Miami Immigration & Naturalization Law Blog

Popular sausage being recalled

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Products Liability on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

Miami residents believe the food they buy at the grocery store is safe. No one expects they will get sick or injured because of something they eat. Unfortunately, food recalls are common in the United States. A recent recall involved a popular sausage product that has caused consumers alarm.

The USDA recently announced that it is recalling over 46,000 pounds of sausage. The Bob Evans sausage was received consumer complaints of extra product in the sausage. Consumers had found pieces of hard plastic in sausage they had purchased. Bob Evans sausage and house sausage made for Meijer, Schnucks, and Giant Eagle have been recalled. Customers are being asked to throw the product away or return them to the store for a refund.

Immigration policy may affect those applying for extensions

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in US Immigration Law on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

There are many immigrants in the Miami area. They are in the U.S. for work or to seek a better future for themselves and their family. Recently, immigrants had a harder time in the U.S. with all of the policy updates that have affected their applications, status, etc. It can be hard to keep up with all of the changes that are constantly occurring because of the Trump administration. A new U.S. immigration law policy was recently announced that has the potential to affect thousands of immigrants.

A new policy that took effect last week has the potential to affect nearly all immigration applications, petitions and requests. These include U.S. citizenship, visa extensions and permanent residents. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the policy, which gives immigration officials broader authority to issue denials based on applications containing mistakes or missing documents. Applicants will not have the opportunity to fix the mistakes or provide the missing documents, but will instead just have their application denied. This new policy may affect up to 7 million people each year.

Traumatic brain injury a major cause of disability and death

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, September 14, 2018.

Many Miami residents have friends and relatives affected by a brain injury. Brain injuries are often quite serious and can happen in a variety of circumstances. When a brain injury is the result of another person's negligence, it may be a case of wrongful death.

A traumatic brain injury is something that many Miami residents have heard of. TBIs can occur in sports, car accidents and many other activities. It is caused by a bump or jolt to the head which affects the brain's regular functioning. A TBI can range from mild to severe and can even cause a person's death. Nearly 50,000 Americans die from a traumatic brain injury each year while another 2.8 million visit the emergency room due to a brain injury. Circumstances that result in a brain injury include falls, car crashes, being struck by something and assaults.

Family visas

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in US Immigration Law on Thursday, September 13, 2018.

For the many Miami residents who are immigrants to the U.S., immigration is a major issue. Most immigrants come to the U.S. in search of a better life and want to keep their family together. And, there are several different family visas that may be available for an immigrant.

An Immediate Relative visa are visas given to those who are an immediate relative to a citizen. These may include spouses, children under the age of 21 and parents of a citizen who is at least 21-years-old. The number of immigrants in this category is not limited each year.

Faster H-1B visa applications suspended for six months

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Employment Immigration on Thursday, September 6, 2018.

There are many foreign workers and employers in the U.S. who rely on H-1B visas for employment opportunities. When a person applies for this visa they have the option to expedite their employment immigration application. But a recent announcement by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has ended this option for the next six months.

The option to use premium processing services for H-1B applications which can expedite applications has now been suspended for the next 6 months. The USCIS announced that there has been a significant increase in the amount of premium processing applications they have received in the last few years and they believe that suspending the premium processing option will allow them to be more effective in processing regular H-1B applications. They believe by suspending the premium options they can reduce the overall H-1B processing times and cut down on the backlog of applications.

One killed in DUI car accident

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Wrongful Death on Thursday, September 6, 2018.

Miami residents are used to pedestrians. There are many tourists and residents that enjoy meandering through our city and its neighboring communities. Drivers are usually cautious, but occasionally, a serious accident occurs that results in wrongful death charges.

In May, a pedestrian and four other cars were hit by a vehicle in Hallandale Beach. The pedestrian landed on the vehicle's hood and then was thrown from the car. She was taken to Aventura Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

Serious car accident in Miami kills at least 1

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, August 31, 2018.

Almost all drivers will be involved in a car accident at least once in their driving career. Most of these accidents are just minor fender benders, but occasionally, a car accident can be serious. But, one cannot prepare for a fatal car crash. These accidents can turn a family's world upside down, emotionally and financially.

For example, a fatal accident recently occurred in Miami. Three vehicles were involved in a crash near the Florida Turnpike near Southwest 112th Ave and 248th Street. One of the vehicles involved, rolled over and was torn in half from the impact of the crash. Three adults and a child were taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. One victim was killed.

Ankle monitoring system now being used on immigrants

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in US Immigration Law on Thursday, August 30, 2018.

With the recent news regarding family separation at the border, the federal government has been forced to end that practice. But, the need to keep track of immigrants in the country has increased. Ankle monitoring systems have become the new way of tracking immigrants, with opposition from both sides of the immigration debate.

Florida is a state that is full of immigrants as they are the backbone of the economy and culture. These days, immigrants feel like they are being attacked from all sides, with the government monitoring their every move. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is now issuing ankle monitors to track immigrants who are in the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program.

Medication used for hypothyroidism recalled

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Products Liability on Thursday, August 23, 2018.

Many Miami residents use medication to help with their chronic health condition or to help make them feel better from an illness. Those who use these medications trust that the medications that they take are safe and will do what is expected. A prescription drug recall has been issued for a thyroid medication that many people take.

Westminster Pharmaceuticals has issued a voluntary recall for prescription medication under the name Levothyroxine and Liothyronine. The FDA issued a warning letter in June saying that the Chinese manufacturer which made certain ingredients in these drugs had a number of failures. These include quality and purity of the drugs they manufactured. More than 4.5% of Americans suffer from an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism. Those who have been taking these medications should talk to their doctors before discontinuing their use.

Federal detainer policy under scrutiny again in Miami

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in US Immigration Law on Thursday, August 23, 2018.

There are many here who are immigrants. Immigrants are a valuable backbone to our society and are wonderful contributors to all aspects of our state. The federal detainer policy, which requires extended detentions for those arrested on criminal charges is under scrutiny since a ramp up began in 2017.

A federal lawsuit has been filed in Miami-Dade County regarding their policy of detaining immigrants when pulled over for traffic violations. In 2017, President Trump said he would withhold money from sanctuary cities, like Miami, if they did not cooperate with immigration authorities.