U.S. Department of Justice
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Office of Management Programs
5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 1902 Falls Church, Virginia 22041

June 3, 2011

Federal Agencies Combat Immigration Services Scams
DHS, DOJ and FTC Collaborate with State and Local Partners in Unprecedented Effort

WASHINGTON—The U.S. government will unveil a national initiative to combat immigration services scams on June 9 at 1 p.m. The Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are leading this historic effort.

DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the lead agency responsible for administering the U.S. legal immigration system, will announce the initiative while hosting events in seven cities around the country as well as the national launch in Washington, D.C.
The unauthorized practice of immigration law is an exploitative practice that endangers the integrity of our immigration system and victimizes members of the immigrant community. Understanding the gravity of this deceptive practice, federal, state and local partners have come together to combat immigration services scams on all fronts. The initiative is set upon three pillars: enforcement, education, and continued collaboration. Each agency plays a critical role to ensure the success of this national effort.

This initiative exemplifies how government and community can work together to effectively address a serious problem.

WHO: Alejandro Mayorkas, Director, USCIS, DHS John Morton, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, DOJ Edith Ramirez, Commissioner, FTC Juan Osuna, Director, Executive Office for Immigration Review, DOJ

WHEN: Thursday, June 9, 2011, 1 p.m. EDT

WHERE: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Tomich Center 111 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, D.C.

CONTACTS: Lauren Alder Reid Counsel, Office of Legislative and Public Affairs 703-305-0289; PAO.EOIR@usdoj.gov

NOTES: For planning purposes, media attending are requested to RSVP to OCOMM.MediaDivision@dhs.gov by close of business June 8, 2011.

- EOIR -

Transcript of President Obama’s remarks aboard Air Force One on April 28, 2010:

Q Are you committed to pushing forward on immigration law this year?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I’ve made calls to Republicans to see if we can get them to join us. This is a difficult issue. It generates a lot of emotions, and the politics are difficult. But I’ve been unwavering in saying what we need to do. I think that I can get a majority of Democrats to support a comprehensive approach. But I need some help on the Republican side. We had that kind of help a couple of years ago. Senator McCain was one of the leaders in that process. I gave him a lot of credit for it, and still do.

And so the question is, can we get some movement on that front? Lindsey Graham has been in serious conversations with Senator Schumer. I appreciate his courage on that. And my hope is, is that we can get a working group that can move this forward so that we’ve got serious legislation that solves the border problem and solves the wide range of issues that we face under immigration reform in a way that can garner the support of the American people.

You notice in the town hall meeting yesterday, those folks aren’t enthusiastic about illegal immigration. But when you lay it out for them, a sensible way of doing it, holding people who’ve broken the law responsible, securing our borders but also recognizing we’re not going to send millions of people back, many of whom have children who might be U.S.citizens, and that there should be a more sensible way of dealing with it — people understand that.

So it’s a matter of political will. Now, look, we’ve gone through a very tough year, and I’ve been working Congress pretty hard. So I know there may not be an appetite immediately to dive into another controversial issue. There’s still work that has to be done on energy. Midterms are coming up. So I don’t want us to do something just for the sake of politics that doesn’t solve the problem. I want us to get together, get the best ideas on both sides, work this through, and when it’s ready to go, let’s move. But I think we need to start a process at least to open up a smarter, better discussion than the one that is raging right now.

DHS Inspector General Report Exposes Abuses in State & Local Immigration Enforcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, April 1, 2010

DHS Inspector General Report Exposes Abuses in State & Local Immigration Enforcement. AILA Calls upon Secretary Napolitano and Congress to End the 287(g) Program

WASHINGTON, DC – Today the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General issued a comprehensive report confirming civil rights abuses in a federal program that “deputizes” state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration law. The Inspector General tells of local officers arresting individuals who have committed no offense – including even victims – for the sole purpose of identifying whether they have lawful immigration status.

“Nothing is more debilitating to American values than abuses committed by local police who are the very essence of law enforcement and protection of our communities,” said Bernie Wolfsdorf, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). In one case, a supervisor recounted how a state highway patrol officer transported an accident victim to a jail to determine the victim’s immigration status. The officer did not take him to a hospital. The victim was not even brought to the jail to be charged with a state crime. The sole -and improper–purpose of the officer’s actions was to determine whether the victim was deportable. “Abuses like this severely undermine communities’ faith in those charged with protecting us and keeping our streets, communities, and businesses safe.”

“Many think demagogues like Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona are the exception to the rule, but we now know that such abuses are happening elsewhere and with the permission of the federal government,” said Wolfsdorf. The Inspector General found that, under this deputizing program, some local police have launched operations with the aim of detaining individuals for minor offenses and violations of local ordinances so they could identify unauthorized immigrants. Police apprehended immigrants even when they had no prior arrests on state or local charges. The federal report confirms what community groups have known for years: that officers arrest individuals for minor offenses, such as fishing without a license or driving with broken taillight, as a pretext to initiate deportation proceedings.

Under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, state and local law enforcement agencies, acting under federal supervision, may assume federal immigration enforcement powers. This delegation of immigration enforcement power must be executed through formal written Memoranda of Agreement between the federal government and the local authority. The memoranda require state and local officers to abide by federal civil rights laws. The Inspector General found widespread lack of adequate training, guidance, monitoring or oversight. “The federal government has failed in its duty to train and supervise local officers. This program has turned local police into agents of fear within law-abiding communities,” said Wolfsdorf. “Immigration lawyers hear reports everyday that immigrants are afraid to talk to the police and to report crimes. Through this program the federal government is undermining the ability of local authorities to ensure all Americans’ safety and security.” The report also noted that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) failed to provide accurate information about the program to Congress and the public. AILA urges Secretary Napolitano to terminate immediately the entire 287(g) program and calls upon Congress to end its funding.

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The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.

DHS Unveils Initiatives to Enhance E-Verify.

Release Date: March 17, 2010

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary

Contact: 202-282-8010

Agreement with Department of Justice and Outreach Initiatives Will Strengthen E-Verify for Employers and Employees

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today joined U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas to announce a trio of initiatives to strengthen the efficiency and accuracy of the EVerify
system.

These initiatives include a new agreement with the Department of Justice that will streamline the adjudication process in cases of E-Verify misuse and discrimination; an informational telephone hotline for employees to provide a more timely, effective and seamless customer experience for workers seeking E-Verify information; and new training videos focusing on E-Verify procedures and policies, employee rights and employer responsibilities in English and Spanish.

“E-Verify is a smart, simple and effective tool that helps employers across the country maintain a legal workforce,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The initiatives announced today will provide essential information to workers about their rights and ensure that E-Verify is used fairly while bolstering the Department’s efforts to protect critical employment opportunities.”
“USCIS continues to partner with our federal colleagues, as well as industry and employee representatives, to build a verification program that is accurate, efficient and fair for employers and workers alike,” said Director Mayorkas. “We look forward to working with our colleagues in the Department of Justice to ensure the continued integrity and improvement of EVerify.”

“This agreement will better enable us to protect individuals who are authorized to work in this country from national origin or citizenship-status discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Division Thomas Perez. “We will not hesitate to take action against employers who violate our nation’s civil rights laws.” The Memorandum of Agreement signed between USCIS and the Department of Justice’s Office of Special Counsel for Unfair Immigration-Related Employment Practices establishes a streamlined process for addressing potential cases of discrimination and employer misuse of E-Verify and establishes protocol between USCIS and the Department of Justice for referring matters that fall within the agencies’ respective jurisdictions.

The two new, educational training videos, explaining E-Verify procedures and policies, employee rights and employer responsibilities in English and Spanish were created by the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and are viewable at www.dhs.gov/e-verify and www.youtube.com/ushomelandsecurity.
Additionally, the USCIS E-Verify help line will now offer employees information about the E-Verify process, as well as assistance in completing the Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification). Callers can also use the help line to file complaints about possible discrimination or employer misuse of the E-Verify program. The hotline number is (888) 897-7781 and will be active beginning April 5, 2010.

E-Verify is a free, easy-to-use Web-based system—operated in partnership by USCIS and the Social Security Administration
—that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of newly-hired employees. More than
192,000 participating employers at more than 705,000 worksites nationwide currently use E-Verify to electronically verify their
workers’ employment eligibility. Since Oct. 1, 2009, E-Verify has processed more than six million queries.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov/e-verify.