Sunday, June 30, 2013

Out of the Shadows PSA (60 seconds)




dhs.gov Out of the Shadows PSA (60 seconds)

The Blue Campaign created PSAs to enhance awareness of human trafficking and encourage the public to educate themselves about how to recognize and report human trafficking.

USCIS: T Nonimmigrant Status (T Visa)
T nonimmigrant status provides immigration protection to victims of trafficking. The T Visa allows victims to remain in the United States and assist law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of human trafficking cases.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

West Wing Week: 06/28/13 or "The Case For Action"



wh.gov: West Wing Week: 06/28/13 or "The Case For Action"

This week, the President gave a major speech on climate change policy, hosted a roundtable discussion with business leaders, named a new director of the FBI, and welcomed the next class of Presidential Innovation Fellows

Friday, June 28, 2013

Immigration Overhaul Clears US Senate



VOAVideo: Immigration Overhaul Clears US Senate

The U.S. Senate has approved a landmark overhaul of immigration laws. VOA's Michael Bowman reports, the bill is a top item on President Barack Obama's agenda, but faces an uncertain future in the House of Representatives.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

N-400 Part 10D: Moral Character--Using Illegal Drugs

ESLPod.com is an excellent resource to practice your listening skills.  Here is a new episode that will help you practice N-400 Part 10D: Moral Character.  Also download uscitizenpod: Part 10D: Moral Character worksheet and N-400 Part 10D Quiz.

If you want you want to prepare more deeply for your citizenship interview, check out ESLPod.com INTRODUCTION TO THE UNITED STATES

ESL Podcast 906 – Using Illegal Drugs 

Psst! Want to buy some drugs? Well, this is not the place for that, friend. Learn all about illegal drugs in this episode. Download Podcast 

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Victories for Gay Marriage at US Supreme Court

VOANews: Victories for Gay Marriage at US Supreme Court

Justices strike down key part of US marriage act, saying federal ban on benefits for same-sex couples is unconstitutional (read more)

The New Face of America: Jose Vargas



VOAVideo: The New Face of America: Jose Vargas

One of the flash points in the immigration debate is the DREAM Act, a 12-year-old immigration bill that would provide a path to citizenship for young people educated in this country. The bill has yet to pass, but it has focused attention on young people who call themselves Dreamers. In a 2011 essay in The New York Times, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas revealed his status as an "undocumented immigrant". As Voice of America reports, Vargas has become the face of the grassroots "undocumented movement" and is making the argument for a legal pathway to citizenship. Writer/ Producer: Beth Mendelson, Editor: Jeff Swicord, Camera: Jeff Swicord, Camera: Mino Dargakis, Camera: Paul Vanderveen

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Living in the U.S. is Just $1,000,000 Away

ESLPod Blog: Living in the U.S. is Just $1,000,000 Away

Getting official permission to move to the United States ranges from fairly easy for some countries to nearly impossible for others. But if you have $1,000,000 to spare (extra; to spend), you may have a shortcut (an easier way) to getting a green card (the permanent resident status that allows you live and work in the U.S.). (read more)

USCIS: Info about the E-B Immigrant Investor Visa

Monday, June 24, 2013

Immigration: The New Face of America



VOAVideo: Immigration: The New Face of America (Trailer)

A nation of immigrants, struggling to decide who belongs and who doesn't. A debate shaped by politics. An economy hungry for skilled workers. And families separated by laws. A president's pledge to secure the borders breeds doubt on the American frontier. Eleven million lives hang in the balance. Washington is working on a fix, drafting the next chapter of Immigration: The New Face of America.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

White House Staff: Our American Stories



wh.gov: White House Staff: Our American Stories

We are a Nation of immigrants. The White House, just like any other office, is full of American stories that started abroad. To learn more & to share your family's American story visit WhiteHouse.Gov/Immigration

Saturday, June 22, 2013

N-400 Part 8: Marital History

We have been happily married for over thirty years!
ESLPod.com is an excellent resource to practice your listening skills.  Here is a new episode that will help you practice N-400 Part 8: Marital History.  Also download uscitizenpod: Marital History worksheet.

ESL Podcast 905 – Getting a Marriage License 

Here comes the bride! But is she really ready to get married? Find out in this episode. 
Download Podcast 

If you want you want to prepare more deeply for your citizenship interview, check out ESLPod.com INTRODUCTION TO THE UNITED STATES

Friday, June 21, 2013

West Wing Week: 06/21/13 or "What's the Craic"



wh.gov: West Wing Week: 06/21/13 or "What's the Craic"

This week, the President honored Father's Day and the WNBA Champion Indiana Fever at the White House before embarking on a four-day trip to the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland and to Berlin.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

New Face of America: Minh Nguyen



VOAVideo: New Face of America: Minh Nguyen

Becoming a US citizen almost cost Minh Nguyen his life. He fled Vietnam by boat as a boy and almost died on the trip. He and his family ultimately found their way to the United States. Now a filmmaker, Nguyen lives in Los Angles with his wife and his brother's family. This story of struggle, suffering, and courage is an inspiration to those engaged in an uphill challenge of immigration reform in this country.Writer/ Producer/ Camera: Elizabeth Lee

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Juneteenth 2013


uscitizenpod: Juneteenth 2013

Juneteenth celebrates the day when slaves in Texas heard about the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth is also a holiday that celebrates African American history and culture. Here are some posters and pictures of Juneteenth 2013 celebrations.

USCIS 100:76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

▪ freed the slaves
▪ freed slaves in the Confederacy
▪ freed slaves in the Confederate states
▪ freed slaves in most Southern states

You can also watch uscitizenpod: USCIS 100:76 Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth VIDEO

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Juneteenth

USCIS 100:76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?


uscitizenpod: USCIS 100:76 Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth VIDEO

Today we continue our exploration of the USCIS History and Government questions and African American History. Today we will talk about USCIS 100:76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

We will first read about Q76 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will listen to an interview with Robin Braxton who helps organizes our local Juneteenth festival. Robin will talk about Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. Juneteenth celebrates the day when slaves in Texas heard about the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth is also a holiday that celebrates African American history and culture. Let's get started!

You can also download the mp3.

USCIS 100:76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

▪ freed the slaves
▪ freed slaves in the Confederacy
▪ freed slaves in the Confederate states
▪ freed slaves in most Southern states

Weekly Address: Time to Pass Commonsense Immigration Reform



Weekly Address: Time to Pass Commonsense Immigration Reform

In this week's address, President Obama says that the United States Senate will soon take action to fix our broken immigration system with a commonsense bill, and urges lawmakers to act quickly to pass this bill so that we can continue to live up to our traditions as a nation of laws, and also a nation of immigrants.

TRANSCRIPT WEEKLY ADDRESS: Time to Pass Commonsense Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama said that the United States Senate will soon take action to fix our broken immigration system with a commonsense bill. The President urged the Senate to act quickly to pass this bill so that we can continue to live up to our traditions as a nation of laws, and also a nation of immigrants.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, June 8, 2013.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
The Weekly Address
Mooresville, North Carolina
June 8, 2013

Hi, everybody. In the next few days, America will take an important step towards fixing our broken immigration system. The entire United States Senate will begin debating a commonsense immigration reform bill that has bipartisan support.

See, we define ourselves as a nation of immigrants. The promise we find in those who come from every corner of the globe has always been one of our greatest strengths. It’s kept our workforce vibrant and dynamic. It’s kept our businesses on the cutting edge. And it’s helped build the greatest economic engine the world has ever known.

But for years, our out-of-date immigration system has actually harmed our economy and threatened our security.

Now, over the past four years, we’ve taken steps to try and patch up some of the worst cracks in the system.

We strengthened security on the southern border by putting more boots on the ground than at any time in our history. And, in part, by using technology more effectively – today, illegal crossings are near their lowest level in decades.

We focused enforcement efforts on criminals who are here illegally – who endanger our communities – and today, we deport more criminals than ever before.

And we took up the cause of “Dreamers,” the young people who were brought to this country as children. We said that if they’re able to meet certain criteria, we’d consider offering them the chance to come out of the shadows so they can continue to work here, and study here, and contribute to our communities legally.

But if we’re going to truly fix a broken system, we need Congress to act in a comprehensive way. And that’s why what’s happening next week is so important.

The bill before the Senate isn’t perfect. It’s a compromise. Nobody will get everything they want – not Democrats, not Republicans, not me. But it is a bill that’s largely consistent with the principles I’ve repeatedly laid out for commonsense immigration reform.

This bill would continue to strengthen security at our borders, increase criminal penalties against smugglers and traffickers, and hold employers more accountable if they knowingly hire undocumented workers. If enacted, it would represent the most ambitious enforcement plan in recent memory.

This bill would provide a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million individuals who are in this country illegally – a pathway that includes passing a background check, learning English, paying taxes and a penalty, and then going to the back of the line behind everyone who’s playing by the rules and trying to come here legally.

This bill would modernize the legal immigration system so that, alongside training American workers for the jobs of tomorrow, we’re also attracting highly-skilled entrepreneurs and engineers who will grow our economy. And so that our people don’t have to wait years before their loved ones are able to join them in this country we love.

That’s what immigration reform looks like. Smarter enforcement. A pathway to earned citizenship. Improvements to the legal immigration system. They’re all commonsense steps. They’ve got broad support – from Republicans and Democrats, CEOs and labor leaders, law enforcement and clergy. So there is no reason that Congress can’t work together to send a bill to my desk by the end of the summer.

We know the opponents of reform are going to do everything they can to prevent that. They’ll try to stoke fear and create division. They’ll try to play politics with an issue that the vast majority of Americans want addressed. And if they succeed, we will lose this chance to finally fix an immigration system that is badly broken.

So if you agree that now is the time for commonsense reform, reach out to your Representatives. Tell them we have to get this done so that everyone is playing by the same rules. Tell them we have the power to do this in a way that lives up to our traditions as a nation of laws, and a nation of immigrants.

In the end, that’s what this is all about. Men and women who want nothing more than the chance to earn their way into the American story, just like so many of our ancestors did. Throughout our history, that has only made us stronger. And it’s how we’ll make sure that America’s best days always lie ahead.

Thanks. And have a great weekend.

Friday, June 7, 2013

West Wing Week: 06/07/13 or "Cooler at Night"



West Wing Week: 06/07/13 or "Cooler at Night"

This week, the President urged Congress not to let student loan rates double and to confirm three judges for the federal appeals court in Washington, held bilateral meetings with the NATO Secretary-General and the President of Chile, kicked off a National Conference on Mental Health, honored the Super Bowl champions, and announced a major new initiative called ConnectED, while the Vice President wrapped up a weeklong trip to South America.