Every person has a book in them but first you must have an ending that enlightens and inspires

Tim Chavez

Those of us who write, which now is the world thanks to the Internet, believe we have book inside of us the Earth’s inhabitants would bow before to worship for its enlightenment.

I couldn’t tell you what would make a good book today. Some folks even asked me to write a book about my life experiences of losing my health, career, my mother and other things we try and assemble around ourselves for protection and security. But I would always remind them, my story is not over yet.

I never believed my leukemia would be over. The only lesson God wanted me to learn was to appreciate the moments of extra living he gave me, along with the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the 24/7 dedication of my heroic wife. She fought everyone from insurance companies to doctors for me. But I forgot too much of her heroics, which is to my great shame.

With my leukemia back, the moments become more precious. What book would one write at this stage of such a story? What should the world know? What feelings should rise to the surface to make the reader remember the moral?

One of the tasks I’m trying to complete is asking forgiveness from many people I have hurt in the past nine months in particular. Just like telling people “I love you, offering a balm from an unnecessary hurt is very important. And there are friends in Oklahoma I treated most badly.

Where my life goes from here, I do not know.
There won’t be a book. That I know for sure

La Influenza Porcina (gripe porcina) – Swine Flu

Lunes 27 de Abril, 2009 – El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos declaro a la nación de Estados Unidos en estado de alerta a la salud pública debido a la reciente infección humana de un virus llamado Influenza Porcina (o gripe porcina).

¿Qué es la influenza porcina?

· La influenza porcina (gripe porcina tipo A) es una enfermedad respiratoria de los cerdos la cual provoca Read more »

Immigration Officials Sued for Holding Detainees in Appalling Conditions at L.A. Detention Facility

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – A team of legal organizations announced today that it is suing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in federal district court for detaining immigrants in egregious, unsanitary conditions in a downtown Los Angeles facility without soap, drinking water, toothpaste, toothbrushes, sanitary napkins, changes of clothing or showers. The lawsuit – filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, the National Immigration Law Center, and the law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker LLP – also charges that the unsanitary conditions have led ICE to deprive immigrants of due-process rights such as access to mail or attorneys while in detention.

The facility, known as “B-18,” was intended to temporarily house detainees for no more than 12 hours. But in a perverse distortion of its original purpose, immigration officials have kept detainees in this basement facility for weeks by shuttling them to local jails in the evening and on weekends, and returning them to the facility the next business day.

Under these intolerable conditions, immigration officials often fail to notify detainees that they have the right to obtain release on bond while their cases remain pending. Meanwhile, immigration officials deny detainees any mail correspondence, writing materials or access to other materials that would enable them to defend themselves – all of which are required by law.

“It’s shameful that immigration officers are treating detainees like animals, apparently because the immigration bureaucracy cannot seem to send detainees to the right place,” said Ahilan Arulanantham, ACLU/SC director of immigrant rights and national security. “Officers routinely crowd detainees into dirty cells under grossly unsanitary conditions. They then deny them access to basic constitutional necessities like the use of the mail, making it impossible for them to defend themselves.”

“There is no good reason why authorities cannot simply send the detainees to the right place and release those who are eligible for bond, rather than shuttling them back and forth for days or weeks on end. The B-18 fiasco is yet another example of how our immigration detention system has completely broken down,” Arulanantham added.

The lawsuit also contends that the conditions at issue violate an order from a federal court in Los Angeles in another case which involved similarly egregious abuses.

“The shell game officials are playing with human lives has left detainees without the ability to access basic services that any detention center must provide. Detainees at B-18 have no access to outdoor recreation and cannot send or receive mail, even for legal purposes,” said Karen Tumlin, a staff attorney with the National Immigration Law Center. “They cannot make private phone calls to attorneys and have no ability to learn their rights because officials deny them access to a law library and create barriers to their access to counsel.”

“The plain fact is that B-18 was never intended to be used as a detention facility,” Tumlin continued. “The facility fails on every level to house detainees in a way that comports with basic notions of dignity. B-18 does not provide soap or a change of clothes to detainees and routinely denies menstruating women sanitary napkins. Detention under such conditions is not only unlawful, but downright cruel.”

While in B-18, detainees are crowded into a cell with as many as 50 other people. In the cell, there is a single phone, a bench and one or two exposed toilets, but no soap or drinking water. Detainees are often forced to sleep on the floor. Menstruating women who ask for sanitary napkins are routinely ignored. And there is no access to medical attention. On some occasions, it has taken ICE officials more than a day to fix a clogged toilet.

Despite these heinous conditions, there is no mechanism for detainees to lodge a complaint.

According to Toliver Besson, a partner at Paul Hastings, the lawsuit gives the new administration of President Barack Obama a way to demonstrate its commitment to immigrants’ rights. “The Obama administration has indicated that it wants all immigrant detention facilities to be operated in a clean, safe and constitutional manner. B-18 fails miserably to meet this standard, but the administration’s response to this lawsuit is an opportunity to rectify this injustice and show that it is moving in a new direction,” Besson said.

The National ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project also serves as co-counsel in the case.

Posted on 02 Apr 2009

Requirements for Naturalization Abroad by Spouses of Members of the U.S. Armed Forces

On January 28, 2008, President Bush signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R.4986 / Public Law 110-181) into law. Part of that law is a new section 319(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) which allows certain eligible spouses of members of the U.S. armed forces to naturalize abroad without traveling to the United States for any part of the naturalization process.

To be eligible for naturalization abroad, lawful permanent resident spouses of members of the U.S. armed forces, who live abroad on official military orders, must meet the requirements of either section 316(a) or 319(a) of the INA at the time of filing.

• Section 319(a) applies to individuals who have been lawful permanent residents for three years as the current spouse of a U.S. citizen, and continue to be married that U.S. citizen spouse.
• Section 316(a) applies to spouses who have been lawful permanent residents for five years.

For naturalization purposes, the time eligible spouses have spent abroad on official military orders may count for both continuous residency and physical presence in the United States.

Individuals applying for naturalization abroad as the spouse of a member of the armed forces must live in marital union with that member of the armed forces. However, involuntary separations due to circumstances beyond their control, such as military deployments, do not prevent naturalization.

A spouse of a member of the armed forces must have official military orders authorizing them to accompany their spouse abroad, and must accompany or live with that member of the armed forces as provided in those orders. 

Note that only those eligible spouses who prefer naturalization abroad should apply for that option. Those who prefer to apply for naturalization in the United States may still elect to do so. Eligible spouses who live abroad and want to naturalize abroad should follow these instructions:

Submit a completed and signed Application for Naturalization (Form N-400) – In Part 2 (Information About Your Eligibility), please note whether the eligibility is under INA Section 316(a) or 319(a) and mark Section D (Other). Write in: “319(e) Overseas Naturalization.” Include the following information:

Cover Letter – USCIS encourages applicants to place a brief cover letter on top of the application package with the heading “319(e): Deliver to Military N-400 Point of Contact” explaining their desire to naturalize abroad. The cover letter should include the applicant’s current address of residence abroad and indicate whether they qualify for naturalization under either Section 316(a) or 319(a) of the INA. Applicants should print their name and overseas address (both local and APO/FPO) and include the location of the USCIS office overseas most convenient to conduct the interview (for example, “the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt”).

Form DD-1278 – Include a signed and completed Form DD-1278, “Certificate of Overseas Assignment to Support Application to File Petition for Naturalization” from the military official certifying the applicant has “concurrent travel orders” and is authorized to join their spouse military service member abroad.

Fingerprint Cards – Include two completed fingerprint cards (FD-258). Those applying overseas must have their fingerprints taken at a U.S. military base, an overseas USCIS field office, or an American Embassy/Consulate. Individuals applying in the United States must have their fingerprints taken at a USCIS Application Support Center.

Marriage Certificate – Provide proof of the current marriage and, if applicable, the legal end of all prior marriages for both the applicant and the spouse (photocopies of marriage or death/divorce certificates).

Proof of U.S. Citizenship – The applicant must show proof the military spouse is a U.S. citizen if applying under INA Section 319(a). Acceptable forms of evidence include copies of a valid U.S. passport, a U.S. birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship (A or AA), or the Registration of Birth Abroad, (Form FS-240).

Photos – Two identical passport-style photos (See instruction sheet).

Proof of LPR Status – Submit a photocopy of the applicant’s Permanent Resident Card (both front and back) or I-551 stamp to show proof the applicant is a Lawful Permanent Resident of the U.S.

Evidence of Marital Relationship – This includes, but is not limited to: birth certificates for children born to you and your spouse, joint bank accounts, joint tax returns, etc.

Fees – Include the correct fee. The amount depends on from where the application is filed:

• Applicants who file from outside the United States and had their fingerprints taken overseas (see above), should submit a check or money order for $595(USD) with the application.
• Applicants filing from within the United States should submit a single check or money order of $675(USD) with the application (the N-400 fee of $595 and biometrics fee of $80 combined). 
• Make the check or money order payable to the “Department of Homeland Security” or “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.” Note: for payment overseas, please check local payment procedures.

Mailing Address – USCIS recommends that applicants submit all 319(e) naturalization applications to the USCIS overseas office having jurisdiction over the spouse’s overseas residence, or to USCIS at the following address:
Nebraska Service Center
P.O. Box 87426
Lincoln, NE 68501-7426 

For private courier deliveries, send to:
Nebraska Service Center
850 S Street
Lincoln, NE  68508

Processing Time – Once the USCIS Nebraska Service Center receives the application, it will generally take between 120 to 180 days to complete its processing, provided all of the required background checks have been completed and the applicant has submitted all required documentation.  Applicants should save all receipts and notices of action, and always refer to the “A” number or N-400 receipt number when contacting USCIS or when checking the status of their application at www.uscis.gov.

by Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron for the Migration Information Source

     Originally published on the Migration Information Source , a project of the Migration Policy Institute.     
     The Obama administration plans to address the nation’s immigration policy in the coming months and may begin discussions for legislation to reform the US immigration system, according to a top aide to the president.

      The administration’s announcement comes as immigrant advocates and Latino organizations are renewing national campaigns in support of “comprehensive immigration reform” — broad legislation that would include a path to legal status for many of the nation’s estimated 12 million unauthorized immigrants.

      The two national federations of labor, the AFL-CIO and Change to Win, have jointly endorsed a proposal for such a reform.

      Last month, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus held a highly publicized meeting with Obama, reportedly to discuss the prospect of a new immigration reform bill. While speaking to a large audience in Costa Mesa, California, the same day, Obama told audience members he favors a comprehensive immigration bill that would allow unauthorized immigrants to “get out of the shadows.”

      A number of obstacles, including the faltering US economy and the political risk of engaging the contentious immigration debate, could keep any major immigration reform legislation from making it to a vote in Congress in 2009. The president also has a crowded agenda that includes the economy, education, renewable energy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and health-care reform.

      The Obama administration itself has emphasized that passing any kind of immigration reform bill in the current economic climate will not be easy. Speaking with reporters in Costa Rica in March, Vice President Joe Biden stated, “It’s hard to tell voters, when unemployment is increasing, when they are losing their jobs and homes, that we should legalize foreigners and stop deportations.”

      President Obama also told Spanish radio DJ Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo that the economic recession would make the passage of an immigration bill “politically tough, probably tougher now than it was because of the fact that the economy has gotten worse.”

      However, the momentum for Congress to act on immigration is clearly growing. For the= 2 0 first time since the demise of the 2007 comprehensive immigration reform bill, sponsored by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA), a number of immigrant advocates and immigrant rights organizations have organized marches and “speaking tours” in support of new legislation that would legalize unauthorized immigrants who pay fines and meet other requirements.

      In November 2008, Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) kicked off a “Family Unity” tour, holding prayer vigils and town-hall style meetings in 20 cities on the need for immigration reform. The United Farm Workers of America recently announced a series of nationwide marches to press for a new comprehensive immigration reform bill.

      In addition, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), Spanish-language broadcaster Univision, and the League of United Latin American Citizens have begun a new push for the legalization of unauthorized immigrants, emphasizing that reform is essential for accurately counting Latinos in the 2010 census.

      Religious organizations have also begun to build support among their constituents. Several national Jewish organizations, led by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, announced their “Progress by Pesach” campaign to push Congress and the new administration to adopt “humanitarian immigration reform” and scale back worksite enforcement operations.

      Cardinal Francis George, head of the US Council of Catholic Bishops, recently reaffirmed the church’s support of a new comprehensive immigration reform measure, as did several senior Catholic leaders participating in a conference in Mexico City in January. In February, the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, an alliance of more than 50 faith-based organizations, announced a new “Interfaith Platform on Humane Immigration Reform,” which calls on Congress to create a legalization process for unauthorized immigrants.

      It remains to be seen whether a new bill would be able to garner the bipartisan political support considered critical to previous attempts. Several senior Republican members of Congress who helped push large-scale immigration reform legislation a few years ago seem to have shied away from leading new efforts.

      According to several media reports, McCain expressed his own hesitation during a recent meeting with Hispanic business leaders. No other Republican lawmaker has yet assumed leadership of the issue.

      In addition, business groups have reacted sharply to the proposals from labor unions because those proposals do not provide for an expanded temporary worker program.

      While prospects for a broad immigration bill remain uncertain, smaller-scale immigration bills have already begun to move forward. In late March, Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) reintroduced the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, more commonly known as the DREAM Act.

      The act, which has bipartisan support, would allow unauthorized students who came to the United States before turning 16 to gain legal statu s, provided they had a clean criminal record, and completed a minimum of two years of college or two years in the US military.

      Although the DREAM Act would not apply to unauthorized immigrants who came to the United States as adults, many immigrant advocates see its passage as a “down payment” on a broader reform bill. Others see such piecemeal measures as the only type of immigration reform bill Congress is likely to pass in the near future.  

This week, hundreds of allied organizations launched the campaign to Reform Immigration FOR America in cities all across the country — from Los Angeles to Maine, Miami to Seattle. Yesterday, a broad coalition of allies from labor, business, and community groups officially kicked off the national campaign in Washington, DC. USCRI is a part of this exciting grassroots movement to reform immigration and I invite you to join us.

Tomorrow June 4, over 700 advocates are descending on Capitol Hill to tell Congress: “We cannot wait any longer. America needs to reform immigration now.”

We can’t afford to fly you out to DC to join them in person, but we can give you a 1-click way to be there on paper. Please take 30 seconds to send a (free) fax to your Senators, Representative, and Congressional leadership right now.

Then please forward this email to your friends and family. Our goal is to back up those 700 advocates on the Hill with 2,500 phone calls and 20,000 faxes.

Here’s our thinking: President Obama has said reforming the immigration system is a priority for him. But it’s going to take more than just having the President on our side to win. We need 279 votes to pass comprehensive immigration reform: 218 US Representatives + 60 Senators + the President’s signature. So over the coming months, we’re going to be asking you to help us flood Congress and the White House with faxes, calls, emails, and visits to say (each in our own way):

Our economy and thousands of families are suffering under the burden of a broken system. The time has come for just and humane immigration reform. We cannot wait any longer.

Together, we can make this happen. Thanks for taking action on this important issue.