Immigration Law

Deposition Disclosure Fights Involve Robo-Signers and Sheriff Joe Arpaio

May depositions be posted on the Internet or otherwise released to the public? A Florida lawyer who posted robo-signer testimony and an Arizona sheriff targeted in a racial profiling lawsuit are taking opposite stands in court battles over the issue. Sarasota, Fla., lawyer Christopher Forrest is challenging a temporary injunction…

Dec 10, 2010 1:47 PM CST

Is It ‘Illegal’ or ‘Undocumented’ Immigrants? Sotomayor Opts for the Latter

In oral arguments on Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court considered an Arizona law that revokes the licenses of businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. The legal issue was whether federal law pre-empts Arizona’s tougher penalties. But another issue, not directly addressed, is whether “illegal immigrants” or “undocumented immigrants” is the…

Dec 9, 2010 4:59 PM CST

Raising Arizona: High Court Eyes State’s Punishments for Hiring Unauthorized Aliens

With the second-longest border to Mexico, Arizona has been at the center of the national debate over immigration policy. The state’s law enforcement officials are known for workplace raids, and earlier this year the state enacted Senate Bill 1070, a controversial law requiring the police to verify the immigration status…

Dec 1, 2010 7:10 AM CST

San Francisco Sues to Close Down Immigration Law Firm, Claims ‘Exorbitant’ Fees

A lawsuit filed by the city of San Francisco claims that a lawyer voluntarily disbarred for high fees and inadequate representation continued to prey on immigration clients by hiring another lawyer to act as a front. In a news conference, City Attorney Dennis Herrera called the disbarred lawyer, Martin Guajardo,…

Nov 18, 2010 2:36 PM CST

California High Court Says Illegal Immigrants Qualify for In-State Tuition

In a first for the nation, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that illegal immigrants who graduate from state high schools can receive lower tuition at California’s public universities and colleges. Reporting on Monday’s ruling, the Los Angeles Times notes that California is one of 10 states that allow undocumented…

Nov 16, 2010 9:11 PM CST

Supreme Court Appears Unlikely to Strike Down Gender Difference in Citizenship Law

A drug dealer seeking to be declared an American citizen appears likely to fail in his Supreme Court argument that gender differences in U.S. immigration law are unconstitutional. Ruben Flores-Villar claims he stands to be deported under an unconstitutional double standard, according to stories in the Los Angeles Times, the…

Nov 11, 2010 1:25 PM CST

Randy Quaid Says Lawyers Are Trying to Kill His Career and Possibly Murder Him

Actor Randy Quaid said Thursday he is not crazy as he elaborated on claims that he and his wife could fall victim to “Hollywood Star whackers” who are secretly responsible for the deaths of Heath Ledger and David Carradine. “I’m being embezzled by this monstrous ring of accountants, estate planners…

Oct 29, 2010 3:02 PM CDT

Randy Quaid Seeks Asylum in Canada; Wife Claims He’s on Hit List

Updated: Randy Quaid and his wife claim they are in danger and are seeking asylum in Canada after skipping a U.S. court hearing for allegedly squatting in their former California home. The Quaids claim the actor’s life is in danger because of “Hollywood Star whackers” who are secretly responsible for…

Oct 25, 2010 12:04 PM CDT

Ex-Judge Gets 2 Years for ‘Predatory’ Immigration Fraud Scheme

A onetime New York State Supreme Court justice was sentenced last week to two years in prison on visa fraud charges. Salvador Collazo was convicted in April of charges related to running an “immigration fraud mill” from which he filed bogus green card applications from 2000 to 2008 from his…

Oct 18, 2010 8:35 PM CDT

Minority Report

Hispanics must be integrated into our profession, our law schools and our courts

Oct 1, 2010 9:00 AM CDT

A Changing Landscape

In first court with three women, all eyes are on Justice Kagan

Oct 1, 2010 7:40 AM CDT

2 Partners, 1 Associate & 2 Interpreters Get Time in Immigration Fraud Case

Two partners and an associate of a small California law firm were sentenced to federal prison terms Friday for helping immigrants win asylum in the United States based on false documents. Jagprit Singh Sekhon, 39, got nine years and his brother, Jagdip Singh Sekhon, 42, got five years, the Sacramento…

Sep 28, 2010 12:25 AM CDT

Comedy Central Star Colbert Testifies Before Congress—In Character

In an unusual appearance today before a House Judiciary subcommittee, a well-known television satirist testified on immigration reform–in character. The “bloviating right-wing talk show host” persona that Stephen Colbert has honed on Comedy Central “resembled a surreal version of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, if Mr. Smith were a comedian…

Sep 25, 2010 12:04 AM CDT

Did Border Patrol Have Right to Deport Baby, a US Citizen, Over Citizen Mom’s Objections?

Updated: Deporting a baby, who happened to be a United States citizen, along with her undocumented Mexican father, despite frantic objections from her U.S. citizen mother, was hardly optimal, a federal appeals court said. But the majority opinion in a sharply divided panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit…

Sep 21, 2010 12:16 AM CDT

US Citizen Deported as Illegal Alien Returns to Texas, Mulls Possible Suit

Alberto Delgado was born in the United States. But he doesn’t speak English very well, because he grew up in Mexico with his mother after his parents divorced. Delgado was detained and questioned for eight hours after a traffic stop in South Texas in June. He says he showed U.S.…

Sep 14, 2010 11:36 PM CDT