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"Conviction" is Defined More Broadly Under Immigration Law

Non-citizens, including lawful permanent residents, may face severe immigration consequences if they are convicted of certain crimes, including offenses that are deemed relatively minor and carry minimal penalties. Moreover, the term "conviction" is defined more broadly under immigration law than under criminal law.  For example, did you know that if you plead guilty to a charge and the judge orders a form of punishment, you are considered "convicted" for immigration purposes, even if adjudication was stayed and the case is later dismissed?

Martin Mohamed walks in and out of several stores at Karmel mall, an eight year old mall in South Minneapolis that hosts about 300 Somali stores.

^{The U.S. Supreme Court, the highest court in our country, has ruled that an Eritrean prison guard who was forced to persecute inmates can still be considered for asylum in the United States. The high court reversed a lower court decision on the fate of former Eritrean prison guard Daniel Girmai Negusie by overturning a broad interpretation of the statute barring persecutors from eligibility for asylum even if their participation was under threat of death.}

President Barack Obama has given a 12-month extension to thousands of Liberian immigrants who are on a temporary immigration status in the US.

A momentous election and a huge stimulus check for school improvement must mean that things are looking pretty good for high school students of color these days.

With Pres. Barack Obama in place as role-model-in-chief, African-American parents now have another shining example to which they can point when they tell their children about the possibilities this nation has to offer. And Congress has made billions available for states to address the distribution of effective teachers, educational data systems, and other sorely needed reforms.

"I have killed the woman that mess my life up," Michael Collins Iheme a 51-year old Nigerian immigrant said in a phone call he made to police in St. Louis Park, Minnesota in July last year.

In black and white photographs, award-winning documentary photographer Abdi Roble chronicles the lives of Somalis from the refugee camps in Kenya, to their new homes in different parts of the world. A picture, as the saying goes, tells a thousand words.

On stage at the Ordway South African vocalist and self-taught guitarist, Vusi Mahlasela, was flanked by two bass guitarists who doubled up as back up singers and a drummer. The instruments they used were not the traditional African kind, but at the hands of their masters they elicited the kind of sound that transported the audience to a far away land of beautiful scenes and varying emotions. Even the colors of the background screen of the stage seemed to obey the passion in Mahlasela’s voice. They were as warm as an African sunrise  when he sang ‘When You Come Back’ , red hot when he sang ‘Thula Mama’, a tribute to his grandmother, and cool blue when he recalled his mom’s passing with song ‘River Jordan’, which he wrote in her  honor.

Four years ago a sinewy petite woman commanded the Cedar Cultural Center’s stage with her sultry voice and wiry moves.  This year, with a new album freshly released, Rokia Traoré again steps on stage.

Leaders from about 20 organizations convened at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) to engage in a conversation on the needs of the African community in Minnesota and lay the foundation for their collaboration. The conference was facilitated by the African Federation, Inc (AFI) and the Immigrant Development Center (IDC) to promote AFI’s National African Diaspora Mobilization Project (NAMPD), which aims to establish a strong network of African serving organizations in the United States. The project is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Four Freedoms Fund (FFF). 

The U.S. government metes out harsh punishment to foreign nationals who break U.S. immigration laws.  Illegal entries into the United States, certain criminal acts, and other types of misconduct may result in a foreign national being barred from the United States for many years or even permanently.  While the bar is in place and a waiver is unavailable or is denied, the individual may not obtain admission to the United States as a permanent resident.