Law Office of Mary O'Leary

01/26/2025

Ojo: tengan cuidado. Los que no tienen un estado legal permanente deberan llevar documentos comprobando que han estado en los Estados Unidos mas de 2 anos para evitar una deportacion rapida. Si tienen mas de 10 anos aqui y tienen hijos, padres o conyuge ciudadano o residente y se topan con ICE, pueden pedir una cita con el juez para pedir "cancelacion de expulsion." Mientras tanto, deben imaginarse que estamos en el 2020 de nuevo: saliendo cuando sea necesario y con cuidado, sabiendo con quien andan (evitando personas que tienen orden de deportacion previa o convicciones) y evitando agrupaciones grandes en lugares donde se colocan mucha gente.
En mi opinion, eventualmente, la gente va a ver el impacto positivo que tienen los inmigrantes en nuestras comunidades y nuestra economia pero no lo reconoceran hasta que sientan la ausencia de demasiadas personas. Les toca a cada uno preservarse y resistir hasta que lleguemos a ese momento. 😪

The Trump administration launched an immigration enforcement blitz in Chicago on Sunday that includes several federal agencies who have been granted additional authorities to arrest undocumented immigrants in the United States, according to multiple sources.

09/20/2024

Here's the most recent article on immigration law changes that are forcing many religious workers to leave the United States due to backlogs in the green card quotas.

Possible unilateral action from Biden Administration might resolve crisis of "religious workers visas."

09/20/2024

I was honored to be interviewed for a couple of articles regarding some important changes in the immigration laws affecting religious workers and their communities. Here's the first one.

For more than a year, religious organizations have lobbied Congress and the Biden administration to fix a sudden procedural change in how the government processes green cards for religious workers from abroad.

08/17/2024

KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER - PAROLE IN PLACE PROGRAM
OPENS AUGUST 19, 2024
For Spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens
- Living in the United States for at least 10 years without leaving
- Entered without permission
- Do not have certain criminal convictions or pose a threat to national security or public safety.
The government MAY grant you parole-in-place:
- for a one-time period of three years
- eligible for employment authorization for up to three years.
- Once granted parole, you may apply for your green card within 3 years
• Eligibility determined on a case-by-case basis.
Contact Law Office of Mary O’Leary at 847-424-1300 if you have any questions.

06/20/2024

Exciting changes at Law Office of Mary O'Leary: we have moved to Petoskey in Northern Michigan! We will be offering a similar range of services as always (although we are no longer taking new removal or asylum cases). Please call or email for a consultation.

Cambios emocionantes para la Oficina Legal de Mary O'Leary: nos hemos mudado a Petoskey en el Norte de Michigan. Estaremos brindando los mismos servicios de siempre (aunque ya no aceptamos casos nuevos de remocion/deportacion o asilo). Favor de llamar o mandar un email para su consulta.

09/15/2023

Good info for people wanting to decipher the Visa Bulleting and understand when they can apply for adjustment of status.

In this blog post, AILA member Peter Choi offers a helpful primer for adjustment of status applicants as they attempt to decipher the Visa Bulletin.

09/14/2023

09/12/2023

“It’s going to continue to be important to embrace, to welcome, engage the new Americans into our economy for us to be successful as a community,” he said, following a presentation on the report at the chamber’s headquarters in downtown Grand Rapids.

The report, released Monday by the Grand Rapids Chamber and the American Immigration Council, says immigrants contributed $5 billion to Kent County's gross domestic product in 2019.

06/07/2023

"Had the bill been intended to be fully enforced, it would have included funding for enforcement, according to Roth. "So that's why I'm trying to tell people that it's more of a political bill than policy.""

Rather than working to create real solutions, hypocritical legislators come up with bills to frighten people and then are surprised when people respond accordingly.

Republican lawmakers in Florida are scrambling to convince established immigrant workers who already have jobs to stay, while making it inhospitable for newly arrived migrants.