FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Ginarte Law Firm has settled the case of Ms. Victoria Benson, the first and only female police officer at the Denville Police Department, who was repeatedly subjected to gender based discrimination and harassment by the Denville Police Department.

The  settlement of $650,000.00 in the matter of Victoria Benson v. Township of Denville was entered into, after evidence at trial established that Ms. Benson's  complaints of harassment and discrimination to her superiors, were ignored. Trial attorneys Adam J. Kleinfeldt, Esq. and Debra McGarvey, Esq.   also uncovered evidence during  the course of the litigation,  that(( the Denville Police Department, in retaliation for Ms. Benson's complaints,  devised a plan to subject her to increased levels of harassment and discrimination)).

Joseph A. Ginarte, the founder, was named in the Top 100 Trial Lawyers for 2013 by the National Trial Lawyers. The attorneys at the Ginarte Law Firm have over 150 years of combined experience,  the attorneys at Ginarte O’Dwyer Gonzalez Gallardo & Winograd, LLP, have been serving clients in Newark, New York City, Perth Amboy, Union City, Elizabeth, Clifton, Queens and throughout the New York and New Jersey metro area.  With a team of  28 attorneys and 100 support staff, the firm concentrates on a variety of legal matters including personal injury, workers compensation, employment law,  social security and construction accidents.

For more information contact the Ginarte Law Firm at




    1-(888)-GINARTE

For Immediate Release 

Washington, D.C.—Today, the Immigration Policy Center held a tele-briefing to discuss who the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. are and what lessons we've learned from previous broad legalization programs. The central question in the immigration reform debate for much of the American public will be how to create a pathway to legal status for the 11 million immigrants currenty living in the U.S. without authorization. How this pathway will be shaped turns on critical questions such as who are the unauthorized immigrants who would be attaining legal status? What would the impact be on the U.S. economy were so many unauthorized immigrants to be legalized?

The first answer is easier: undocumented immigrants are just like everyone else. They are adults and children, mothers and fathers, homeowners and churchgoers. And if they are put on a path leading to legal status, it would have a positive impact on communities and our economy. Workers with legal status earn higher wages, and these extra earnings generate more tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments, as well as more consumer spending, which sustains more jobs in U.S. businesses.

During the briefing, Sherri Kassoudji, Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan, explained some of the lessons about legalization learned from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA).  Providing a legal status to unauthorized immigrants led to higher wages for undocumented workers and native born workers alike,  as well asincreased tax revenue and greater investment in their families and communities. “What legalizing the workers meant was that it was a fabulous workforce enhancement program,” Kassoudji said. And it meant that people could begin to prepare for their lives with legal status, especially for families with children. “These children could prepare for their futures just like everyone else,” she said.

About 2 million undocumented immigrants came to the U.S. as children, said Roberto G. Gonzales, Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, during the call. Half of them are now young adults, he explained. That means the undocumented immigrants who grew up in the U.S. internalize the ideas of the American Dream in school, but Gonzales said, “As they approach adolescence, as they see their friends get licenses, get first jobs, and they stay stuck, they experience a dramatic rupture in their life trajectories.” He added, “It really compels us to think of the benefits of legalization over the tragedies of exclusion.”

The 11 million undocumented immigrants make up about a third of the foreign-born population in the U.S., according to Rob Paral, Principal of Rob Paral and Associates. He said on the call the undocumented immigrants live all across the U.S. “When you look at undocumented immigrants, you need to look at the fact they live in families, they live in households,” Paral said, and these households can include legal residents and citizens. “It’s important to note that they [undocumented immigrants] are integrated in mixed families,” he said.

To view the reports the IPC released and re-released today, click the links below: 

•  Legalize Who? A Portrait of the 11 Million Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States (IPC Fact Sheet, 1/13)
• An Immigration Stimulus: The Economic Benefits of a Legalization Program (IPC Fact Sheet, 1/13)
• Back to the Future: The Impact of Legalization Then and Now (IPC Special Report, Republished 1/13)
• Economic Progress via Legalization: Lessons from the Last Legalization Program (IPC Special Report, 11/09)

For more information contact, Wendy Feliz at wsefsaf@immcouncil.org or 202-507-7524

The Immigration Policy Center (IPC), established in 2003, is the policy arm of the American Immigration Council. IPC's mission is to shape a rational conversation on immigration and immigrant integration. Through its research and analysis, IPC provides policymakers, the media, and the general public with accurate information about the role of immigrants and immigration policy on U.S. society. IPC reports and materials are widely disseminated and relied upon by press and policy makers. IPC staff regularly serves as experts to leaders on Capitol Hill, opinion-makers and the media. IPC is a non-partisan organization that neither supports nor opposes any political party or candidate for office.    

Division of the American Immigration Council.    

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Party Celebrating Our New Reporter,
Mike Orgera, Energy Columnist , in front center,
Joao Vianna, Editor-in-Chief, rear

January  13, 2013 – New York City -  Jornal.us, a recognized Google News Provider, is expanded its staff once again.  A new staff writter has come on board, Michael K. Orgera.  Mr. Orgera attended the University of Maryland at College Park prior to graduating from Florida International University.  Following graduation, he worked in the financial services industry for a number of years after which he moved to Tel-Aviv and founded IsraeLife, a startup travel service company for young adults who toured Israel as part of the Taglit-Birthright Program.  In 2008, he changed gears and took on roles in business development for various research and development companies, all of which focused in clean technologies.  It was during these years that his interest in the environmental impact of the energy industry flourished.

In recent years there has been a significant movement towards the increased commercialization of various renewable energy sources.  His current employment is in converting gasoline driven trucks into  NGVs, or Natural Gas Vehicles.  These vehicles look like any other vehicle. However,  NGVs operate on natural gas as a different source  to the fuel we characteristically pump into our vehicles' tanks.

According to www.cleanenergyfuels.com,  “found in reservoirs deep below the earth's surface and ocean floors, natural gas is formed by the decay of organic matter. Natural gas reserves come from large quantities of plant and animal remains that have accumulated between layers of sediment on the bottoms of lakes and oceans over millions of years. The pressure from the layers of sediment and the heat from the earth's core convert the organic materials into natural gas, petroleum and coal. All oil deposits contain natural gas, although natural gas is often found without oil.”

"Our station was built and is operated by Clean Energy, the leading company for CNG site development in the country," said Mike DelBovo, President, Saddle Creek Transportation. “Cleaner than diesel, CNG produces up to 23% less greenhouse gas emissions in medium-to heavy-duty vehicles. CNG fuel consistently costs up to $1.50 less per gallon than diesel. In addition, the United States has abundant reserves of natural gas.”

According to Joao Vianna, Editor in Chief of Jornal.us, Michael K. Orgera comes to our newspaper with significant knowledge in renewable energy sources, and has a proven record of past sales experience for companies involved with the environment.((Our employment verification process is quite thorough, and Mike came though with flying colors; Respected by his prior employers and peers in the industry)).  Now he will be a source of information on the environmental impact of energy sources for many thousands of readers; in the future perhaps millions. We are very pleased and proud to have him on board.”

Jornal.US is published daily in English and Portuguese.  Thousands of readers follow our columnists thought the world.  In the U.S. Jornal.us is the second most visited web news site in the Portuguese language. www.ofio.net.

For More Information contact jornalus@gmail.com

January 7, 2013 - WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today began the agency’s transition toward an online, centralized manual of immigration policies by releasing the first volume of the new USCIS Policy Manual -- the Citizenship and Naturalization volume. Today’s release follows an unprecedented, agency-wide review of USCIS policies that incorporates feedback from thousands of agency employees, customers and stakeholders.

“With the introduction of the Policy Manual, we take a further step to provide our customers, stakeholders and workforce with an efficient and effective adjudication process that provides a high level of quality and consistency,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas.

USCIS will begin implementing the policies outlined in the Citizenship and Naturalization volume of the USCIS Policy Manual on Jan. 22, 2013.

The complete USCIS Policy Manual will comprise several volumes, each pertaining to the different areas of immigration benefits the agency administers, including citizenship and naturalization, protection and parole, adjustment of status, admissibility, refugees and asylum, waivers, and travel and employment. The new Policy Manual will ultimately replace USCIS’ current Adjudicators Field Manual, or AFM, and the current USCIS Immigration Policy Memoranda website.

As content becomes available for each volume, USCIS will notify the public and invite comment on new or substantially changed policies. Public engagement opportunities will be made available on our website.

In preparation for this transition to a centralized online policy manual, USCIS undertook an extensive review of all adjudication and customer service policies, including a survey of members of the public and the USCIS workforce. USCIS received approximately 8,000 survey responses regarding the agency’s policy and operational guidance, which informed the development and publication sequence of Policy Manual volumes. For staff affected by the release of the Citizenship and Naturalization volume, training has been conducted to ensure familiarity with the new online tool and its content.

For more information on the USCIS Policy Manual and other USCIS programs, please visit www.uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon.

You can follow this link:

ApsanLaw.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 21, 2012 - The Hess Corporation Faces Class Action Lawsuit Alleging it Dispensed Diesel Fuel from Regular Gas Pumps at North Brunswick Station

    A class action lawsuit was filed today against The Hess Corporation, Inc., alleging that on November 3, 2012, the Hess service station at 2800 Route 1 North in North Brunswick dispensed diesel fuel from pumps that were labeled for regular gasoline.  The complaint charges that customers drove up to the regular gasoline pumps, requested regular gasoline, and instead were provided with diesel fuel, causing significant damage to their vehicles.  The lawsuit, filed today in New Jersey Superior Court, Middlesex County by attorneys at The Wolf Law Firm, LLC in North Brunswick, asserts that Hess violated the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, the New Jersey Truth in Consumer Contract, Warranty, and Notice Act, and the New Jersey Motor Fuel Retail Sales Act and regulations by dispensing diesel fuel from pumps advertising and labeled for regular gasoline.  

    The named plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Doris and Eugene Gambrell of Somerset, purchased what they believed to be regular gasoline from the North Brunswick Hess service station on November 3, 2012.  Upon returning home, the Gambrells noticed a smell coming from their car.  Mrs. Gambrell drove back to the Hess station in a different vehicle to question the attendant about the gas she received.  The Hess station attendant informed her that Hess had dispensed diesel fuel from pumps labeled for regular fuel.  A Hess representative has admitted that the filling station dispensed diesel fuel instead of regular gas, and that at least thirty-five motorists had complained that their cars were not running properly after receiving the gas.  The Gambrells’ allege that their vehicle has been significantly damaged due to the diesel fuel.
   
    The complaint seeks damages under New Jersey consumer protection laws for all individuals who received fuel that contained diesel fuel from a pump that was labeled for regular gasoline.

The Wolf Law Firm, LLC

1520 U.S. Hwy 130, Suite 101
North Brunswick, NJ 08904
(732) 545-7900
wolflawfirm.net

Contacts: Andrew R. Wolf, awolf@wolflawfirm.net,  Elliot Gardner, egardner@wolflawfirm.net, or Henry P. Wolfe,hwolfe@wolflawfirm.net

Updated Practice Advisory on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

Washington, D.C. — The Legal Action Center (LAC) is pleased to release an updated Practice Advisory, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals . This Practice Advisory incorporates recent DHS guidance regarding fraudulent Social Security numbers, required evidence, and travel considerations for individuals who are requesting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).  It also offers strategic advice for attorneys representing individuals who may qualify for DACA.  The LAC issued this advisory jointly with the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild.

For additional resources related to DACA, visit the Immigration Policy Center’s   website. 

For a complete list of all LAC Practice Advisories, please visit the LAC’s website.

The Legal Action Center strives to increase the accountability of government agencies that administer the immigration laws and to ensure these laws are interpreted and implemented in a way that honors fundamental constitutional and human rights. The LAC engages in impact litigation, including appearing as amicus curiae (friend of the court) before administrative tribunals and federal courts in significant immigration cases on targeted legal issues, and has long worked to protect the right to counsel for noncitizens facing removal from the United States.

You have received this email through your subscription to the American Immigration Council's email list. If you did not subscribe, or would no longer like to receive email updates, unsubscribe here.

For Immediate Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Class Action Lawsuit against L.A. Fitness over Unfair Cancellation Charges to Go Forward:
Judge Denies L.A. Fitness’s Motion to Dismiss.

September 4, 2012  -  Today, Senior Judge William H. Walls of the United States District Court in Newark issued an order denying L.A. Fitness’smotion to dismiss Martina, et al. v. L.A. Fitness, a putative class action lawsuit charging that the company's cancellation policiesare designed to induce gym members to pay dues for additional months after notifying the company of their wish to cancel their memberships.  The lawsuit alleges that L.A. Fitness violated New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act, by adopting a cancellation policy that requires gym members to cancel services at least 30 days prior to the next billing cycle, does not permit in-person or telephone cancellations, and requires prepayment of the last months’ membership. 

Judge Walls ruled that the L.A. Fitness’s policies alleged in the complaint could constitute “unconscionable commercial practices” prohibited by the Consumer Fraud Act, noting that“[t]he cancellation policy contains an extra month’s cost that may catch many consumers off guard at the end of their membership.”  Judge Walls also noted that L.A. Fitness’s policies of accepting cancellations only by mail “fall[s] short of good faith: members cannot terminate membership by phone, online, or even in person at the very location where they joined… In this day and age, narrowly restricting the mode of cancellation in such a manner suggests an intent to place barriers in the process.”

The lawsuit was filed in February by the Wolf Law Firm, LLC of North Brunswick on behalf of the plaintiff, Sophia Martina and all other New Jersey consumers who have been subject to L.A. Fitness’s cancellation policies.  The complaint asserts that those polices violate the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and Truth in Consumer Contract, Notice and Warranty Act, and seeks monetary damages under those statutes for all effected New Jersey consumers.   The complaint also seeks an injunction that would prohibit L.A. Fitness from continuing its unlawful cancellation fee policies in New Jersey.

The Wolf Law Firm, LLC

1520 U.S. Hwy 130, Suite 101
North Brunswick, NJ 08904
(732) 545-7900
wolflawfirm.net

Contacts: Andrew R. Wolf, awolf@wolflawfirm.net,  Elliot Gardner, egardner@wolflawfirm.net, or Henry P. Wolfe,hwolfe@wolflawfirm.net

By Letisia Marquez

Beneficiaries of the DREAM Act, a bill that would grant certain undocumented students and military service members permanent residency in the U.S. and provide a path to citizenship, could contribute trillions to the nation's economy over the next four decades, according to a new study by researchers at UCLA's North American Integration and Development Center.
 
The study estimates that if 825,000 undocumented youths obtain legal status under the legislation, they would generate $1.4 trillion in income over a 40-year period. If 2.1 million undocumented immigrants become legalized, they would contribute $3.6 trillion in income to the economy over the same period.
 
"No DREAMers Left Behind: The Economic Potential of DREAM Act Beneficiaries" uses data from an earlier report by the nonprofit Migration Policy Institute, which estimated that 825,000 undocumented youths were very likely to meet all the bill's requirements, which include stipulations that undocumented immigrants must have attended college or served in the military for a minimum of two years while maintaining good moral character.
 
Two million undocumented immigrants who are between the ages of 18 and 34 could eventually become eligible for the DREAM Act.
 
"This analysis shows that it is clearly in the nation's interest to enhance the possibilities that as many youth as possible take advantage of the DREAM Act and thus increase the potential benefit to the overall economy," the study's authors write.
 
"DREAMers make up a highly educated and potentially high-income earning group that can contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy across diverse industries," they add.
 
The report was authored by Raúl Hinojosa-Ojeda, the center's director and an associate professor of Chicano studies at UCLA; Paule Cruz Takash, the center's research director; and a group of undergraduate students and one alumna.
 
The full study can be found at
http://naid.ucla.edu/uploads/4/2/1/9/4219226/no_dreamers_left_behind.pdf.