American Immigration Weekly Recap – July 25th to 29th

Pakistanis no longer eligible for diversity visa

Pakistanis are no longer eligible for Diversity Immigrant visas, the so called Green Card Lottery. They are the seventh biggest immigrant population in the U.S. and there are between 700,000 and a million Pakistanis in the U.S. So nationals of Pakistan cannot take part in the lottery program.

US immigration system faces new challenge from asylum seekers

Many crossing the border illegally and getting into the U.S. are now seeking asylum. They head for official ports of entry seeking asylum. They say they are afraid of returning to their home country. They then apply for asylum in the U.S. The asylum cases can go on for around three to six years, eventually putting more strain on immigration courts.

Protesters support Sanders and decry DNC in Philadelphia

Hundreds gathered in Philadelphia to protest the Democratic National Convention and support Senator Bernie Sanders. This happened after the revelation of emails showing DNC officials trying to put an end to the Vermont Senator Sanders’ Presidential campaign in favor of Hillary Clinton.

Texas forced to give immigrant kids birth certificates

Several undocumented immigrants sued Texas in 2015 for not granting birth certificates to their children born in the U.S. Recently, a settlement was reached and Texas agreed to expand the kind of vital documents the immigrant parents should provide to get birth certificates for their children. This settlement is a life-changing one for the undocumented parents who have been fighting to get their children birth certificates.

US addresses Central American illegal immigration

The Obama administration announced its aim to come up with ways to cut down on the number of immigrants illegally entering into the U.S. from Central American countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Read more.

Does Mexican border agency aid illegal immigration?

Grupo Beta, a humanitarian organization that helps immigrants, is viewed as an illegal pipeline that sends undocumented immigrants and drugs into the U.S. Many claim that this organization is funded by the Mexican government. Read on to know more.

Immigration agent jailed for bribery

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) former special agent has been jailed for accepting a bribe from a Korean man accused of sex trafficking of a woman. He had accepted as much as $13,000 in cash and had closed the case claiming that the woman’s statement was contradictory.

49 Bangladeshis deported from the US

49 Bangladeshi immigrants who were staying in the U.S. without immigration papers were deported from the U.S. They had left their home country to get the “American Dream” without knowing how to legally get into the U.S. They had used air, water and land routes to get to the U.S. from Bangladesh. They had made their way into the country through Mexico.

44 arrested in ICE’s “Operation 8 Ball”

ICE’s operation known as “8 Ball” resulted in the arrest of 44 people supposedly taking part in drug trafficking and illegal firearms conspiracy, in Florida. Those taken into custody are accused of carrying or possessing cocaine, marijuana, crack, firearms and Percocet.