NEWS
Temporary Protected Status for Haitians
In response to the horrendous earthquake in Haiti, on January 14, 2010, the U.S. government announced that it would grant Haitians who were already in the United States on January 12, 2010 (the date of the earthquake) Temporary Protected Status ("TPS") for 18 months. This means that many Haitians who were already in the U.S. on January 12th, whether on temporary visas, or undocumented, will be able to apply for legal status and obtain work permission. Not every Haitian will be eligible, and no one should apply without seeking legal advice from an experienced immigration advocate to fully understand the eligibility requirements and the evidence that must be submitted for a successful application. The application period began on January 21, 2010, and applications must be received by Immigration no later than January 18, 2011. ILAP is happy to help Maine's Haitians determine if they are eligible and assist them with the application process if so. Please contact ILAP if you are a Haitian seeking more information and help with TPS.
Maine Driver's License Alert
In November, 2008, Maine law began requiring applicants for driver's licenses and State ID cards to prove that they are legally present in the U.S. Since the law took effect, ILAP has had to intervene on behalf of noncitizens and many U.S. citizens, typically citizens who have lived in Maine all their lives but were born in Canada, to obtain their licenses. On December 1, 2009, the BMV began verifying immigration status of applicants for driver's licenses and ID cards using the federal SAVE database. That database has many flaws, and its use will likely cause many Mainers to be erroneously denied their licenses or IDs. Please contact ILAP if you experience a denial or delay of your license or ID due to the BMV not getting proper verification of your status.
ILAP Honors its 2009 Volunteers
We recently celebrated our volunteers and their many diverse contributions at our annual volunteer party. We honored several Volunteers of the Year:
Verrill Dana was honored as Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year. Ten Verrill Dana attorneys have represented ILAP clients in 2009, winning all of their cases that have received decisions this year.
Jennifer Archer of Kelly, Remmel & Zimmerman, is our Pro Bono Attorney of the Year. Jen contributed over 330 hours of volunteer time to ILAP's clients in 2009, and more than 10 of her clients have gained asylum or other immigration benefits this year.
Anne Grimes of Durham, ME and Anthony Wilson of Port Clyde, ME were named Community Volunteers of the Year for their invaluable help assisting clients, providing clerical support, and supporting the client intake process.
ILAP is grateful for the extraordinary efforts of all our volunteers, whose work greatly expands our capacity to serve Maine immigrants and their families.
All applicants for permanent residency must undergo a medical exam and be vaccinated for certain diseases. In 2007, the CDC added the controversial HPV vaccine to the list of required vaccines, even though cervical cancer, which the HPV vaccine is designed for, is not a contagious disease. ILAP was one of many organizations nationwide advocating for the HPV vaccine to be removed from the list of required vaccines. On November 13, 2009, the federal government announced that effective December 14, 2009, only vaccines that aim to prevent disease outbreaks or are directed at illnesses that have been, or are in the process of being eradicated in the U.S. will be required. As a result, the HPV vaccine will no longer be required for young immigrant women applying for permanent residency.