The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has retreated once again from the silly summer brouhaha it sparked on June 2 with the issuance of an ill-advised press release announcing the audit of all corporate clients of the Fragomen law firm. As readers of this blog know from my previous posts, the DOL has been roundly
August 2008
The Sentinel Effect – Improving the Behavior of “Bushie” Immigration Judges
By Angelo A. Paparelli on
Posted in General
In a perverse and delicious irony, the Bush administration, and Attorney General Michael Mukasey in particular, recently bestowed what may prove to be a helpful gift on foreign citizens in removal proceedings. The gift results from the AG’s refusal to fire or reassign any of the roughly 31 judges (18 of whom the New York …
Immigration Law is Too Complex and Important for Johnny or Jane One-Notes
By Angelo A. Paparelli on
Posted in General
I am sure this post will be controversial, and I welcome comments.
I’ve long believed that the practice of immigration law, which has become dramatically more challenging since 9/11, is not for the dabbler (of course) but also poses a risk for attorneys who choose to specialize only in business immigration. The linked article, “A…
A USCIS Epiphany – Musings on F-1 STEM Workers and the Out-Of-Luck Programmers Guild
By Angelo A. Paparelli on
Posted in General
Chalk up one for USCIS and a Federal Judge. The agency’s 17-month extension of F-1 optional practical training has survived a motion for preliminary injunction sought by the Programmers Guild. U.S. District Judge Faith S. Hochberg issued an August 5 order finding a lack of causal connection and insufficient harm to sustain the claim of…
Sunset of the EB-5: Senators Snooze, Americans Lose
By Angelo A. Paparelli on
Posted in General
The dog days of summer have arrived. Congress is on a five-week holiday, er, excuse me, a “Summer District Work Period,” as the House calls it. The economy is in the doldrums. Gross Domestic Product grew a feeble 1.9% in the second quarter of 2008 from 0.9% in the first quarter. Foreclosures and…
DOL’s Protects U.S. Workers — At the DOL!
By Angelo A. Paparelli on
Posted in General
The National Foundation for American Policy this week released a bluntly accurate critique of the recent anti-attorney, anti-employer shenanigans at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The report, entitled “Certifiable: The Department of Labor’s Approach to Labor Certification,” chastises the agency for crafting the labor certification process without statutory authority (“DOL’s mandated advertising and recruitment…