Welcome to this month's issue of the Law Office of Spojmie Nasiri’s Newsletter! In this month's issue, we cover some important updates about the Biden Administration's Keeping Families Together program and information about voting in the upcoming presidential election. We also highlight recent conferences, speaking engagements, and awards that the firm has received.
We have written previously about the Biden Administration's Parole in Place program, known as "Keeping Families Together". This program would apply to spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens who are seeking to obtain their green card. The new program would allow qualified applicants to file a request to parole in place as part of their green card applications, which would avoid having to complete consular processing outside the United States. Approved applicants would thus not have to leave the country to complete their green card application.
Applications for the new parole in place program were first made available on June 17th.
USCIS began accepting applications on August 19th.
On August 26th, a federal judge in Texas paused the program for 14 days, allowing a challenge to the legality of the program to be considered. At that time, USCIS continued accepting applications but could not approve any requests.
Most recently, on October 4th, the same court reimposed the administrative stay, with an expiration date of November 8th.
So as it stands today, USCIS is still accepting applications and scheduling biometric service appointments - but USCIS cannot issue any approvals for parole in place requests.
Our office will continue to file applications under the Keeping Families Together program, but we will have to wait and see when USCIS will be able to restart issuing approvals, or if the program will be shut down altogether.
On October 14th, immigration attorney Spojmie Nasiri was honored to be a speaker at the 2nd Annual Mujeres Empowerment Luncheon, presented by the Stanislaus Latino Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
The luncheon featured a panel of speakers who discussed strategies for how women leaders, and especially Latina women, can overcome barriers and challenges that exist in our culture and in the workplace.
The other speakers on the panel were also women business owners and leaders: Kelley Coelho, owner of B&C Investigations; Kathryn Davis, President and CEO of Valley First Credit Union; Patricia Manriquez, owner of Flawless Hair Salon; and Erica Inacio, deputy executive officer of Stanislaus County Office of the CEO.
The United States presidential election is coming up on Tuesday, November 5th. Early voting has already begun in several states, including California.
It is important to know whether or not you are eligible to vote in the election. It is a federal felony to vote in an election without permission or without being a U.S. citizen, which can result in fines, jail time, and/or possibly deportation.
Our firm has published a one page flyer that discussed the eligibility requirements for voting in the upcoming election. Please download and review the flyer, and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact our firm.
Attorney Spojmie Nasiri was appointed to the American Bar Association Commission on Immigration for the 2024-2025 term
The commission acts in coordination with governmental and non-governmental organizations to advocate for modifications in laws and practices that ensure fair treatment and full due process for immigrants and refugees in the United States.
The ABA Commission on Immigration also provides continuing education to attorneys, legal professionals, judges, and the public regarding important immigration trends, court decisions, and developments, and develops pro bono opportunities to connect high-quality legal representation for the most vulnerable immigrant populations.
We're excited to announce Spojmie's appointment to the Commission, which allows her to continue her passion for serving immigrant communities, bringing families together, and ensuring that the immigration legal system is fair, honest, and transparent.
The Law Offices of Spojmie Nasiri, P.C. was proud to sponsore the Afghan-American Community Organization (AACO) 2024 Forward conference last month in San Diego, California.
The event brought together over 400 Afghans from across the United States, Canada, and U.K. for two days of professional development, cultural enrichment, spiritual reflection, and personal growth.
As part of the conference, AACO put on a community service event for supporting Afghans who were newly arrived into the United States. The event included a Know Your Rights session and a Legal Information FAQ session, that immigration attorney Spojmie Nasiri participated in as a speaker and presenter.
We were proud to support this incredible organization, and we are inspired and encouraged to continue the important work of helping Afghans and all immigrant families secure their pathway to their American Dream!
