In October 2018, the Trump administration rolled out production quotas for immigration judges. Under the policy, judges are required to complete 700 cases a year to earn a satisfactory job performance grade.
On the surface, the goal behind the quotas was to speed up judicial decision-making and reduce an enormous court backlog.
The policy has not achieved its aims.
Prior to COVID-19, many immigrants had applied to become naturalized citizens. They completed the process, and attended interviews.
They were told their applications were granted. They were waiting for their swearing-in ceremony to be scheduled.
They’re still waiting.
Most Americans have never heard of the Mascogos.
Yet, as Kevin Sieff explains, in an article written for the Washington Post, the history of the Moscogos offers a unique view into human migration, the way in which a community can be pushed and pulled across borders over centuries.
So who are the Mascogos?
I was 17 years old, hanging out with friends, munching on Big Macs. All of us were high school seniors. We grew up in Southeast San Diego, where dreams were often crushed by the effects of poverty on education, community, and family.
We started talking about what we wanted to be when we grew up. When it was my turn, I said that I wanted to be a lawyer. Everyone started laughing. I couldn’t show it, but I was hurt, deeply hurt.
It felt like I was stranded alone on an island.
Since 1970 the immigration population in the United States has dramatically risen. As part of the increase, the number of immigrant women have risen. Yet, few studies have focused on how they have fared in the transition to a new life here.
In an effort to shed light on such issues, Cornell University Professor Francine D. Blau examined the role of female immigrants in the United States as part of a ground-breaking study a few years ago. It remains the authoritative guide on the topic.
In 2016, Deng Thiak Adut was selected to open the World Summit On Migration Control. Since that time, Adut has remained one of the world’s leading authorities on the plight of refugees.
As a former refugee, Adut brings a unique voice to discussions on the problems and solutions for refugees seeking a safe home far away from their place of birth.
Born in South Sudan, Adut was kidnapped from his family at the age of six. He was forced to become a child soldier and shot in the back at the age of 12. Later he was rescued by the United Nations and smuggled to freedom.
As I was driving back to my office from court the other day, a radio talk show host began to talk about immigration reform.
From the outset, his tone was hostile. His comments were rude and degrading.
Deep inside, I felt sad. Immigration reform is a tough enough issue already. The radio host’s attempt to induce a sense of cultural superiority was misplaced.
FOR SAMA – Documentary
For Sama is an award-winning documentary by 26-year old Waad al-Kateab, who filmed her life in Aleppo through 5 years of the Syrian civil uprising.
It’s a story of love, political resistance, and a ruthless war. The film was written as a love letter from al-Kateab, to her daughter, Sama, born during the war, which shares the agony between choosing to flee to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle for freedom for which al-Kateab and her husband had already sacrificed so much.
The phone rang. I knew it was my son. I felt both optimism and fear. As he began to talk, his voice quivered. He gave me the news.
He passed the California State Bar Examination.
We laughed. Then we cried.
I was at a loss for words. What’s a dad to say to a son who becomes a peer?
During summer breaks from Harvard Law School, most of my classmates worked at well-paying jobs in the corporate and government sectors, polishing credentials and opening doors to important political and economic relationships.
I took long rides, crisscrossing the United States, traveling in and out most of the country’s 50 states, sleeping in countless KOA campgrounds, and visiting sites I had only read about – aware that I would never again have the freedom to take 10 – 12 weeks off from external responsibilities.
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San Bernardino, CA 92408
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