Saturday, March 09, 2013

Painfully Blunt Immigration Talk

I seldom write about immigration and lawyers. I hope that somehow this reaches its intended audience.
The intended audience is the American people and those who want to join our family.

Prior to becoming part of the system I had my fair share of stereotypes about lawyers. The standard refrains are all lawyers are crooks in training. Yes, there are bad lawyers, but they are in the minority. There are plenty of bad teachers, policeman, accountants and immigration officers. However, the fact that there potentially bad ones out there should never deter you from getting proper guidance on a life changing event.

Lets also leave out the notion that immigrants are a saintly lot of ignorant people confused by the system. Many of them make stupid choices and knowingly take false paths to get a green card via fake asylum claims, temporary worker scams, fake employment cases, fake marriages, adoption scams and the fiance shortcut. When I get a huge file on my desk most of the time it is because some dimwit took a short cut or decided they don't need expensive lawyers.

A fictional example of a contrived case is person  Z from  the country Uncoutholand. Z entered the USA in 1992 and he found a shady lawyer promising to help him get a green card through a work  related visa as a mule skinner. There may actually be a plant that employs this type of trade, but is Z qualified or intending to do this job. Does the USA posses ample low skilled workers to fill this job.  Z is not specially qualified for the job and knows it. We allow the immigrants to feign ignorance for their
role as unknowing victims but the reality is more complex.

We think of the above as a victimless  crime but it is not. Z has cut the line at the expense of people who have played by the rules. His application is a waste of resources that delay other peoples cases. On top of this many people like Z have the nerve to file mandamus lawsuits and run to a local official. I have ample sympathy for those with ordinary cases who do these things. People whose cases have layers of fraud are the first to complain and complain the loudest.

to be continued

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