Archive for the ‘Cultural’ Category
Divorce Information
Information regarding Green Card divorce and Military Laws on Alimony & Child support – www.lovetoknow.com/Help_for_Divorced_Women
Federal and international laws on divorce, parental rights, etc. www.divorcelinks.com
Mas informacion sobre inmigracion:
Del Departamento de Inmigracion:
“¿Qué significan las frases “Bajo custodia” y “Fuera de custodia”?
• “Bajo custodia” significa que la persona actualmente se encuentra en uno de los centros de detención del ICE. El ODLS proporcionará el nombre del centro de detención donde se encuentra el detenido, así como información para poder comunicarse con el centro o visitarlo. El ODLS también brindará la información de contacto de la oficina DRO responsable del caso del detenido.
• “Fuera de custodia” significa que la persona fue liberada de la custodia del ICE dentro de los últimos 60 días, y no se encuentra en uno de los centros de detención del ICE. Esto significa que el detenido quizá ya no se encuentra en los Estados Unidos, o tal vez ha sido liberado de la custodia del ICE.
¿Quiénes no aparecen en el ODLS? EL ODLS no proporciona información acerca de la ubicación de todas las personas bajo custodia del ICE. Las cuestiones de seguridad, protección y la discreción de la agencia evitan que algunas personas aparezcan en el ODLS. Por ejemplo, los menores de edad (detenidos menores de 18 años) no aparecen en el sistema. Además, algunas personas quizá no sean ingresadas al ODLS inmediatamente después de ser detenidas, dependiendo del tiempo de procesamiento y carga de los datos. He encontrado a la persona que busco, ¿qué debo hacer ahora?
Si encontró al detenido que buscaba, debe comunicarse con el centro utilizando la información proporcionada para confirmar que el detenido se encuentra allí, ya que la información en el ODLS podría tener una antigüedad de hasta 8 horas. Si decide visitar al detenido, debe comunicarse con el centro de detención en forma anticipada para poder confirmar sus horarios y normas de visita. Para visitar el centro, también deberá llevar una identificación con fotografía emitida por el gobierno. Aún deseo realizar más preguntas. ¿Adónde debo dirigirme? Puede acceder a más preguntas frecuentes (FAQs) en el sitio web de ODLS en http://www.ice.gov/locator
¿Qué es el Sistema Localizador de Detenidos en Línea? El Sistema Localizador de Detenidos en Línea (ODLS, por sus siglas en inglés) es un sistema público disponible en Internet que permite que los familiares, representantes
legales y miembros del público en general puedan localizar a personas bajo detención inmigratoria que han sido arrestadas por el ICE. Para utilizar el sistema ODLS, sírvase visitar el sitio http://www.ice.gov/locator
Anteriormente, la única forma de determinar la ubicación de un detenido consistía en comunicarse con una Oficina de Operaciones de Detención y Deportación (DRO) del ICE. Como parte de la reforma del sistema de detenciones, el ICE
ha implementado el ODLS para que los familiares y abogados puedan localizar alos detenidos con mayor facilidad en línea, durante las 24 horas del día, los siete días de la semana. El sistema también está disponible en español, y pronto seofrecerá en más idiomas.
¿Cómo puede un familiar o abogado buscar a una persona bajo detención inmigratoria? Usted puede realizar una búsqueda en el ODLS mediante dos formas:
1. Por Número de Registro de Extranjero (A-Number) y país de nacimiento. La mejor manera de realizar una búsqueda en el sistema es utilizar el “A-Number” y el país de nacimiento del detenido. El “A-Number” es el número de identificación de nueve dígitos que se asigna a una persona que solicita beneficios de inmigración o que está sujeta a procedimientos de control inmigratorio. El “A-Number” de nueve dígitos puede comenzar con ceros. Los “A-Numbers” son únicos, y sólo se asigna uno por persona. El “A-Number” se halla en el extremo superior derecho de la Notificación de Comparecencia (NTA), el Formulario I-862. Junto con el “A-Number”, usted debe ingresar el país de
nacimiento del detenido, o
2. Por apellido, nombre de pila y país de nacimiento. Si no cuenta con el “ANumber”, puede realizar una búsqueda en el sistema utilizando el nombre de pila, el apellido y el país de nacimiento del detenido. Si no tiene éxito en su búsqueda, trate de ingresar variaciones del nombre del detenido.
¿Debo saber exactamente cómo se escribe el nombre de un detenido? Sí. El ODLS realiza una búsqueda exacta. Esto significa que para poder encontrar a un detenido, usted debe ingresar el “A-Number” exacto de la persona, o su nombre de pila y apellido tal como aparecen en su registro de detención. Si escribe la información de una persona de forma incorrecta accidentalmente, el sistema quizá no le proporcione el resultado correcto. Por ejemplo, la búsqueda con el nombre “Robert Smith” no le permitirá acceder a un registro de detención bajo el nombre “Robert Smyth” o “Bob Smith.” Al realizar una búsqueda utilizando un “A-Number”, aparecerá sólo un registro en los resultados, ya que cada persona posee un único “A-Number”. No obstante, cuando la búsqueda se realice usando el nombre de una persona, pueden aparecer varios registros entre los resultados, si es que existen varios detenidos con el mismo nombre y país de nacimiento. Cuando aparezcan muchos registros, busque el año de nacimiento del detenido, que también aparecerá entre los resultados, o realice la búsqueda utilizando el “A-Number” de la persona.
¿Qué debería hacer si aún no obtengo resultados luego de una búsqueda? El ODLS sólo posee información de detenidos que actualmente se encuentran bajo la custodia del ICE, o que fueron liberados de la custodia del ICE dentro de los últimos 60 días. Si no puede localizar en el ODLS a un detenido que se encuentra bajo la custodia del ICE o que fue liberado de la custodia del ICE dentro de los últimos 60 días, sírvase comunicarse con la oficina DRO local del ICE que resulte apropiada. El sitio http://www.ice.gov/about/dro/contact.htm proporciona una lista de las diversas oficinas DRO locales, así como su información de contacto.”
More Information about Immigration and new family member tracking system
From U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement:
“What do the terms “In custody” and “Not in custody” mean?
• “In custody” means the individual is currently in one of ICE’s detention facilities. The ODLS will provide the name of the detention facility where the detainee is located and information about contacting or visiting that facility. The ODLS will also provide the contact information for the DRO office responsible for the detainee’s case.
• “Not in custody” means the individual was released from ICE custody within the last 60 days and is not in one of ICE’s detentionfacilities. This means the detainee may no longer be in the United States, or may have been released from ICE custody.
Who is not in the ODLS? The ODLS does not provide location information about everyone in ICE custody. Safety, security, and agency discretion prevent some individuals from appearing in the ODLS. For example, juveniles (detainees under the age of 18) do not appear in the system. Also, some individuals may not be entered into the ODLS immediately after they are detained, depending on processing and upload time. I have found who I am looking for.
Now what do I do? If you have found the detainee you are looking for, you should contact the facility using the information provided to confirm the detainee is there since the information in the ODLS could be up to 8 hours old. If you decide to visit the detainee, you should contact the detention facility ahead of time in order to confirm their visiting hours and rules. You will also need to bring government-issued photo identification if you visit the facility. I still have more questions.
Where should I go?
There are more frequently-asked questions (FAQs) on the ODLS website:
www.ice.gov/locator
06/2010
How Do I Locate Someone in Immigration Detention?
Online Detainee
Locator System
www.ice.gov/locator
What is the Online Detainee Locator System?
The Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) is a public system available on the Internet that allows family members, legal representatives, and members of the public, to locate immigration detainees who are in ICE detention. To use the ODLS, please visit www.ice.gov/locator Previously, the only way to determine a detainee’s location was by contacting
an ICE Office of Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) office. As part of detention reform, ICE has deployed the ODLS so that family members and attorneys can locate detainees more easily online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The system is also available in Spanish, with more languages to come. How does a family member or an attorney conduct a search to find an immigration detainee?
You can search the ODLS in two ways:
1. By Alien Registration Number (A-Number) and country of birth.
The best way to search the system is by using the detainee’s A-Number
and country of birth. The A-Number is the nine-digit identification number
that is assigned to a person who applies for immigration benefits or is
subject to immigration enforcement proceedings. The nine-digit A-Number
may begin with zeros. A-Numbers are unique and are assigned one
per person. The A-Number can be found in the top right corner of the
Notice to Appear (NTA), Form I-862. Along with the A number, you need
to input the detainee’s country of birth, or
2. By last name, first name, and country of birth.
If you do not have the detainee’s A-Number, you can search the system using a detainee’s first and last name and country of birth. If you are unsuccessful in your search, consider entering variations of the detainee’s name. Do I have to know exactly how to spell a detainee’s name? Yes. The ODLS performs an exact-match search. This means that in order to find a detainee, you must enter the person’s exact A-Number or their first and last name as it appears on his or her detention record. If you accidentally type an individual’s information incorrectly, the system may not give you the correct result. For example, a search for “Robert Smith” will not return a detention record for “Robert Smyth” or “Bob Smith.” When you search using an A-Number, only one record will appear in the results, because every person has a unique A-Number However, when you search using a person’s name, many records may appear in the results if a lot of detainees share the same name and country of birth. When many records appear, look for the detainee’s year of birth, which will also be listed in the results, or search using the detainee’s A-Number.
What should I do if I still can’t find anything after a search?
The ODLS only has information for detainees who are currently in ICE
custody or who were released from ICE custody within the last 60 days. If
you are unable to locate a detainee in the ODLS who is in ICE custody or
was released from ICE custody within the last 60 days, please contact the appropriate
ICE DRO field office. http://www.ice.gov/about/dro/contact.htm
provides a list of the various DRO field offices and their contact information.”
Immigration Update:
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Page 1 of 2 www.ice.gov
News Release
July 23, 2010
Contact: Gillian Brigham
Phone: (202) 732-4242
ICE announces launch of Online Detainee Locator System
WASHINGTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today the launch of ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS), a public, Internet-based tool designed to assist family members, attorneys and other interested parties in locating detained aliens in ICE custody. The creation and implementation of the ODLS is a concrete example of ICE’s commitment to detention reform.
The ODLS is located on ICE’s public website www.ice.gov and provides users with information on the location of the detention facility where a particular individual is being held, a phone number to the facility and contact information for the ICE Enforcement and Removal Office in the region where the facility is located. A brochure explaining how to use the ODLS is also available on the website in the following languages: English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic and Somali.
“The ODLS is an easy, accessible tool that allows family members and counsel to locate an individual in ICE custody in a matter of minutes,” said Phyllis Coven, acting director of ICE’s Office of Detention Policy and Planning. “ICE is making great strides in our effort to translate the principles of reform into innovative, practical and timely solutions.”
ODLS users will be able to locate detained aliens by two different search methods. First, users can search by entering an individual’s alien registration number, also known as their “A” number, and their country of birth. Users can also search by entering an individual’s first name, last name, country of birth and date of birth.
Since the ODLS will be available for use on ICE’s public Web site, the agency is committed to ensuring detainee privacy while making ODLS a useful tool for family members, attorneys and other related parties. Therefore, responses to ODLS queries are only generated if the data entered is an exact match of data in the system.
ICE will properly notify detained aliens that the accuracy of biographical information they provide to the agency will be very important in allowing their family members and counsel to locate them using the ODLS. Likewise, ODLS users will need to ensure that the information they are entering into the system (e.g.: proper spelling of a detained alien’s first and last name) is correct.
The ODLS will not provide any additional biographical information about an individual detainee other than what the user has already entered into the system. For instance, if a user searches by first name, last name and country of birth, the system will not provide the detainee’s “A” number and
Page 2 of 2
vice versa. ICE intentionally limits the availability of this data within the ODLS to ensure that users cannot phish the system for information.
On Aug. 6, 2009, ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton announced that the agency was undertaking sweeping reforms of the immigration detention system to improve medical and mental healthcare, conditions of confinement, fiscal prudence and ICE’s critical oversight of the system. ICE’s Office of Detention Policy and Planning (ODPP) was also created to August 2009 to spearhead the agency’s detention reform efforts.
The creation and activation of the ODLS is one of many concrete steps ICE is taking to implement these reforms. To learn more about ICE’s detention reform, please visit: http://www.ice.gov/dro/detention-reform/
# ICE #
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of four integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, go to www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
Utiles Escolares: ¡Un recordatorio!
Durante este tiempo del año las escuelas y otros programas están ofreciendo útiles escolares para gratis o para un precio reducido para las familias que no tienen el dinero para comprarlos. Si tu familia necesita ayuda con los útiles escolares, llame a tu escuela o al distrito escolar y pregúntele sobre programas así. Debas apurarse porque usualmente los programas para los útiles escolares abren y cierren al principio del agosto.
Somali Family Resource Center, Oregon (Written by OSFEC)
Oregon Somali Family Education Center (OSFEC) is a non-profit lead organization dedicated to supporting young Somali refugees and immigrant community and school children and their families in areas of parent education and support, sports and recreation, skill building and health education. This organization will strive to teach Somali students to assimilate into the new school culture while continuing to preserve their own culture.
Our main goal is to serve our community by helping Somali refugee and immigrant families. We also strive to:
- Increase the school system awareness of challenges facing Somali students and work with teachers to overcome these challenges.
- Provide tutoring services to students in need.
- Improve and develop student academic achievement strategy. Increase family involvement in school-based programs. Locate public education facilities available for use by refugee and immigrant families and their children.
- Provide health education and prevention to Somali families.
- Create community events and recreational programs for the summer.
- Provide cultural enhancement and preservation.
- Advise and support local law enforcement.
- Provide information and referral.
- Increase awareness of youth gang and support
- Create mentorship and conflict resolution program.
- Provide early intervention programs for the school age children.
- Train leaders for youth leadership roles.
- Help and assist financial and scholarship programs.
The mission of Oregon Somali Family Education Center is to provide and promote culturally relevant services to Somali families and contribute to unique experiences to all communities, through partnerships with public and private organizations so as to improve the quality of their life and provide smooth transition to their new life as new citizens in the United States.
Oregon Somali Family Education Center
(OSFEC)
5080 SW 185th Ave Aloha OR 97007
Tel: 503-995-6031
More Immigration News, continued from previous post
Fact Sheet July 16, 2010
USCIS Publishes First-Ever Proposed Fee Waiver Form
Agency Actively Seeks Public Comment
Introduction
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed for the first time a standardized fee waiver form in an effort to provide relief for financially disadvantaged individuals seeking immigration benefits. USCIS has published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comment on the proposed form – Form I-912, Request for Individual Fee Waiver.
Background
The proposed fee waiver form is the product of extensive collaboration with the public. In meetings with stakeholders, USCIS heard concerns that the absence of a standardized fee waiver form led to confusion about the criteria that had to be met as well as the adjudication standards. USCIS worked with stakeholders in developing the fee waiver form that is now posted for comment.
Form Highlights
- The form will standardize the way applicants and petitioners submit a fee waiver request to USCIS by providing clear criteria to the applicant and bringing consistency to the application process.
- The form proposes clear evidentiary requirements. For example if an applicant can show that he/she has received a means-tested benefit in the last 6 months and has evidence to document this claim, he/she does not need to submit further evidence.
- The form instructions provide guidance on the application types for which a fee waiver can be requested.
- One Form I-912 may be filed for both the underlying application fee as well as the biometrics fee associated with that application.
- USCIS officers will be trained on how to adjudicate the form after the Office of Management and Budget approves its use.
The Form I-912 will be available for public comment at www.regulations.gov until September 13, 2010. For more information on USCIS and its programs please visit us online at www.uscis.gov.
Immigration Update From U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
News Release July 16, 2010
USCIS Publishes First-Ever Proposed Fee Waiver Form
Agency Actively Seeks Public Comment
WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed for the first time a standardized fee waiver form in an effort to provide relief for financially disadvantaged individuals seeking immigration benefits. USCIS has published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comment on the proposed form – Form I-912, Request for Individual Fee Waiver.
The proposed fee waiver form is the product of extensive collaboration with the public. In meetings with stakeholders, USCIS heard concerns that the absence of a standardized fee waiver form led to confusion about the criteria that had to be met as well as the adjudication standards. USCIS worked with stakeholders in developing the fee waiver form that is now posted for comment.
“Our goal is to bring clarity and consistency to our processes,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. “We are doing so now in the critical area of providing the financially disadvantaged with access to immigration benefits.”
Mayorkas further stated that the method by which the proposed fee waiver form was devised – through extensive collaboration with the public – will be a hallmark of his approach to improving agency processes.
Currently, applicants requesting a fee waiver must do so by submitting an affidavit or unsworn declaration requesting a fee waiver and stating the reasons why he/she is unable to pay the filing fee. The new proposed fee waiver form is designed to verify that an applicant for an immigration benefit is unable to pay the fee for the benefit sought. The proposed form provides clear criteria and an efficient way to collect and process the information.
The public is encouraged to comment on the proposed fee waiver form at www.regulations.gov. The comment period closed on September 13, 2010.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, visit www.uscis.gov.
Informacion en Espanol
Mi meta es ofrecer mucha información en español para las familias Latinas en nuestra comunidad. Por favor, regrese pronto para información en español.
El Programa de Educación Migrante de Oregon: El contacto www.wesd.org/omesc or puede llamar 1-888-560-4666
Si usted, un miembro de su familia o un amigo necesita Servicios para Incapacidades de Desarrollo puede del Condado de Washington, puede llamar a 503-846-4737 o puede contactar: www.co.washington.or.us/deptmts/hhs/human.htm#development
Si usted necesita comida para su familia y vive en Oregon puede llamar a 1-800-777-7427 o puede buscar información en el sitio de internet: www.oregonfoodbank.org
Por el programa de entrenamiento y empleo puede recibir ayuda si esta buscando trabajo. Esta programa ofrece la oportunidad de cambiar su futuro. Usted podrá aprender ingles, computación, oficios específicos como Soldadura y obtener su Licencia Comercial, apoyo para encontrar trabajo, información y referencia y asistencia de emergencia. Usted puede calificar si ha trabajado en el campo, tiene permiso legal para trabajar en EE.UU., se considera una persona o familia de bajos ingresos económicos, esta actualmente desempleado y tiene deseos de superarse y mejorar su situación y la de su familia. Puede llamar 503-640-5496