Month: January 2012

Last night, in his State of the Union Address, the President laid out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values. This includes creating a 21st century immigration system that meets our economic and security needs:

“Let’s also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge: The fact that they aren’t yet American citizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else.

That doesn’t make sense. I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That’s why my Administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office. The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, and defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away.”

Listen to the President’s entire State of the Union here.

President Obama delivers his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol (January 24, 2012. Official White House Photo, Pete Souza)

Sitting with First Lady Michelle Obama were several individuals who exemplify the Administration’s commitment in creating opportunities that enable immigrants and their children to become contributing members of their communities. Among them were Juan Jose Redín, a Mexican immigrant who was able to enroll and excel in his studies at UCLA. Now a U.S. citizen and practicing attorney, Juan is as passionate as ever about ensuring educational access for all— including young immigrant children.

Additional guests included: Mike Krieger, a Brazilian immigrant and recipient of an H-1B Visa who co-founded Instagram, the fastest growing start-up; Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita, a Japanese immigrant who founded Quality Electrodynamics (QED); and Mayor Julian Castro, Mayor of the City of San Antonio and strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform. Juan, Mike, Hiroyuki, and Mayor Castro are all reminders of the diverse group of stakeholders urging Congress to fix our broken immigration system through bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform, including the DREAM Act. To learn more about them, click here.

First Lady Michelle Obama and guests in the First Lady’s box during the State of the Union.(January 24, 2012. Official White House Photo, Chuck Kennedy)

In this edition of our Immigration Action Update, you will find important announcements on countries eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B programs recently designated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), new human trafficking training material made available by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS), and the official opening of a new full-service immigration field office in Queens, N.Y.

In addition, read our blog to learn about the 3rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. naturalization ceremony held at the King Center in Atlanta, and the President’s new national travel and tourism strategy focused on creating jobs. Also, don’t forget to learn how you can participate in important upcoming Administration stakeholder calls and events.

As always, please share with your networks!

Agency Updates

Four East Haven, Connecticut, Police Officers Charged with Civil Rights Offenses
On January 24, 2012, the Justice Department announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Bridgeport, Conn., returned an indictment charging four East Haven Police officers with conspiring to violate, and violating, the civil rights of members of the East Haven community. To read the the remarks given by Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez, click here.

USCIS Opens New Office in Queens
On January 20, 2012, USCIS celebrated the official opening of its newest full-service immigration field office in Queens, N.Y. The new office is located at 27-35 Jackson Ave., and is expected to serve over 500 people each business day. To read more about this new service location, that includes an Application Support Center, a naturalization ceremony room, and interview and file rooms, click here.

USCIS Announces 58 Countries Eligible for H-2A and H2-B Participation
On January 17, 2012, USCIS announced that DHS, in consultation with the State Department, identified 58 countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B programs for the coming year. Five countries (Haiti, Iceland, Montenegro, Spain and Switzerland) were designated for the first time this year. To see the complete, click here.

DHS Blue Campaign Announces New Human Trafficking Trainings Material
The DHS Blue Campaign released several new human trafficking awareness and training materials for the general public, federal workforce, first responders and airline employees. These new materials aim to help increase awareness and provide education on the indicators of human trafficking and the importance of reporting it to officials. To read more, click here.

Census Bureau Requests Data on Proposed Changes to the 2013 American Community Survey
The Department of Commerce is currently accepting public comments until February 27, 2012 regarding possible changes to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) content and data collection. In 2010, the Census Bureau conducted testing of two new question topics, including parental place of birth, which they are considering adding to the 2013 ACS questions. Click here to read more about the proposed changes and to submit comments in the Federal Register.

Blog Highlights

The President Announces New Initiatives to Increase Travel and Tourism in the U.S.
On January 19, 2012, President Obama traveled to Orlando, Florida’s Magic Kingdom to deliver one message: America is open for business. The President’s initiative to increase travel and tourism include: the Global Entry Program, increased access of basic information to foreign tourists, increased marketing of U.S. tourist destinations, and the expansion of countries eligible under the visa waiver program.  To read the official White House press release, click here. Don’t forget to read the White House blog and watch the President’s weekly address concerning his commitment to rebuild our economy. Also, join this effort and tell us what makes your hometown a great place to visit by clicking here.

Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy with Our Newest Americans
In this blog, Joshua DuBois, Executive Director of The White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, writes about his participation in this naturalization ceremony. To read more about Joshua’s involvement in this special event, click here, or to learn more about naturalization ceremonies taking place across the country, click here.

Upcoming Meetings

Grandfathering of Non-Hague Adoption Cases
USCIS Office of Public Engagement invites you to participate in a national stakeholder teleconference on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 2:00PM EST regarding changes to the process of “grandfathering” certain adoption cases as orphan cases when the U.S. and another country become Hague partners. The call will focus on cases for Chinese and Guatemalan children. To participate, contact the Office of Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov by Monday January 30, 2012, and reference “Adoption” in the subject line of your email. Also include your full name and the organization you represent, if any, in the body of the email.  You may call-in at 1-888-989-6491 or 1-415-228-3902, if you are overseas. (Passcode: Adoption)

National Stakeholder Engagement on E-Verify
USCIS Verification Division and the Office of Public Engagement invite you to participate in a national stakeholder teleconference on Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. EST to discuss a potential Final Nonconfirmation Review (FNC) process for E-Verify. To participate in this teleconference, please contact the Office of Public Office of Public Engagement, Intergovernmental Affairs at USCIS-IGAOutreach@dhs.gov by January 30, 2012, and reference “E-Verify Administrative Review Process” in the subject line of your email.

Revisions to Adjudicator’s USCIS Field Manual on the Role of Private Attorneys and Others
USCIS will be accepting public comments until February 14, 2012, regarding the role of private attorneys and other representatives who appear before USCIS. For complete information on the comment process, visit the Interim Memoranda for Comment section of www.uscis.gov. Please send all comments on the draft memorandum to opefeedback@uscis.dhs.gov.

Jiao liú Session: National Engagement on Naturalization in Chinese
On Thursday, February 16th, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., USCIS will conduct a national Chinese-language engagement (Jiao liú) session as part of our ongoing series of multilingual public engagements. This session will focus the Naturalization process and will be broadcast live from the USCIS San Francisco Field Office. You are invited to participate in person, via teleconference by calling 1-800-475-8388 (password: Jiao liú), or via live Web stream at http://www.uscis.gov/stream/Live.  For further information please contact the Office of Public Office of Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov and reference “Jiao liú” in the subject line of your email.

 Thank you,

Julie Rodriguez
Associate Director
White House | Office of Public Engagement”

USCIS Director Mayorkas and the Office of Public Engagement invite you to attend a national stakeholder engagement to discuss the USCIS 2011 accomplishments and 2012 priorities.  To participate in this session, please contact the Office of Public Office of Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov by Friday, January 20, 2012, and reference “National Stakeholder Engagement” in the subject line of your email.

What: National Stakeholder Engagement
When: Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Start Time: 2:00 p.m. EST
Where: Tomich Center: 111 Massachusetts Avenue NW;  Washington, DC

 The USCIS Asylum Division will host their quarterly stakeholder meeting. The purpose of this engagement is for individual participants to ask questions and raise issues regarding asylum operations. Please see the attached invitation for more information. To participate in this session, please contact the Office of Public Office of Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov by COB Wednesday, January 25, 2012. Please include your full name and the organization you represent, if any, in the body of the email and reference “Asylum Quarterly” in the subject line.

What: Asylum Division Quarterly Stakeholder Meeting
When: Thursday, January 26, 2012
Start Time: 2:00 p.m. EST
Where: White Oak Conference Room: 20 Massachusetts Ave, NW; Washington, DC  20529

Today, January 10th, the White House announced that current Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Muñoz will now serve as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council. Ms. Munoz will coordinate the policy-making process and supervise the execution of domestic policy in the White House.

 “Over the past three years, Cecilia has been a trusted advisor who has demonstrated sound judgment day in and day out,” said President Obama. “Cecilia has done an extraordinary job working on behalf of middle class families, and I’m confident she’ll bring the same unwavering dedication to her new position.”

Cecilia Muñoz currently serves as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs where she oversees the Obama Administration’s relationships with state and local governments. As Director of Intergovernmental Affairs under Valerie Jarrett, Ms. Muñoz leads a partnership between federal, state, local, and tribal governments that Governing magazine described as “more prominent and responsive than it ever was,” citing praise from local and state elected officials from across the political spectrum. Under Muñoz’s leadership, this partnership has brought the voices of local elected officials and the people they represent into the White House in the development and execution of policies to address local challenges in the economy, health care, disaster relief, and transportation infrastructure among others.

Ms. Muñoz also leads the Administration’s efforts to fix the broken immigration system so that it meets America’s 21st century economic and security needs. In addition, she serves as Co-Chair of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status, which has worked to not only continue to address the question of the island’s political status, but also partnered with local officials to address immediate concerns over jobs and the economy, health care, education, the environment, energy, and infrastructure.

Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Muñoz served as Senior Vice President for the Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization.  She supervised NCLR’s policy staff covering a variety of issues of importance to Latinos, including civil rights, employment, poverty, farmworker issues, education, health, housing, and immigration. Her particular area of expertise is immigration policy, which she covered at NCLR for twenty years

Ms. Muñoz is the former Chair of the Board of Center for Community Change, and served on the U.S. Programs Board of the Open Society Institute and the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Philanthropies and the National Immigration Forum. In June 2000, she was awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellowship in recognition of her work on immigration and civil rights.”

Julie Rodriguez
Associate Director
White House | Office of Public Engagement

Happy New Year! We hope your new year is off to great start. During the last few weeks of 2011 the White House met with local elected officials to discuss the importance of the American Jobs Act in their respective communities. As the year came to a close, several agencies including the Department of Health, Interior, and Justice, announced some important updates that will directly impact the Latino community across the nation in the areas of health care, housing, transportation, and on Latino heritage. Here’s the recap:

On December 19th and 20th local elected officials from across the nation visited the White House to discuss the importance of the American Jobs Act for the Latino Community. New York State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz discussed the impact the American Jobs Act will have on creating construction jobs to help renovate schools in Brooklyn, NY.

Arizona State Legislature Representative Ann Tovar discussed the impact of the American Jobs Act on the 25 million Hispanics and their families in America. Finally, Arizona State Legislator Ruben Gallego highlighted the importance of the American Jobs Act for Latino veterans.

Agency Updates

Department of Health outlined ways the Health Care Law has helped millions
December 27, 2011
The Department of Health outlined ways the Health Care Law has helped millions of people throughout the country. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services outlined eight important ways that you or your family might have benefited from the health law in 2011. Para leer en Español.

Department of Housing and Urban Development launches the HUD Language Line
December 22, 2011
HUD launched the HUD Language Line, a telephone language service pilot that will offer live, one-on-one interpretation services in more than 175 languages. These efforts are taking place in order to better communicate with Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals and families about HUD housing programs, services, and activities.

Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar highlights Latino Heritage Sites
December 22, 2011
Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the release of a report, view here, that identifies a number of important Latino historic and cultural sites in the San Luis Valley and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. On the same day, Secretary Salazar also dedicated Trujillo Homesteads Latino Heritage site in San Luis Valley, Colorado.

Department of Justice reaches a $335 million settlement
December 21, 2011
The Department of Justice reached a $335 million settlement to resolve allegations of lending discrimination by countrywide financial corporations. This settlement will help compensate more than 200,000 African American and Hispanic borrowers.

Department of Transportation announced that 46 transportation projects
December 15, 2011
As part of President Obama’s “We Can’t Wait” initiative the Department of Transportation announced that 46 transportation projects, to view the projects click here, in 33 states and Puerto Rico will receive a total of $511 million from the third round of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s popular TIGER program.

Blog Highlights

Champions for Change: A Latina in STEM
January 5, 2012
In this blog post Judit Camacho recounts her experience after being honored as a White House Champions for Change in December, 2011.

President Obama discusses Richard Cordray’s nomination to Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
January 4, 2012
President Barack Obama delivered remarks on the economy at Shaker Heights High School,Shaker Heights, Ohio alongside Richard Cordray, former Ohio Attorney General and nominee as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shares the stage with the President.

Building Welcoming Communities for All
December 21, 2011
Achieving full economic recovery and maintaining America’s competitive edge globally now and into the future will require communities to fully embrace their strongest resource-their people. This is why communities around the country are taking a new approach to integrating newly arrived immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers into their community and creating more welcoming environments for all community members.

A Conversation with the South Florida Latino Community
December 16, 2011
On December 2, 2011, I participated in a White House Latino Community Summit in Miami. The community summit connected senior government officials from diverse policy areas with local Hispanic leaders, business owners, and community advocates to discuss issues critical to the South Florida Latino community.

Get Involved

The application for the Summer 2012 White House Internship Program is now open. The application deadline is January 22, 2012. The programs and opportunities of the White House Internship Program make for days filled with unique learning experiences, thought-provoking conversation, and unforgettable events. Visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/internships to learn more about the White House Internship Program and to apply.

The White House Fellows program is the nation’s most prestigious program for leadership and public service.  Founded by President Johnson in 1964 to engage emerging leaders in public service, the Fellows Program provides exceptional young men and women with first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government.

To learn more, we invite you to view the White House Fellows video chat in which the Program Director Cindy Moelis and former Fellows Anish Mahajan and Erica Jeffries recently answered questions about the application and the Fellowship experience. Applications for the White House Fellowship can currently be found online at www.whitehouse.gov/fellows.  The deadline for completed applications is January 13, 2012.