This year, the 4th July holiday was more than a celebration of the nation's independence for many immigrants. Naturalization ceremonies, organized by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS), were held all over the country. In California, a ceremony at the Los Angeles Convention Center allowed thousands of people realize their dream of becoming US citizens.
California couple struggles with immigration laws
United States federal law recognizes only marriages between heterosexual couples. This means that homosexual Americans cannot exercise the rights of a married couple, including the right to keep one's spouse in the country after marriage if the spouse is an immigrant. A news story released in California tells the story of a gay married couple, one of whom is an Australian immigrant, fighting to stay together.
Workers without green cards the focus of San Diego E-Verify program
Thousands of people come to the United States to find work every year. But in order to do so, many workers come into the country illegally, despite not being eligible for a green card. There has been much discussion on Capitol Hill over the past few years on this issue, and a new immigration law has been proposed that will require employers to verify that their employees are legally permitted to work in the country. California, like many other states, has begun to investigate whether the newly introduced E-verify measures are reasonable.
Two men arrested in green card forgery ring
Becoming a U.S. citizen can be a long and difficult process. Many foreign nationals come to the U.S. on temporary work visas, but removal of conditional residences status prevents these people from acquiring green cards, without which they cannot legally stay in the U.S.. Because of this, immigrants sometimes resort to other methods in order to stay and maintain the only life that they have known. Unfortunately, these methods do have legal risks.
