Immigration Direct Newsletter   |   May 2011

The vote is one of the most precious rights afforded through U.S. Citizenship. It is what truly represents the American Dream. Imagine having a voice in what ideas are discussed or enacted; imagine being part of a democratic process that selects what direction the country should go. The beauty behind our elections is that a silent revolution or a modest evolution occurs every 4 years when we elect our President. This is all done in the quiet of the voting booth with the stroke of only a pen or pulling of a lever.

Every year, the U.S. Government makes 50,000 green cards randomly available to individuals from qualified countries through their Diversity Visa or Green Card Lottery Program. This program provides certain individuals another way of obtaining a Green Card. Recently, over 22,000 applicants worldwide were mistakenly told that they were eligible for the green card visa program because of a computer error. The results of the draw were invalid because they did not represent a fair selection of the applicant pool.

The failure of the DREAM Act at the Federal level as not stopped some states from allowing undocumented students pay in-state tuition. While legislation allowing undocumented students more rights recently failed in Colorado, but Maryland recently passed into law the right of undocumented students to pay in-state tuition and Connecticut, Oregon and California are considering enacting similar legislation.

On Tuesday, May 10, 2011, President Obama delivered a speech on the need forImmigration Reform. Let's hope that it isn't just campaign rhetoric.
Here it is (it's worth a read):
"Hello, El Paso! It's great to be back here with all of you, and to be back in the Lone Star State. I love coming to Texas. Even the welcomes are bigger down here. So, to show my appreciation, I wanted to give a big policy speech ... outdoors ... right in the middle of a hot, sunny day.

John Muir was a world-famous naturalist who born in Dunbar, Scotland on April 21, 1838. His family moved to Portage, Wisconsin when he was eleven. At age 22, Muir enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he paid his own way for several years.

Ingredients:

2 cups rice
1 cup toor dhal (split yellow lentils)
9 cups of water
2 medium sized onion
2 medium sized tomatoes