Miami Immigration & Naturalization Law Blog

Roofer dies after falling off apartment complex roof

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Wrongful Death on Thursday, April 25, 2019.

When a Miami area resident goes to work each day, they expect they will return home that evening to their family. Most of the time this is what happens, but occasionally a tragic fatal workplace accident occurs. Some jobs are inherently more dangerous than others, including construction work. A recent accident in Clearwater has claimed the life of a roofer.

According to reports, a roofing crew member recently fell off the second-floor roof of an apartment building that he was working on at the Palms of Clearwater Apartments in Clearwater. The worker died from his injuries and Clearwater police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Students and business continue to migrate to Canada

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Employment Immigration on Thursday, April 25, 2019.

There are many people in the Miami area who are from another country. There are many businesses in Miami and across the U.S. that depend on highly skilled foreign-born workers. Schools, also, welcome students from other countries. But, with recent immigration policy changes in the U.S., many companies and students are choosing to go to Canada instead.

Because of the more restrictive immigration policies that have been put in place by the U.S., going to Canada has become a better option, according to some people. Some say it has become more difficult for students to obtain the necessary visa and international students attending Canadian schools has increased by double digits in recent years. It has also been found that over 60% of employers are increasing their presence in Canada. Hiring professionals have stated that Canada's immigration policies are more favorable for U.S. employers who are relying on these highly-skilled international employees to grow their business. U.S. companies continue to be frustrated with U.S. immigration policies and how they are hurting their business and have found that growing their business in Canada or opening satellite offices there can be helpful.

Immigrants warned to stay away from Miami

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in citizenship on Friday, April 19, 2019.

Miami is home to immigrants from all over the world. These immigrants are involved in every area of the Miami economy. They work in our restaurants, are business executives, teachers, gardeners, etc. Many immigrants choose to live in Miami because of how welcoming the city has been to new immigrants. But now a new warning has been issued for immigrants to stay away from Miami and Florida.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has issued a travel warning for immigrants and people of color to be cautious when visiting Florida. Florida has been a tourist destination for a long time, but the ACLU says that recently two anti-sanctuary bills have been moving through the state Legislature that put immigrants at risk. The ACLU believes that these bills will increase racial profile across the state and urges Florida residents and visitors of the risk they are taking. The travel warning specifically mentions Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Key West as areas to avoid. The ACLU says that if either one of the immigration bills becomes law it will be devastating to communities and cause irreparable harm to immigrant families.

Popular baby product recalled

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Products Liability on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.

When a Miami family has a baby they have probably already purchased clothes, decorated rooms and purchased furniture and accessories that their new baby will need. All of these purchases are made with the understanding that the products will be safe for the child. Most of the time this is the case, but a recent recall affects a popular baby product that many parents have purchased.

The Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play sleeper was recently recalled because of a number of infant deaths. The popular baby item that many families have purchased is used to place a small infant in. Over 4.7 million sleepers have been recalled because over 30 infants have died in them in the last 10 years. The Consumer Products Safety Commission only had data on 10 infant deaths, but a Consumer Reports Study put the number at 32. Those who own the Rock 'n Play need to stop using the product immediately and contact Fisher-Price for a refund.

There are hurdles to becoming a citizen

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in citizenship on Thursday, April 11, 2019.

There are many immigrants in the Miami area. The immigrants come from all over the world and many times leave their country in search of a better life in the U.S. The U.S. has always had a welcoming policy towards immigrants but lately the political climate has made it hard for immigrants.

The current administration has made immigration one of their top priorities. Because of this, numerous immigration policies have gone into effect that make it harder for an immigrant to obtain U.S. citizenship. One way they are doing this is by enforcing deportation policies. They have expanded the list of reasons that immigrants can be placed before an immigration judge who would then have the option to deport them. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is also identifying students who have an expired visa status. International students who overstay their visa will have to leave the country or go through removal proceedings. The USCIS is also thoroughly examining visa extension applications. In order for a person to extend their visa they must submit evidence to prove their eligibility. They area also increasing workplace inspections to verify visas and make sure the companies are following immigration law.

Florida personal injury timeline

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Products Liability on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.

Many Miami area residents are involved in accidents each year that lead to serious injuries. Whether a person has been injured at work, in a slip and fall accident, because of a defective product, in a car accident or any other situation, these injuries are unexpected. An unexpected injury can also be expensive, with unexpected medical expenses and being out of work.

If a person has suffered an unexpected injury due to no fault of their own in Florida, they may wonder what their next step should be. Families may wonder how they may be able to afford thousands of dollars of medical expenses and how they will recover the wages that may have been lost because of the accident.

Veterans claim earplugs caused hearing loss

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Products Liability on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

Many people in the Miami area are veterans. Veterans are important members of our society and their sacrifice is what makes our country great. Veterans deserve the very best which is why it is troubling that there have been claims about a defective product they used when they were deployed.

A class action lawsuit has been filed by hundreds of veterans across the United States saying that the ear plugs they used while deployed had a manufacturing defect that led to their hearing loss. A woman from Coral Springs, who has not filed a lawsuit yet, says that the earplugs she was given to protect her hearing while working on the flight deck when she was in Navy would fall out of her ears. Those who were given the earplugs believe that they were too short and wouldn't remain stable in the ear canal, become loose and allow sound to come in. The Coral Springs woman says she frequently hears a distracting sound in her ear and has difficulty with conversations over the phone and sometimes in person because she can't hear well. The earplugs were made by 3M. Last year the company paid the Justice Department $9 million to resolve allegations that the earplugs were defective. There are still several individual pending lawsuits regarding the ear plugs.

Did immigration officials ask jails to hold U.S. citizens?

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in citizenship on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

Many Miami area residents are familiar with immigration issues, as many are immigrants themselves. Immigrants are involved in every area of Miami society and are in the U.S. to create a better life for themselves and their family. Immigration issues are in the news almost every day. A recent report by the American Civil Liberties Union highlights an alarming issue with detainer records in Miami.

The ACLU has issued a report that shows that federal immigration authorities have asked Miami-Dade to hold hundreds of inmates at county jails even though they were listed as U.S. citizens. Between February 2017 to February 2019 there were detainer requests for 420 inmates who were listed as U.S. citizens on jail records. The ACLU believes that these detainer records for Miami are disturbing and that local governments should not be holding U.S. citizens for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

E-Verify bill in Florida legislature has been stalled

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in Employment Immigration on Wednesday, March 27, 2019.

Many residents of the Miami area are from another country. Immigration has been the backbone of the Miami economy for years. Immigrants understand that politics plays a role in immigration policy in the U.S. The Florida legislature has been working on immigration policy laws that affect many immigrants in the Miami area.

A bill that would require businesses to check the immigration status of their new hires has stalled. The bill that would require businesses to use E-Verify is not receiving a single hearing. It is believed that the E-Verify bills were swapped for bills that would ban sanctuary cities in Florida in a secret deal with some legislators. Legislative leaders are now fast-tracking the anti-sanctuary city deals through committee stops. Sanctuary cities are generally supported by immigration advocates who are protesting the legislation.

Cruise passenger sues company after fall on bungee

On behalf of Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. posted in premises liability on Wednesday, March 27, 2019.

There are many people in the Miami area and across the U.S. who take cruises each year. Many of these cruises leave from the Miami ports. Cruises are a wonderful vacation for couples and families to take. They can visit multiple ports and offer endless food and entertainment. But, sometimes a cruise can go wrong and an unexpected premises liability situation occurs.

According to recent reports, a passenger who was on a Royal Caribbean ship has sued the cruise company for injuries he suffered in a bungee trampoline accident. The man was on the Mariner of the Seas cruise ship when he engaged in an activity on the "sky pad," which is a bungee jumping activity onboard the ship. The harness he was wearing malfunctioned and he fell. He suffered a broken pelvis and other injuries. The man was held in the ship's medical center until it was able to return to Miami. He was admitted to the hospital for 10 days and is facing a lifetime of medical care, including hip replacements.