fromnaija
07-30 10:20 PM
This is insane and scary at the same time. So, the child will have to depart the US at that time as he will no longer be able to get any valid non-immigrant visa (except probably an H1). As immigration intent has been expressed such a child will not be able to get F-1 visa. I would have to research this further as the prospect of my child having to depart the US after the rest of the family gets a GC is just too much for me to bear at this time! I'll pose the question to my lawyer and hear her opinion.
Yes assuming after the deduction of the time it took to adjudicate the I140 the child is still over 21. If this occurs the childs application will automatically be transferred to the respective family based category and processed that way and we know how long the waits are for those dates to become current.
Yes assuming after the deduction of the time it took to adjudicate the I140 the child is still over 21. If this occurs the childs application will automatically be transferred to the respective family based category and processed that way and we know how long the waits are for those dates to become current.
wallpaper +. São bonitas?
shreekhand
07-04 10:47 PM
Look at the May VB, it was current, obviously;)
"__________________
EB3 Worldwide
PD 07/11/03
I-140 RD 02/27/06 AD 03/22/06
I-485 RD 05/07/07 filed at TSC
FP 06/02/07 (Code 3) - sent to USCIS same day
LUD 06/05/07
"
For RD to be 05/07/07, you must be eligible to file in the month of May and hence PD should be current as per April VB.
EB3 ROW was still Aug 2002 in April visa bulletin. How could you file for I-485?
"__________________
EB3 Worldwide
PD 07/11/03
I-140 RD 02/27/06 AD 03/22/06
I-485 RD 05/07/07 filed at TSC
FP 06/02/07 (Code 3) - sent to USCIS same day
LUD 06/05/07
"
For RD to be 05/07/07, you must be eligible to file in the month of May and hence PD should be current as per April VB.
EB3 ROW was still Aug 2002 in April visa bulletin. How could you file for I-485?
Edison99
09-15 12:30 PM
Enjoy the freedom!
Any ideas? (My wife and son are in india now).
Anyway, I will support IV wholeheartedly going forward. Of course, I got benefitted from it. I am a long timer, 2001, EB3.
Any ideas? (My wife and son are in india now).
Anyway, I will support IV wholeheartedly going forward. Of course, I got benefitted from it. I am a long timer, 2001, EB3.
2011 And so Lindsay will be facing
hopefulgc
09-16 10:22 PM
Please don't lose heart.. hang in there.
What you are experiencing has happened to a couple of people. But it sounds pretty counter-intuitive as to why they would deny substitution with for Eb2 labor?
Whatever the case, it sucks if it jeopardizes the primary Eb3 petition.
Are you able to locate any precedents to this?
Keep us updated here on this thread.
Hi,
Here is my case specifics:
--------------------------
1. Filed PERM EB3 LC - PD:01/2006 - Approved.
2. Filed EB3 I-140 using LC Sub from my company(company's policy..) - 06/2006 - was pending
3. Filed I-485 using pending LC Sub I-140 - 07/2007
4. Second I-140 Filed - 01/2008 based on my original PERM LC.
5. Second I-140 - Approved - 02/2008
6. Attorney sent AILA Request last month on my pending I-140. Got AILA Response as below
"Talked with the I-140 senior officer this afternoon about this case. We both reviewed the I-140 and the issue with the substitution of the labor cert. It appears that the individual that had the labor cert originally, adjusted off of it. Therefore, we can not substitute it again for the individual listed below. I believe that he has one I-140 already approved and will have to stay with that priority date. Have a good weekend."
7. Based on this, my attorney told me that my first I-140 will be denied soon; but she said that my AOS will continue to be active based on my approved I-140.
8. As my attorney said, Today, I got an CRIS email saying that my LC Sub I-140 is denied.
I have couple of questions now:
1. I am worried about my I-485 since my wofe is working on EAD. My understanding is that if your I-140 is denied, then your I-485 is denied too. But, my lawyer says that since I have an approved I140, they will use that and she is quoting the AILA Response email also. Is it true? or she is just convincing me with her lies.
2. I can continue to check the status of my I-485. But, how can I verify my AOS is now tied with my approved I-140? Interestingly, my AP Renewal is approved yesterday and notice mailed (a day before my I-140 denial)
Please let me know guys. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
What you are experiencing has happened to a couple of people. But it sounds pretty counter-intuitive as to why they would deny substitution with for Eb2 labor?
Whatever the case, it sucks if it jeopardizes the primary Eb3 petition.
Are you able to locate any precedents to this?
Keep us updated here on this thread.
Hi,
Here is my case specifics:
--------------------------
1. Filed PERM EB3 LC - PD:01/2006 - Approved.
2. Filed EB3 I-140 using LC Sub from my company(company's policy..) - 06/2006 - was pending
3. Filed I-485 using pending LC Sub I-140 - 07/2007
4. Second I-140 Filed - 01/2008 based on my original PERM LC.
5. Second I-140 - Approved - 02/2008
6. Attorney sent AILA Request last month on my pending I-140. Got AILA Response as below
"Talked with the I-140 senior officer this afternoon about this case. We both reviewed the I-140 and the issue with the substitution of the labor cert. It appears that the individual that had the labor cert originally, adjusted off of it. Therefore, we can not substitute it again for the individual listed below. I believe that he has one I-140 already approved and will have to stay with that priority date. Have a good weekend."
7. Based on this, my attorney told me that my first I-140 will be denied soon; but she said that my AOS will continue to be active based on my approved I-140.
8. As my attorney said, Today, I got an CRIS email saying that my LC Sub I-140 is denied.
I have couple of questions now:
1. I am worried about my I-485 since my wofe is working on EAD. My understanding is that if your I-140 is denied, then your I-485 is denied too. But, my lawyer says that since I have an approved I140, they will use that and she is quoting the AILA Response email also. Is it true? or she is just convincing me with her lies.
2. I can continue to check the status of my I-485. But, how can I verify my AOS is now tied with my approved I-140? Interestingly, my AP Renewal is approved yesterday and notice mailed (a day before my I-140 denial)
Please let me know guys. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
more...
mariner5555
05-27 06:57 AM
why did they come out with this statement ? maybe to tell state dept not to do this in future ? for many it will take 5 years for the visas to be available ..say EB3 - I with PD of 2006 who was lucky enough to file for 485 during the fiasco ..
canmt
11-14 06:48 PM
If the job offered is for 15-1031 and job responsiblities remain the same as 15-1031. It should be ok to work on SAP or any other bleeding edge technologies. Call USCIS and ask them for information.
more...
chaukas
10-15 01:39 PM
I work for a large ( very large ) software company ( No its not MSFT or Oracle ).
We have quite a few interns from India and they don't even talk about working here. Their goal is to do a masters and go back to India.
We have quite a few interns from India and they don't even talk about working here. Their goal is to do a masters and go back to India.
2010 hairstyles lindsay lohan
ilikekilo
07-25 01:29 PM
Hello,
I have an unfortunate situation. My parents names are misspelled in the Birth certificate compared to the Passport parents name page. Do we need to submit the parents names page of the passport when we submit our documents for 485 ?? Please let me know if this will be a problem and if there is a work around for this ??
Also if I have a Birth certificate (with my actual full name - dated in 2007 though), do I need to submit the affidavits ??
Thanks
dont confuse dated dob cert with the registration date...as long as the dob cert has the registraation date within 3 years or less, i believe, then u r ok...
I have an unfortunate situation. My parents names are misspelled in the Birth certificate compared to the Passport parents name page. Do we need to submit the parents names page of the passport when we submit our documents for 485 ?? Please let me know if this will be a problem and if there is a work around for this ??
Also if I have a Birth certificate (with my actual full name - dated in 2007 though), do I need to submit the affidavits ??
Thanks
dont confuse dated dob cert with the registration date...as long as the dob cert has the registraation date within 3 years or less, i believe, then u r ok...
more...
kubmilegaGC
09-11 06:05 PM
bump..
hair makeup lindsay lohan anorexic
mayitbesoon
08-22 04:41 PM
This could be a second part of campaign for administative fixes. also, please include some strategy to fight for FIFO processing. This is also very important issue
more...
mohitb272
12-10 07:17 PM
in my view software engineer and business analyst are NOT similar. One deals with generating lines of code and the other is taking requirements...in my view both are different...talk to your attorney...it is just my view only...and u know i am neither expert nor an attorney...
Well, In a small company as mine, people have to take a lot of other responsibilities besides development, including customer support and at times taking requirements. My role gradually changed but now I am a BA. Anyway, thanks for the advice.
Well, In a small company as mine, people have to take a lot of other responsibilities besides development, including customer support and at times taking requirements. My role gradually changed but now I am a BA. Anyway, thanks for the advice.
hot LINDSAY LOHAN ANOREXIC 2010
sanju_dba
09-14 02:01 PM
I like the idea. But I wonder if this legal...
Good question,
What are the raffle laws of each state? | rafflefaq.com (http://rafflefaq.com/united-states-raffle-laws/) talks about the regulations, I am not sure which state to look for.
Good question,
What are the raffle laws of each state? | rafflefaq.com (http://rafflefaq.com/united-states-raffle-laws/) talks about the regulations, I am not sure which state to look for.
more...
house anorexia and***********
elanegeng
12-29 04:32 PM
I am in Bham...;)
tattoo Plus being anorexic and a coke
god_bless_you
04-06 12:44 PM
As far i know you should have a valid H1 status or approved EAD to work and keep your status as valid.
Once you start working on EAD there may be gaps with next EAD approval.
Simply you will not claim working during that period but this is possible only after you start working on your first EAD.
simply if you do not have a valid H1 until you get EAD and claim working on EAD with your Employer by filling W4 forms etc. you will be out of status..
Please check with a attorney on this!!
Once you start working on EAD there may be gaps with next EAD approval.
Simply you will not claim working during that period but this is possible only after you start working on your first EAD.
simply if you do not have a valid H1 until you get EAD and claim working on EAD with your Employer by filling W4 forms etc. you will be out of status..
Please check with a attorney on this!!
more...
pictures Lindsay+lohan+anorexic+2010
glus
01-03 10:15 AM
You will need to switch to an F1 (Student Visa). You cannot enroll for a full time MBA course on an H1. The college you enroll in will insist on an F1.
As for the GC application, it is for future employment. Meaning that if you company is willing to hire you back once you get your GC and they don't withdraw the I-140, then the application can continue.
However, I think that if and when yr GC gets approved, you will mostly likely have to abandon full time studies and go back to working full time for yr company right away. I only think this and I'm not sure.
Hello,
Respectfully, but Yinzak is incorrect. While working for a law office, we researched the issue for a client. There is a memo issued by uscis many years ago. There is NOTHING in INA that says that a person on H-1B visa or status can't attend college and the memo states that as long as attendance to college is "incidental" to the H-1B, not a problem. As such, if a person Maintains H-1B employment, and all the H-1B requirements continue to exist, one can attend college part of full time. In fact, some colleges offer in-state tuition for H-1B applicants. Changing to F-1 is impossible because of immigrant intent showed by GC petition pending for this person.
Brooklyn college is one that offers in-state tuition for H-1s and does not require change in status at all.
As for the GC application, it is for future employment. Meaning that if you company is willing to hire you back once you get your GC and they don't withdraw the I-140, then the application can continue.
However, I think that if and when yr GC gets approved, you will mostly likely have to abandon full time studies and go back to working full time for yr company right away. I only think this and I'm not sure.
Hello,
Respectfully, but Yinzak is incorrect. While working for a law office, we researched the issue for a client. There is a memo issued by uscis many years ago. There is NOTHING in INA that says that a person on H-1B visa or status can't attend college and the memo states that as long as attendance to college is "incidental" to the H-1B, not a problem. As such, if a person Maintains H-1B employment, and all the H-1B requirements continue to exist, one can attend college part of full time. In fact, some colleges offer in-state tuition for H-1B applicants. Changing to F-1 is impossible because of immigrant intent showed by GC petition pending for this person.
Brooklyn college is one that offers in-state tuition for H-1s and does not require change in status at all.
dresses lohan anorexic 2010
bmoni
08-20 03:21 PM
@acecupid: Thanks for the response. For me it is Chicago consulate it will take 10-15 days.
which comes pretty close to my travel date. As you mentioned i do hope it will not be a problem.
Also today I talked to the Indian consulate in Chicago they told me I can travel without any problem. As long as the passport is valid even it is the last day of the validity I should be fine with the travel. There shouldn't be a problem with the immigration officers during travel based on that.
@kanakabyraju: Thanks for the advise. I might try that.
For a valid visa stamp you need a passport with six month validity. But I have not seen any where for traveling you need a six month validity. If you personally experienced any problem while traveling with less than six valid passport. please post your experience it will help me and others.
Thanks,
which comes pretty close to my travel date. As you mentioned i do hope it will not be a problem.
Also today I talked to the Indian consulate in Chicago they told me I can travel without any problem. As long as the passport is valid even it is the last day of the validity I should be fine with the travel. There shouldn't be a problem with the immigration officers during travel based on that.
@kanakabyraju: Thanks for the advise. I might try that.
For a valid visa stamp you need a passport with six month validity. But I have not seen any where for traveling you need a six month validity. If you personally experienced any problem while traveling with less than six valid passport. please post your experience it will help me and others.
Thanks,
more...
makeup lindsay lohan anorexic 2010.
ritwik_ind
11-16 03:17 AM
This is multi-week process ritwik. I wouldn't expect the public poll to go up any sooner than the 18th.
:)
great... Thanks kirupa.
:)
great... Thanks kirupa.
girlfriend lindsay lohan anorexia
pointlesswait
08-01 03:17 PM
just send one thank you card and some flowers..to the senator on behalf of IV!
signed by 20000 forum members....
i dont think calling and thanking him is a good idea!
signed by 20000 forum members....
i dont think calling and thanking him is a good idea!
hairstyles LINDSAY LOHAN ANOREXIC 2010
insbaby
08-12 09:12 AM
1. Check with your lawyer on this
2. Do not send affidavit for Aug 20th. Then you end up with documents having two birthdates and affidavits for confirming both birthdates. Instead, just leave it and wait. You may or may not end up with an RFE.
2. Do not send affidavit for Aug 20th. Then you end up with documents having two birthdates and affidavits for confirming both birthdates. Instead, just leave it and wait. You may or may not end up with an RFE.
whiteStallion
06-16 06:48 PM
I am not sure about six months ... That is only when you file 485 and want to use AC21 to continue your GC process.
Once your I-140 is approved, then you lock the PD from that moment itself.
I140 + 6 months = Change your employer, file new PERM & then new I140 but you get to keep your old PD from old PERM. Is it not the case ?
Once your I-140 is approved, then you lock the PD from that moment itself.
I140 + 6 months = Change your employer, file new PERM & then new I140 but you get to keep your old PD from old PERM. Is it not the case ?
regacct
11-23 01:27 PM
Why the Anti-immigrant Dog Did Not Bark in Illinois (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/why-the-anti-immigrant-do_b_787368.html)
In the Sherlock Holmes short story "Silver Blaze" the famous detective focuses his analytic prowess on the "curious incident" of the dog that did not bark in the nighttime.
In the recent mid-term elections there was a similar "curious incident" in Illinois that is important nationally. No major candidate in Illinois from either the Republican or Democratic Party demagogued the immigration issue. Neither the ultra-conservative Republican candidate for Governor, Bill Brady, nor the supposedly "moderate" candidate for Senate, Mark Kirk, ran ads, did mailers, or used talking points about the supposed scourge of illegal immigrants taking jobs or sponging up our tax money. Nor did any major candidate for Congress.
It is definitely true that a number of the Republican candidates that were elected to Congressional seats hold anti-immigrant positions. But they did not choose to use those positions as wedge issues in the recent election. Why not?
A possible explanation is that Republicans in Illinois are a kinder, more reasonable group than Republicans elsewhere. That, I'm afraid, does not pass the laugh test.
You could argue that it's because Illinois has a large immigrant population in general and a large Latino population in particular. But so do Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and California where Republican Party candidates tried to use "illegal immigration" and "amnesty" as wedge issues to galvanize their base.
It is true that Illinois has a more immigrant-friendly tradition than some of the states in the Southwest. Much of the Caucasian population in Illinois comes from recent immigrant stock themselves - from Ireland, Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Germany, Croatia and Serbia.
But there is also a more old-fashioned reason. Demagogues and bullies tend to prey upon those whom they consider too weak to strike back. It turned out that in Nevada, California, and Colorado they made the wrong call, since their demagoguery galvanized turnout among Latino voters that defeated right-wing candidates for the Senate.
In fact, the Latino vote saved the Senate for the Democrats.
But in Illinois the right didn't even try their demagogic tactics. That's largely because the immigrant communities in Illinois have worked hard over five election cycles to build a muscular political organizing vehicle that gets out the immigrant vote -- and can bite back fiercely at anti-immigrant demagogues.
In 2008, Jim Oberweis ran for Congress against Democrat Bill Foster on a heavily anti-immigrant platform and was flattened by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. That experience sent a lesson through Illinois' right-wing political class. Nothing like watching one of their own get scalded to teach others not to touch the stove.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) no leads The New Americans' Democracy Project . This year, 13 electoral organizers worked for months in both the City of Chicago and the Suburbs. They targeted 133,128 infrequent immigrant voters for a multi-contact phone and door operation, and before the election was done the volunteers they recruited did a total of 549,000 live phone calls to their universe of Latino, Asian and Muslim voters.
This work has been growing in scale and bite since 2002 when it began with no funding and in only nine precincts. At this point the immigrant vote can no longer be ignored by either party. Here are several key lessons from the Illinois immigrant organizing experience:
1) Consistency Counts: ICIRR has had between 10 and 20 full-time immigrant election campaign organizers every election since 2004. They begin their work in July and work through November, building a "recent immigrant" field operation. In every single cycle they add new skills to their electoral organizing.
2) Numbers Count: The immigrant voter program has registered over 90,000 new immigrant voters. They door-knock between 35,000 and 60,000 doors every election cycle.
3) Diversity is Strength: The Democracy Project works with leaders and organizations in Latino community, but also the Asian, Arab, and Polish immigrant communities.
4) Mine the "Base" and work the "Swings": The electoral work is done in the immigrant "base" Chicago port of entry neighborhoods to generate numbers, but also in swing suburban political districts where multi-ethnic immigrant organizing multiplies the voting power of Latinos. The activation of new immigrant voters in suburban "swing" communities forces Republican attention to immigrant issues.
5) Reward Friends, Punish Enemies: ICIRR keeps track of who engages in immigrant bashing -- and stikes back. When Republican anti-immigrant candidate Jim Oberweis polarized voters against "illegal immigrants", ICIRR released to the media a film of undocumented immigrants cleaning his business while being paid only $3.23 an hour. When old-school Democratic Mayor of Waukegan, IL attacked "illegals" with local law enforcement of immigration laws, he went down to defeat in the next election because Latinos in Waukegan mobilized to support his opponent.
6) Naturalize, Naturalize, Naturalize: ICIRR has one of the most aggressive citizenship programs in the nation. All told, an additional 170,000 immigrants were naturalized in Illinois over the last five years. The coalition itself directly assisted over 48,000 of those legal immigrants to become citizens, and thus voters.
ICIRR is not a partisan organization. In fact, their most recent fundraiser was headlined by the popular former Republican Governor Jim Edgar. But because of the track record of Republicans across the country, its organizing definitely benefits Democrats. In fact, Democratic Governor Pat Quinn - who won by fewer than 20,000 votes -- would not likely have been re-elected had it not been for their work.
On the policy side, ICIRR works for immigrant-friendly policies, and by any definition they have succeeded in winning some of the most immigrant-friendly policies in the nation at the state level in Illinois.
The state of Illinois leans Blue, but it has wide swatches of Red. In the recent elections the Democrats barely lost the Senate race and took some terrible losses in the Congressional delegation. But in addition to electing a Democratic Governor, both the State House and Senate remained in Democratic hands. The immigrant vote was critical to these Democratic victories, but it is also a force that Republicans ignore or abuse at their peril. In this election, at least, Illinois Republicans generally had the good sense not to bait the immigrant community.
In the current environment of racialized fear and polarization against immigrants across the U.S., the hard work of immigrant advocates in Illinois provides two key lessons:
* Demagogues go after the weak, not the strong. You don't stop anti-immigrant demagoguery through accommodation, you stop it with strength.
* Nuts and Bolts Organizing works.
In the Sherlock Holmes short story "Silver Blaze" the famous detective focuses his analytic prowess on the "curious incident" of the dog that did not bark in the nighttime.
In the recent mid-term elections there was a similar "curious incident" in Illinois that is important nationally. No major candidate in Illinois from either the Republican or Democratic Party demagogued the immigration issue. Neither the ultra-conservative Republican candidate for Governor, Bill Brady, nor the supposedly "moderate" candidate for Senate, Mark Kirk, ran ads, did mailers, or used talking points about the supposed scourge of illegal immigrants taking jobs or sponging up our tax money. Nor did any major candidate for Congress.
It is definitely true that a number of the Republican candidates that were elected to Congressional seats hold anti-immigrant positions. But they did not choose to use those positions as wedge issues in the recent election. Why not?
A possible explanation is that Republicans in Illinois are a kinder, more reasonable group than Republicans elsewhere. That, I'm afraid, does not pass the laugh test.
You could argue that it's because Illinois has a large immigrant population in general and a large Latino population in particular. But so do Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and California where Republican Party candidates tried to use "illegal immigration" and "amnesty" as wedge issues to galvanize their base.
It is true that Illinois has a more immigrant-friendly tradition than some of the states in the Southwest. Much of the Caucasian population in Illinois comes from recent immigrant stock themselves - from Ireland, Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Germany, Croatia and Serbia.
But there is also a more old-fashioned reason. Demagogues and bullies tend to prey upon those whom they consider too weak to strike back. It turned out that in Nevada, California, and Colorado they made the wrong call, since their demagoguery galvanized turnout among Latino voters that defeated right-wing candidates for the Senate.
In fact, the Latino vote saved the Senate for the Democrats.
But in Illinois the right didn't even try their demagogic tactics. That's largely because the immigrant communities in Illinois have worked hard over five election cycles to build a muscular political organizing vehicle that gets out the immigrant vote -- and can bite back fiercely at anti-immigrant demagogues.
In 2008, Jim Oberweis ran for Congress against Democrat Bill Foster on a heavily anti-immigrant platform and was flattened by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. That experience sent a lesson through Illinois' right-wing political class. Nothing like watching one of their own get scalded to teach others not to touch the stove.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) no leads The New Americans' Democracy Project . This year, 13 electoral organizers worked for months in both the City of Chicago and the Suburbs. They targeted 133,128 infrequent immigrant voters for a multi-contact phone and door operation, and before the election was done the volunteers they recruited did a total of 549,000 live phone calls to their universe of Latino, Asian and Muslim voters.
This work has been growing in scale and bite since 2002 when it began with no funding and in only nine precincts. At this point the immigrant vote can no longer be ignored by either party. Here are several key lessons from the Illinois immigrant organizing experience:
1) Consistency Counts: ICIRR has had between 10 and 20 full-time immigrant election campaign organizers every election since 2004. They begin their work in July and work through November, building a "recent immigrant" field operation. In every single cycle they add new skills to their electoral organizing.
2) Numbers Count: The immigrant voter program has registered over 90,000 new immigrant voters. They door-knock between 35,000 and 60,000 doors every election cycle.
3) Diversity is Strength: The Democracy Project works with leaders and organizations in Latino community, but also the Asian, Arab, and Polish immigrant communities.
4) Mine the "Base" and work the "Swings": The electoral work is done in the immigrant "base" Chicago port of entry neighborhoods to generate numbers, but also in swing suburban political districts where multi-ethnic immigrant organizing multiplies the voting power of Latinos. The activation of new immigrant voters in suburban "swing" communities forces Republican attention to immigrant issues.
5) Reward Friends, Punish Enemies: ICIRR keeps track of who engages in immigrant bashing -- and stikes back. When Republican anti-immigrant candidate Jim Oberweis polarized voters against "illegal immigrants", ICIRR released to the media a film of undocumented immigrants cleaning his business while being paid only $3.23 an hour. When old-school Democratic Mayor of Waukegan, IL attacked "illegals" with local law enforcement of immigration laws, he went down to defeat in the next election because Latinos in Waukegan mobilized to support his opponent.
6) Naturalize, Naturalize, Naturalize: ICIRR has one of the most aggressive citizenship programs in the nation. All told, an additional 170,000 immigrants were naturalized in Illinois over the last five years. The coalition itself directly assisted over 48,000 of those legal immigrants to become citizens, and thus voters.
ICIRR is not a partisan organization. In fact, their most recent fundraiser was headlined by the popular former Republican Governor Jim Edgar. But because of the track record of Republicans across the country, its organizing definitely benefits Democrats. In fact, Democratic Governor Pat Quinn - who won by fewer than 20,000 votes -- would not likely have been re-elected had it not been for their work.
On the policy side, ICIRR works for immigrant-friendly policies, and by any definition they have succeeded in winning some of the most immigrant-friendly policies in the nation at the state level in Illinois.
The state of Illinois leans Blue, but it has wide swatches of Red. In the recent elections the Democrats barely lost the Senate race and took some terrible losses in the Congressional delegation. But in addition to electing a Democratic Governor, both the State House and Senate remained in Democratic hands. The immigrant vote was critical to these Democratic victories, but it is also a force that Republicans ignore or abuse at their peril. In this election, at least, Illinois Republicans generally had the good sense not to bait the immigrant community.
In the current environment of racialized fear and polarization against immigrants across the U.S., the hard work of immigrant advocates in Illinois provides two key lessons:
* Demagogues go after the weak, not the strong. You don't stop anti-immigrant demagoguery through accommodation, you stop it with strength.
* Nuts and Bolts Organizing works.