Article about, and transcript of, Immigration Politics Bilingual, guest: immigration attorney Michael Said, on La Reina radio, www.lareina1260am, November 19.

ARTICLE: 
300 word article: “Immigration laws don’t make any sense”, said Michael Said, immigration attorney, on La Reina radio November 19. 
Said said closing the door to immigrants is not only racist but contrary to every economic need the country has. “Over and over farmers, and people in construction, have told me we put out ads, we beg Americans to come, and if they come and work an hour before they run away that’s fantastic. We need immigrants if this country will continue growing.”
Said told a caller from Mexico about a “212 Waiver”, where you ask for a pardon after being deported. If they give you one, you can return legally. You can also apply for a cancellation of deportation if you have been here 10 years with no serious criminal record and you have a family here. It takes 5-6 years to present your case to a judge, during which time you get a work permit. 
Said gave many more answers to callers’ problems, but said even better than working around immigration law, is changing it. 
He said “the way to stop cops from stopping drivers just for being Hispanic, and the way to bring your sons in, is the power of the vote. The Hispanic community doesn’t vote enough.”
He agreed with Dave Leach, host of Immigration Politics Bilingual, that there is even more power in meeting candidates very early in their campaigns, when they are the easiest to talk to. For only one more month we have an unusual opportunity to meet Republican presidential candidates before they leave Iowa after the January caucuses. 
Said added that Hispanics should run for office in districts where there are many Hispanics. 
You can watch the entire English/Spanish show at www.TequilaPartyOnline.US/TVshows.html. 
The next show will be December 10 at 11am. Listen online at www.lareina1260.com. 

TRANSCRIPT: 

Michael Said: The laws as they exist currently don’t make any sense. Some are 110 years old. They might have been good then.
Dave: I disagree. I don’t think they were good then.
MS: I was very young 110 years ago. I can’t argue with you about that.
The presidential debate covers what to do with immigrants.
The US is a country of immigrants. The politicians in Congress keep forgetting that the second group of immigrants to the US were Hispanics. Not English, not Dutch, not French. To now turn around and try to close the door to this group or any group is not only racist but contrary to every economic need the country has.
DL We allow 1 million, but you call that closing the door, so what we need is unlimited immigration?
MS we need families to be united, to be able to come to the US to just work here. and stop the dangerous trip across the border that benefits the coyotes. That is what needs to be done.
DL can that be done by any less than unlimited immigration for those willing to work who are nonviolent?
MS Unlimited immigration is a potential goal. But not feasible. Because the US can only support a certain number of people. If it is unlimited the feasibility of people coming here would no longer exist so therefore there has to be a way of controlling. Once you are in this country you want to be secure and know who’s here. You don’t want to allow people who want to hurt the US. Control, not stop people coming, but find out who. Ie unlimited fine for children of US citizens. I have no debate. I tell Congress that I am a strong believer in family reunification, and the claim to be profamily doesn’t work for my Hispanic clients. They have no problem separating husband wife, children from parents. To say they are profamily is only one hypocrisy I hear daily.
DL In my communication with proimmigrant activists I try to get them to say how much they would increase numerical limits. No one will say. They say “reasonable”. Swteve King would say minus 30 million. So I answer, as many as are willing to come, who will be nonviolent, sign up, come through legal checkpoints, learn English, motivated by the prospect of being a citizen in a couple of years the way they usted to do it.
MS I don’t disagree. I look around several states, we definitely need immigrants willing to do the job Americans don’t want to do. When I say that, the right wing goes on the barricades. How dare I say such a thing. I dare say, because it is the truth. I challenge any of these people to pick strawberries for a day. Talk to me after you do that. Over and over farmers people in construction, have told me we put out ads, we beg Americans to come, and if they come and work an hour before they run away that’s antastic. We need immigrants if this country will continue growing. 
break
I caller left a message. 
MS the power of the US is the power of the vote. What I’m seeing is the Hispanic community doesn’t vote enough. We need to come out and say we’re here because that is how they will see changes. That’s how they will stop cops stopping drivers just for being Hispanic, and getting power at the city, state, federal level; that’s how you will bring your sons in. 
DL If you wait until you vote, you’ve lost 99% of your influence. Real influence is exercised eearly, before others pay attention. For example state legislative races in Iowa candidates declare in March. The Primary election is in June. Just as soon as candidates announce is when you havew the most opportunity to get to know them. There are some state issues, but more important are federal policies. We have tremendous influence over presidential candidates, but only until caucuses in January.
MS I know a lot of intelligent Hispanics. You should run for office. Run where there are lots of Hispanics. You will win. Then you can change. 
DL Just one Hispanic in the Iowa legislature who is sympathetic, doesn’t have to be educated in immigration law, then when a bill comes up against you, he can stand up and speak against it until everyone is red with embarrassment. Right there in the legislature you can do that, and all the newspapers will pick it up.
MS True. Many people want to know, what can I do to get my papers. I will give some suggestions, and then talk to an attorney.
There are 3 ways to get permanent residency. Family related, political asylum (five categories), and employment based. Those are the ways to get the green card without the court system. 
There are country specific ways; TPS, for those from El Salvador. 
My dad applied for me when he was a permanent resident. He died. I’m told I can’t apply any more. Not correct. Don’t need the petitioner. 
My dad applied for me when I was a permanent resident. I found the love of my life and got married. If your father is a permanent resident you have lost everything; but if we can make him a citizen we can recapture the priority date of the application that you lost previously. We can potentially include your wife and any children without papers. 
Even if dad doesn’t speak English, he can be a citizen, if he is 50 and has been a premanent resident 20 years you can take the citizen sship test in your language. Or 55 years old, 15 years with a green card. 
There is a medical waiver. For elderly people who are too old to learn English. 
The court system: there are a lot of raids. If you ever get stopped, ask to talk to an immigration attorney. The deportation is not your friend. Their job is to deport you, and it is absolutely legal to lie to you. You can say officer, I don’t mean to be mean, but I am not an attorney, and want to see one before I sign papers to deport me.
If you are here 10 years and have a child here you have a right to a cancellation of deportation. One benefit is a work permit. A SS number, drivers license, insurance. 
In Omaha it takes 5-6 years to present your case to the judge, during which you have a work permit, and might win, and the law might change during that time but immigration won’t tell you that.
Many clients of mine get stopped for drunk driving. Don’t drink and drive. You will get an immigration hold: once you finish your criminal sentence USCIS has 48 hours to come get you. Legally after 48 hours the sheriff has to let you go. I rarely see that happen; sheriffs normally break the law and keep you. The other way to come out is to pay off the criminal time, and be transfer to immigration, and unless there are other charges against you you will have a bond. $7,500 in Des Moines now. Crazy, but if you can afford it, you will be freed. An attorney can file for a bond reduction. Can talk to judge and reduce bond to a reasonable amount. 
DL This reminds me of a Bible verse. I can’t imagine a citizen who would put up with these vburdens. Luke 11:46. 
It is my prayer that Hispanics instead of being satisfied with a few tips on how to negotiate this labyrinth will just come in with a chain saw and cut down all these bushes and give us a straight shot at freedom.
MS I would cut down the fence on the border. Hopefully we won’t have the electrified fence.
DL Herman Cain wants the electric fence with the alligators in the moat, and Michelle Bachman wants it to be a double fence.
MS I love politics in the US. It’s very colorful and that’s the beauty of this country. Any person that can breathe can run for president. I did not say he has to have a brain. I said breathe.
DL There are choices; Rick Perry had the courage to at great personal cost insist that the fence is not practical. And Gary Johnson understands the way to satisfy our needs is to have unlimited work visas.
MS That’s correct. Should travel back and forth every year, would eliminate the need to bring family here, pay coyotes, and make life easier for everybody. 
DL would make border secure by having the millions come through legal checkpoints, leaving only thousands to come who want to commit crimes, and not even thousands if Gary Johnson can persuade us to legalize marijuana. 
MS One of the things I mentioned was political asylum. It is very difficult for Mexicans. It is not impossible. It must be applied for within 1 year of coming in. 
Caller: Immigration deported me at the beginning of the year. When they took me to the federal building immigration never allowed me to speak to an immigration attorney. (they put him) on the train. 
MS That’s a violation of the law. If you forward me your name and your story I will forward it to Washington DC. 
Caller: I’m here in Mexico. There are always more people. What can I do? 
MS: Being deported does not mean you cannot come back. There are waivers of deportation. They need to be filed with immigration to come back legally. 
Another caller: I was deported. I was told that if I tried to come back I could get .. something, couldn’t hear it.
MS: If he wants to come back, and he has children here, and a wife here, there is a waiver called “212 Waiver”. This is a pardon that you ask, and they forgive you your deportation. Anyone who has a deportation can request a 212 Waiver. If he has a legal possiblity of coming. If you don’t have it you can always apply for it, but you won’t have a way to get a visa. There is currently a bill in Congress that is sleeping because Republicans are in charge of the House. The new law would allow people to become permanent residents if they have been here for 5 years. Have been filing their taxes and have no major criminal record. That’s why what is going to happen in Mexico is going to be very important. If the Democrats recapture the House, then there is a good chance the law will pass, and that law will help an awful lot of people. It also includes pardons for people who have been deported but who have family here to be reunited with the family after filing with a waiver. So there are solutions but you have to talk to a lawyer to tailor them to your case. 
Caller from Mexico: How did they find out about me?
MS A lot of times they knock on the door, they say they are looking for Jose Gonzales, and when they don’t find Jose Gonzales they say everybody else show me your green card. Another way is people who work for immigration , they will sell out other people. That happens quite often. 
Caller: What can I do?
MS Talk to a lawyer.
Another caller: Back in the amnesty in the ‘80’s, an uncle became a citizen he provided for us. As some reached adulthood, they were removed from the application. 
MS: they were NOT removed from the application.
Caller: So my question is, I have an adult brother who became a citizen on his own, and I am applying as his sibling. So if I become a citizen, is that going to help them? 
MS: It helps any application. But you mentioned an application in 1980. You can still get the benefits of the application. You mentioned that one of them is an American today. If she files for him he has to leave the country. But if he has an application from before April 30, 2001, a lawyer can use that application and give the benefits to the wife’s application and he doesn’t have to leave the country. If you have an old application or have been on an old application please please please come to a lawyer because maybe you are eligible for a green card! 
Caller: But I didn’t turn 18 before then. So my question was if it would help them if I filed.
MS: absolutely. 
Close: DL you can find my website at www.TequilaPartyOnline.US. One of the features there is a Deportation Brief that says we need to have unlimited work visas according to the Constitution. 
MS: I have read it and it’s very good.