By Brandon Gillin

Yesterday a group of Seattle-area immigration lawyers fasted at the Federal Buildings in Seattle and Bellingham, Washington in protest of Congress failing to make any progress on immigration reform.  Across the country other fasts related to the failure of congress to pass immigration reform have occurred and are still occurring.

The immigration lawyers each had an empty dinner plate, which symbolized Congress' empty promises on fixing a broken immigration system.  The sponsors of this event were the American Immigration Lawyers Association - Washington Chapter, and One America.

Brandon Gillin is an immigration lawyer with Genesis Law Firm, PLLC in Everett, Washington.

By Brandon Gillin

The New York TImes reports that although Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ("DACA") saw a wave of applicants in its inception in August 2012, the number of new applications has plummeted.  There are, however, still many eligible to sign up for the program, but have refrained due to various reasons ranging from differences among states in immigration enforcement, the availability of public transit, and culture.  The Chinese and Filipino populations, for example, may feel shame for being undocumented.

The requirements for DACA are listed on the USCIS web site.  The Washington Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association ("AILA") sometimes holds free workshops for the public on DACA.  When those workshops are announces I will be posting the dates on this blog, and I will be there in person helping as a volunteer immigration attorney as I have twice before in Wenatchee and Des Moines, Washington.

Brandon Gillin is an immigration lawyer with Genesis Law Firm, PLLC in Everett, Washington.

By Brandon Gillin

My colleague Greg McLawsen, an immigration attorney in Tacoma, Washington, has begun writing a blog dedicated to the I-864 Affidavit of Support.  Greg has published several times on the subject and his blog is a valuable resource for those confused about issues regarding the Affidavit of Support.  Check out Greg's new blog here.

Brandon Gillin is an immigration lawyer with Genesis Law Firm, PLLC in Everett, Washington.

By Brandon Gillin

USCIS has posted a notice on its web site about an event it will host on December 11, 2013 from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. (EST) for Spanish speakers.  USCIS will share agency updates, discuss immigration-related topics and be available to answer your questions.  For more information, go here.

Brandon Gillin is an immigration lawyer with Genesis Law Firm, PLLC in Everett, Washington.