I am the first to admit that, while raised Roman Catholic and educated almost exclusively by the Archdiocese (grade school and high school) and the Jesuits (undergraduate, graduate and law school), I do not always share each and every policy point of view of the Catholic Church.  However, there are times when I find a deep and profound connection to my Catholic heritage such as when I read Archbishop Carlson's most recent letter in the St. Louis Review entitled:  Before the Cross; We are an immigrant Church called to welcome strangers.  I am often asked why we do what we do, seemingly always at odds with the Federal, State and local governments, always the "David" fighting the "Goliath" and often times with less than spectacular remuneration.  I cannot give a better answer than Archbishop Carlson when he writes (referring back to the 2000 US Catholic Conference of Bishops' pastoral letter entitled Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity):

Looking back on the history of Catholicism in our country, we calledattention to the waves of immigration that shaped the character of ournation and of our local churches, including the Archdiocese of St.Louis. We also observed that the immigrant experience, which is deeplyrooted in our country's religious, social and political history, ischanging. Whereas previous immigrants came to the United States,"predominately from Europe or as slaves from Africa, the new immigrantscome from Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacificislands, the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and the former SovietUnion and Yugoslavia"

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As a Catholic community, we vigorously support our nation's right andresponsibility to provide secure boundaries for the protection of ourpeople and to guard against those who would do us harm. At the sametime, we reject all positions or policies that are anti-immigrant,nativist, ethnocentric or racist. Such narrow and destructive views areprofoundly anti-American. They oppose the principles of human dignityand freedom that are the foundation for our American way of life -- away that has historically been extended to all who have come to ourshores seeking life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in a just andprosperous society. These divisive and exclusionary attitudes are alsoprofoundly anti-Catholic. They deny the dignity of human persons whoare made in God's image, and they contradict the essential unity andcatholicity to which we are called as members of the one family of God.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you Archbishop Carlson for speaking clearly and forcefully on this most  "American" and  "Catholic" issue.

To read Archbishop Carlson's letter in its entirety  click here.  

To translate this blog or any other part of our website to Espanol or most other languages, use Google Translate.

In an apparent race to the bottom of the insanity barrel, State Representative Cynthia Davis has recently introduced before the Missouri House of Representatives HB 1231 which would require that all Missouri Driver's License written examinations be administered exclusively in the English language.  The bill would further prohibit translators from either being provided or brought at the applicant's own expense.

According to the bill's language, the purpose of the additional restrictions purports to be to assure that the applicant can understand all highway markings and safety warnings and be able to safely operate a motor vehicle.  However, anyone who has ever driven a car in a foreign country knows that fluency, sufficient to be able to take and pass a written exam in English, has nothing to do with whether a person can understand the meaning of basic road signs or simple safety phrases in English.  Moreover, the Missouri Driver's License exam includes a sign/warning recognition component in which the non-English fluent applicant can easily explain the meaning of the tested signs or warnings, respond in his or her native language which explanation can be translated by an interpreter.  However, HB 1231, if passed, would eliminate this simple process. 

The result, if HB 1231 becomes law, would be to deny licenses to many new, lawful Missouri immigrants and many other Missouri residents who are not fully literate in the English language but who otherwise depend on the ability to drive to work, take their children to school, access medical care or meet any other of an endless list of basic needs.  In the balance, HB 1231 would do absolutely nothing to enhance the safety of our public roadways nor provide any other benefit whatsoever.

Unfortunately, HB 1231 has been (ironically) assigned to the Missouri House Committee on  "International Trade and Immigration". It has had its first full hearing on February 10, 2010.  No Committee vote on the Bill has been announced as of the time of this entry.

You can view the complete text of HB 1231 by clicking here.   You can track the progress of HB 1231 in the Missouri Legislature by clicking here.  You can view the remarks in opposition to HB 1231 submitted by Ken Schmitt of US Legal Solutions, LLC by clicking here.

US Legal Solutions strongly urges all Missouri voters to contact their own state representatives and state senators as well as each member of the Missouri House International Trade and Immigration Committee to voice their opposition to HB 1231.  You can identify your state representative by clicking here or your state senator by clicking here. The email addresses for each of the International Trade and Immigration House Committee members are: 

************MANY THANKS TO JACOB PRADO GONZALEZ, CONSUL GENERAL DE MEXICO IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI FOR SHARING THIS INFORMATION:

Many Happy Returns: Remittances and Their Impact

Money Sent Home by Migrant Workers Helps American Economy Too

Millions of immigrants in the U.S. send billions of dollars in remittances to friends and family members in their home countries each year.  While it is easy to assume that this represents a huge loss for the U.S. economy, the relationship between remittances and the U.S. economy is much more complex than meets the eye. It’s true that remittances are an important source of income for immigrant-sending countries, but remittances are also a huge boost to U.S. exports and the U.S. economy. The following IPC Special Report reveals the economic benefits of remittances to both developing nations and the U.S. economy.

To View this IPC Special Report, click here.

*********RECENTLY UPDATED BLOG ENTRY**********

For Immediate Release

 New Study Confirms Positive Impact of Immigration on Wages of Native-Born Workers
Blaming Immigrants for Native-Born Labor Declines Doesn't Add Up

 

February 5, 2010 

 

Washington D.C.- The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) yesterday released a new study, Immigration and Wages, which confirms what many other economists have found: "that immigration has a small but positive impact on the wages of native-born workers overall."

 

This report comes on the heels of other economic reports, from across the ideological spectrum,that explain how comprehensive immigration reform will lift the wages of U.S.workers, increase tax revenue and boost consumer purchasing power.

 

The EPI report affirms that foreign-born and native-born workers "complement" each other in the labor market through the differing skills and abilities they bring with them to the workplace. When one fully accounts for the many differences between foreign-born and native-born workers in terms of education, occupational experience, and English-language ability, it becomes clear that they cannot simply be swapped for one another like batteries. In fact, the presence of specialized immigrant workers in the labor force tends to increase the productivity, and therefore the wages, of their native-born counterparts.

 

The report makes clear, the plight of low-wage native-born workers can not be blamed on immigrants as some groups have attempted to do: "Declining job quality for the least-educated American workers is due to a host of factors aside from immigration, including declining unionization rates, the eroding real value of the minimum wage, and trade practices that expose U.S. workers with low levels of education to competition from much lower wage workers around the globe." In short,scapegoating immigrants for the nation's economic woes will do nothing to help American workers. 

To obtain and review a copy of this study, click here.

Use Google Translator to view this blog entry and the rest of US Legal Solutions, LLC's website in Espanol or any other language.

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On June 10, 2009, Focus St. Louis (www.focus-stl.org) hosted a Community Policy Forum, where guests Rob Paral and Richard Longworth formed a panel moderated by former Missouri Governor Bob Holden.

Richard Longworth is the author of the book, "Caught in the Middle: America's Heartland in the Age of Globalism", and is a senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Rob Paral is the author of the inaugural essay for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs' Heartland Paper series. His article, "Mexican Immigration in the Midwest: Meaning and Implications", was published in 2009, and considers the Midwest as a region when evaluating the impact of Mexican immigration.

Prior to the presentation, the Staff of US Legal Solutions was privileged to be invited as part of a select group to meet with Rob Paral and discuss, more in depth, his findings and ideas.  The office was invited because of its close involvement in the St. Louis Latino Community and because of the unique opportunity to share its experiences with Mr. Paral.

Take a look at Rob Paral's essay, available here.
Use Google Translator to view this blog entry and the rest of US Legal Solutions, LLC's website in Espanol or any other language.




El dia 10 de Junio del 2009, la organizacion Focus St. Louis (www.focus-stl.org) organizo un Foro Comunitario sobre la Politica, donde los invitados Rob Paral y Richard Longworth formaron una mesa discursiva, bajo la moderacion del gobernador anterior de Missouri Bob Holden.

Richard Longworth es autor del libro "Caught in the Middle: America's Heartland in the Age of Globalism", y es miembro principal de la organizacion Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Rob Paral es autor del articulo que empezo la serie Heartland Paper de la Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Su articulo, titulado "Mexican Immigration in the Midwest: Meaning and Implications" fue publicado en el 2009, y considera la Midwest como region en su evaluacion del impacto de la inmigracion mexicana.

Su articulo de Rob Paral esta disponible aqui.

On February 4, 2010, at the invitation of Universidad CES de Medellin, Ken Schmitt provided an academic presentation to the University's Law School and Faculty entitled:

The Constitutional Divide between State and Federal Jurisdiction:
Navigating Jurisdictional Boundaries Inherent in United States Jurisprudence.

Ken's presentation gave an overview of the history and debates leading to the ratification of the United States Constitution as well as some of the key developments in United States Supreme Court decisions which have formed the basis for the role of State and Federal governments and the division of powers between the two.  The program was well attended by both students and professors throughout the school.

To see presentation materials, click here.  To see more about Universidad CES de Medellin, click here.  Use Google Translator to view Universidad CES de Medellin's website in English or to view this blog entry and the rest of US Legal Solutions, LLC's website in Espanol.

On November 4, 2009, Ken Schmitt, principal attorney at US Legal Solutions, was hosted by the St. Louis County Bar Association and spent two hours with St. Louis Area attorneys and judges discussing the implications of various State and Federal criminal charges on the immigration status of non-US citizens.  Ken was joined by Shawn Goulet, experienced criminal defense attorney in Clayton, Missouri and former director of the St. Louis County Public Defenders Office. 

Often times what may normally be a great plea bargain or outcome in a criminal case for a US Citizen can be a disaster for a non-US citizen's immigration status.  Seemingly minor criminal offenses and even Suspended Imposition of Sentence dispositions (generally considered not to be a conviction for state law purposes) can have disastrous consequences for the non-US citizen and result in the immigrant/defendant being deported from the United States or losing any chance of relief in Immigration Court. 

Ken and Shawn spent this time sharing their considerable experience in these matters and discussing the way aggravated felonies, drug offenses, crimes involving moral turpitude, domestic violence and other crimes can effect or ruin a non-US Citizen's immigration status if not handled creatively. They provided a basic outline of how to first assess the immigration status of the non-US citizen client facing criminal charges and then formulate a strategy to preserve their client's immigration options.  They shared their thoughts and experiences in developing various strategies under different circumstances and the intricacies in negotiating these charges with local prosecutors on behalf of immigrants. 

To download a copy of the materials offered at the presentation, click here.  To learn more about Ken's experience and qualifications, click here.

           Early in 2009, Ken Schmitt of US Legal Solutions joined advocates and community leaders (“St. Ann Group”) to initiate a dialogue with members of the City of St. Ann municipal government and police department regarding the treatment of immigrants in that area. The City of St. Ann is located in North St. Louis County, in the 63074 zip code. In recent years, as the population of immigrants in the United States, as well as in St. Louis, has increased, certain areas of the Greater St. Louis Region have seen a noticeable increase in foreign born populations residing in those areas. St. Ann is one of these “hot spots” for new immigrant residents. While there are countless positive effects of this changing demographic, the negative impacts on immigrants residing in or passing through the municipality are astounding.

 

The need for this dialogue was brought to a head when the City of  St. Ann introduced two proposed ordinances for consideration, both of which were extremely hostile to the peaceful residence of immigrants living in the city limits.  While the various advocacy groups and community leaders worked hard to vocalize generalized complaints related to perceived bias of the city’s police and housing code enforcement, US Legal Solutions was able to provide real, concrete examples of discriminatory practices perpetrated against the immigrant community and, specifically, as to various clients of US Legal Solutions through the years.  These examples mostly pertained to the treatment at traffic stops, arrests and excessive bonds set for those arrested. These examples proved instrumental in moving the city officials towards a meaningful discussion.

 

           The St. Ann Group met with St. Ann officials and discussed several issues of concern. At US Legal Solutions, we received many phone calls from family members who explain that their loved one was pulled over for a routine traffic violation (ie:  no license, no insurance and/or failure to signal a turn) and arrested and assigned a bond of between $1000 and $1500. When either this office or a family member contactedt he jail to inquire about charges and bond, the response for people of Hispanic origin was that they were being held on an “immigration detainer”, meaning that St. Ann officials called Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to inform them that they have a suspected undocumented immigrant in custody and, in most circumstances, permitted ICE to question (in person or by telephone) the immigrant without informing the immigrant to whom they were talking or that they had the right not to speak to the ICE official at all. Often times, this results in ICE issuing and administrative order to the police department to hold the immigrant of ICE after the city charges were disposed.  Often times, information confirming the existence or non-existence of such a Detainer Order was concealed from the attorney representing the immigrant even though the Order was the very authority to hold the immigrant.  Despite federal regulations that establish a 48-hour limit on a Detainer hold for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, St. Ann had, at times, held detainees over 48-hours and sometimes without actually having, in hand, the physical document authorizing the hold.  Generally, these immigrants were also held without any visitation rights with family members, and in some cases, with attorneys and clergy.

 

The “St. Ann Group” initiated conversation on the following general issues:

• Hold Policy for Undocumented Persons
• Bonds
• Jail Visitation: for attorneys, clergy, and family members
• Law Enforcement Training
• Grievance Procedures
• Racial Profiling, Generally

The Group continues to engage St. Ann in dialogue regarding these concerns, and while St. Ann has made some efforts to improve their treatment of immigrants, the Group continues insisting that all these matters be addressed.

 

           US Legal Solutions continues to be an active member of the St. Ann Group and would like to specifically thank John Ammann with the St. Louis University School of Law Legal Clinic, Mari Kenyon with Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry, the Hispanic Ministry and Pastors of Holy Trinity Catholic Parish,the Anti-Defamation League of Missouri, ACLU of Eastern Missouri, Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates (“MIRA”), Metropolitan Congregations United(“MCU”) and others for all their support and work in pushing these issues forward. We will continue advocating for immigrant rights throughout St. Louis, and especially in St. Ann.

Today, it seems almost commonplace to read articles or see news stories or even talk to friends and family about their homes and home loans. With the big news about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and the subsequent related cases throughout the country, homebuyers and homeowners have faced substantial challenges in the past few months. Before the explosion of such problems nationwide, several St. Louis families came to know firsthand a similar type of fraud and scam.

In 2006, US Legal Solutions filed suit against multiple defendants, on behalf of more than 15 plaintiffs. The matter is a civil suit in the St. Louis City Circuit Court, and the plaintiffs are all alleged to be victims of a scheme, masterminded by Defendant AJ Adewunmi with the collaboration of several others who also named as defendants in the case. In short, the scheme amounted to the fraudulent inducement to contract for the purchase of homes in the City of St. Louis, which also represents a certain pattern of behavior that constitutes an unlawful merchandising practice.

Brief Overview:
In their suit, plaintiffs all allege that AJ Adewunmi was a real estate investor who also masqueraded as a real estate agent (licensed as a salesperson) pretending to assist first time home buyers in the purchase of a home. The plaintiffs were each victims of the scheme, and were either Hispanic or related to an Hispanic during the purchase of their home. Each plaintiff had no experience in purchasing real estate, and more than half of the plaintiffs did not speak nor read English at the time the events occurred. While AJ Adwunmi pretended to be interested in helping newly arrived immigrants realize the American Dream, he was clearly motivated by the prospect of purchasing low value homes and flipping them in a matter of weeks, and then selling them for inflated prices, resulting in profit margins upwards of one hundred percent.

In order to accomplish this, it is believed that AJ Adewunmi identified a vulnerable target community: the Hispanic immigrant community in St. Louis, a group of individuals who he knew were ill-equipped to understand the process, who would come to be wholly trusting and dependent upon AJ and his assistants, and whom he could use as pawns to obtain financing they were completely unqualified to receive to purchase homes that no experienced home buyer would buy under terms no informed person would accept. AJ Adewunmi hired two Hispanic assistants, which he used to recruit buyers in this community and aid AJ in leading the victims down his path of ultimate financial devastation.

Plaintiff's Petition sets out that AJ's scheme has many parts: recruiting the plaintiffs as buyer/clients of his real estate practice; concealing his interest in the homes showed to plaintiffs by keeping them titled in the name of the company (defendant Cots Investments, Inc.), which was wholly owned by AJ Adewunmi and his brother, and failing to make any disclosure of this fact or, if any disclosure at all, it was made not until closing and in English only; showing plaintiffs only homes that were owned by his company Cots, and steering them away from homes not owned by Cots; usurping the loan application process by shopping for loan agents who would submit a loan application based on information supplied entirely by AJ Adewunmi and his assistants, without contact with the plaintiffs/buyers; manufacturing and submitting fraudulent information to support the loan application, such as false employment information, false W-2s, false paystubs; failing to advise plaintiffs of their rights as buyers in the real estate transaction process, advising them to sign contracts for purchase of these homes without sales prices or other material terms filled in, ignoring the budgetary limits voiced by plaintiffs and forging plaintiffs' signatures on contract, loan and closing documents; usurping the role of the title company closing agent and conducting a closing himself or through his assistants, such that the plaintiffs were prevented from having contact with a title company employee and failing to explain documents signed at closing; misleading plaintiffs as to various improvements that were promised to be made in the house purchased or defects to be fixed, including at times concealing the existence of known defects.

As a clear, proximate and direct result of this scheme, the plaintiffs allege that they were unwittingly induced to enter into sales agreements, with AJ Adewunmi's own company being the seller, to purchase houses that were out of their affordable price range and which had a range of structural and/or cosmetic defects, and in many cases were over priced for the value received. Additionally, because of this scheme, each plaintiff was induced to enter into a 30-year contractual obligation to make payments they could not afford and which exceeded the amount that they had told AJ Adewunmi and his assistants they could afford or wanted to pay.

Several plaintiffs have now lost their homes to foreclosure and a few others teeter on the verge of losing their homes, suffering the inevitable financial ruin that comes with foreclosure. Equally certain, as a result of this scheme, AJ Adewunmi profited enormously.

Current Status:
The matter is currently pending in the St. Louis City Circuit Court. We hope to go to trial by the end of the year.

In the News:
An article published in the Riverfront Times, written by Chad Garrison, titled "Mi casa? Sue casa!", presents an overview of the lawsuit that was filed in 2006. It can be viewed online from the RFT website, which you can see here, or for a .pdf file of the same, you can click here.

Rebecca Rivas, a writer for the Arch City Chronicle, also wrote an article about the case. Her article, titled "Quarrels Within Hispanic Community Allow Crime to Flouirsh" is available online here, and a .pdf file of the same is availble here.

For the fourth consecutive year, US Legal Solutions was a prominent participant in the annual Greater St. Louis Hispanic Festival/Festival Hispano.  As in prior years, office staff and attorneys of the office were on hand and available through out the weekend of September 11, 12 and 13, 2009 to answer questions and provide information about the office and the various other organizations the office works with throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan area.  More information about the festival follows:

US Legal Solutions participated in the First Annual Festival of Hispanics and Nonprofits held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on August 23. The festival brought together local non-profits and a few select businesses that provide services to the Latino community in St. Louis with community members, in an effort to increase awareness and educate the community on the services and opportunities available in the Greater St. Louis area. The event was extended later in the day, to accommodate the higher-than-expected participation of the community. US Legal Solutions was proud to be part of such a successful event!