Employment based immigration backlog petition

[srvimmi]

Originally posted by dsatish
RAJIV,
We are always indulging in discussions which die after 2 days. The main reason for our failure to achieve anything is lack of a committed group and lack of any fund to hire a lawyer for legal advise. We all want to contribute towards establishing a fund which we can use to hire lawyers (like you) or pay for expenses incurred by active volunteers while visiting the law makers etc. We are unable to register a separate organisation due to logistics problem. Will you please collect checks from us and maintain the account ? If you agree, we all will start pumping out checks to your address. Every one is desperate here and they are all ready to contribute money to achieve our goal. If money is there, our discussions will quickly translate into actions.
I have asked this question many times to you through earlier postings. It seems that you did not see those postings. PLEASE reply to this post. It's going to be a critical step in our efforts.
I even tried to contact you through phone. I have left a voice message on Monica's extention. She did not get back to me.

I am ready to contribute $500 to $1000, I filed in TSc service Center. I f bring the lawsuit against TSC including all the Service Centers.

[Rajiv S. Khanna]

Originally posted by srvimmi
Dear Rajiv,

Lot of I-485 Cases were promised to process in 365 Days in the initial reciept. Few months later they updated to 775 days and now 999 days. Is this situation applies to Mandamus/Declaratory class action suit. Is it possible to bring one common Mandamus/Declaratory class action suit on behalf of all the pending cases on all Service Center.

That is what we intend to do. The real issue is, do we have a right to speedy adjudication. That is what we need to look into.

[srvimmi]

Originally posted by smita_goyle
Dear Friends,

First of all I am thanking you all for taking or at least thinking to do a law suit action for the delay in processing.

You all are willing to pay and me too but the things are hardly getting materialized.

I am requesting all the forum readers(silent/active) to contact their friends and collogues who are still waiting in the final stage of adjustment of status so that they may be willing to contribute at least something for this.

Here are some of my points

1) The minimum amount should be around $200/- and the maximum will be depend on the willingness to pay. We need to contribute as soon as possible. Let us decide very soon to whom we need to pay.

2) My heartly thanks to Rajiv Sir who is a Big B to all of us and willing to help us for this. Again I am requesting Rajiv Sir to help us in this Demoralising, highly fustrated moment.

3) Along with the Law suit we may consider to buy/arrange a Lobbist(s) who have the influence in the immigration matter at white house or with the senetors (these are like chamchas for politician in India). Lobbing is legal in US, if we pay some money they may help us. (Please give your comments)

4) Also we may consider paying some "chanda"/contribution to the Repubs/Democrats election campaign who may be willing to help us. (Please give your comments)

5) Let all of us ask/ write a strong request letters to all of the immigration atternoys though whom we filed our cases to ask the (INS/BCIS/USCIS) to reply the real reason for the delay. Please remember only the great atternoys can help us, its our right to ask them conversely their duty to help us.

6) Lots of silent forum readers like a "Cat on the Wall" ( I was one of them) may be willing to pay but afraid of the negative consuqueces which may happen( For example the USCIS may go againt us, our files may be put on hold for ever etc and etc). I think our Rajiv sir may like to put some comment(s) in this forum to clear the doughts/fear the silent readers have regarding the suing...

7) In this law suit , we expect at least the 485 files will be processed within the stipulated time period in the 485 receipt (say 365 to 540 days) without fail. This is the bare minimum.

8) Logic behind the security checks.
I donot understand the delay in security checks
The more dealy in security checks leads to more time the illigal immigrant(if any) who may be violating the law enjoys his stay in USA . The security checks should not take more than one week.

9)The DMV.
Due to these delays the DMV issuing the temporary DL, for each 10/11 months , we need to go with new EAD to renew our DL which is pathetic with new NJs 6+1 point identification with 9 queues to stand since 5am early morning at the Reginal DMV center.


So my dear friends(silent/active) please come forward help all of us in this moment, we never know how many more BCIS/USCIS rules are still there in queue to impose on us, If we dont act now we may suffer a lot in the future that is unpridicatble.

I appreciate your concerns. I think you spoked enough for all of us. I am not sure when you guys aretalking about Law Suit you are only talking about VSC or NSC or a general one to cover all the Service Centers including TSC. For TSC an extra point, TSC 1 yr slower than other Service Centers, We nee dto emphasize on that put some presuure to bring TSC to the same speed as of othe SC's. I filed in TSC OCT 2001, I am willing to contributeupto $500 rightaway on behalf of Me and my Wife. Let me know Guys.



thanks
sg

[srvimmi]

Originally posted by dsatish
VSC forum is in the forefront of active discussions. But when it comes to final actions, we always involve other forums. So when we really start the fund collection drive, we will involve all the forums.

kash777,
your suggestion looks good. When we start sending checks, let's maintain a spreadsheet about who has sent checks. We can keep the amount as optional(need not mention in the spreadsheet).

Why don't you maintain it as a common issue for all the people. Why don't you maintain this thread in I-485 Common Issues. We want to make sure that, When we conttribute, all the Service Centers are foucused equally when fighting with INS. Please move the Common Issues and make a plan which include the lawsuits for all SCs or a common one to sue BCIS(TSC, VSC, NSC, CSC). We will start sending checks immediately.

[srvimmi]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by operations
That is what we intend to do. The real issue is, do we have a right to speedy adjudication. That is what we need to look into. [/QUOTE

Its not the question of Speedy Adjudication. Its the question of living up to the committment. When you promised 365 or 775 days and collected fees, You shoud live up to that. It is not at all reasonable to change their time lines several times to 999 days or 1500 (May be in the future). I think we have a strong point to fight with BCIS as we paid and served the country better than Relegious workers and Refugees and Lottery Immigrant people]

[srvimmi]

Originally posted by dsatish
Rajiv,
I think that we should not waste any more time or momentum for collecting the funds. Lot of people have already expressed thier opinion and a vast majority of the people are willing to contribute.
There is no use do a survey to get an idea of how much we will collect because the survey results will be vastly different from the actual results. I am telling you based on the experience we havw with surveys for signature collection drive. We wasted 2 full weaks to collect the survey (only 130 people answered the survey where as more than 3000 people signed the petition). A lot of people will join only result oriented actions, not discussions.
My guess is we will be collecting between $25000 and $50000. You can assume that we will collect around $25K within 10 days and we may reach 40K or 50K after 1 month. Once we get the money, then we will decide what we can do with that. The amount of money collected will influence what we can do. So we can't really have hard plans now without having money in the kitty.
Can we start sending checks payable to "Law offices of Rajiv Khanna" ? please let us know.

PS : Edison and others . As soon as you hear "go ahead and send checks" from Rajiv, please create threads in all the 4 forums and ask people to start sending checks. Briefly explain that tis money will be utilised to pay for legal expenses and also for hiring some one who can help us in meeting the congress men and also influencing the prominent indian american organisations who will take up our cause with the congress men. We should aim at congressional indian caucus etc.

I strongly agree with this plan. I my self willing to pay up to $500 up front and may be more as we progress.
Dear Rajiv sir, Please go with it. Let us know If Law offices of Rajiv or 485 Class Action Trust Fund is OK with you.

[YJay]

I believe your administrative assistant got it first because she replied to my phone message.

I'll be in my office from approx. 8:30 am. Would you have time to talk to me? I left my phone number with your office.

I appreciate your carefulness about legality of holding funds. I don't think it should be a concern to setup a fund (open an account). It may only become a problem when we spend the money (inappropriately), which we need to be careful.

Please think of a fund name so that people can send checks in using that name.

Others, I need one more person to volunteer on the financial committee. You can also be treasurer/auditor. Dsatish and myself have volunteered.

Originally posted by operations
Hmmm. I have recived no email. But we are trying to figure out how we can hold the funds without ethical/legal complications. I will need to contact the VA/DC bars also. Stand by. It might take us a a few days to figure this out.

[Rajiv S. Khanna]

Public money is a very serious matter. We have to make sure we do the job right.

Please do not send any checks now.

[Kanadian]

First of all thank you for everyone who are warming up all the dead souls. I was one of them, I always come here, read others messages and then leave.

Today I registerd myself here so atleast I can talk to folks. I agree to hire attorney or attornies to take this matter to the authorities.

Let do it so folks after us will remember our courage. I dont care we win or loose but atleast we are trying and if we care about money then no one from us can pay attorney's fee but together we can do it, cant we?

I am willing to contribute 500.00 Dollars as well.

[YJay]

OK, folks. We have to hold on our checks until Rajiv straightens this thing out. It may take a few days.

Alternately (may not be viable), a person on this board is willing to accept the checks and all members trust this person. This person would have to expose all his information (name, address, phone numbers).

[cinta]

Hello guys,
I am upgrading my home office with new computer and equipment and I lost some of the developments.
I would like to say that our minimum contribution would be $500.00 for a SINGLE applicant and $1000.00 for derivative and primary applicant. people with kids should contribute MORE, like $1500.00. The $100.00 contribution is ridiculous. It would not even buy a dinner for two. Cheers.

[YJay]

Cinta,

Let's not set any minimum amount for now. I would say $100 is not too little, $10000 is not too much. There was a class action in Australia ten years ago. More than 4000 people contributed to the action, and over $1,000, 000 was rasied.

Let's hope we can get 10, 000 people participating.

[cinta]

Originally posted by YJay
Cinta,

Let's not set any minimum amount for now. I would say $100 is not too little, $10000 is not too much. There was a class action in Australia ten years ago. More than 4000 people contributed to the action, and over $1,000, 000 was rasied.

Let's hope we can get 10, 000 people participating.

Yjay,

We should set a minimum amount for the participants. The money will be needed even if we collect a million dollars. An ad in the NY Times is somewhat $100,000 per page. Maybe more. Just an example.

[Edison]

Let's hold this minimum contribution level discussion for time being.


Eventhough there are thousands of EB applicants around but just few thousand signed the petition. So let's not scare everyone in the initial stage itself about minimum contribution.

Also we are not sure about the path we are going, so let's formalize the contibution level when the things materialize, so till then we can move ahead without setting any rules.

Cinta,
You are right but it is very difficult to convince non-active memebrs about that. We should revisit this discussion when the things materialize.

[ar888]

Originally posted by cinta
Yjay,

We should set a minimum amount for the participants. The money will be needed even if we collect a million dollars. An ad in the NY Times is somewhat $100,000 per page. Maybe more. Just an example.

Cinta,

We can set the minimum amount as $100. $500 may sound too much for lot of participants.

YJay,

Let's wait until Rajiv comes back with an answer, instead of asking some other member to start accepting the checks.

My 2 cents.