Immigration News

New Mexico hero who rescued girl says he's illegal immigrant:
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The man who chased down a suspected child abductor and saved a 6-year-old girl from what could have been a horrible fate was honored as a hero Friday. But he is also gaining a new kind of celebrity: as a poster child of sorts for immigration rights in state and national immigration debates.
Antonio Diaz Chacon, 23, is married to an American and has been in the country for four years.BuChacon says he abandoned attempts to get legal residency because the process was difficult and expensive.Diaz Chacon revealed his immigration status to Univision this week and confirmed it to TheAssociatedPress.As exceptional as his story is," said Christina Parker, a spokeswoman for Border Network for Human Rights in El Paso, "it points to the fact that most undocumented immigrants living in the United States are not criminals. He's more than not a criminal now. He's a hero."Diaz Chacon's immigration status didn't play a role in Albuquerque's decision to honor his bravery. Mayor Richard Berry declared Friday Antonio Diaz Chacon Day and held a ceremony where he presented Diaz Chacon a Spanish-language plaque recognizing his bravery in jumping in his pickup after a man allegedly grabbed the girl and drove off with her in a van.Chacon chased the suspect until the van crashed into a light pole. Diaz Chacon then rescued the girl as the driver of the disabled van ran into the desert. The suspect was arrested later by police.Some are using Diaz Chacon's case to blast New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez's ongoing attempts to repeal a state law that allows illegal immigrants to obtain a driver's license. The governor's office said her stance was unchanged and accused "special interest groups (of) shamefully exploiting this man \u2026 to further their cause.
Autralian Immigration News:
Tough Sentences For Visa Test Scam: IELTS.
THE Immigration department has welcomed the “tough” sentences given to nine men involved in a scam to falsify English language test scores to obtain visas.Over the past fortnight in the Perth District Court, nine people have been jailed or received suspended sentences over a scam at Curtin University’s English Language Centre, where tests were administered for the International English Testing System (IELTS).Under the system, applicants for permanent residency and work or student visas must prove their competence in English by achieving an average score of seven.A spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) said the sentences should serve as a reminder to the community that the authorities would act swiftly against those who attempt to defraud Australia’s migration programs.The department works constantly to ensure the integrity of our migration and visa systems,” he said.Anyone found to have obtained a visa based on fraudulent information can expect to face visa refusal or cancellation and prosecution.”DIAC is now investigating all visa applications related to the fraud, with visa refusal and cancellation processes likely.The spokesman said the government had cracked down on migration fraud, with the introduction of a new fraud provision earlier this year.“The new fraud provision allows applications to be refused where false or misleading information is provided to the department in association with a visa application,” he said.Prior to the change, when fraudulent information was provided, it was possible for the applicant to later provide non-fraudulent information to meet requirements.The men were charged following an investigation by Western Australia’s Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC).Former university staffer Kok Keith Low, 32, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of accepting bribes as a public officer over a 10-month period in 2009-10, and was sentenced to two years in prison.Abdul Kader, 27, who was considered one of the key players in the scam, was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to 14 counts of bribery and pocketing thousands of dollars as an intermediary.Several others involved in the scam received suspended prison sentences.-The Australian, August 19, 2011