Ruling Limits Courts' Role In Environmental Review
National News
Three people are accused of beating, torturing and prostituting a mentally disabled teen. Waquita "Goddess" Wallace, 33, Richard Marquis Harper, 20, and a woman identified only as "April" were charged in federal court with sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and sale into involuntary servitude. The victim may have been held for up to a month.
Here is the story as told by FBI Special Agent Cynthia Dockery in an affidavit:
The victim had been living with a female cousin who tried to convince her to have sex with her boyfriend. That man later forced the victim to have sex with him twice. The cousin left the victim at Wallace's house in late May or June. The cousin owed Wallace $3,300 and Wallace told the victim that the debt was now hers to pay off through prostitution and her food stamp and disability income.
The victim was forced to have sex with men and Wallace took her identification, wallet and clothes. Wallace beat her with fists and blunt objects and burned her with cigarettes and lighters. Wallace told her that she, Wallace, would kill her cousin, mother and grandmother if she tried to leave. Wallace, Harper and April held her head under water when she said she wanted to leave. The victim was rescued by her sister, who called the police.
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USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on NAFTA TN Status Eligibility for Economists
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it is clarifying policy guidance (PDF, 71 KB) on the specific work activities its officers should consider when determining whether an individual qualifies for TN nonimmigrant status as an economist.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) TN nonimmigrant status allows qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to temporarily enter the U.S. to engage in specific professional activities, including the occupation of economist. The agreement, however, does not define the term economist, resulting in inconsistent decisions on whether certain analysts and financial professionals qualify for TN status as economists.
TN nonimmigrant status is intended to allow a limited number of professionals and specialists to work temporarily in certain specifically identified occupations in the United States. This updated guidance provides USCIS officers with a specific definition of one such category – economists – allowing them to adjudicate applications in a way that complies with the intent of the agreement. This policy update clarifies that professional economists requesting TN status must engage primarily in activities consistent with the profession of an economist. Individuals who work primarily in other occupations related to the field of economics — such as financial analysts, marketing analysts, and market research analysts — are not eligible for classification as a TN economist.