According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, a nightclub owner in Seattle is facing criminal charges for helping immigrants obtain fraudulent green cards.

Marcos Neumann Garcia was arrested Monday on federal charges for his assistance in obtaining fraudulent green cards for other immigrants, including a known felon. According to a complaint filed with the U.S. District Court, Garcia paid approximately $42,500 to undercover agents pretending to have connections to corrupt immigration officials. Court documents also indicate that Garcia tried to have one immigrant deported after that person paid him $30,000 to obtain fake immigration documents

Garcia appeared in court on Monday, but his lawyer said she could not comment on his case.

Federal prosecutors said that Garcia had an ownership interest in Barracuda Lounge, a Latin nightclub in Seattle near Pike Place Market. Prosecutors also said Garcia worked as a mortgage broker, where he made commissions by falsifying loan papers for undocumented immigrants.

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Boston Immigration Attorney Joshua L. Goldstein becomes a member of Find an Immigration Attorney.

We are pleased to announce that Boston Immigration Attorney,Boston Immigration Attorney Joshua L. Goldstein, has become a member of our immigration lawyer directory. If you need the services of an Immigration Attorney in Boston, please visit their profile page to contact them.

Boston Immigration Attorney Joshua L. Goldstein
Address:
6 Beacon St., Ste. 210
Boston, MA 02108

The Dallas County Jail began running the fingerprints of all inmates through a federal database in order to identify immigrants who can be deported.

The effort to find and deport incarcerated immigrants is part of the Secure Communities program, which is run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

According to Pablo Campos, ICE assistant field officer in Dallas, the database automatically checks the inmates' criminal record and immigration history. The database cross references the information with 90 million names, including those of immigrants with a criminal history and arrest record, and those who have previously been deported. The database also contains the names of immigrants who have had their visa applications rejected.

This program is the federal government's latest effort to increase the number of deportations. The program searches both legal and illegal immigrants who are eligible for deportation because they were convicted of a crime.

ICE has put the highest priority on deporting immigrants who committed serious crimes, with lower priority on those who have committed minor crimes. However, according to Campos all illegal immigrations found in the jail will be deported.

As of right now only a few prisons in Texas, North Carolina, and Massachusetts have joined the Secure Communities program. ICE hopes that the program will be available in every state by spring 2009.

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Puygrenier & Law LLP becomes a member of Find an Immigration Attorney.

We are pleased to announce that New York Immigration Attorney,Puygrenier & Law LLP, has become a member of our immigration lawyer directory. If you need the services of an Immigration Attorney in New York, please visit their profile page to contact them.

Puygrenier & Law LLP
Address:
1699 Lexington avenue, #2B
New York, NY 10029

The pacifist son of Osama bin Laden has appealed the Spanish government's decision to deny him political asylum in the country.

Omar bin Laden requested political asylum from the Spanish government shortly after landing in the country from Cairo, Egypt, where he now lives. Omar argued for asylum on the grounds that his life was in danger in the Middle East because of his pacifism.

Although the Spanish government did not publicly give a reason for denying Omar asylum, Omar said in a statement that he believes the request was turned down because of insufficient evidence of danger or threat to his life.

Spain's Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba gave his opinion over the matter, stating that Spain likely rejected the request because it did not meet any of the grounds for political asylum under Spanish law, which is approved by the European Union.

Spain now has 48 hours to respond to Omar's appeal.

Omar, who is married to a British-born citizen, previously applied for asylum in England but was denied by the British government. Omar currently holds a Saudi passport.

Omar has publicly called on his father to abandon terrorism and renounce violence. 

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