Great Immigrants: Oscar de la Renta

Iconic fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, known for dressing such women as Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton, Sarah Jessica Parker, and, most recently, George Clooney's bride Amal Alamuddin, and who was the "classic immigrant success story," died last week. Born in Santo Domingo, he got his start in Spain with Cristóbal Balenciaga but soon immigrated to the US to work for Elizabeth Arden. In two years he had his own fashion house, which grew to include fragrances and boutiques in the US and abroad, and soon he became a US citizen.

When asked why first ladies feel so comfortable with him, Mr. de la Renta joked, "'I hope it’s not my age'" and then explained that "much like himself, the First Lady is the ultimate outsider turned insider."

As one of the most famous Dominican immigrants to the US, Mr. de la Renta served as an inspiration and mentor to many Dominican designers, and he was active in many philanthropic ventures in his homeland—which is not uncommon for many immigrants in the US. 

He was declared an "America icon," a title which he humbly disputed.

Biography, a site by A&E Television Networks of "true stories about people that matter," profiles Mr. de la Renta and also other notable immigrants to the US, and the Carnegie Corporation also celebrates notable immigrants from all walks of life who, as Mr. de la Renta did, have come to the US to pursue their own American dream.

Indian New Year in Iceland

Imagine Peace Tower in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Imagine Peace Tower in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Since I am traveling and wasn't able to properly celebrate Diwali, the Indian New Year and festival of lights, I decided to visit the Imagine Peace Tower on Viðey Island in Reykjavík, Iceland.

The artistic vision of Yoko Ono and a tribute to her late husband, John Lennon, the "tower" is made up of fifteen individual beams of light and was envisioned as a way to "give light to the strong wishes of World Peace from all corners of the planet."

In that spirit, we wish you all peace and happiness for the new year.

Preclearance: Cleared for Takeoff

Preclearance, also commonly known as pre-flight inspection, is offered by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at select locations around the world and allows US-bound passengers to undertake all immigration, customs, and agricultural inspections prior to boarding the flight outside the US.  

How is preclearance different than the “normal” post-flight inspection upon arrival in the US?
A preclearance inspection is essentially the same inspection that travelers would undergo at a US port of entry. The only difference is that it is conducted outside the US. The advantage is that preclearance provides for domestic-style arrivals at US airports. Generally no additional immigration/customs forms will need to be completed upon arrival in the US.

Where are preclearance sites located?
There are many preclearance locations all around the world in such countries as Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda, Aruba, Ireland, and the United Arab Emirates (and possibly one day in the UK). These locations are based on agreements between the US and the host country, which allows CBP to staff officers at host airports and facilitate the customs and immigration process for passengers prior to arrival in the US.

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Immigration Wins and Losses

Navigating US immigration law can be daunting, complex, and, at times, frustrating—for both attorneys and foreign nationals. Immigration law changes and bureaucratic delays and hurdles can seem insurmountable. There are good and bad days for immigration cases, and today we take a look at some recent wins and losses in the world of immigration law.

Wins
Dario Guerrero Meneses is a third-year Harvard student. He is also an undocumented immigrant who left the US without travel authorization (effectively "deporting" himself) to take his dying mother to Mexico for alternative medical treatment. He said: "'I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself for letting her basically continue the decline in her condition[.]'" His mother died in August, and after being unable to reenter the US from Mexico for months, he was granted permission to return home, where he will have to reapply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for "Dreamers."

Will immigration reform be passed? Everyone (including us) has been asking this question since the Senate passed their own comprehensive immigration reform bill, S. 744, back in June 2013. President Obama promised and then delayed executive action. But a newly-released draft solicitation by US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) possibly hints at good news. The USCIS "Request for Proposal" is seeking a vendor who can produce a minimum of four million blank cards per year for five years, and nine million in the early stage. These appear to be cards that would be used for Green Cards and employment authorization documents—suggesting possible major executive action regarding immigration reform. A USCIS official says the vendor proposal was sought "'in case the president makes the move we think he will,'" and that the agency has not yet committed to buying these materials.

The Obama administration announced "The Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program" that "would reduce the lengthy delays facing thousands of Haitians who have already been approved to join family members in the United States and become legal permanent residents." While this is not part of President Obama's executive action on immigration reform, he could potentially enact similar measures to deal with the lengthy wait times that many foreign nationals experience in waiting to join family members in the US.

Losses
The practice of immigration law has many challenges, but most attorneys (okay, pretty much all) will never need to bring their four-week-old infant child to immigration court. This, however, happened to attorney Stacy Ehrisman-Mickle when an immigration judge in Atlanta denied her request to delay a hearing that fell within her six-week maternity leave. With her husband working out of town and no family in the area, she had no choice but to bring her newborn child with her. The judge then "scolded her for inappropriate behavior and commented that her pediatrician must be appalled that she was exposing the baby to so many germs in court[.]" Ms. Ehrisman-Mickle filed a formal complaint against the judge that day.

Overstaying the visa waiver program is taken very seriously by immigration authorities. Ben Sangari, a British man with plans to invest $1.5 million in the Buffalo area, found this out when he was stopped for a speeding ticket and is now in an immigration detention facility in Batavia, New York. While in detention he married his fiancée, who is from Buffalo, but an ICE spokesman said: "'After conducting a comprehensive review of Mr. Sangari's case, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has chosen not to exercise prosecutorial discretion in this matter. Additionally, under the visa waiver program, Mr. Sangari is subject to mandatory detention and his case is not eligible for immigration court hearings." 

In West Africa, the death toll from Ebola exceeds four thousand and the region's inadequate healthcare infrastructure is desperately struggling to deal with the crisis. Meanwhile in the US, Ebola fear is leading to hysteria and racism against Africans as well as backlash against immigrants from Mexico and Central America.

To end on a more positive note, kindergarten students in Texas won a competition to name a recently-adopted Mustang horse, as part of a program by the Laredo Sector Border Patrol. The horse's name: Bravo.

The Best of Chelsea Market

As long-time employees of Daryanani & Bland, we have both visited the nearby Chelsea Market (on 9th Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets) many, many times. It's quite a busy spot, however, and tourists swarm with good reason—Chelsea Market boasts over thirty-five vendors; the High Line is right outside; and there are sample sales going on all the time (something that’s proven to be an unfortunate blow to our savings account).

While we are very excited to hear about new lunch options in our neighborhood (hello, Gansevoort Market!), we set out one week to review some of the lunch spots of Chelsea Market (including vegetarian options). Our comments are geared toward the busy (and budgeting) work person—you’ll find no discussion of ambiance or mood here, but rather about what tastes good, what’s cheap, and when best to beat the crowds (even though really, you can’t).

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The New Yorker: "Pets Allowed"

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has an extensive list of prohibited items but does, of course, allow travelers to bring their pets (not just service animals) through security, letting airlines decide their own pet travel policy. Reporter Patricia Marx recently tested TSA's response (as well as JetBlue's) by bringing a one-year-old pig named Daphne with her on a flight from Newark to Boston. (In this experiment with "emotional-support" therapy animals, she also brought a turtle to the Frick Collection, a wild turkey on the Hampton Jitney as well as to Katz’s Delicatessen, and an alpaca to a pharmacy—though Ms. Marx had hoped to travel with the alpaca on Amtrak.)

Ms. Marx's conclusion: "I’m pleased to report that passing through security with a pig in your arms is easier than doing so without one: you get to keep your shoes on and skip the full-body scanner." JetBlue also welcomed the additional traveler, and on the return trip from Boston, Daphne got to pre-board, where she was welcomed by the delighted flight attendants.

In lieu of traveling with pigs, those who want to save time at security or US customs (traveling internationally with animals has its own difficulties) should look into TSA preCheck and Global Entry.

All Immigrants Are Artists

"Once, before my graduation, I’d mentioned the possibility of changing direction and not studying diplomacy as I’d been planning. Papi thought I meant I’d join him and Santi at the family business, but when I said I was considering something more creative, he shook his head as if I’d been terribly mistaken and said there was no need for that; I was already an artist by blood; all immigrants are artists because they create a life, a future, from nothing but a dream. The immigrant’s life is art in its purest form."

- Patricia Engel, It's Not Love, It's Just Paris