The Overpowering Statistics Facing Immigration Mediators

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The Overpowering Statistics Facing Immigration Mediators

According to the most recent statistics released by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices, 409,849 undocumented immigrants were removed from U.S. soil last year alone, with an estimated 11.5 million undocumented immigrants still living in the U.S. These numbers cast a striking light on the need for immigration reform in this country—a fact that those involved in immigration mediation understand all too well.

The past five years have seen excessive numbers of undocumented immigrants being apprehended and repatriated, but estimates are now suggesting that this trend is slowing down—perhaps even reversing—in recent years. In 2008, the Department of Homeland Security documented 792,000 foreign nationals that were apprehended and arrested, with approximately 88% being Mexican natives. That same year, Homeland Security removed 359,000 undocumented immigrants from U.S. soil, repatriating 69% to Mexico, 8% to Honduras, and 7.7% to Guatemala.

2008 also saw 97,100 criminals being removed from U.S. soil as undocumented immigrants; of that number, 36% were convicted of drug-related crimes. As drug-related crimes and illegal immigration often go hand-in-hand, immigration mediation can be a powerful way to reduce the punishment of illegal immigrants who are doing whatever it takes to survive and feed their families. Such methods of alternative dispute resolution allow law enforcement to see a better picture of the struggle faced by an illegal immigrant to find meaningful, legal work in the United States—especially in situations involving a desperate need to flee civil war, gang/cartel violence or poverty.

More recent numbers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices show that in 2011, 396,906 undocumented immigrants were removed from U.S. soil, with nearly 55% showing felony or misdemeanor convictions on their records. Additionally, on April 23, 2012, the Pew Hispanic center released data showing that the net migration from Mexico to the United States has not only shown signs of stopping—it is showing signs of reversing. According to their numbers, between 2005 and 2010, although approximately 1.4 million Mexicans immigrated to the United States, that same number moved from the United States back to Mexico.

November 7, 2013

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Ask the Mediator: Miami Dolphins John Martin and NFL workplace bullying – Workplace bullying also includes undermining and sabotaging of another’s work. A single bully can have a detrimental impact on the workplace, especially when higher-ups ignore the problem or fail to intervene.

Freddie Mac: Fixed mortgage rates moving higher; 30-year at 4.16% – A brighter economic picture sent mortgage interest rates higher this week, with housing finance giant Freddie reporting that a 30-year fixed-rate home loan averaged 4.16%, up from 4.1% last week.

Delinquencies, Foreclosures back to Early Recession Levels – All four measures of distress in the housing market dropped to post-crash lows during the third quarter of 2013 the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said today.  The national delinquency rate, serious delinquencies, loans in foreclosure, and foreclosure starts all registered significant declines during the quarter.

Professional Malpractice Mediation Saves Time, Money—and Most Importantly, Relationships

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One of the major sources of rising costs in the medical field and related health care services is the high number of professional malpractice lawsuits that have become the status quo for many providers.  These numbers, and the costs that are associated with them, have created a situation in which professional malpractice mediation is one of the most sought-after sources of alternative dispute resolution.  Professional malpractice mediation for healthcare disputes is not only a cost-effective and time-saving alternative to costly and lengthy lawsuits—it is also completely confidential, making it an attractive alternative to the public nature of litigation for many health care facilities and health care providers.

Professional malpractice mediation is not just limited to health care and related fields, however.  Attorneys and educators can also benefit from professional malpractice mediation, as these fields have likewise seen a rise in lawsuits and disputes over issues such as negligence, confidentiality or services rendered.  Although most cases involving professional malpractice mediation fall within the realm of health and health-related services, other fields have benefitted from mediation and continue to show success in resolving disputes that are taken through this type of alternative resolution process.

If you have been the victim of professional malpractice and feel that the cost and time involved to pursue a lawsuit does not make pursuing justice reasonable, consider professional malpractice mediation as an alternative.  Many people have been absolutely satisfied with the outcome of the mediation process and feel that mediation is a much preferable alternative to litigation or arbitration for professional malpractice claims.  In many cases, mediation allows clients to continue to receive services from a professional, if so desired, as the relationship is better maintained than if a lawsuit had been pursued.  This fact—that mediation can successfully save client/professional relationships—speaks volumes as to its effectiveness and status as a preferred course of action over litigation.

October 31, 2013

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Divorce Confidential: How to Prepare for a Settlement Meeting – A settlement meeting allows you and your spouse to sit in a conference room, face to face, in hopes of keeping key issues out of Court and moving your divorce to a speedy conclusion. While the goal is to resolve all the issues in a settlement conference, it is not always guaranteed that these issues will be settled in this meeting, especially if things become heated during negotiation.

U.S. Sept foreclosure decline biggest since downturn began-CoreLogic – Completed U.S. foreclosures plunged by 39 percent in September compared to a year ago, the biggest annual decline since the housing downturn began in 2007, data from CoreLogic showed on Thursday.

Mortgage rates ease slightly, Freddie Mac says; 30-year at 4.1% – Mortgage rates slipped lower this week, with Freddie Mac saying lenders were offering the 30-year fixed-rate home loan at an average 4.1%, compared with 4.13% last week.

October 25, 2013

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Foreclosure on Property After Bankruptcy? – Foreclosure: There are two common types of foreclosure in the United States — judicial and nonjudicial. Judicial foreclosure, as the word implies, requires the lender to go through the court system to take back ownership of the property. Nonjudicial foreclosure allows the lender to sell the property at a foreclosure auction, without court approval, after following a state-specific foreclosure process.

Average 30-year mortgage rate falls to 4.13% – Mortgage rates are now at four-month lows nationwide.

United States: Divorce May Be Contagious, Study Finds – Researchers at Brown University, headed by Rose McDermott, Ph.d., examined data on marriage, divorce and remarriage dating back thirty years set from the long-running Framingham, Massachusetts Heart Study. The results were staggering.  Study participants were 75 percent more likely to divorce if a friend divorces – that’s 75 percent!