Surin & Griffin, P.C. 2020 Super Lawyers
Surin & Griffin, P.C. is proud to announce that two of its founding partners, Elizabeth C. Surin and Thomas M. Griffin, have been selected to this year’s Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list. Super Lawyers annually chooses attorneys from around the country for this distinguished award using a patented selection process incorporating peer evaluations with stringent independent […]
» Read More...May 28, 2020
Temporary Halt on Green Card Applications
A Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card, allows individuals who are not American citizens to live and work permanently in the United States. In the fiscal year of 2019, approximately 1.1 million people were granted green cards. On April 20, 2020, a temporary band on green cards went into effect for a […]
» Read More...May 14, 2020
Crackdown on Sanctuary Cities Across the Nation
In an effort to crackdown on illegal immigration, Attorney General William Barr recently announced the Department of Justice was taking legal action against local and state governments in sanctuary cities across the country. Lawsuits against certain states have already been announced and more are likely to follow. The move is designed to compel jurisdictions to […]
» Read More...April 23, 2020
Supreme Court Votes for Remain in Mexico Policy to Stay in Place
In a temporary defeat for immigration advocates, the Supreme Court recently ruled that Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) will remain in place while justices review a lower court’s appeal claiming the policy is illegal. Also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, the rule requires non-Mexican asylum seekers to return to Mexico while awaiting immigration hearings […]
» Read More...April 9, 2020
Federal Agencies Use Location Data for Immigration Enforcement
After buying access to a database containing the location data of millions of smartphone users across the country, the Trump administration gained one more tool to locate and identify immigrants who may be undocumented. A recent report by The Wall Street Journal describes what may well be one of the largest federal law enforcement uses […]
» Read More...March 11, 2020
What is Involved in a Public Charge Rule Factor Test?
Back in 1882, Congress first introduced the concept of the public charge to deny a United States visa to anyone likely to become dependent on the government for subsistence. The current administration expanded on the concept, recently adopting the public charge rule, which gives the government power to deny visa and green card applicants based […]
» Read More...March 5, 2020
Visa Restrictions for Pregnant Women
Recently, the Trump administration announced new immigration restrictions designed to clamp down on foreign-born expectant mothers traveling to this country to give birth for their child to have United States citizenship. The new rules aimed at stemming birth tourism would create new hurdles for women of child-bearing age seeking travel visas to this country. However, […]
» Read More...February 27, 2020
Immigration Basics
If you are hoping to come to the United States either temporarily or permanently, it is important to understand the basic steps involved in the immigration process. Knowing how the immigration system works can help streamline the application process and increase your chances of approval. The first step is determining which immigration benefits apply to […]
» Read More...February 19, 2020
Am I Eligible for A Green Card?
A green card, or Permanent Resident Card, offers the opportunity to live and work in the United States permanently. They are available to individuals who meet certain requirements and/or belong to a certain category. Because immigration guidelines and procedures seem to be in flux right now, you may have questions about your own eligibility. If […]
» Read More...February 13, 2020
New Bill Allows Driver’s Licenses to Undocumented Immigrants
Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill that gives immigrants without a formal legal status the ability to obtain a driver’s license in the state of New Jersey, making it the 14th state to do so, including the District of Columbia. This new law allows for two distinct types of licenses. The first type is compliant […]
» Read More...February 6, 2020