Daily, non-citizens at ports of entry, and within the United States, face expedited removal – the deportation of an undocumented person without a chance to plead his or her case before an immigration judge. Many immigrants also face the reinstatement of prior orders of removal, which can, in turn, also trigger an order for an expedited removal, despite close family and community ties in the United States.

On August 12th, co-founding attorney Stephen Manning drew on his extensive experience and expertise in presenting strategies for dealing with reinstated orders of removal, expedited removal and the double whammy of both scenarios at once.

As part of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) ongoing audio and web seminars, Manning joined two other decorated immigration attorneys for the presentation. To purchase and download the seminar, click here.

The story of Blanca Catt, a client of Immigrant Law Group, crystallizes the arbitrary and dysfunctional enforcement of a broken immigration system. It has a happy ending, however, as we learned this week Blanca's U visa has been approved.

Blanca was brought to the United States from Mexico as a toddler, and then taken from abusive parents and placed in foster care. Her new parents believed Blanca already had her citizenship when they adopted her, and it wasn't until she was 16 that they found out she was undocumented. Unable to get a driver's permit or do many things normal kids do, her life became wrapped in a constant fear of deportation to a country she never knew.

Blanca's story was first picked up by Portland's daily newspaper of record, The Oregonian. You can read their original article and watch a video interview with her and her mother. The paper then followed with an editorial in support of Blanca's case, noting that "the practical and moral difficulty of disentangling [immigrant families] often goes unmentioned when Americans demand that our illegal population be deported." The story has since been picked up by ABC News, the news wire UPI and local TV station KOIN, among others.

Too often the numbers and policy talk obscure the human stories behind the immigration debate, making it easy for opponents to demonize immigrants or support unjust immigration policies. Stories like that of Blanca can make a powerful impact.

The happy prologue: this week our office learned that Blanca Catt's U visa -- a temporary visa granted to immigrant crime victims -- has been approved. Read more in today's Oregonian. However, in a twist that highlights even further the problems of our immigration system, the annual quota of 10,000 U-Visa's has already been filled, meaning Blanca must wait until the next fiscal year begins in October for the government to begin issuing more U visas.

The Visa Waiver Program allows nationals of 36 countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without having to apply for a visa.  However, participants are required to give up important constitutional and statutory rights in order to use the program.  This practice advisory describes the background of the Visa Waiver Program and some of the present legal challenges brought in the courts. <div>

"It was one of the best summer experiences I've ever had," says Laura L. Lunn, the ILG 2010 Summer Fellow.  "The breadth and scope of the disaster of government policies, legislation, and public opinion that is based on myths that impacts immigrant communities was terrifying to witness."  A native of Michigan, Laura is entering her third year at the University of Iowa School of Law.  Her efforts this summer, summarized in this report, were intended to advance the progressive cause of immigrant rights using social justice models and litigation.  "I couldn't have wished for a better summer experience," Laura explains.  "The firm was very supportive, I made great friends and for me, best of all, I contributed to making our nation a safer place for immigrants and refugees."  Read her report here.