Miami Immigration & Naturalization Law Blog

Florida man sues Costco for slipping on ice cream

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in premises liability on Thursday, June 13, 2019.

Many Miami area residents spend time going to warehouse clubs to purchase items for their family. Stores like Sam's Club and Costco are popular among Miami residents. When shoppers spend time in stores, they expect that the store management and employees keep the stores clean and free from hazards. Most of the time this is true, but occasionally a shopper suffers a serious slip and fall accident.

A man who was visiting the Fort Myers Costco store says that he slipped and fell on ice cream that had melted on the floor and is suing the store alleging negligence. The man who had finished his weekly shopping with his wife and was going to enjoy a slice of pizza when he fell on the ice cream. Costco's employees who are in charge of store safety along with a cashier who saw the incident said they were not aware of the melted ice cream. Costco believes they should not be held responsible as they do not believe the dangerous situation existed long enough for them to be aware of it. The defendant's motion for summary judgement was denied since the court did not believe the plaintiff needed to see the ice cream to prove that is what caused him to fall.

Workers choosing to work outside U.S. due to immigration issues

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Employment Immigration on Thursday, June 13, 2019.

There are many companies in Miami and across the U.S. that rely on foreign workers. Many of these companies use highly skilled tech workers for their important business needs. Lately it has become more difficult for these workers to enter the U.S. and become foreign workers for these companies. And companies have had a harder time finding qualified workers for their growing needs.

Despite many companies in Miami needing skilled tech workers, they are having a harder time getting the workers they need. Recently it appears that foreign interest in tech jobs in the U.S. has declined with foreign workers beginning to have more interest in Canadian tech jobs. In May, 14 percent of Canadian tech jobs clicked on in the Indeed website were from foreign workers where just 9 percent of American tech jobs clicked on in Indeed were from foreign workers. Experts believe the decline of interest in American jobs among tech workers is due to the increasing difficulty of obtaining an H-1B visa.

Visa applicants will need to supply social media information

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in US Immigration Law on Thursday, June 6, 2019.

It seems like every week there is another new immigration policy in the U.S. Although many Miami area residents are immigrants themselves, they understand how hard it can be for new arrivals to get their feet on the ground. The State Department recently announced a new policy that will apply toward those who are applying for a visa.

A new visa application has been issued by the U.S. State Department. As part of this application, additional information is requested, including social media identifiers for almost all applicants. The change will affect nearly all immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applications, including those who are coming to the U.S. for education or business reasons. The number affected could reach into the tens of millions. The application requests phone number histories for the past five years, email accounts and social media information. The State Department says they are requesting this information in order to improve their screening process for terrorists.

Driver arrested for hit-and-run accident involving pedestrian

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Wrongful Death on Wednesday, June 5, 2019.

Although most of the time pedestrians are able to safely share the areas near roadways with vehicles, Florida is still the number one state for most pedestrian deaths. A tragic example occurred in an accident recently in Miami.

According to the reports, a driver was recently arrested for hitting and killing a pedestrian in Miami. The accident occurred at NW 173 Drive and 47th Avenue when a man was attempting to cross the street. A driver hit him and then drove away without stopping. A tip received by the Miami-Dade police led them to the suspect, who has now been charged in the death of the pedestrian.

Three teens killed in Miami accident

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, May 31, 2019.

Teenagers in Miami are busy people. They have school, sports, jobs, and other activities that they attend every day. For many teenagers their day starts before the sun is even up. A tragic accident recently occurred in North Miami where a group of teenagers was killed.

Three teenagers were killed while walking to a bus stop where they were meeting a bus that was taking them to a soccer tournament. The accident occurred just after 5AM and the teens were on the sidewalk at 125th Street and Northeast 13th Avenue. The kids were hit by a car and by the time first responders arrived they were already dead. It is still unclear what caused the accident but alcohol may have been a factor. The kids were part of a soccer organization who identifies low income children that have athletic talent. Many of the children in the program are low income, homeless, or undocumented.

Immigrants bring a lot to the American economy

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Employment Immigration on Thursday, May 30, 2019.

Despite being constantly under scrutiny by the current administration, immigrants in the Miami area and across the U.S. are helping the American economy. Many in Miami are immigrants and are in the country to create a better life for themselves and their families. Many immigrants want to come to the U.S. for a job and need to obtain the necessary visas for employment immigration.

According to a recent story, although immigrants are 14 percent of the U.S. population they have started a quarter of new businesses in the U.S. They have also earned over a third of the Nobel prizes for science. In addition, over 70 percent of tech workers in Silicon Valley are immigrants. Of the biggest tech companies in the U.S., 60 percent were founded by immigrants or their children. These numbers are proof that immigrants bring a lot to the U.S. despite the current political climate which continues to portray immigrants as a group of people who just take advantage of public resources.

Large influx of immigrants expected to arrive soon

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in US Immigration Law on Friday, May 24, 2019.

Miami area residents understand that there are a lot of immigrants in the area. A large percentage of the population in Florida is from another country. Immigrants are an important part of the Florida economy. Recently the Trump administration has announced that they are relocating many immigrants to Florida.

All over the news there have been reports of overcrowded refugee camps on the U.S. border. The Trump administration recently announced that they are planning on moving hundreds of these refugees to Broward and Palm Beach counties. Officials for Broward and Palm Beach have been told to expect two plane loads each week with up to 1,000 refugees each month split between both counties. The counties were caught off guard and state officials, including the governor, do not have knowledge of the transfer. The federal government has not offered any funding to help with the influx of immigrants.

NTSB issues initial report regarding fatal Tesla crash

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Products Liability on Thursday, May 23, 2019.

Tesla brand cars are very popular among Miami residents. Despite their expensive price tags, many have been drawn to the brand because they are electric and because of their advanced features, including autopilot in some models. But, after a deadly crash that occurred in March in Delray Beach, the National Transportation Safety Board decided to do an investigation.

The fatal accident involved a Tesla Model 3 that was engaged in autopilot. The car ran into a semi-truck that was driving across the southbound lanes of US 441. The Tesla did not slow down and was traveling at approximately 68 miles per hour when it hit the semi-truck. The impact of the crash sheared off the top of the Tesla when it went under the semi-truck. As the result of the crash, the driver of the Tesla died. The NTSB believes that neither the Tesla software controls with autopilot system nor the driver tried to evade the crash. The NTSB is continuing to investigate the crash and plans on issuing safety recommendations in order to prevent future crashes.

Fatal boating accident in Miami area

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in premises liability on Thursday, May 16, 2019.

Many in the Miami area enjoy boating. Many people own boats or they have friends who own boats and invite them along on boating excursions. Boating is a great way to enjoy the weather, have fun with friends and family, and enjoy being outside in the beautiful Miami area. Most of the time boaters are able to remain safe but there are hazards they can come upon when they are on the water.

Another horrific boating accident has occurred near Government Cut off the coast of Miami Beach. Three people were killed when their boat overturned after hitting a jetty. This is the same location where a Marlins player and two others were killed in 2016. There are now calls for an investigation into how these jetties can be made safer at night so that boaters can see them. Some believe that adding lights may help as they can be difficult to detect in the dark. City officials are also looking at other safety issues that continue to arise around Monument Island. The U.S. Coast Guard is in charge of adding any safety structures to the jetties and they are being urged to study the matter.

Cuban immigrants no longer being protected in the U.S.

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in US Immigration Law on Thursday, May 16, 2019.

Cubans make up a large percentage of immigrants in the Miami area. Many people are from Cuba or have relatives from Cuba. In the past, the U.S. has had a policy under which Cubans were given a haven in the U.S., but this policy has shifted in recent years.

A recent policy shift has resulted in more Cubans not being allowed into the U.S. and more Cubans being deported. In the past, Cubans who arrived in the U.S. were allowed to stay if they step foot on U.S. soil. If they were on a boat and intercepted out at sea they were sent back to Cuba. Former President Obama ended the policy because the Cuban government had agreed to facilitate repatriations of Cuban nationals. Obama focused his attention on deporting undocumented immigrants who committed violent crimes. President Trump has shifted the policy by deporting any illegal immigrant, and that includes Cubans. Before President Trump came into office, a Cuban may have received a deportation order but they were never removed from the U.S. This is no longer the case and there are more Cubans in detention facilities than in any other time in our country's history.