Immigration Nerds

Today we are joined by Masha Rumer, Author of the new book “Parenting with an Accent”. This book encapsulates many things, it's part memoir, part interview series, and part academic research highlighting the findings from social science and migration experts. Masha explores how immigrants honor their heritage, navigate setbacks and chart new paths for their children. 

Evan Taparata is a postdoctoral fellow at the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History at Harvard University. Evan is currently authoring his latest book “State of Refuge: The Origins of Refugee Law and Policy in the United States”. In this edition, he explores the origins of American refugee law in the years after World War II and how immigration policy in the past and present has centered around the interests of the U.S. settler state. So today we discuss its historical implications, and how sentiments around settlement have developed throughout the 20th century.

Thank you Jerry for the opportunities you provided all of us, the joy and leadership you brought to the company. We will carry on the legacy you worked so hard to build.

You will be truly missed.

Welcome to Immigration Nerds, this week's episode centers around the rapidly evolving visa saga between Tennis star Novak Djokovic and Australia, in advance of the Australian Open.

This episode was recorded on Wednesday, January 12th, and since then, the decision has been made to cancel Djokovic’s visa for a second time for entering the country without obtaining a valid covid-19 vaccine exemption. Djokovic will be detained before his case to stay in Australia is heard by the higher Federal Court of Australia. But how we got here is perhaps even more interesting and complex. In our conversation, we walk through the visa timeline up until this very point, focusing deeper into the intersection of where immigration meets, geopolitics, and culture, and talk through what people who plan to travel to Australia in the near future should consider.

EIG's Lead Researcher Luke Bianco hosts today's episode along with Senior Manager - Australia, Martin Russell.

Happy New Year, we're kicking off the year with a light conversation. Namely Immigrant led stories in film, and where we can find them. Luckily, Bilal Zouheir joins to navigate us through that journey. Bilal holds an MBA and started his business as a film curator, founding uprootedmovies.com, the internet's first immigrant cinema website.

He also runs agoodmovietowatch.com, a film recommendation site trusted by 6 million readers every year. Originally from Morocco, now currently living in Berlin, Germany, Bilal discusses what we can learn from immigrant-focused films (what does it look like when it's done correctly, incorrectly, etc.) and lends a few recommendations for you to check out while you stay warm this winter.

As the Build Back Better Act approaches its deadline, we like to recap its status till now, with a previous episode from our catalog, to refresh what's at stake. Enjoy this previous recording. We'll be back after the holidays.

Today we examine the Biden administration's Build Back Better Act, $100 billion dollars of which is sought to be allocated to immigration reform. Please note that this act has already passed the House but at the time of this recording on 12/10/21 it has not yet passed the Senate and is not officially enacted. We’ll walk through the key immigration initiatives being proposed, how they will affect clients, and where negotiations stand today on capitol hill. To help me through the political ins and outs, Erickson Immigration Group's Legal and Government Affairs Manager, Nils Kinuani joins.

After our Build Back Better episode, we find it important to reflect back to our history of US immigration and how it affects sentiments on migration today. Namely, examining historically overlooked regions such as Hawaii and Cuba, the precedents established, and how we can move forward today. Visiting Assistant Professor of History & Race and Ethnic Studies at St. Olaf College, Kent Weber joins

Kent's research explores how systems of U.S. immigration control and overseas expansion have informed one another in U.S. history. His current book project examines the enforcement of the U.S. Chinese exclusion laws in overseas territories at the turn of the twentieth century.

Today we examine the Biden administration's Build Back Better Act, $100 billion dollars of which is sought to be allocated to immigration reform. Please note that this act has already passed the House but at the time of this recording on 12/10/21 it has not yet passed the Senate and is not officially enacted. We’ll walk through the key immigration initiatives being proposed, how they will affect clients, and where negotiations stand today on capitol hill. To help me through the political ins and outs, Erickson Immigration Group's Legal and Government Affairs Manager, Nils Kinuani joins.

On November 10, 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security entered into a settlement with plaintiffs, significantly changing USCIS policy regarding work authorization for qualified H-4 and L-2 status holders. On November 12, 2021, USCIS updated its Policy Manual to reflect these changes. USCIS and CBP are working to reflect these changes on Form I-94 so as to distinguish E and L dependent spouses from E and L dependent children. When the new code and notation are implemented, Forms I-94 for E or L dependent spouses may constitute as evidence of employment authorization.

Erickson Immigration Group's Associate Attorney, Sarah Amendola joins today to explain these changes.

Joining today is Senior Staff Attorney for Immigrant legal Resource Center, Rose Cahn.

Rose oversees the resource center’s pro bono Immigrant Post-Conviction Relief Project, coauthors many manuals at the cusp of criminal and immigration law, and was instrumental in drafting California Penal Code § 1473.7, a landmark piece of legislation that created a legal framework to vacate unconstitutional convictions.

We discuss:

• Running “Immigrant Post-Conviction Relief Project”
• How industry leaders can better serve the rights of immigrants with criminal convictions (From a local/national policy level)
• The drafting process and the resulting outcome of California Penal Code § 1473.7: Providing a legal framework to vacate unconstitutional convictions.