The Supreme Court ruled last week that unwed mothers cannot be treated differently than unwed fathers when it comes to matters of children claiming American citizenship, since the gender-based difference violates the equal protection granted by the Constitution. The ruling came out of a case brought by Luis Ramon Morales-Santana, born in the Dominican Republic in 1962 to unwed parents, whose father was an American citizen and a mother who was a non-citizen. Morales-Santana, who has been living in the United States since he was thirteen, was convicted for robbery and attempted murder, among other crimes, causing federal authorities to seek his removal from the US.
Read moreDiversity Makes Us Stronger
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.
Trusted Traveler Programs
Taking my shoes off at airport security is one of my biggest pet peeves (apart from waiting in long lines). While it’s certainly understandable that in a post-9/11 world, security must be tight, for frequent travelers waiting in long security lines and dealing with restrictions on carry-on items are some of the least pleasant aspects of flying (and that’s including airline food). And the restrictions keep coming. Most recently, the Trump administration barred passengers on foreign airlines headed to the US from ten airports in eight majority-Muslim countries from carrying “personal electronic devices (PEDs) larger than a cell phone or smart phone,” and US officials have even discussed expanding the ban to include flights to the US from Europe. Who knows what might come next.
Read moreNew York Times: “Immigrants Triumph at the Oscars of American Fashion”
Every June the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) honors the best in fashion design at the CFDA Fashion Awards. Established in 1981, these awards are the “highest honor” in fashion honoring outstanding contributions to American fashion in women’s wear, men’s wear, and accessories, as well as journalism and lifetime achievement, among other categories. The event, held last week, celebrated not only some of the world’s greatest fashion designers working in America, but also importantly, immigrants. “Fashion is an industry where the real insiders are all outsiders,” Pat McGrath, British makeup artist and winner of the Founder's Award, told the crowd. That statement was especially true this year: the top three major awards of the evening—for Designer of the Year in women’s wear, men’s wear, and accessories—went to foreign designers working in the US.
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Our New Telephones
We are very excited about our new telephones. Joseph tested them out thoroughly this afternoon. As our most outgoing and talkative staff member, Joseph is a natural choice as telephone operator. Here you can see how precisely he handles each call, answers questions, makes transfers, and, most importantly, stays calm. Well done, Joseph!
Visa Options for Entrepreneurs
Sometimes US immigration law doesn’t provide clear visa options for people looking to work in America. These individuals are daunted by the process, and as attorneys we often feel like we are trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. But at other times, thankfully, there is more than one option for a client and so it’s our job to talk them through the choices to see which is the overall best fit. This can happen, in particular, with some entrepreneurs who are interested in opening up their own business in the US.
Read moreReuters: “Trump Administration Approves Tougher Visa Vetting, Including Social Media Checks”
The Trump administration has approved new questions for certain US visa applicants worldwide that ask for social media handles for the last five years as well as biographical information going back fifteen years. The more extensive vetting was implemented as a "temporary, 'emergency' measure in response to President Trump’s March 6 memo mandating enhanced visa screening.” Under the new guidelines, certain applicants will be asked to provide US consular officials with such information as their passport numbers, travel history and source of funding for all trips that took place within the past fifteen years, employment history and residential addresses from the past fifteen years, the names of all spouses or partners, regardless of if they are living or deceased, and names and birth dates of all siblings and children. In addition, applicants will be asked to provide their user names and handles for all social media accounts that they have used within the past five years. Although providing this information is voluntary, the questionnaire explains that failure to provide such information could potentially delay or prevent visa processing.
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