiration date does not reflect how long you are authorized to stay in the U.S.

At the port-of-entry, a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officer makes the decision to allow you to enter and the officer determines the length of your stay.  A CBP officer will give you a small white card, Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94 or a small green card, Form I-94W for VWP travelers.  This card is proof of your lawful admission and length of stay.  The CBP officer records either a date or duration of status (D/S) in the lower right hand corner.  If your I-94/I-94W contains a specific date that signifies the date you must exit the U.S.

The date or D/S notation, shown on your I-94 /I-94W is the official record of your authorized length of stay in the U.S. and you cannot use the visa expiration date in determining or referring to your permitted length of stay in the U.S.  If you overstay the end date of your authorized stay, your visa could be automatically be voided or cancelled.

When attending a court date or immigration interview of any kind it is never a good idea to wear jeans, low-cut tops, flip-flops, or short skirts, no matter how “nice” you think they look.  The reality is you are being judged on your appearance even if it is only subconsciously.

Two men, Derrick M. Donchak, 20, and Brandon J. Piekarsky, 18, on trial in a Pennsylvania federal court in connection with the beating death of an undocumented Mexican immigrant have been found guilty on all counts, including hate crimes. The all-white jury deliberated on the case for approximately six and a half hours before reaching a verdict. Sentencing is set for January 24.  The federal court judge denied a motion for bail, calling their crime “a crime of violence.” Both attackers could face sentences of life in prison.

The pair had been previously acquitted of murder charges in state court and convicted of simple assault.

Witnesses testified in federal court that the pair used racial slurs before and during the attack and that Ramirez was kicked in the head repeatedly after falling down. The defendants, they said, didn’t want immigrants in their neighborhood and repeatedly ordered Ramirez to leave.

The victim is survived by his two children

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report that found U.S. Hispanics can expect to outlive whites by more than two years and blacks by more than seven.  Researchers have seen signs of Hispanic longevity for years but have only recently calculated the life expectancy for Hispanics as a separate group.

Hispanics are the largest, fastest growing minority in the United States, accounting for 15 percent of the population. An estimated 40 percent of them are immigrants. A prominent theory for Hispanic longevity is that Hispanics who manage to immigrate to the U.S. are among the healthiest from their countries.  Many of these immigrants arrive in the U.S. after a grueling journey only to work in demanding manual labor

Theorists hypothesize the United States is gaining some of the healthiest people born in Mexico and other countries.  However, experts also say that immigrant hardiness diminishes within a couple of generations due fast-food diets and sedentary lifestyles blamed for the diminished health of other ethnic populations.

If you are interested in reading the CDC report please visit www.cdc.gov/nchs/

USCIS naturalized more than 750,000 people in 2009. If you are a Legal Permanent Resident who obtained your green card through marriage you may be eligible  for citizenship after 3 years of legal permanent residency.  These individuals are permitted to submit their applications for naturalization 2 years and 9 months from the date their green card was issued.

Otherwise Legal Permanent Residents become eligible to apply for naturalization after 5 years of legal permanent residency and are permitted to submit applications 4 years and 9 months from the date their green card was issued.

Call an attorney today to find out what other requirements need to be met before you can begin the naturalization process!

As a U.S. Citizen you can:

Since January 2009 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has audited 3,200 employers who were suspected of hiring illegal labor.  ICE has also debarred 225 companies and individuals and imposed close to $50,000,000.00 in sanctions.

In less than 2 years the Obama Administration has issued more audits and debarments than the entire previous administration.

Secretary Napolitano announced unprecedented numbers of convicted criminal aliens removals and overall alien removals in the fiscal year 2010. These statistics reflect the Obama Administration’s continued focus on effective immigration enforcement with the prioritization of identifying and removing criminal aliens who pose a threat to public safety.

The fiscal year 2010 reported more than 329,000 removals nationwide, 195,000 of which were convicted criminals.  These numbers represent a 70% increase in the removal of criminal aliens from the Bush Administration.