Carolyn Szaiff: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire

“I’ve heard that before,” Carolyn says when I suggest that she become a spy. It just seems to fit her: she is a bit quiet, a little mysterious, highly intelligent, a hard worker, and most importantly, excellent at researching peoples' backgrounds on Google.

But Carolyn is not going to be a spy. She has a sweet disposition and is a mild-mannered second-year law student at Michigan State University College of Law, where she has made Dean’s List every semester. She is also currently a Summer Associate here at Daryanani & Bland, where she worked previously for two years as a paralegal.

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CNN: “Journalist Jose Vargas, symbol of immigration debate, detained at airport”

Jose Vargas, an award-winning journalist and prominent activist for undocumented immigrants, was detained this morning by US Customs and Border Protection at McAllen-Miller International Airport. Mr. Vargas was in McAllan, Texas (near the US/Mexican border) to report on the plight of undocumented immigrants (in particular, the surge of Central American children crossing the border, which we previously discussed) and he wrote he only become aware after traveling to the area that “for an undocumented immigrant like me, getting out of a border town in Texas—by plane or by land—won’t be easy. It might, in fact, be impossible.” His only documentation, he tweeted earlier this morning, was his Philippine passport and pocketbook US Constitution.

UPDATE: Mr. Vargas was released Tuesday evening with a notice to appear before an immigration judge. Department of Homeland Security officials said in a statement "they had released Mr. Vargas because he had no prior immigration or criminal record" and "their focus was on deporting immigrants who posed security threats."

Boat Dance 2014

Our annual summer Boat Dance party. Briana (wearing a Champagne Campaign sweatshirt) is asking if she can start dancing yet. Manny says wait until dark. Joseph and Carolyn are getting their hair ready. Everyone is having fun. Happy summer, everyone.

Our annual summer Boat Dance party. Briana (wearing a Champagne Campaign sweatshirt) is asking if she can start dancing yet. Manny says wait until dark. Joseph and Carolyn are getting their hair ready. Everyone is having fun. Happy summer, everyone.

Pizza My Heart

JACKI: I LOVE pizza! I am of the mindset that even bad pizza is delicious, which might not make me the best person to review the best slices of New York pizza, but I'll do my best. I grew up in California, but both my parents grew up in New York City and all I have ever heard about is how much better the food is here, especially the pizza and bagels. Luckily for me, I have lived here for almost seven years and have made up for lost time.

ABBY: When Jacki and I were assigned this blog post, I was thrilled. I also love pizza and will use any excuse to eat it. Jacki and I had a great time walking around Manhattan and tasting five different New York-style pizza slices and I would happily sign up for the follow-up post. We kept it to Lower and mid- Manhattan because: a) that is where we live and work and we are somewhat lazy; and b) to open it up any further at least for this initial post would not feasible, as there are so many great options (just ask this guy).

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The Guardian: "White House seeks $3.7bn in extra funding to address child migrant crisis"

The White House is seeking $3.7 billion in additional funding in response to the nearly 52,000 children who have arrived at the southern US border since last October. The funds for this "urgent humanitarian situation" would be used for providing care for the unaccompanied children as they await detention (including detention alternatives such as ankle bracelets), speeding up cases through the system, expanding law enforcement collaboration, and foreign campaigns to address root causes of migration, including funds for Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras to "support youth programs and develop skills and leadership among potential migrants."

It's not exactly clear how these "youth programs" will fare against brutal gangs and drug cartels who kill and/or threaten to kill--which this Daily Beast report cited as a cause of the migrant surge. In addition, interviews conducted by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees of over 400 of these migrant children from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico found that the "majority of the children were trying to escape violence and/or abuse in their home countries." Some disagree, however, arguing that President Obama's policies have contributed to the crisis on the border.

The White House is also seeking to change child anti-trafficking laws passed under George W. Bush (with bipartisan support) designed to protect at-risk and abused children. Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson Lee says: "'A massive deportation policy for children is not a humane thing to do.'"

The Joys of Global Entry

You know how great it feels to be able to skip to the front of a never-ending line? That’s how it feels each time I use Global Entry at the airport, where I spend a great deal of time (well, less now since I don’t have to wait in the often terribly lengthy Customs lines).

Global Entry is a program from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that allows certain travelers disembarking from international flights quick passage through immigration inspections and customs.  According to CBP, Global Entry is a “program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States.” The program is open to US citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e. Green Card holders), Dutch citizens, South Korean citizens, and Mexican nationals. Canadian citizens and residents may enjoy Global Entry benefits through membership in the NEXUS program.

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Australians in New York City

I was at the Australian-owned Milk Bar in Prospect Heights last summer eating a delicious Cheddar Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich after I'd just had a flat white at Glass Shop when I thought, Wow, there really are a lot of Australians in New York City. Many others have had this thought too, such as Lizzie B. who recently sent me this Gothamist post, which credits the E-3 visa for the influx of Australians in the city (to be fair, there's also a lot of Australians in Los Angeles). Lizzie B. is herself no stranger to Australians and E-3s as she wrote a very informative post discussing E-3s, H-1Bs, and TNs (which included a super cool chart).

Is New York City the new London for Australians? Maybe. Either way, Protima isn't complaining as she is obsessed with Australian coffee, and I have to agree: it is very good. She loves Cafe Grumpy and Toby's Estate. There's also Little Collins and Bluestone Lane.

Where to eat and drink? Try Little Australia. Or Flinders Lane.

The most interesting Australian import? Périgord black truffles ("...fresh truffles offer a complex, musky and earthy flavour that’s hard to pigeonhole – 'sex' is one of the more out-there descriptors people have reached for..."), grown in Western Australia and served at Thomas Keller's Per Se.