Posted on April 17, 2014 in Immigration

In 2013, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed a new measure into law that permits undocumented immigrants permission to apply for driver’s licenses. Illinois is the fourth and largest state to permit this, and while there are some concerns regarding identity fraud and related issues, Gov. Quinn and various others believe it is a necessary public safety measure. Facial recognition technology is a required step of the application process, which is what, they believe, will prevent any chance of identity fraud.

These new licenses are similar to those already issued to certain foreign-born, legal visitors in the state. All applicants must prove they have resided in Illinois for at least 12 months and must provide a valid passport or consular ID from their native country, as well as providing proof of their name, date of birth, and address. Applicants will be photographed, and their pictures will be entered into a state facial recognition database in order to verify their identity.

Currently, those undocumented immigrants wishing to apply for licenses may only do so at specific Secretary of State Offices.

These driver’s licenses are only temporary and will expire in three years. They will not be permitted to be used as identification for those uses such as voting or buying a gun.

Those in favor of the new law believe it will ultimately make Illinois roads safer for everyone because applicants are required to have insurance in order to be granted a license. Applicants must also pass a vision, written, and road driver’s test before receiving their license.

This is a huge step in immigrant rights movements in Illinois. If you or someone you know is currently an undocumented immigrant in Illinois has been denied the right to a driver’s license for reasons you believe unjust, do not be afraid to contact an experienced Illinois immigration attorney to assist you in fighting for your rights.

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 Posted on April 17, 2014 in Family Law

With nearly 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce, the concept of spousal support is commonplace in today’s society. This is equitable relief for those spouses who may not have contributed much financially, but certainly contributed by supporting the working spouse, whether that means raising children or keeping up with regular household duties.

While spousal support was created so that one spouse can maintain their same quality of life, allow for rehabilitation and educational expenses, or simply allow one spouse to get back on their feet after divorce, the reasons for spousal support are just and fair. Generally, these individuals find new relationships and move on, eventually getting re-married to new people, at which time spousal support, unless otherwise agreed to by the giving party, ceases under Illinois law.

 Issues with Spousal Support

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 Posted on April 14, 2014 in Personal Injury

At this time of year, many people venture outside. Whether it involves exercising outdoors, or just taking a stroll to enjoy the weather, foot traffic is sure to increase everywhere as the weather warms. Although there are specific safety precautions in place for pedestrians to follow, many walkers do not necessarily follow them. However, a recent article demonstrated the importance of pedestrian safety, as walkers are generally the most vulnerable users of roadways across the country.

Troubling Statistics

Back in 2011, there were over 4,000 pedestrian fatalities and approximately 69,000 pedestrian injuries suffered as a result of car crashes in the United States. As per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this amounted to a pedestrian being killed every two hours and injured every eight minutes in motor vehicle accidents.

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 Posted on April 11, 2014 in Immigration

According to a report by FoxNews.com, a memorandum issued by President Obama states that the government is planning on allowing some of the relatives of United States military members who are in the country illegally to stay.

In the President’s order, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will be allowed to issue “parole in place” orders for spouses, children and parents of anyone who is currently serving in any branch of the U.S. military.

The president has made immigration reform one of the priorities of his administration since taking office. One of his earliest and most controversial policy changes was ordering the immigration department to locate and deport only the most serious criminal offenders. And last year, the president said the country would now be allowing young illegal immigrants a two year postponement of work permits and deportation.

Although the Senate earlier this year passed a bill that would move along the process of allowing the almost 11 million illegal immigrants in the country to become legal, its passage in the House does not look promising. Experts say the president has been frustrated by the otherwise slow and difficult process of his plans for reform and say this is why he has been making these policy changes as directives from his administration.

Just this past August, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were directed to examine just how the deportation of an illegal immigrant who was a parent or guardian of children to determine what their roles were in the child’s life and what impact the deportation of the adult would have on that child.

In an interview with ABC News, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said this new change in policy was a positive one and would help, “reduce the uncertainty our active duty and retired military personnel face because of the immigration status of their family members.”

With all the laws and policy changes, immigration law can be very complicated and confusing. If you have questions or need assistance with your immigration status, contact a qualified Lombard immigration attorney today.

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 Posted on April 10, 2014 in Personal Injury

According to an article recently published by the chtribune, a federal investigation into the cause of the CTA train crash continues, and is focusing on whether the train's operator fell asleep at the controls when the incident occurred. The investigation will also look into whether the train's automatic braking system was functioning properly and if that was also a contributing cause to the crash. The accident, which occurred March 24th, was the result of a derailed train car that ended up resting on top of an escalator.

Operator May Have Fallen Asleep

There is some indication that the train car's operator may have fallen asleep before the train careened through a bumping post at the end of the track. The incident occurred at O'Hare International Airport at approximately 3:00 a.m. The operator reported after the crash that she had been tired, which was later confirmed by Transit Union representatives and there are indications she may have fallen asleep as a result.

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 Posted on April 09, 2014 in Family Law

Domestic Violence

As we become more aware of the issues and challenges surrounding domestic violence in society, both individual states and the federal government have adopted new laws and protections for victims of abusive relationships.

Domestic violence is defined as “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.” Domestic violence is a term that is used to describe threats or actions that are physical, sexual, emotional, financial, or psychological that someone employs in an attempt to control another person.

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 Posted on April 07, 2014 in Personal Injury

The sudden loss of a loved one is always a difficult event to endure. As an article reported, one Illinois family went through such a trying time when they lost one of their twin daughters in a hit and run accident nearly 18 years ago. Now, they are reliving the nightmare after their other twin daughter was recently killed in another car accident not far from the original crash site.

The Crash

Sarah Sanaghan was killed last week when she was attempting to navigate through an intersection and a tanker trailer collided with her car on the passenger side. She was pronounced dead at the hospital as the result of blunt force head trauma. The accident occurred close to where her twin sister Cari, at 11 years old, died in a crash in 1996.

The 1996 accident happened when the twin girls were at a sleepover with two other friends. The girls snuck out of the house to meet up with a boyfriend of one of their friends, and were struck by a passing vehicle as they were walking back to the house. Sarah was knocked to the ground. The other three girls were killed as a result of the accident.

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 Posted on April 05, 2014 in Immigration

People come to the United States for a number of reasons. They come for work, for adventure or love, or even for freedom from abuse or persecution. It is not always easy to break into American society, though, and new immigrants often have little experience and knowledge of their rights. With this, children and young adults are especially vulnerable to criminal efforts by others. Every young immigrant has his or her own story.

Undocumented youths do have significant protection under United States immigration law though. There are two particular paths to legal status that young adults living illegally in America may want to pursue. If you ran away from racial, political or religious harassment in your homeland, then you may qualify for asylum. If you have already been working in the states and have been forced to stay at one job for little or no pay because your employer said you owed them for a debt, then you may qualify for a special visa.

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 Posted on April 03, 2014 in Personal Injury

Some car accidents are unavoidable or beyond our control. Many others are due to driver negligence, and those are the incidents that bring up important legal issues, especially when injuries or damage occur as the result of an accident. Any number of actions can be considered negligent; speeding, failing to obey traffic signals, and distracted driving can all be used to prove evidence of negligence behind the wheel. In light of recent crashes having tragic results, Illinois law enforcement and emergency responders are emphasizing the importance of abiding by traffic laws that are aimed at curbing negligent driving.

Scott's Law and Move Over Laws

A recent article highlighted the fatal accidents on Illinois roadways over the last few years, and called for attention to traffic laws already in place that motorists need to follow in order to avoid such tragic outcomes. A driver was convicted of reckless homicide and could face up to 14 years of incarceration for an truck accident that led to the death of a firefighter in March of 2013. The crash occurred when the truck driver hit the firefighter and a number of emergency vehicles that were parked along a median when working at the scene of an earlier accident on Interstate 39 in Illinois.

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 Posted on April 03, 2014 in Family Law

The Adoption Process

The process of adopting children in the United States is a very lengthy and stringent one. Potential adoptive parents must go through a litany of paperwork, character assessments, and huge financial hurdles to be considered as an acceptable match.

Under the Illinois Adoption Act, the Illinois adoption investigation process looks at many factors regarding the suitability of the potential adopting parents. It investigates, among other things, “the character, reputation, health, and general standing in the community of the petitioners.”

One important requirement is that a criminal background check be conducted. The investigation required under the Illinois Adoption Act includes a fingerprint-based criminal background check with a review of fingerprints by the Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The process requires each petitioner to submit his or her fingerprints to the Department of State Police. These fingerprints will be checked against criminal history records databases to see if they have anything on file.

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