Immigration and Customs Enforcement Regularly Detains Children for Months at a Time

 

Written by Walter Ewing 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to their internal operations. The agency rarely discloses basic details about where their immigration detention centers are located, how many people are detained, or what the cost is to keep these facilities operational. As one of the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement arms, this lack of transparency often makes it difficult to hold the agency accountable on their detention and treatment of immigrants.

Yet in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, ICE has done something it rarely does: publicly release information about how it operates. The information was handed over to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center—which made the FOIA request—and has been analyzed by the National Immigrant Justice Center. 

The data provides a revealing snapshot of the immigrant-detention business in the United States: 


Immigrant Detention Centers by the Numbers

Immigrants are detained in over 1,000 facilities that include not only Bureau of Prisons facilities, but also county jails, hospitals, and even hotels. For instance, thousands of people—including children—have been booked into the Quality Suites San Diego since 2016. The average daily number of detainees at the hotel in 2017 was 22 people, all of whom were classified as “non-criminal” with “no ICE threat level.” 

Within these facilities, a record 39,322 people are being held daily in 2018. This is the second year in a row that ICE has surpassed its previously record-setting detainee population. 


ICE Regularly Detains Children, Adults Classified as “Non-Criminal” 

Children are frequently detained, sometimes for months at a time. Often, they are held not in Office of Refugee Resettlement children’s shelters or even family detention centers—they are housed in juvenile jails under contracts with ICE. At the three facilities where children are held for more than 72 hours, length of detention ranges from 100 to 240 days. 

On average, 51 percent of the daily detained population is classified as “non-criminal”—and 51 percent were also classified as “no threat.” Only 23 percent qualified as Level 1 threats, which encompasses a mix of nonviolent offenses and serious crimes. 


Most Detainees Are Held in Privately Operated Prisons

Private prisons dominate the immigration-detention industry. Roughly 71 percent of the daily detained population was held in private prisons owned by companies such as Core Civic (formerly known as the Corrections Corporation of America). 

Many of these contracts with private, for-profit prison companies were made between local governments and the federal government. As of 2017, more than 15,000 people were held daily in private prisons or jails throughout the country. 


ICE’s Detention Standards Are Unclear

ICE has three different sets of standards governing the detention of adults, yet only 65 percent of the agency’s adult detention facilities are contractually bound to observe any of them. 

Some detention facilities make cryptic reference to abiding by “minimum service standards” or “local standards.” Perhaps this is on account of a 2014 Government Accountability Office report, which found ICE sometimes obtains a facility’s agreement to be inspected using a newer set of standards without actually incorporating the new standards into the contract. 

ICE claims that it inspects all facilities under one of its three sets of standards, regardless of the contract. Yet some facilities have passed inspection despite the deaths of multiple detainees, including some from medical neglect. 

The fact that so much prodding was necessary for ICE to release even this much information about its operations is an indication of the degree to which the agency lacks transparency or accountability. ICE officers—like their immigration-enforcement counterparts at U.S. Customs and Border Protection—are accustomed to acting behind a veil of secrecy. As this new disturbing information reveals, we must continue to push past that veil and hold ICE accountable for what happens within their detention centers.

Source: www.immigrationimpact.com 

http://inmigracionyvisas.com/a3781-Immigration-and-Customs-Enforcement-Regularly-Detains-Children.html 

Elecciones Presidenciales En Colombia 2018: Lo Que Deben Saber Los Colombianos En El Exterior

 

Si usted es colombiano, vive en el exterior y desea participar en las elecciones presidenciales que se llevarán a cabo del 21 al 27 de mayo de 2018, esta Si usted es colombiano, vive en el exterior y desea participar en las elecciones presidenciales que se llevarán a cabo del 21 al 27 de mayo de 2018, esta información le interesa. 

1. Las inscripciones para participar en las elecciones presidenciales cierran el 27 de marzo de 2018. 

2. Las votaciones en el exterior se realizarán del 21 al 27 de mayo de 2017. 

3. Las votaciones en el exterior se llevarán a cabo así: del 21 al 26 de mayo en el Consulado de Colombia donde usted se haya inscrito. El 27 de mayo debe dirigirse al puesto de votación asignado por la Registraduría Nacional. 

4. Usted puede consultar su puesto de votación en la página de la Registraduría: www.registraduria.gov.co 

5. El único documento que puede presentar para votar es su cédula de ciudadanía original (amarilla con hologramas). 

Si tiene preguntas puede comunicarse con su Consulado o con las líneas de atención de la Cancillería: www.cancilleria.gov.co 


Así se inscribe la cédula en el exterior:

 

Fuente: El programa Colombia Nos Une del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores
http://inmigracionyvisas.com/a3780-elecciones-presidenciales-para-colombianos-en-el-exterior.html

Tiempos de Procesamiento de Solicitudes Serán Más Precisos

 

El Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés) lanzó un piloto para probar la página web de tiempos de procesamiento rediseñada, que muestra los datos de todos los formularios en un formato fácil de comprender, a la vez que prueba una nueva manera para recolectar datos y calcular los tiempos de procesamiento de algunos formularios.

El piloto realizará pruebas en cuatro formularios utilizando una metodología automatizada para calcular los tiempos de procesamiento. Los cuatro formularios son: 

• Formulario N-400, Solicitud de Naturalización
• Formulario I-90, Solicitud para Reemplazar la Tarjeta de Residente Permanente
• Formulario I-485, Solicitud para Registrar la Residencia Permanente o Ajustar Estatus
• Formulario I-751, Petición para Remover Condiciones en la Residencia.

La nueva página web facilita a las personas ver aproximadamente cuánto tiempo tomará a USCIS procesar un formulario, lo que ayudará a los usuarios a determinar cuándo es necesario contactar a USCIS para hacer una consulta si su caso está fuera del tiempo de procesamiento. 

Para los cuatro formularios piloto, la información que muestra la página web refleja una nueva metodología para recolectar datos y calcular los tiempos de procesamiento. La nueva metodología es automatizada, más precisa, y permite a USCIS publicar información de los tiempos de procesamiento dentro de un plazo de dos semanas en comparación con las seis semanas bajo la metodología anterior. 

La página actualizada muestra los tiempos de procesamiento por escala para cada formulario a base de la fecha en que USCIS lo recibió. El tiempo mínimo para los formularios piloto muestra el tiempo que toma completar 50 por ciento de los casos, y el tiempo máximo muestra el tiempo que toma completar el 93 por ciento de los casos. El máximo de tiempo para los formularios que no forman parte del piloto será ajustado un 30 por ciento por encima del tiempo del ciclo actual, a fin de reflejar el tiempo que toma completar la mayoría de los casos. 

Los solicitantes, peticionarios y requeridores pueden crear una cuenta en línea en uscis.gov/casestatus para seguir el estatus de sus casos. Pueden hacer una consulta de caso “fuera del tiempo de procesamiento normal” para cualquier caso pendiente por más tiempo del listado para el máximo de tiempo establecido, presentando una petición de servicio en línea o llamando al Centro de Contacto de USCIS al 800-375-5283. 

USCIS continuará utilizando los comentarios de los usuarios durante la fase de prueba y expandirá esta metodología a formularios adicionales en el futuro. 

Fuente: El Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos (USCIS)
http://www.inmigracionyvisas.com/a3779-sitio-web-para-Tiempos-de-Procesamiento-de-Solicitudes-mas-Precisos.html

Cómo Extender Un Permiso De Trabajo En Canadá

 

Sin duda el sistema de inmigración de Canadá, con respecto a los trabajadores extranjeros temporales ha cambiado en los últimos años. Cada vez hay mayor oportunidad para que las compañías decidan contratar profesionales especializados o trabajadores manuales que son considerados como elementos valiosos en el funcionamiento y desarrollo de sectores productivos como, por ejemplo el agropecuario.

En el siguiente vídeo el Consultor Autorizado en Inmigración Canadá y Quebec Jesús Hernández Limones, explica los procedimientos y requisitos para poder extender un permiso de trabajo, para el trabajador que es contratado para un proyecto o período específico y que quiera extender la vigencia de su visa de trabajo. 

Fuente: YouTube CI Canadá 

http://www.inmigracionyvisas.com/a3778-extender-permiso-trabajo-en-Canada.html

 

Written by Tory Johnson 

Immigration enforcement has become increasingly severe, especially in the past year. Yet news coverage often merely scratches the surface of what people across the country are experiencing. Consequently, one topic that often gets left out of the larger conversation is the deep and lasting impact immigration enforcement has on the education of children. 

Increasingly, education and childcare professionals report that this harsh approach to immigration enforcement is harming the environment in schools and childcare centers and, more broadly, the communities of students and families they serve. Two recent multi-state surveys add to a growing body of evidence demonstrating how immigration enforcement negatively affects children in the United States. 

The first, a national survey of pre-K through high school educators conducted by the Civil Rights Project at UCLA, reveals that immigration enforcement has negatively impacted U.S. schools and classrooms. Of the 5,438 teachers, administrators, and other school staff surveyed between October 2017 and January 2018, 73 percent observed potential impacts of immigration enforcement at their school. 

“Fear” and “separation” were the two most common words used when describing students’ immigration concerns, based on about 3,500 responses from personnel in 730 schools in 12 states. Thousands of educators described how their students from immigrant families, the vast majority of whom are U.S.-born, “were terrified that families and friends, and occasionally they themselves, would be picked up by ICE… [and] that it was, at times, very difficult for students to learn and teachers to teach.” 

Educators reported student absences, decline in academic performance, and less involvement from parents as some of the impacts on immigrant students. In addition, the UCLA survey found that: 

• 84 percent of educators reported having immigrant students express concerns about immigration enforcement while at school, such as fear of their parents being taken away.
• Nearly 90 percent of school administrators observed immigrant students experiencing behavioral or emotional problems, most often related to fear and anxiety.
• Two-thirds of educators said their students were indirectly affected by immigration enforcement, due to concern for classmates whose families are targeted by enforcement actions, which affected the overall learning environment.

The second study illustrates how immigration enforcement is affecting children even before they are old enough to attend school. The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) interviewed over 150 early childhood educators and parents in six states between May and November 2017, finding that young children experience daily fear, stress, and uncertainty in connection to immigration enforcement. 

Through conversations with early care and education providers, community-based social service providers, and immigrant parents, CLASP documented how children as young as three-years-old fear they will lose a parent to deportation—even if the parent has legal status. 

Among the most concerning impacts of immigration enforcement documented by CLASP, providers interviewed reported: 

• Declines in enrollment, attendance, and parent participation at early care and education programs.
• Greater reluctance among immigrant families to access needed health, nutrition, and social services.
• Difficulty meeting the needs of immigrant families in this climate, such as legal advice, rights trainings, and information about policy implications.

These hardships—recognized by medical professionals as toxic stress —have been shown to have long-standing detrimental effects on a child’s development and well-being. With such high stakes, it is ever more concerning that immigration enforcement is exposing children to these risks at such a young age. 

These recent studies highlight the serious, detrimental effects of harsh immigration enforcement. Policymakers and citizens alike must recognize how aggressive immigration threatens our collective future, and instead pursue solutions that work for us all.

 

 

Source: www.immigrationimpact.com 

http://inmigracionyvisas.com/a3777-How-Aggressive-Immigration-Hurts-Schools.html 

Pasos y Consejos Para Obtener La Visa De Estudiante En Estado Unidos

Compartimos el vídeo del canal de YouTube Lumos Language School donde Christian de Chile explica a nuestros espectadores que hablan español los pasos necesarios para obtener una visa de estudiante para venir a estudiar a los Estados Unidos

 

 

 

A Continuacion 5 consejos sobre cómo venir a los Estados Unidos con su Visa de Estudiante F1

 

 

Fuente: Lumos Language School

http://inmigracionyvisas.com/a3776-pasos-consejos-solicitud-visa-estudiante-estados-unidos.html

Visa Para Trabajadores Temporales Y Los Abusos En Los Campos De Estados Unidos

Compartimos el vídeo del canal de YouTube Telemundo Indy donde Cincy Petrov Alfaro y Esteban Ortiz, de la organización sin fines de lucro, hablan en el programa En Contexto con Luis Navarro sobre la diferencia entre el Tráfico Humano y la Trata de Personas y por qué los migrantes que vienen a trabajar a los campos de Estados Unidos son más propensos a sufrir de estos abusos.

 

Continuamos con la segunda parte del vídeo

 

 

Fuente: YouTube Telemundo Indy
http://inmigracionyvisas.com/a3775-abusos-a-trabajadores-agricolas-en-Estados-Unidos.html

When Detention Is a Death Sentence

 

Written by Tory Johnson 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is pursuing a massive increase in resources for immigrant detention centers, a fundamentally flawed network of largely privatized and remote facilities used to hold immigrants. Yet this already unwieldy system has a concerning history of abuses and substandard conditions, which would likely only worsen with the proposed expansion.

The country has been reminded of these fatal flaws multiple times in the last few months, as more people die while in the supposed care of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) .

Just last month, Luis Ramirez-Marcano, 59, died while in ICE custody. Ramirez-Marcano, a Cuban national, had been detained at the Krome Detention Center in Florida since January. He is the third person to die under ICE’s watch since Oct. 1, the start of fiscal year 2018. 

Three weeks prior, 33-year-old Yulio Castro-Garrido, also of Cuba, died in ICE custody after being detained in the Stewart facility in Lumpkin, Ga. While records show Castro-Garrido died of pneumonia, his family is investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. 

In December, 64-year-old Kamyar Samimi died of a heart attack while in ICE custody. Samimi, who was from Iran but lived in the United States for over 40 years, had been detained in Aurora, Co., for only two weeks. His death is being investigated as well. 

All three of these ICE detention facilities—Krome in Florida, Stewart in Georgia, and Aurora in Colorado have a concerning history of documented or alleged abuses. Moreover, ICE has contracts with private companies for some or all operations at each facility. Sadly, these conditions are a trend throughout U.S. immigration detention, which includes some 600 facilities used to detain 38,000 people every day, on average. 

Any loss of human life is a tragedy, but it is also outrageous when neglect contributes to a death. Sadly, the poor to appalling state of immigrant detention has been shown to contribute to detainee deaths. DHS and its component agencies, including ICE, have a record going back more than a decade of people dying while in their custody—179 people since 2003. In some cases, the abysmal medical care provided at facilities was cited as a major contributing factor in the person’s death. 

With detention expansion being a central part of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement agenda, there is even greater need to understand the reality within immigrant detention—and how it impacts those outside. 

As Frank Suarez-Garrido, the younger brother of Ramirez-Marcano, said, “It is just so unfair that [Luis] went [to detention] in full health, full of dreams, full of everything that an immigrant has to be better in this country and he just came out as a dead body.” 

A rapid expansion of detention would not only require an influx of allocated tax dollars, it would only exacerbate the grave problems already evident in such facilities. To do so would endanger the lives of thousands of people and contradict the fundamental values of our country.

Source: www.immigrationimpact.com 

http://inmigracionyvisas.com/a3774-When-Detention-Is-a-Death-Sentence.html

Manitoba, Canadá Busca Trabajadores Extranjeros Calificados

Manitoba, la más oriental de las provincias de las praderas canadienses, conocida como “La Gema”, busca extranjeros calificados que se sumen a la productividad de sus principales ciudades. La provincia de Manitoba fundamenta su atractivo en su baja tasa de desempleo y en una economía dinámica y productiva, con grandes oportunidades en los sectores manufacturero, agrícola, minero e hidroeléctrico.

Al igual que Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan y otras provincias canadienses, Manitoba puede seleccionar de manera autónoma a los extranjeros que califiquen para integrarse exitosamente en el mercado laboral de esa región.

Sin embargo, el gobierno federal de Canadá es el que emite la aprobación final de las visas de residencia permanente. 

El análisis con Jesús Hernández Limones, Consultor Autorizado en Inmigración Canadá y Quebec. 

Fuente: YouTube CI Canadá 

http://inmigracionyvisas.com/a3773-Manitoba-busca-trabajadores-calificados.html

Abierto Período de Reinscripción para Sirios con Estatus de Protección Temporal

 

Los beneficiarios actuales del Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS, por sus siglas en inglés) bajo la designación de Siria que quieran mantener su estatus hasta el 30 de septiembre de 2019 deben reinscribirse entre el 5 de marzo y el 4 de mayo de 2018. Los procedimientos para la reinscripción, incluso cómo renovar el Documento de Autorización de Empleo han sido publicados en el Registro Federal y en el sitio web de USCIS.

Todos los solicitantes deben presentar el Formulario I-821, Solicitud de Estatus de Protección Temporal. Los solicitantes pueden también pedir un Documento de Autorización de Empleo presentando el Formulario I-765, o separadamente en una fecha posterior. 

USCIS expedirá un nuevo EAD con fecha del 30 de septiembre de 2019, fecha de expiración para beneficiarios de TPS sirios elegibles que se reinscriban y soliciten EAD a tiempo. Sin embargo, debido a los tiempos de procesamiento de las solicitudes de inscripción a TPS, USCIS extenderá automáticamente por 180 días la validez de los EAD con fecha de expiración del 31 de marzo, hasta el 27 de septiembre. 

Para ser elegible a TPS bajo la designación actual de Siria, las personas deben haber residido continuamente en Estados Unidos desde el 1 de agosto de 2016, y haber estado presentes físicamente en EE.UU. desde el 1 de octubre de 2016, así como cumplir con los otros requisitos de elegibilidad. 

El 31 de enero, la Secretaria del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, Kirstjen M. Nielsen, anunció su determinación de que las condiciones para justificar el TPS para Siria continúan. La Secretaria hizo su determinación luego de revisar las condiciones del país y consultar con las agencias estadounidenses apropiadas. Antes de que termine el período de extensión de 18 meses, la Secretaria revisará las condiciones en Siria a fin de determinar si su designación a TPS debe ser extendida nuevamente o terminada. 

Fuente: El Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos 

http://inmigracionyvisas.com/a3772-abierta-reinscripcion-para-sirios-con-TPS.html