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Law and Software

With or Without DACA You Are Still American DREAMers

[November, 2016] By Andy Bartlett. Filed under: DACA,Immigration Law

I’d like to make a few comments. They may be helpful

Since the election, many people are making scary comments and predictions about immigration in the new Donald Trump world.  I don’t believe that these nightmare predictions trouble the undocumented community too much – you are a tough bunch. People who have fled the gangs in Central America or other terrible experiences, and have risked their lives crossing desert and the Rio Grande are survivors. People who have lived here for years, honestly and bravely raising their families for a better life despite all the roadblocks that face them are determined in the face of adversity.  But your children, raised here – even if not born here – are American kids (as President Obama calls them). And for them, the country they  love is changing in inexplicable ways. And their social media is full of very dire and terrifying opinion.  This post is for these children and young adults. I have learned a huge amount from you all, and some I count as precious friends. more…



Ten Immigration Lawyers at the bottom of the sea is a good start

[August, 2015] By Andy Bartlett. Filed under: Immigration Law

Today someone came in to the office wanting a second opinion about their immigration lawyer. That is all I want to say about that. I won’t give such an opinion, but I will talk to people about expectations. I’m not going to say whether someone’s lawyer was right or wrong, too expensive, too distracted or part of the problem. But I do want to talk about some things you need to keep in mind. more…



The Truthiness of Judge Hanen’s Opinion

[March, 2015] By Andy Bartlett. Filed under: DACA,DAPA,Ethics,Immigration Law

I wrote this analysis earlier in the year, when Judge Hanen applied his injunction. But I wrote it for myself, not with a view to publish. I assumed that the lawyers would raise all these issues and more, and the appeals court would sort out the mess. Since Judge Hanen severely reprimanded the government lawyers for “misleading” him about the three-year DACA awards that were accidentally given after his injunction, I assume that the misinformation in his opinion was also accidental – probably due to misleading arguments in briefs offered to him by the parties. more…



DAPA – my concerns

[November, 2014] By Andy Bartlett. Filed under: DACA,DAPA,Immigration Law

I haven’t changed my view from August about deferred action. But it is all we’re likely to get for a while, so I’ll quit complaining about it, and get on with the work.  My concern is that the nonprofits gearing up for the very large DAPA demand are going to follow the same strategy of workshops and volunteers that they used for DACA.

more…



DACA – work makes you free

[August, 2014] By Andy Bartlett. Filed under: DACA,Immigration Law,law

Another day spent with kids doing their DACA renewals, and some just starting out on this road. DACA may be the best there is but it is not good. The kids have to sit at the back of the bus. They are separate but equal. Just without any pretense of equal. They have lawful presence but not lawful status. They are statusless. They didn’t ask for this and they act grateful for the crumbs thrown from the master’s table. Filling out the forms feels like helping stitch a triangle onto their shirts. I cannot tell the difference between these young people and “real americans” other than this triangle that they have to wear. I am the kapo who puts them in the safe line for the work detail



DACA Winners and Losers

[August, 2013] By Andy Bartlett. Filed under: DACA,Immigration Law

The July (2013) USCIS Office of Performance and Quality  report  gives a list of acceptances and approvals by country of origin. more…



DACA Denials

By Andy Bartlett. Filed under: DACA,Immigration Law

In July (2013) the USCIS Office of Performance and Quality  reported 7.1% of DACA applications denied during review. That’s 1 in 13 who apply. Unlucky 13. Why the increase in DACA denials,  when – until May and the first 360,000 reviews – the denial rate was less than 3%? more…



FNU – First Name Unknown

[June, 2013] By Andy Bartlett. Filed under: Immigration Law

What to do about FNU? Some people come to the United States from places in the world where only one name is used. If that name is their given name, then their immigration documentation – and maybe their drivers’ license as well will have FNU for their first name. First Name Unknown. Or if the name is their first name, then they might get GNU – nothing to do with the free software foundation – but Given Name Unknown. They live their lives as FNU or GNU. more…



BSEOIMA Mucho. Flatlining for Immigration Reform.

[April, 2013] By Andy Bartlett. Filed under: Immigration Law,law,software

Que tengo miedo perderte, perderte despues.

Here it is. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill, complete with hyperlinks and hoverlinks.

Wednesday, the Gang of Eight Senate Bill S744 “The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act” was published. A PDF, 800+ pages long, full of all the cross-references that make the immigration statute so hard to study, and the reason for my flatlining back in December to produce the Law and Software Online Edition of the Immigration and Nationality Act. And I don’t have much time for hiding content in a dense and awkward format that few will read. Enter the Law and Software Edition of the Immigration Reform Bill –  BSEOIMA Mucho. more…



Immigration Reform Bill in HTML

[April, 2013] By Andy Bartlett. Filed under: Immigration Law,law,software

The Border Security Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act Senate Bill, otherwise known as the Gang of Eight Bipartisan Senate Bill is hard to read in the traditional PDF Senate Bill format. So I have adapted the HTML I use for my online version of the Immigration and Nationality Act to put up an HTML version of the immigration reform bill. It’s a draft. The PDF was only released on Wednesday.



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