Some California residents may be aware the U.S. Supreme Court announced on June 28 that it will consider whether U.S. immigration laws unfairly favor unwed American mothers over unwed American fathers, which would be a violation of the equal protection provision of the U.S. Constitution. The justices will hear the case next session and will hand down a decision by June 2017.
Targeted immigrants may have valid asylum claims
California residents who immigrated to the United States may be interested to learn that approximately 125,000 families and an additional 115,000 children have been apprehended after attempting to relocate from Central America since 2014. According to a report that was released on June 15, it appears that many of these families and children were not given a fair chance to claim asylum.
Immigration detention centers make phone calls difficult
A class action lawsuit filed by the Northern California branch of the American Civil Liberties Union may result in some change to immigration detention facilities. A former detainee filed the complaint against Immigration and Customs Enforcement after he was denied the ability to make phone calls and receive messages while he was being held in a California jail where ICE has rented facilities.
Adjusting status from non-immigrant to permanent resident
Some foreign-born individuals in California qualify for an adjustment of their immigration status. Individuals who did not enter the United States as immigrants may apply for permanent resident status later on. A person who is eligible for an adjustment of immigration status, they will not have to leave the U.S. in order to obtain a green card.
