On Friday, January 29, the University of Houston Law Center is offering a Clinical Legal Education Program entitled Immigration in the Time of COVID 19: Asylum and Beyond. Additional resources on the topics of immigration and asylum in the U.S. are included.
Read moreImmigration Law Resource Month
During the month of July, print materials on all aspects of immigration law will be on display throughout the Law Library. Treatises such as Kurzban’s Immigration Law Sourcebook and a number of CLE coursebooks from TexasBarCLE will be featured. You’ll also find immigration law resources in the Law Library’s digital collection, including official immigration forms through Westlaw and the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal on HeinOnline.
Featured Podcast: And Justice for Some -- Lost Without Translation
A previous post on Ex Libris Juris called attention to the need for qualified interpreters in U.S. courts. (Texas outlines its policies on language access in the courts on the Texas Judicial Branch website.) This issue is getting more attention as the shortage of licensed court interpreters, particularly those who speak an indigenous language, is becoming more of a concern. The State Bar of Texas Access to Justice Commission recently reported on the issue and included legislative history to explain the development of laws that provide translation services for people with Limited English Proficiency. Last week's episode of the Reveal podcast, a project of The Center for Investigative Reporting, covered the story in a program called And Justice for Some. This program details the courtroom experience of an Alabama mother who speaks Mixteco, a language spoken by 750,000 people in Mexico, but by precious few in the United States, especially in U.S. courtrooms. The implications of not having access to a qualified interpreter are great. This podcast explores these implications and calls for better access to justice in U.S. courts, especially with respect to translation services for foreign language speakers.
I-9 Compliance and the New "Smart" Form
Under the Immigration Control and Reform Act of 1986, all U.S. employers must verify the identity and eligibility of each new person hired. Form I-9 must be submitted for citizens and noncitizens alike, and the penalties for not completing this form properly can be substantial.
As of August 1, 2016, penalties have increased along with the possibility of facing an audit. In light of these changes, employers are well-advised to review their I-9 processes and implement best practices for ensuring compliance with the law.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is introducing a new "smart" version of Form I-9, which is designed to enhance the quality, utility, clarity, and accuracy of the information collected. The new collection process will be automated, allowing respondents to submit data electronically.
The Harris County Law Library has a number of immigration law resources, which we are featuring on our blog and in the library throughout the month of October. One such resource is the Immigration Employment Compliance Handbook 2016-2017 Edition, a Thomson Reuters publication in the Immigration Law Library series. At the time of publication, the proposed "smart" PDF version of Form I-9 was still under review. The USCIS has been accepting public comments on the draft and is now awaiting approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The new form is to be released on or before November 22, 2016, but employers may continue to use the 03/08/2013 edition of the form until January 21, 2017.
For a good discussion of the many changes to the I-9 form as well as advice about what employers need to know, visit Law360, and as always, the Law Library staff are available to help you locate additional resources, such as I-9 Central, and to ensure that you keep current with changes in the law.
Immigration Law Resource Month
In October, we at the Harris County Law Library are continuing to highlight our collection of immigration law resources. Throughout the month, we will feature materials, in the library an online, to assist you in conducting research and learning about immigration law in the United States.
Several new immigration law resources are now on our shelves, including the 15th edition of Kurzban's Immigration Law Sourcebook, and the 17th edition of U.S. Immigration Made Easy, published by Nolo Press. On Westlaw, you can access the latest immigration news and analysis, as well as immigration law treatises, and official immigration forms. Lexis provides additional access to popular immigration titles, including Benders Immigration Law Bulletin and Benders Immigration Case Reporter. Both Westlaw and Lexis can be accessed on our computers in the Law Library.
These titles are just a few of the immigration law items in our collection. Additional resources will be featured throughout the month in the Law Library and on our blog.
