[Blog]

Crazy week last: Wednesday we won Cancellation of Removal in Immigration Court, the second such win this month! Now this man can stay in the country with his wife and 3 US citizen children. He has been here since 1989, but because he went home to visit his ill grandparents in 1999, he has no way of getting his residence through family. Because of his good moral character throughout his time here, and the hardships his family would face without him, his case was approved (though there is a 2-year backlog in him getting his residence). This ends a 10-year struggle in the Immigration Courts.

Then Friday we received a termination of removal (deportation) proceedings for someone who would have been eligible for Cancellation of Removal, but while she was waiting for her day in court (case stated in 2012), she lost her “qualifying relative” because her son turned 21. 

Also from the immigration court we received approval to administratively close a case where someone can now apply for their waiver inside the United States. Under the trump policy he would have had to leave and wait outside the US for more than a year away from his family to get this waiver, and now he can do it here - stay with his family, and then leave only once its all approved - likely being going a few weeks only. 

We also received approvals from USCIS for Lawful Permanent Residence (“green cards”) for people who were in removal (deportation) proceedings, but were “arriving aliens,” meaning they were paroled into the country when they came in through the border. Their US citizen child, now over 21, petitioned for them and within about 6 months they are now residents - no longer facing deportation. 

We also got an approval for the removal of conditions on someone’s residence, after USCIS had issued a very difficult Request For Evidence (RFE) basically challenging every part of the case. We submitted a comprehensive response back in April 2021, and after interview a couple weeks ago, the approval notice came in meaning he now has his 10-year residence card. He is also now eligible to apply for naturalization. 

We also got pre-hearing Voluntary Departure issued by the immigration court quickly, for a client who needed to leave the country to attend his consular interview to obtain his residence. He was scheduled at the consulate on short notice, after waiting 2 years for interview after his waiver was approved in the US. If all goes well at his interview on Monday, he could be back in the country as a Lawful Permanent Resident in a couple of weeks.

Finally, we received several notices for Oath Ceremonies for people who have been in the United States for many years and are now going to become citizens!