Letters of the Week: May 14 - May 18

Please email your letters to editor@ilw.com or post them directly as "Comment" below.

Comments

[Beats By Dr Dre]

Accountability from the government -- to work toward mitigating unfettered discretion
and holding the Administration’s and Congress’ feet to the fire to improve immigration
law and operation.
http://cheapmonsterbeats.us

[Kenneth Rinzler]

In response to a comment on the AILA InfoNet Message Center that the "elected" officers of AILA are told their vote totals:

"Yes, I suspected the appointed victors (more commonly known as the "Leadership") would be told how many people voted and how many votes they received, just not the general membership.

So how about it "Leadership"? Why does it take the eight people of the ExCom so long to do what's right? It's been five days now, and between emails and telephones and whatever you eight can't agree on something so equitable and easy to do? You don't need a by-law change, you don't need permission from mom, you just need to show some true leadership, some fidelity to your oft-spouted devotion to accountability and transparency, and simply announce it.

It took ridiculously long for Crystal to announce that the tax returns would be posted from now on. Have you learned nothing from that? You have zero credibility.

As always, no doubt some people will be offended by my tone. Too bad. I am offended by being played a fool by people who claim to have the membership's best interests at heart."

[Joe Whalen]

I-601 Provisional Waiver Proposed Rule Comment Period Ends June 1

The deadline for the I-601 Provisional Waiver Proposed Rule comment period is fast approaching. The last day to comment is June 1, and USCIS encourages the public to submit formal input on the proposed rule through www.regulations.gov

Last updated:05/17/2012
AT: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=5dd36db649757310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e7801c2c9be44210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

[R. Yang]

Sheriff Joe Arpaio should go after employers that employ foreign workers without working permission in the US, not by harassing those who look or sound like foreigners. Why not punishing the Republican big bosses who hire "illegal" nannies or knowingly hire contractors or sub contractors that hire "illegal" workers to landscape or remodel their mansions or estates ? Didn't Mitt Romney know that the "friendly amigos" doing his properties landscaping and spoke little English most likely had no "papers" ? Or Ex-Congressman Tancredo knew that the same amigos remodeling his house were in the same position too ? What about Megg Whitman the ex California Governor candidate that hired undocumented Latina lady for her baby sitter ? Why uncle Joe doesn't arrest these big names instead ?
Arizona is the display of racism and foolish bigotry of our nation to the world. If we really mean it, punish and make the employers accountable for their actions. Any legal US citizens and residents should be allowed to sue and be compensated for humiliation, harassment, lost of time and productivity by any local government and law enforcement agencies who stop, detain, harass them for no valid legal reasons at all but simply because of the racial profiling on certain groups.
It's too bad that many Americans never realize and understand the costs of xenophobia and isolationism. Zero competition means higher prices and lower customer service. Ones can ask our Congress to slap import duties on imported goods and also restrict foreigners to enter our labor market but it means extra dollar to buy the same stuffs because we want to "protect" American "jobs". Protectionism means less competition and more money for less customer service for everything. Ones that can take things for granted will have no incentives to improve and innovate for the betterment of themselves, period.

[Joe Whalen]

Watch the Federal Register for:

Presidential Documents
Burma; Continuation of National Emergency (Notice of May 17, 2012) (2012-12337)

A Presidential Document by the Executive Office of the President to be published on 05/18/2012

[Joe Whalen]

FYI: Watch the Federal Register for this---

Yemen; Blocking Property of Persons Threatening Peace, Security, or Stability (EO 13611) (2012-12225)

A Presidential Document by the Executive Office of the President to be published on 05/18/2012

[Kenneth Rinzler]

According to an email sent out today by one of the candidates running for Secretary/Future President "only an average of 25% of AILA members vote in the annual elections".

How would he know this, when the vote totals aren't posted? Should he be prosecuted for disclosing classified information? LOL

And why doesn't he state whether, if elected, he would announce the vote totals? (He didn't state whether he was in favor of posting the tax returns either; in fact, neither candidate did, although the issue is now moot.)

Tweedledeedee or Tweedledeedum: I won't be voting for either one.

PS - Only 25% vote? If true, how much more proof does the leadership need to realize that most members consider the AILA "election" process pointless?

[Kenneth Rinzler]

Dear Editor,

The following message was posted on AILA message board today:

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"Dear Crystal:
Thank you for your recent Message Center posting in which you stated that AILA will post its tax returns on InfoNet from now on. This is welcome news and will go a long way towards honoring the commitment to accountability and transparency which was stated to be the first “overarching theme” in AILA’s 2012 Annual Plan.
In keeping with this new theme of transparency, I would request that AILA also announce the vote totals for all elections from now on, starting with the current race underway. This is not only extremely easy to do, but would keep the membership informed as to just how much interest the elections/candidates have generated, and whether there is a feeling of apathy and/or futility when it comes to voting in an AILA election.
This has nothing to do with faith in the counting process, but rather with information which, once again, the membership is entitled to have yet the leadership has never felt the need to disclose (for whatever reason). It is time that changed.
In all of its advocacy efforts, press releases or letters to government agencies or Members of Congress, AILA is fond of saying it represents 11,000 members of the immigration Bar. Isn’t it about time that those 11,000 members see whether its mock elections show whether the foreordained “winners” received 10,000 votes or only 2,000 (of those eligible to vote)? This is especially true for the position of Secretary/Future President, as that is the only office which ever seems to offer a choice of more than one candidate.
As always, I will post this email and your response on the MC (and send it to ILW.COM) as I believe it is of general interest to not only the membership, but those segments of the public at large which have an interest in immigration matters.
Thank you for your consideration.

AILA 2012 Annual Plan

OVERARCHING THEMES
A. Accountability and Transparency
• Accountability from the government -- to work toward mitigating unfettered discretion
and holding the Administration’s and Congress’ feet to the fire to improve immigration
law and operation.
• Accountability from each other as AILA members -- to increase our professionalism, our
pro bono efforts, and our efforts to achieve consistent adjudication under the law for our
clients.
• Accountability as an organization -- by making sure our AILA processes are as open,
responsive and transparent as they can be."
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