#TeamImmigrant

#TEAMIMMIGRANT just before hanging in reception.

#TEAMIMMIGRANT just before hanging in reception.

We are super excited to welcome new artwork to our reception area. This limited edition print, appropriately titled #TEAMIMMIGRANT, is by the talented artist Donald Robertson and features models holding flags from most, if not all, of the countries around the world. We thought it was entirely appropriate for our office and adds some lovely color. Known as the "fashion world's favorite artist," Robertson hit gold when he started posting his drawings on Instagram under the handle of @drawbertson. His illustrations of such figures as Anna Wintour and Kanye West have won him more than 190,000 followers along with the approval of Beyoncé, who is a fan. The secret to his success? “The whole sleeping thing—I’ve decided to write it off,” he tells Vanity Fair. “There are so many things I want to do. Picasso said he spent his whole life trying to paint like a child. To have these big-kid ideas and not think too much—that’s the best.”

How a “Status Update” Could Cause You to Lose Your Immigration Status

In this day and age social media is a part of most people’s daily lives. Updating your status on Facebook, posting pictures on Instagram, making witty commentary on Twitter, and checking up on colleagues on LinkedIn have all become part of our day-to-day activities. But it’s not just family and friends who may be viewing your updates. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced that it intends to monitor the social media of immigrants—even permanent residents and naturalized US citizens. Additionally, in May this year, the Trump administration approved a new questionnaire that asks for social media handles going back five years for visa applicants worldwide. Historically, consular officers and USCIS adjudicators have, on occasion, also used Google searches and checked social media to research visa applicants and verify information on the submitted paperwork. For all these reasons, it couldn’t be a better time to discuss how various government agencies might be using the information on foreign national’s social media sites, specifically in regards to adjudicating visa applications and determining admissibility to the United States. 

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New York Times: “Diversity Visa Lottery: Inside the Program That Admitted a Terror Suspect”

Following the terror attack in New York City last week when a man drove a rented truck down a bike path killing eight, President Trump is calling for the elimination of the Diversity Visa (DV) Program, which allowed the suspected terrorist, Sayfullo Saipov, to gain legal permanent resident status. Claiming he wants “merit based” immigration, President Trump says he is asking Congress to “immediately initiate work to get rid of this program.” Throughout the years, lawmakers have made multiple attempts to end the diversity visa program, citing reasons of fraud, increased numbers of low-skilled (and thus supposedly less desirable) immigrant workers, and claims that diversity recipients are not properly vetted and threats to national security. 

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Soulful Creatures

An ibis coffin at Brooklyn Museum.

An ibis coffin at Brooklyn Museum.

In honor of Halloween this week, I checked out Brooklyn Museum's new exhibit Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt. This exhibit, the first major one to focus on the mummification of animals in ancient Egyptian culture, draws on the museum’s renowned collection and displays thirty mummies alongside related Egyptian art. The reasons for mummification are not entirely known but there are theories: owners mummified beloved pets to perhaps join them in the afterlife; others mummified animals to provide a food source for the deceased in the next life; and still others paid for the mummification to receive the favor of the god associated with that animal. The exhibit also shares the scientific tests used to discover how the Egyptians performed animal mummification. The animal mummies on display were fascinating, and I especially admired the craftsmanship in the elaborate ancient gilded ibis coffin (pictured above) that contains a simple ibis mummy. Check the exhibit out, but be careful: at night all the mummies come to life and wander the museum. Don't get locked in!

NPR: “Passengers Flying to U.S. Face Heightened Screenings, New Questions”

The Trump administration is imposing heightened security measures for both US citizens and foreign passengers traveling to the US as of October 26, 2017. These measures will affect approximately 325,000 passengers on more than 2,000 flights every day, according to NPR. The new regulations come after government officials lifted the ban on certain electronic devices this past July, and gave airlines a three-month timeframe to improve security. "The security measures affect all individuals, international passengers and US citizens, traveling to the United States from a last point of departure international location," Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says.

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