New Supreme Court Case - good news - Vartelas v Holder

In Vartelas v. Holder, 3/28/12, the U.S. Supreme Court held that an LPR with a pre-IIRIRA convictions not subject to the applicant for admission provisions of INA § 101(a)(13)(A).  The Court that that section does not have retroactive effect.  This effectively resurrects Fleuti v Rosenberg for some LPRs.  In other words, an LPR with a pre-IIRIRA conviction will not be considered to be an applicant for admission after a trip abroad.

New First Circuit case on REAL ID

In Guta-Tolossa v Holder, No. 10-2132P (1st Cir. March 16, 2012), The First Circuit addressed the credibility provisions of the REAL ID Act of 2005.  REAL ID has made it more difficult for applicants, particularly asylum seekers, to present their claims, especially if no corroborating evidence is available.  The First Circuit leaves open (for the Board to decide) whether an applicant should be given notice and an opportunity to produce additional evidence if deemed to be otherwise credible.  

This seems only fair:  asylum seekers are often in the worst position to obtain corroborating evidence.  They have fled their countries of origin and may place friends or family members in danger if they try to communicate with them.  If their testimony is credible, that should be enough.  If their testimony is otherwise credible and the Judge determines that it is reasonable to obtain corroborating evidence, the applicant should be allowed to do so.

Reminder: Re- Registration for Salvadoran TPS expires on March 12, 2012

On January 10, 2012, the Department of Homeland Security extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months for eligible nationals of El Salvador.  The 60 day re-registration period ends on Monday, March 12, 2012.  More information can be found at the following links to the USCIS website:  USCIS - TPS and USCIS - TPS-El Salvador