January 31, 2017
Big Changes In Immigration  
   
Last Friday, President Trump signed several Executive Orders on Immigration that already have hurt many people. Among other measures, they are banning all people from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen with legal temporary visas and even green card holders from gaining entry into the U.S. for at least 90 days. The order also suspends visa processing for these nationals. Due to public outcry, DHS secretary deemed entry of green card holders (permanent residents) in the national interest so now green card holders may enter. Also, admission of all the U.S. refugees is suspended for 120 days, without knowing if it will be resumed and under which conditions. Many refugees have been vetted, screened and have been waiting for years in refugee camps to get here. These measures are extreme and have no basis in reality as there is no evidence that any refugee or visa holder of these countries have caused any harm. Law suits against the Trump administration are likely to ensue to stop these measures.
Barred From Returning Home

We want to share Nazanin Zinouri's terrible story which is an example of how last week's discriminatory rules affect bright people and U.S. companies. We are working with Nazanin now to help her get her H-1B visa. She is a very smart, hard working industrial engineer who obtained a Ph.D. degree and has done a lot of good to the South Carolina community where she has been living during the past seven years. She is a very valuable member of the team at her current job in a cutting edge engineering company helping American companies with increasing their safety and productivity.  Also, among others, she cooperates with several associations to help promote engineering to young students and girls based on her passion for mathematics and problem solving, as well as her high academic performance. Nazanin is a shining example of the type of foreign nationals we want to encourage to come and stay here because they contribute so much. 

She left South Carolina last week to go visit her family, as she does every year. She says her life is here but misses her family so she goes once a year to spend a few days with them and was going to stay until February 10. She left her puppy Dexter with a friend, parked her car at the airport and boarded a plane, not knowing that she was not going to be allowed to return home. Following the news and getting scared by the rumors, we advised her to return early in case these were true and so she changed her ticket. 

In her layover from Tehran in Dubai on Saturday, she was asked to leave the boarding area as she was banned from getting on the plane to Washington without been given any more information. We still don't know what is going to happen; hope that eventually some sense will prevail and allow Nazanin and so many others in the same situation to come here, to their home. The home they so hard worked on and which is been taken away from them for no reason.
You can find more about her and her full story here.  

Speak Up and Take Action. We were appalled at President Trump's executive order banning entry of refugees and nationals of certain countries without any basis in reality or evidence that any refugee or visa holder of these countries have caused any harm. It is a fear based approach which is dangerously discriminatory. We are therefore speaking publicly against these measures because we believe in fighting for what is right. Our attorneys will also be volunteering this week and will be working shifts at Atlanta Hartsfield airport in order to assist refugees coming into the country to have legal representation and know their rights. We also urge you, our readers to take action and speak clearly and loudly to your representatives against these measures. We also advise all green card holders and temporary visa holders to consult with their attorneys before planning international travel.