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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson has designated Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of 18 months. The Secretary has determined that due to the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, these countries are experiencing extraordinary and temporary conditions that prevent […]
Continue Reading Pro-immigration advocates expect the White House to announce administrative relief to millions of undocumented individuals currently residing inside the United States. The President has signaled that he would act on his own before the end of the year if Congress does not act. Pressure has been mounting on the White House to act in the […]
Continue Reading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) announced yesterday that it would be closing its controversial family detention center in Artesia, New Mexico, by the end of the year. ICE, in claiming that the Artesia facility had always been temporary in nature, announced that a new residential facility in Dilley, Texas, would be operational by December. The […]
Continue Reading Senior Associate Attorney Jennifer Casey was recently published in an opinion piece featured on Fox News Latino. Jennifer recently spent a week volunteering as a pro bono attorney in Artesia, New Mexico, assisting women and children fleeing violence and persecution in Central America. Her opinion piece recapped her observations as a volunteer, and reflected on […]
Continue Reading Under the United Nations Refugee Convention and U.S. Immigration law, an individual in the United States who expresses a fear of harm or torture upon their return to their home country is afforded the opportunity to apply for asylum protection. In order to qualify for asylum in the United States, a person must demonstrate that […]
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Managing Partner David Kolko was honored by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”), along with a host of other volunteer attorneys, for his efforts in coordinating pro bono efforts to respond to the humanitarian crisis along our southern border. AILA recognized 16 attorneys, largely based in Colorado, for being “First Responders” and coordinating immediate leal […]
Continue Reading Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson has determined that the conditions that warranted the designation of Nicaragua and Honduras for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in 1998 – i.e., Hurricane Mitch – continue to exist and that because of these conditions, these two countries remain unable, temporarily to adequately handle the return of their […]
Continue Reading Marriage equality is now the law of the land in Colorado! This morning, the United States Supreme Court declined to review seven cases involving marriage equality decisions. By declining to hear the cases, this gave the legal effect of marriage equality in Colorado and several other states. County clerks around the state are now scrambling […]
Continue Reading The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was signed into law in 2006 with very good intentions. However, in the realm of immigration, part of the Adam Walsh Act prohibits some United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from filing visa petitions for their family members if they have been convicted of a crime […]
Continue Reading Colorado and Washington have recently legalized marijuana use and possession in small quantities. In fact, they join a total of 23 states and the District of Columbia which have some sort of permissible marijuana use, including medical marijuana. 14 states have decriminalized its possession or use. However, marijuana possession and use are still crimes for […]
Continue Reading Under the Colorado Employment Verification Law (C.R.S. 8-2-122), all public and private employers who contract business in the state of Colorado are required to complete and retain the Colorado Affirmation Form for each employee hired on or after January 1, 2007. The Colorado Affirmation Form must be completed by the employer within 20 calendar days […]
Continue Reading Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson has determined that the ongoing armed conflict and other extraordinary and temporary conditions in Sudan and South Sudan prevent nationals of those countries from returning to these states in safety. In light of this, the Secretary has announced the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Sudan […]
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