Newsletters

Controlling Alien Admission - Immigrants - Coast Guard Migrant Interdiction

Recently, the United States Coast Guard was made a part of the newly created Department of Homeland Security. Part of the Coast Guard's mission is the interdiction of migrants attempting to enter the U.S. by sea and the general enforcement of immigration law at sea.

Judicial Review - Naturalization Decisions

Initial jurisdiction to rule on applications for naturalization is given to the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS, formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service) exclusively pursuant to § 310 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA). If a naturalization application is denied, a person can appeal for a "de novo" (or completely new) review of the application by a court. This review by a court is called "judicial review."

Visa Denials For Lack Of Strong Ties To Home Country

United States law presumes that aliens who wish to travel to the U.S. intend to stay in the U.S. permanently rather than temporarily. For this reason, aliens who want to visit the U.S. temporarily must prove that the purpose of their trip is temporary before U.S. consular officers will issue nonimmigrant visas.

Collection and Disposition of Immigration-Related Fees

Several immigration-related violations result in the imposition of fines. Other money is collected as reimbursement to the U.S. government for costs associated with detaining, transporting, or removing aliens, for example. Section 286 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA) discusses how the collected money is handled.

Lawful Permanent Resident Rights And Responsibilities

An alien whose status has been adjusted to that of a lawful permanent resident (LPR) has certain rights and responsibilities under United States law as long as LPR status is not abandoned. Likewise, conditional residents, who have been granted status for two-year periods, receive the same rights and subject to the same responsibilities as LPRs.