Law Commons^™

Applying Torture And Asylum Protections To Prevent The Deportation Of Persons With Hiv/Aids, Christine Chiu

Christine Chiu

Granting a foreign national with HIV/AIDS permission to remain in a country, whether temporarily or indefinitely, is a weighty decision. Faced with limited resources and often fervent public antagonism towards increased immigration, states must pick and choose whom to expel from its borders. This paper examines the extent to which HIV status is considered in determining whether a petitioner is eligible or even has a right to remain in a country. The analysis consists largely of a comparison of the asylum and torture protections afforded to petitioners with HIV/AIDS in the United States, Canada, and the European Court of Human …

Rationing Justice?: The Effect Of Caseload Pressures On The U.S. Courts Of Appeals In Immigration Cases, Anna O. Law

Anna O. Law

Beginning in late 2003, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Ninth Circuits experienced a deluge of immigration cases caused by changes in another part of the immigration bureaucracy. How did these two circuits, especially the Ninth circuit and its personnel, which handle more than 50% of all immigration appeals nationwide, respond to the "immigration surge" as it came to be called? Using interview data from 25% of the active judges on the court and some central staff, the article examines the series of internal experiments in case management that the Ninth Circuit was forced to undertake in …

Car Stops, Borders, And Profiling: The Hunt For Undocumented (Illegal?) Immigrants In Border Towns, Brian Gallini, Elizabeth Young

Brian Gallini

A Final Obstacle: Barriers To Divorce For Immigrant Victims Of Domestic Violence In The United States, Mariela Olivares

Mariela Olivares

Low-income immigrant victims of domestic violence face significant—and understudied—social, legal and political obstacles in obtaining divorces from their abusive spouses. Moreover, funding restrictions on legal service providers often prohibit their representation of victims in divorce proceedings, which further reduces immigrant victims’ ability to obtain meaningful divorce relief. These issues are virtually unexamined in the scholarly literature; the problem of the abused, immigrant wife seeking a divorce has been given short shrift. This Article examines the problems confronting this community then proposes reforms to address its particular needs. Part I explores the unique condition of the immigrant living in the United …

Understanding Judicial Decision Making In Immigration Cases At The U.S. Courts Of Appeals, Margaret S. Williams, Anna O. Law

Margaret S. Williams

Immigration is an increasingly important area of decision making for federal judges. The recent increase in appeals of immigration cases to the courts of appeals raises the question whether judges deciding these cases behave in ways consistent with the extant attitudinal literature, or if other factors such as case characteristics and institutional concerns weigh more heavily on the decision making of judges. It is possible, for example, that the country of origin for the alien or the panel on which a judge serves also influence her decision making. Using an original dataset of immigration cases drawn from the Third, Fifth, …

(Unfair) Advantage: Damocles’ Sword And The Coercive Use Of Immigration Status In A Civil Society, David P. Weber

David P Weber

This article argues that the coercive use of immigration status or “status coercion” in civil proceedings and negotiations is fundamentally unethical and potentially illegal. For attorneys attempting to take advantage of unauthorized immigration status, such conduct very likely violates an attorney's ethical obligations under the Rules of Professional Responsibility and wrongfully takes advantage of an overly vulnerable population. For the judiciary, the article argues for a more proactive approach in maintaining the perception of fairness and justice in civil proceedings for all parties, regardless of immigration status. Additionally, for both legal and lay persons, status coercion may constitute the crime …

(Unfair) Advantage: Damocles’ Sword And The Coercive Use Of Immigration Status In A Civil Society, David P. Weber

David P Weber

This article argues that the coercive use of immigration status or “status coercion” in civil proceedings and negotiations is fundamentally unethical and potentially illegal. For attorneys attempting to take advantage of unauthorized immigration status, such conduct very likely violates an attorney's ethical obligations under the Rules of Professional Responsibility and wrongfully takes advantage of an overly vulnerable population. For the judiciary, the article argues for a more proactive approach in maintaining the perception of fairness and justice in civil proceedings for all parties, regardless of immigration status. Additionally, for both legal and lay persons, status coercion may constitute the crime …

Guest Worker Programs Are No Fix For Our Broken Immigration System: Evidence From The Northern Mariana Islands, Dorothy E. Hill Professor

Dorothy E. Hill Professor

The creation of a large-scale unskilled guest worker program has been a prominent element of comprehensive immigration reform proposals in recent years. This year it was featured as one of the “four pillars” of a reform framework endorsed by the Obama Administration. The principal ills that are cited as justifying immigration reform include the deterioration of border security, the violence associated with human smuggling, and the widespread mistreatment of unauthorized immigrants. Many believe that a large-scale guest worker program will help to resolve these problems by providing a lawful channel to divert the flow of unauthorized workers. This article argues …

The Postville Raid: A Postmortem, Robert R. Rigg

Robert R. Rigg

In 2008, the largest immigration raid to date took place in Postville, Iowa. The target of the raid was Agriprocessors Inc., where an estimated 75% of its 968 employees were in the country illegally. In addition to the deportation of those taken into custody, the decision was made to criminally prosecute the seized individuals en masse. This represented a departure from the selected and targeted criminal prosecutions of prior immigration raids. The raid was scheduled for Monday, May 12, 2008.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa, the United States Department …

Are Immigration Officials Overturning Plyler V. Doe?, Andres J. Ortiz

Andres J Ortiz

In 1982, the Supreme Court determined that a Texas statute, which forced children who had not been “legally admitted to the United States” to pay tuition to attend public schools unconstitutionally denied these children’s equal access to a public school education. Justice Brennan reasoned that because undocumented children are largely victims of circumstances beyond their control, it would be fundamentally unjust to deny these children equal access to a public school education. Further, that requiring undocumented children pay tuition would institute a barrier to education that would create a caste of illiterate people who would have little to no access …

Samantar V. Yousuf: Development In The Laws Governing Civil Torture Claims In U.S. Courts., Solomon Shinerock

Solomon B. Shinerock

The Supreme Court’s recent opinion in Samantar v. Yousuf forecloses one possible avenue by which former foreign-government officials residing in the United States have sought to escape liability for human rights violations. Ruling simply that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 does not provide immunity to individuals, the decision raises the question of what common law principles will govern the issue in the future. This article reviews the case and the common law doctrines that are likely to figure prominently in future civil suits alleging torture. Ultimately, the Samantar decision read together with existing principles of domestic and international …

The Unintended Consequenses Of Low H-1b Visa Caps: Brain Blocking, Brain Diversion, And Racial Discrimination Against Asian Technology Professionals, Jeffrey L. Gower

Jeffrey L Gower

American business interests face increasing difficulties as they attempt to compete against global technology-based industries. As the U.S. educational system produces interests face increasing difficulties as they attempt to compete fewer technology workers, many firms look to foreign countries such as India, China, or other Asian countries that have an abundance of skilled professionals. The U.S. Congress created the H-1B visa program in 1990 for educated skilled foreign workers, and manipulated the yearly cap on several occasions. Limits were as high as 195,000 as recently as 2003, but were reduced to 65,000 by 2009. The result of placing a low …

The Unintended Consequences Of Low H-1b Visa Caps: Brain Blocking, Brain Diversion, And Racial Discrimination Against Asian Technology Professionals, Jeffrey L. Gower

Jeffrey L Gower

American business interests face increasing difficulties as they attempt to compete against global technology-based industries. As the U.S. educational system produces interests face increasing difficulties as they attempt to compete fewer technology workers, many firms look to foreign countries such as India, China, or other Asian countries that have an abundance of skilled professionals. The U.S. Congress created the H-1B visa program in 1990 for educated skilled foreign workers, and manipulated the yearly cap on several occasions. Limits were as high as 195,000 as recently as 2003, but were reduced to 65,000 by 2009. The result of placing a low …

Understanding Judicial Decision Making In Immigration Cases At The U.S. Courts Of Appeals, Margaret S. Williams, Anna O. Law

Margaret S. Williams

Immigration is an increasingly important area of decision making for federal judges. The recent increase in appeals of immigration cases to the courts of appeals raises the question whether judges deciding these cases behave in ways consistent with the extant attitudinal literature, or if other factors such as case characteristics and institutional concerns weigh more heavily on the decision making of judges. It is possible, for example, that the country of origin for the alien or the panel on which a judge serves also influence her decision making. Using an original dataset of immigration cases drawn from the Third, Fifth, …

A Tale Of Two Decades: War Refugees And Asylum Policy In The European Union, Maryellen Fullerton

Maryellen Fullerton

A Tale of Two Decades: War Refugees and Asylum Policy in the European Union

The past twenty years have seen profound developments in the institutional competence of the European Union to address issues of migration and refugee status. The growth of the internal market, the expansion of passport-free travel, and the continuing arrival of individuals fleeing war or persecution led to the realization that a joint European approach to asylum seekers was necessary. Negotiations among the Member States have resulted in a Common European Asylum System. These European developments are largely unknown among refugee scholars, decision makers, and advocates in …

The Meaning Of Marriage: Immigration Rules And Their Implications For Same-Sex Spouses In A World Without Doma, Scott Titshaw

Scott Titshaw

An estimated 35,000 U.S. Citizens are living in our country with same-sex foreign partners, but with no right to stay here together on the basis of their relationship. Many are faced with a choice between their partners and the country they love. This is true, even if the couple is legally married in one of the growing number of states and foreign countries that recognize same-sex marriage. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines “marriage” under all federal law as an exclusively heterosexual institution, now stands squarely in their way. Reform options that would help these couples to stay …

Sorry Ma'am, Your Baby Is An Alien: Outdated Immigration Rules And Assisted Reproductive Technology, Scott Titshaw

Scott Titshaw

The growing use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) and legal recognition of same-sex relationships are raising questions regarding the recognition of parent-child relationships. State and foreign family law have been wrestling with these issues for decades, but U.S. immigration law is lagging far behind. So far, guidance exists on only one ART related issue under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA): whether a U.S. citizen transmits her citizenship to a child born abroad. Unfortunately, that guidance is contradictory. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) requires genetic kinship for citizenship transmission. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals focuses on the parents’ …

Nottebohm's Nightmare: Have We Exorcised The Ghosts Of Wwii Detention Programs Or Do They Still Haunt Guantanamo?, Cindy G. Buys

Cindy G. Buys

Frederich Nottebohm was the subject of a famous 1956 International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision that still has resonance today. The story of how Mr. Nottebohm, a wealthy German-born businessman living in Guatemala, came to be the subject of a case before the world court exposes a little known program run by the United States during World War II in which the United States pressured Latin American countries like Guatemala to identify persons of German nationality or ancestry and turn them over to the United States for internment for the duration of the war. Many of these persons were assumed …

Child Laundering And The Hague Convention On Intercountry Adoption: The Future And Past Of Intercountry Adoption, David M. Smolin

David M. Smolin

The United States ratification of the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption became effective April 1, 2008, amidst a context of declining numbers of intercountry adoptions and increasing media attention to corruption and child trafficking in the intercountry adoption system. There is a need to sort out the connections between these events, and chart a course for the future. This article includes an extensive discussion of the work of preparation of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. The article demonstrates that concerns with child trafficking in the intercountry adoption system were a central impetus to the creation of the Convention. …

Mexican Families & United States Immigration Reform, Bernard Trujillo

Bernard Trujillo

This essay argues that we should understand U.S. immigration policy as a series of bi-national relationships rather than as a single, user-indifferent interface. Applying this regulatory approach to Mexican labor migration (i) allows a more accurate definition of the migrating person in the context of the family he seeks to support; and (ii) highlights the United States' duty to provide for Mexican families.

Why Not Row To The Bahamas Instead Of Miami?: The Conundrum That Awaits Cuban Elite Baseball Players Who Seek Asylum And The Economic Nirvana Of Free Agency, Danyahel Michael Norris

Danyahel Norris

...The singular goal of all Cuban baseball defectors is to sign a lucrative contract to the highest bidder... It is a matter of some loose interpretation regarding how to treat a foreign player. This lack of clarity allows for a “loophole” so that Cuban baseball defectors can avoid the Rule 4 draft and become a free agent. The draft only applies to players from the United States ... If a player came from Cuba, or some other country not listed in Rule 4, then that player would not be subject to the draft. Usually, one can only achieve free-agent status …

Pro Bono In Action: An Immigrant's Need For Representation, Jill E. Family

Jill E. Family

U.S. Immigration Law: Where Antiquated Views On Gender And Sexual Orientation Go To Die, Marisa S. Cianciarulo

Marisa S. Cianciarulo

This Essay examines the paradoxical approaches to gender and sexual orientation bias within the U.S. immigration system. On the one hand, the immigration system has managed to convey benefits to same-sex partners despite federal law prohibiting the recognition of same-sex unions for immigration purposes. Immigration law also provides benefits for victims of crimes disproportionately committed against women, such as human trafficking and domestic violence, although the systems in place for adjudicating these benefits are flawed. On the other hand, immigration law favors antiquated notions of gender roles that disadvantage U.S. citizen men and their children, and has failed to recognize …

The Development Of Gender Within The Particular Social Group Definition Under The United Nations Refugee Convention And United States Immigration Law: Case Studies Of Female Asylum Seekers From Cameroon, Eritrea, Iraq And Somalia, T S. Twibell

Ty Twibell

The U.N. Security Council Ad Hoc Rwanda Tribunal: International Justice, Or Judicially-Constructed “Victor’S Impunity”?, C. Peter Erlinder

C. Peter Erlinder

ABSTRACT The U.N. Security Council Ad Hoc Rwanda Tribunal: International Justice, or Juridically-Constructed “Victor’s Impunity”? Prof. Peter Erlinder [1] ________________________ “…if the Japanese had won the war, those of us who planned the fire-bombing of Tokyo would have been the war criminals….” [2] Robert S. McNamara, U.S. Secretary of State “…and so it goes…” [3] Billy Pilgrim (alter ego of an American prisoner of war, held in the cellar of a Dresden abattoir, who survived firebombing by his own troops, author Kurt Vonnegut Jr.) Introduction Unlike the postWW- II Tribunals, the U.N. Security Council tribunals for the former Yugoslavia [10] …

Strangers In A Strange Land: The Importance Of Better Compliance With The Consular Notification Rights, Cindy G. Buys, Scott D. Pollock, Ioana Navarrete

Cindy G. Buys

The right of a foreign national to contact his or her consulate upon arrest or detention in another country has been described as a fundamental and indispensible human right. Yet United States authorities have repeatedly failed to provide foreign nationals and their consulates with notice as required by law. This failure is evidenced by the explosion in litigation of consular notification rights in recent years.

This article explores some of the most interesting legal questions that are being raised in the area of consular notification rights. Drawing on the experiences and perspectives of three attorneys, member of the consular staff …