Being Arrested: How to Avoid It and What Happens Afterwards
Congress and state legislatures regularly pass laws that often make certain acts a crime or increase the penalties for violations. These laws apply to citizens and immigrants. The police, the sheriff, state troopers, drug task force members, park rangers, FBI agents, DEA agents, ICE agents, and agents in numerous other agencies have the power to…
Read MorePreparing for Your Child’s IEP Meeting
Children with disabilities are entitled to a free and appropriate public education; however, to succeed in school, these children often require additional assistance and support. A federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), compels schools and school districts to provide significant assistance and support for these children. Before Congress passed the IDEA, schools were…
Read MoreFair Labor Standards Act: The Rights of Workers and Duties of Employers
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) into law in June 1938. This federal law affects American businesses and workers, providing for a minimum wage, limiting the hours and jobs for which children can work, and requiring employers to keep records of employees’ hours. The Fair Labor Standards Act set a…
Read MoreSuicides, Lawsuits, and Petitions: The Results of Bullying in Schools
Bullying is not a thing of the past; it is real and continues today. Just ask the parents and friends of four youths who were bullied and when they could no longer tolerate it, the youths committed suicide. Bullying occurs in cities, towns, and rural areas across the nation. The Las Vegas Review Journal reported…
Read MoreDHS to Extend Eligibility for Employment Authorization for Some H-4 Dependent Spouses
On February 25, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that its newly amended regulations will extend, starting in May of this year, “eligibility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who are seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident (LPR) status.” The amendment is part of President Obama’s executive orders, and…
Read MoreWhat Immigrants Should Know about the Latest Standoff between the President and Congress
For many immigrants, adapting to American culture is difficult – especially if you move to an area where you don’t know many people or where there are only a few people who share your native culture. It can be especially difficult to reconcile how our political system is supposed to act with how our legislators…
Read MoreHow One Texas Judge Can Affect Your Life as an Immigrant
Like every other President before him, President Obama has issued a number of executive orders in his two terms in office. Some of them relate directly to immigration in America. One judge in Texas however put on hold the President’s entire plan, which was supposed to go into effect on Tuesday, February 17, 2015. Here…
Read MoreGifted Education
Education is important in American society, and from pre-school through twelfth-grade, there are three types of educational programming: regular education, special education, and gifted education. This post explains “gifted education.” Currently, there are no uniform standards for gifted education in all situations, and the makeup of gifted education differs from state to state. However, the…
Read MoreRehabilitation Act and ADA: The Rights of Disabled Americans on the Job and in School
People with disabilities often face many difficulties: getting to work or school, receiving an education, or doing the chores, tasks, and activities of everyday life. To address the legal hurdles the disabled encounter in the schools, the workplace, and in America’s public spaces, Congress enacted two laws, the Rehabilitation Act of 1974 and the Americans…
Read MoreIDEA and IEP: The Rights of Students with Disabilities
Public schools are available to all of America’s children, including children with special needs. While many students struggle with particular courses or subjects, students with special needs require additional assistance. Finding that schools were not giving students with special needs adequate services to allow them to develop their potential, Congress enacted a law, the Individuals…
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