IN THE NEWS
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Arleigh Louison is Dead. The Devastation of His Fraud Lives On.
Formerly Incacerated/ continued from page 5
BY MARY CAMPBELL
F
ederal law enforcement agents arrested Arleigh Louison on July 18, 2019. He was indicted in Vermont on 12 counts of making false statements and submitting over 1,800 fraudulent immigration applications to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). “A federal grand jury returned a 12count indictment against Arleigh Louison, 53, of Brooklyn, New York, charging him with running an immigration fraud scheme that included the filing of false statements with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, including over 1,800 fraudulent applications for over 1,000 petitioners within the last four years. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents arrested Louison in Brooklyn, New York, and executed a federal search warrant at his office,” said the U.S. Department of Justice press release. “The indictment charges that the false statements were made in connection with Form I-360 petitions for status adjustments under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In short, the indictment charges that Louison presented or caused the presentment of adjustment of
The late “Untouchable “Louison. Photo: Facebook
status petitions containing false statements to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Service Center in St. Albans, Vermont claiming that the petitioners were victims of abuse. The indictment also charges that these petitioners, who paid Louison for his services, did not discuss abuse with Louison, were not abused as described in the petitions, and did not authorize the statements made in the petitions Louison submitted to USCIS. The indictment also charges that Louison fabricated fee waiver petitions on behalf of these individuals without their knowledge.” Problems for Victims/Clients Louison has since passed. However, he has left a carnage of victims facing deportation and a myriad of immigration
issues. What does this mean? Since Arleigh Louison was arrested for immigration fraud, the files of all his clients will be reviewed by the Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents (ICE). Additionally, every single client will be served a Notice to Appear (NTA) and be interviewed by ICE agents with the sole purpose of seeking admission to initiate deportation proceedings. The NTA is the first step taken by the American government to remove an immigrant from the country. If you were a client of Louison, it is imperative that you consult with an AILA attorney and do not meet with ICE alone. You should also seek the advice of more than one counsel. Get a FREE case evaluation. ASK THE LAWYER – call 855-768-8845.l
Coalition Demands An Official End to Family Detention That Results in the Permanent Closure of Detention Facilities
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ashington, DC: In response to Axios reporting that the Biden administration will stop detaining undocumented families in detention centers, Silky Shah, Executive Director of Detention Watch Network issued the following statement: “While this is encouraging news, it must be realized with an official policy to end the practice of family detention that results in the permanent closure of detention centers without the facilities being converted into adult detention centers. In the absence of an official policy end, the Biden administration is leaving the door open to reignite family detention in the future despite the overwhelming consensus to shut these facilities down for good and ensure that no family is detained in ICE custody ever again. President Obama also ended the practice of family detention at the Hutto Detention Center in his first year in office, only to bring large scale family detention back in 2014. Hutto remains open today as an ICE facility for women.” “ICE’s family detention centers, like all detention centers, need to be shut down and contracts must be terminated.
Support services for people who need it, like transportation and housing, should be provided and facilitated by local community based groups – never ICE, an enforcement agency that is plagued by egregiously poor conditions and a culture of violence that results in systemwide abuses.” “Alternatives to Detention” (ATD) run by ICE are an alternative form of detention. ATDs, like ankle monitors, have only proven to be another route to restrict and monitor immigrants, expanding the surveillance dragnet and further alienating immigrant communities. In fact, the number of people under ICE’s surveillance and control has risen in tandem
with an alarming rise in the number of people in detention since President Biden took office.” “We must see a permanent reduction of bed space and people in ICE custody. Detention, in all of its forms, must be abolished. Regardless of the conditions or justifications, any length of time in detention inflicts unnecessary trauma.” The Dilley and Karnes Family Detention Centers are on Detention Watch Network’s ‘First Ten’ to Communities Not Cages list that demanded the shut down of 10 immigrant detention centers in Biden’s first year of office. l Detention Watch Network (DWN) is a national coalition of organizations and individuals working to expose and challenge the injustices of the United States’ immigration detention and deportation system and advocate for profound change that promotes the rights and dignity of all persons. Founded in 1997 by immigrant rights groups, DWN brings together advocates to unify strategy and build partnerships on a local and national level to end immigration detention.
vital services in our city regardless of their immigration status. With this new announcement, formally incarcerated New Yorkers will also now be able to benefit from this program and have one less barrier to reintegrating back into society. I want to thank the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the NYC Department of Social Services, and the NYC Department of Correction for their support and collaboration on this important initiative,” said Council Member Vanessa Gibson. "Now more than ever, we need to ensure all New Yorkers can have access to critical government services, including health and vaccine access, to combat the new COVID19 Omicron variant. And having identification is key to unlocking these services. The new IDNYC initiative with the Department of Corrections that ensures formerly incarcerated can prove their identity through DOC records is the right step to help these New Yorkers get back on their feet," said Councilmember Carlos Menchaca, Chair of the Committee on Immigration. "As the lead sponsor of the IDNYC legislation, I envisioned a program that made it easier, but securely, for vulnerable New Yorkers regardless of their immigration or economic status to get their municipal ID. MOIA's new initiative with DOC gets us closer to a vision of justice." "To justly support formerly incarcerated individuals' reentry to our communities and the workforce, the city needs to eliminate the barriers that hinder this process. The reforms by the City's agencies will facilitate getting the identification these individuals need not only for their reentry but to also access critical resources. This is how we advance racial justice," said Council Member Francisco Moya. “For formerly incarcerated individuals, lack of photo identification often acts as a barrier to reintegration into their communities. Today, New York City is taking action to change that by reducing the points of identification that formerly incarcerated individuals must actively provide, easing the process to get an IDNYC card. I commend the de Blasio administration for taking this step, and I will continue to fight for more reintegration resources and supportive services for the formerly incarcerated,” said Council Member Antonio Reynoso. “Formerly incarcerated individuals face enough challenges accessing housing, employment, benefits, and other programs as they return home,” said Council Member Adrienne Adams. “Making the process easier for individuals to obtain an IDNYC card will go a long way. I applaud the inter-agency collaboration by MOIA, DSS, and DOC to make this reform happen.”l
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