Like many around the country, Norris McLaughlin has spent the last six months closely monitoring the ongoing situation related to the global COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on business operations. During this time, as we shifted our long-standing brick and mortar office operations to 100% remote capacity, our highest priority has been the health and safety of our employees, clients, and office visitors. As we continue to face the challenges of this pandemic, we have maintained a steadfast commitment to providing a high level of service that our clients have come to expect.
As we monitor and follow each state’s plan for reopening, it is important to note that the return dates for each of our offices differ and they have shifted as dictated by the health and welfare of our local communities, in conjunction with the direction and guidance of each state's governor, our local building managers, and the CDC.
To better help you prepare for the reopening of your own businesses, we established a new information source – the COVID-19: Back to Business Center — to provide the most current and up-to-date guidance and resources at your fingertips for how to best and most safely get “back to business.” Click here to discover more on our website! #COVID19 #ReturnToWork #BackToBusiness
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Law Firm Serving New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania
The COVID-19 global shutdown that is leading to a transformation from a typical workday at the office to a new remote workforce in nearly every industry, taken together with the recent executive orders banning American Consulates across the globe from issuing or renewing any H-1B and other non-immigrant and immigrant employment visas are causing a pause to many of the nation’s largest employers about whether a workforce in the United States is even necessary.
With the uncertainty of the spread of COVID-19 and the ease of remote operations globally, American companies that have long relied on the recruitment of foreign talent through the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program are now rethinking their immigration recruitment models. Read an article by Ray Lahoud, Chair of the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group, on Enterprisetechsuccess for more info! http://ow.ly/8qd250ByhDW #Immigration #H1BVisa #Offshore
Legislation to grant a driver’s license to undocumented immigrants has been introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. If passed, this bill would enable many immigrants to legally apply for and receive a driver’s license. These non-citizens are otherwise unable to acquire a license due to the lack of Social Security number and legal status.
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia currently allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. Find out more from the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group Chair, Ray Lahoud, on our immigration law blog, "Immigration Matters!" #PA #Immigration
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Pennsylvania Proposes Driver's License for Undocumented Immigrants
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to expand the use of biometric data in determining family relationships for immigration purposes. A proposed rule with the new protocols for biometrics use is expected to be published soon.
The proposed rule will give the DHS the authority to require biometrics use for every application, petition, or related immigration matter. Learn more from the Chair of the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group, Ray Lahoud, on our immigration law blog, "Immigration Matters!" #Immigration #Naturalization #Citizenship
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Homeland Security Expands Use of Biometric Data in Immigration
It's that time of year again! Please vote for us and all the best local businesses in the NJBIZ Reader Rankings Contest, celebrating and recognizing the community favorites. Find us in the "Law Firm" category under Professional Services. Click here to vote, but do it soon because voting closes October 2! We humbly thank you in advance. http://ow.ly/cxQY50BtZfv #NorrisMcLaughlin #Attorneys #Lawyer
Have a sweet New Year! #RoshHashanah
On September 14, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a decision of a federal judge that had preserved Temporary Protected Status for citizens of El Salvador, Haiti, Sudan, and Nicaragua. Current TPS holders are urged to consult with an immigration attorney to explore any other form of relief that may be available to them.
Learn more from the Chair of the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group, Ray Lahoud, on our immigration law blog, "Immigration Matters!" #Immigration #Status #TPS
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Ninth Circuit Allows the End of Temporary Protected Status
Ray Lahoud, Chair of the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group, recently spoke with HR Dive about the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, audits, and USCIS enforcement. He says, "As a whole, in the past, employers have not paid as much attention as they should to the process. Some employers — you’d be shocked — their whole workforce could be undocumented.... Employers need to wake up to the idea that enforcement is happening."
Read the full article on their website, here! #Immigration #Employers #HR
HRDIVE.COM
Back to Basics: Explaining Form I-9
The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a new rule that would significantly change immigration rules for international students in the United States. If approved, the proposed rule will constitute the most far-reaching change in the student visa system in the last 20 years.
Learn more from the Chair of the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group, Ray Lahoud, on our immigration law blog, "Immigration Matters!" #Immigration #StudentVisa #InternationalStudents
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International Students Impacted: Major Changes Proposed to Student Visa
On September 29, a federal judge for the Northern District of California issued a nationwide injunction blocking the USCIS from implementing their fee increase rule that had been set to take effect today, October 2. The ruling prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing the increased fee rule while the lawsuit challenging the rule continues to be litigated.
Learn what the fee rule would change and how it would affect employers and applicants on our immigration law blog, "Immigration Matters," with the latest post by the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group Chair, Ray Lahoud! #Immigration #Employers #Visas
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USCIS Fee Increase Blocked by California Federal Judge
Driving PA Forward, along with the students and faculty of Villanova University’s Framework Legal Advocacy Clinic, has released a report that found that Pennsylvania Department of Transportation shares drivers’ personal information without being able to determine how the details revealed are going to be used.
Certain parts of the report were confirmed by PennDOT, while the agency asserted there were some inaccuracies. Find out more from Chair of the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group, Ray Lahoud, on our immigration law blog, “Immigration Matters!” #PA #Immigration
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Driving PA Forward Finds PennDOT Sharing Drivers’ Personal Information
TONIGHT at 7:30 PM on Facebook Live! Please join our Litigation Practice Group Co-Chair, Dan Guadalupe, in the InQmatic web show to discuss the potential economic impact after this year’s election, depending on which party will win. Dan will address what the candidates' immigration-level and economic recovery proposals are, as well as why participation is crucial for business owners.
This web show allows participants to ask questions live and interact with business resources. Mark your calendars now! #Business #BusinessOwners #CorporateLaw
Despendejeate el show: Elecciones y dueños de negocios hispanos ¿qué esperar?
InQmatic was live.
October 25 at 6:43 PM ·
Estamos a una semana de unas elecciones que pueden ser trascendentales para los hispanos, incluido los dueños de negocios.
¿Cuáles son las propuestas a nivel de inmigración de los candidato?
¿Cuáles son las propuestas para la recuperación económica?
¿Por qué es importante la participación?
Esto lo trataremos con Daniel Guadalupe, asesor legal y comentarista político!
Acompáñanos!
InQmatic was live.
October 25 at 6:43 PM ·
Estamos a una semana de unas elecciones que pueden ser trascendentales para los hispanos, incluido los dueños de negocios.
¿Cuáles son las propuestas a nivel de inmigración de los candidato?
¿Cuáles son las propuestas para la recuperación económica?
¿Por qué es importante la participación?
Esto lo trataremos con Daniel Guadalupe, asesor legal y comentarista político!
Acompáñanos!
ICE has announced the arrests of 15 nonimmigrant students through Operation OPTical Illusion. The students, who claimed to be employed by companies that don’t exist, who were found to have allegedly participated in work visa fraud to extend their stay in the United States.
Under OPT, nonimmigrant students can work in their field of study for a period of one year, and students who participate in STEM programs get an additional 24 months to work in the United States. Earlier this month, DHS proposed a new rule that significantly changed immigration rules for international students in the United States.
Find out more from the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group Chair, Ray Lahoud, on our latest immigration law blog, "Immigration Matters," post! #Immigration #StudentVisa #InternationalStudents
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ICE Arrests International Students in Operation OPTical Illusion
Please join our attorneys, Ray Lahoud, Rebecca Warren, and William Menard, tomorrow for the free I-9 compliance webinar, “Employee Immigration Verification Before, During, Beyond COVID, and the Inevitable ICE Audit,” hosted by the Lehigh Valley Chamber!
Find out the latest updates to the I-9 verification process resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, recently instituted restrictions on visas for foreign employees, and some of the ways employers can manage these new rules and minimize disruption to their day-to-day operations. Don't forget to register - click here now! #BusinessOwners #Employers #HR #Immigration
NORRISMCLAUGHLIN.COM
I-9 Compliance Before, During, Beyond COVID & the Inevitable ICE Audit
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE concluded a targeted enforcement operation, which lasted for a week. The operation resulted in 170+ at-large aliens arrested throughout the United States in cities with sanctuary policies, such as New York; Seattle; Denver; Philadelphia; Baltimore; and Washington, D.C.
In a press release, ICE stated that more than 80% of those arrested had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges at the time of the arrest. Find out more from the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group Chair, Ray Lahoud, on our immigration law blog, "Immigration Matters!" #Immigration #NYC #Philadelphia
NORRISMCLAUGHLIN.COM
172 Immigrants Arrested in Sanctuary Cities by ICE in Six Days
Find out what Ray Lahoud, Chair of the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group, said to The College Post is "'the biggest change' to the student visa system" in their recent article, "Another Policy Against International Students: Restricting Visa Durations." Click here to read more! #Immigration #InternationalStudents #StudentVisa
THECOLLEGEPOST.COM
Another Policy Against International Students: Restricting Visa Durations
The number of international students enrolled at U.S. universities fell by 43% this fall, according to a survey conducted in more than 700 schools. This is the largest decrease recorded by the Institute of International Education. Primary reasons for this are the ongoing pandemic and the recent changes to the U.S. immigration system, both of which dilute the zeal of aspiring students.
The pandemic has only exacerbated the chaos for many international students who are in the midst of graduating. Discover more from the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group Chair, Ray Lahoud, on our immigration law blog, "Immigration Matters!" #Immigration #InternationalStudent #CollegesAndUniversities
NORRISMCLAUGHLIN.COM
International Student Enrollment in U.S. Universities Drastically Drops
New Jersey state officials recently released 2,261 inmates, creating a 15% single-day drop in the state prison population. Releasing the inmates was a step by lawmakers to curtail the spread of the coronavirus in the prisons. Among the prisoners released, eleven tested positive for COVID-19. It is expected that 1,000 more inmates will be released in the coming months.
On November 4, ICE in Newark arrested 88 of the inmates who had been released. All those inmates had criminal violations and were either offenders or convicted of serious crimes. Immigrant advocates from various organizations raised concerns about such detention during the pandemic. Find out more from the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group Chair, Ray Lahoud, on our latest immigration law blog, "Immigration Matters," post! #Immigration #NJ #COVID19
NORRISMCLAUGHLIN.COM
ICE Arrests 88 Inmates Released From New Jersey Prison
We are a proud sponsor of the Lehigh Valley Chamber's Annual Meeting on Thursday, November 19! For the first time ever, the event is FREE to watch, so don't miss out! Learn more about the event and register to watch here: http://ow.ly/sDl250Ci6Dp #GLVCC #LehighValley #PA
To all our service men and women past and present: thank you for your service, sacrifice, and support. #VeteransDay
Today, in support of the American Heart Association's National Wear Red Day and New Jersey's Go Red for Women campaign, we are once again lighting up our building sign in red and encouraging all our attorneys and staff to wear red from home! By participating, we are hoping to raise awareness about heart disease in women, urging everyone to learn about the risk for heart disease and how to take steps to lower that risk. #WearRedDay #GoRedForWomen #WearRedAndGive #GLOWingRed #HeartMonth
In 2000, Congress created the U visa to encourage victims of criminal activities to come forward and cooperate with law enforcement authorities, to ultimately improve public safety. In exchange for this cooperation, victims can potentially obtain legal status in the United States.
However, the wait to get a U visa approved can run into many years. Currently, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is processing U visa applications from March 2016. Discover more in the latest post by the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group Chair, Ray Lahoud, on our immigration law blog, "Immigration Matters!" http://ow.ly/D7LD50DrGdO #Immigration #HomelandSecurity #Visa
NORRISMCLAUGHLIN.COM
USCIS U Visa Program Faces Prolonged Delays From March 2016
If you missed last week's, “Immigration Virtual Town Hall: COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Updates for Businesses, Health Care Providers, Colleges and Universities, and Individuals,” presented by our immigration attorneys, Ray Lahoud, the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group Chair, and William Menard, the recording is now available!
In the webinar, they discussed COVID-19 travel restrictions on visas and travel to the United States and the effects on employers and employees, exceptions to the travel restrictions, and recent updates for 2021. Check it out on our recorded webinars page! http://ow.ly/w3d650Dqkzv #Immigration #InternationalBusiness #Employers
In October 2019, Martine Mbitaze had filed a complaint against the City of Greenbelt alleging that the city had refused to hire her based on her national origin and citizenship status and had engaged in document abuse in violation of 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1324b. On October 1, 2020, the Court granted summary judgment to the City of Greenbelt on the discrimination claims, but found the City engaged in document abuse in that it “asked for, and insisted upon, more documents than required” for Mbitaze, who “is a derivative citizen.”
Learn more from this real-world case in the latest post by the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Practice Group Chair, Ray Lahoud, on our immigration law blog, "Immigration Matters!" http://ow.ly/IuUm50Dpxd9 #Immigration #Discrimination #Employers
NORRISMCLAUGHLIN.COM
ALJ Declines to Award Damages, Civil Penalties in Document Abuse Case
This week, a federal judge in Texas issued a 14-day nationwide temporary restraining order blocking the enforcement of President Biden’s 100-day pause on most deportations, Alejandro Mayorkas has been nominated as DHS Secretary, and a second round of executive orders and policy proposals regarding asylum resettlement and reunification of families is expected.
Catch up on the latest immigration law news in the weekly round-up by our immigration attorney, William Menard, on the Norris McLaughlin Immigration Law Blog, "Immigration Matters!" #Immigration #Deportation #Citizenship
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Weekly Round-Up: Deportation; DHS Leaders; Biden’s Executive Actions
