Inspector Suspended For Not Shutting Black-Owned Business

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A 20-year veteran building inspector says Genesee County harassed, suspended and constructively fired him because he refused to shut down a black-owned business on a pretext. Michael O'Leary says his boss told him, "Shut them down, go into that business and find some reason to shut them down. We don't want gang bangers and north end problems coming into our Township."

O'Leary claims his boss, defendant Supervisor Douglas Carlton, gave him those racist instructions. He claims that when he and the fire chief could not find any code violations in the black-owned business, the Beach House, and allowed it to stay open, Carlton told him, "You did a real poor job on that assignment," and proceeded to harass, suspend and constructively fire him.

O'Leary says he "considered keeping businesses in Flint Township open for business to be part of his job duties."

He demands more than $75,000 in damages. He is represented by Tom Pabst.

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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.

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