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Travel
Advisory: Delays Due to Icelandic
Volcano Eruption
Irish
Centers across the country are responding to calls from travelers impacted by the closing of airports due to the Icelandic volcano eruption. While
Irish airspace
has officially reopened as of
today (April 21) immigrants who were stranded or are still delayed in
the US should take action if they have overstayed their visa as a
direct result of the delays caused by the
volcano. If you are unsure if the overstay was the result of the volcano and for other visa questions please
contact an Irish Center
near you.
Read the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP)
advisory at: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/advisories/iceland_volcano.xml
The advisory relates only to travelers delayed
because of the airport closures in Europe due
to the
Icelandic volcano eruption who are about to exceed their authorized
stay as a
direct result of these closures,
Irish Immigration Centers will also be able to advise
you if you have
any questions or concerns on this issue.
CPB advises: If the traveler is at
the airport and traveling under the Visa
Waiver Program (VWP) and unable to depart timely, as a result of airport
closures or flight delays/cancellations, travelers should:
- Contact the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office at the airport or;
- Contact the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) office.
Barack Obama woos Scott Brown on Immigration
The
efforts
continue to move CIR ahead with Schumer & Graham expected
to introduce a bipartisan bill in the coming month. Democrats are still
looking for a Republican sponsor. There is a lot of
talk of enforcement and all the positive
aspects of fixing the immigration
system seem to be lost. Politico is reporting that President Obama made
a call to Scott Brown to gauge his support for an immigration
bill. See the full article here
May 1 will bring workers all over the US to rallies and marches that
will emphasize the importance and value of
immigrant workers to the US economy. Contact your local Irish Centerto
see if they are participating in Mayday events.
ICE officials set
quotas to deport more immigrants
The
Washington Post reported last month on recent ICE efforts that set
controversial new quotas for agents while also stepping back from an Obama administration commitment to focus
enforcement efforts primarily on illegal immigrants who are dangerous
or have violent criminal backgrounds.
The moves, outlined in internal
documents and a recent e-mail by a senior U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement official to field directors nationwide, differ from pledges by ICE chief John T. Morton and his
boss, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, to focus
enforcement on the most dangerous illegal immigrants. That approach
represented a break from the mass factory
raids and neighborhood sweeps the Bush administration used to drive up
arrests. Read the full article here.
RTÉ Programs - Catch Up Online
Good
new for immigrants who want to keep up with news
from home.
RTÉ programs are
now available on line via a recently launched comprehensive
international
online TV.
Check it out at www.rte.ie/player
Programs available include news and current
affairs programming, flagship
entertainment programming, documentaries and a range of
arts and music
programming.
Seniors Connect
If
you are an Irish Senior and you would like to
connect, via the phone, with someone from
Ireland for a chat or to discuss an issue call the toll free number 1-877-997-5777.
The Senior Connect program is free, easy
to access and completely confidential. It is a project of
the Emerald Isle Immigration Center,
the New York Irish
Center and the Aisling Irish Community Center
and is funded by the Government's Emigrant
Support Program.
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Sheila Gleeson
Coalition of Irish Immigration
Centers |
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