Legal Residents Sue Over Green Card Delay

[owenkrout]

Maybe there is a lawyer around who is willing to take on the government for their slow motion progress (or lack there of) on processing name checks. At least there is one that is willing to sue over the current delays on obtaining Green Cards.

 

Legal Residents Sue Over Green Card Delay

 

May 28, 4:29 PM (ET)

 

By LYNN BREZOSKY

 

HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) - More than a dozen legal U.S. residents sued the federal government Wednesday seeking relief from a sometimes months-long delay in getting their green cards.

 

Plaintiffs' attorneys blamed the delay on national security crackdowns following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and confusion from the Immigration and Naturalization Service being absorbed into the Homeland Security Department.

 

"It used to be a matter of a few weeks. It's definitely taking longer," said Javier Maldonado of the Texas Lawyer's Committee, a civil rights group.

 

The committee and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed the lawsuit in federal court in McAllen. It names as defendants, among others, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Eduardo Aguirre Jr., acting director for the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.

 

Maldonado said he hopes the lawsuit will prompt the government to at least issue temporary documents. For each plaintiff, Maldonado said, fingerprinting and background checking have been completed, and a judge has awarded legal permanent residency.

 

Mary Elena Garcia, spokeswoman for Homeland Security, said the department was exercising an overall caution in processing immigrants' benefits since the terrorist hijackings on the East Coast.

 

"Are we trying to make strides in trying to speed up the process? We are," she said. "But we are also trying to take steps that no bad individuals receive benefits they're not entitled to. The way we do business post-September 11 has definitely changed."

 

Plaintiff Roberto Carrera of Temple has been expecting his green card since February.

 

"I can't get my driver's license, which means I can't get a job, I'm not getting any kind of money," he said. "I really need to work so I can get myself on my feet."

 

Carrera, who attended school in Texas and has no memory of Mexico, also was turned away when he tried to join the military or attend junior college.

 

"My friends are American citizens," he said. "They move on. I look at myself and there's something holding me back. It kind of makes me feel like an outcast."

 

Crystal Williams, spokeswoman for the American Immigration Lawyers' Association, said the problem is nationwide, "anywhere where there's an immigration court."

 

Williams sees a disconnect between the Justice Department, which determines legal residency, and the Homeland Security Department, which processes it.

 

"Getting two different agencies to work together is a tremendous problem," she said. "It's always been a seat-of-the-pants affair."

[Mick]

"Getting two different agencies to work together is a tremendous problem".

 

Lest we forget, when the debate was raging about the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, the biggest argument in favor of it was the promise that interagency "turf wars" would be a thing of the past.

 

Glad to see this process is working out so well.

[Guest R2D2]

Isn't everyone tired of lies and smokescreens? I have been silent these last few months and stepped down from moderator because of the idiocy of the American people towards this admimistration. This is a " me" doctrine of what is good for me is good for the Country. Clinton has it right but I deplore his GAFTA inclusion. If you think that NVC was put in place to bring non-white people to this Country, then think again! Where is the WMD? We have killed thousands of people these last few month and have maimed women and children in a "just" war.

This process was, and is, put into place to extend the Chinese Exclusionary Act. If you think that looking away and burying your head in the sand is going to make things better, then think again. Freedom was not won by the masses that go along with an unAmerican program. America is not what is being displayed to the World today and it is about time that we, as Americans, take a stand and state that Benjamin Franklin was right. "If I should choose security or freedom, I will coose freedom everytime!!!"

[rocksplit]

Good to read your thoughts and glad to unite behind Ben Franklin!

 

Glad you're breaking your silence R2D2! Thank you!

 

As to lies and boilerplate messages as smokescreens:

Just tired of them would be nice! I am sickened by my perceived inability to do anything about it and have developed an acute inflammation to code red. I suspect the Chinese Exclusionary Act is classifiably a part of the lucid, certainly less then brilliant axis of Evil thinking.

We have a huge array of weapons at our disposal, helping the entire world selectively towards justice and freedom against any wrongful or deceptive leadership or occupational forces with unreasonable selfish intents. FoIA might have lost effectiveness but we proudly stand united behind Homeland security.

 

I wish to do the right thing and have to confess to be concerned for the "me". Fair disclosure: My conservation attempts, karma and otherwise, can be dismissed as liberally misguided.

 

In the spirit of maintaining some semblance of a healthy equilibrium I express what little gratefulness I can muster up for the present administration:

 

Security concerns work wonders: I now clearly see the need for additional security: best to start right here at home where we are most vulnerable. I indeed yearn for protection of our freedom and liberty from our own government. Our ideals! Where have they gone?

We count on nothing but the truth and the whole truth from our government while it serves itself and some people hand in hand with customary efficiency. (As of now I am not being a part of them , name check still pending with no answers to e- mails or faxes).

To further improve this trust a good dose of critical thinking warmly fostered by education will improve the details. (Faith based initiatives can be counted on to show where the devil hides!)

 

Oh, let's nor forget the importance of an unselfish media, isn't it growing? Everyone can enjoy increased access to multitudes of perspectives conveniently edited. The interest of the common good at heart!

 

 

Sorry for venting and a big thank you for CfL

 

Daniel

[Guest R2D2]

I too am sorry for the venting. I feel that this administration (Congress and the Senate included) failed to even pick up a history book, much less read one, or talk to people that lived through the history ( I was a little boy in Egypt during the start of the Gaza Strip war). I had a team of Arabian horses that I would put blinders on and they needed them! Oh well, back to patiently waiting.

[chinadave2001]

For what it's worth, this story was also covered on CNN last night.

Dave