I am in Madrid for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Rome District Chapter spring conference. Over the course of two intense days, presenters have discussed such timely topics as the travel ban and waivers, interviews for employment-based adjustment cases, increased incidences of administrative processing, general issues regarding "extreme vetting," as well as always relevant topics such as “must-haves” for a successful E-1 and E-2 application. Earlier today we even got a tour of the US Embassy in Madrid. (Sadly, they didn't let us take pictures.) Attending these conferences is an excellent way for immigration practitioners such as myself to hear the latest tips and strategies and stay up-to-date on developments in the immigration law world. Now let's have some jamon ibérico!
Metropolis
The Metropolis building ("Edificio Metrópolis") is one of Madrid's most famous landmarks. Designed in the early 1900s by the French architects Jules and Raymond Février for the insurance company Unión y el Fenix Español (the building was later purchased by rival insurance company Metrópolis Seguros), the French Beaux-Arts style was unusual in its time. The statues resting on the Corinthian twin columns represent Trade, Agriculture, Industry, and Mining. The building is topped with a beautiful black dome with gilded ornaments. Although many have mistaken the statue on the dome for Joseph, it is the winged goddess Victoria, designed by the Spanish sculptor Federico Coullaut-Valera Mendigutia. Joseph does sometimes wear angel wings to the office, which is where the confusion arises.
Refugees Welcome
Madrid's Gothic City Hall (formerly the post office) in Plaza de Cibeles has a sentiment that we should all support this coming year. With 60 million refugees worldwide, the world is facing the largest refugee crisis since the end of World War II, and "it is more important than ever that communities around the world open their hearts and doors to refugees seeking safety and a chance to rebuild their lives."