I am no Terrorist, any advice?

[Deep Trigger]

Hecate,

It is fairly easy do determine whether or not one could benefit from this exemption. In my wife's case, I noticed that immediately.

The exemption very clearly excludes groups that are, or, if ever have been designated as terrorist organisations.
Additionally, should your group ever, at any time, attacked U.S interest or personals, you would not benefit from the exemption.

Both of the above applies to MEK, the group that my wife was supporting. It is said but not verified that MEK killed a U.S army
personal in early seventies when my wife was only 2 years old.

So run your group through a check list. See if they fall under any one of the above conducts that deemed my wife's case not good to benefit. See if your group used or enlisted child soldiers. check to see if your group was ever reported to engage in heinous acts like torturing, killing civilians, etc. You should be able to come up with a fair idea whether or not you would benefit.

All the references and resolutions and the year and numbers are in the exemption. It just takes some time to research.

I HOPE YOU FALL UNDER NONE OF THEM. Good luck.

And, oh, Deep Trigger, thank you for the post. Very useful. Love you my friend.

Love you too my friend JosephEsf! And you are very welcome!

 

[Noetic]

Hecate,

The following is from the USCIS website Under TRIG exemption section. I hope this will help you evaluate tour group.

Applicants eligible for this exemption must have only select voluntary, non-violent, associations or activities with certain undesignated terrorist organizations. This exemption applies to aliens who currently possess lawful status in the United States (i.e., asylee or refugee status, temporary protected status, or adjustment of status under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Centeral American Relief Act or Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, or similar immigration benefit other than a non-immigrant visa), and to beneficiaries of an I-730 Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition filed at any time by such an asylee or refugee.

Undesignated terrorist organizations are generally defined in section 212(a)(3)(B)(vi)(III). In order to qualify for this exemption, the undesignated terrorist organization that the applicant is associated must not at any time have:
Targeted U.S. interests or persons, including planned or attempted attacks on U.S. interests or persons;
Engaged in a pattern or practice of torture, as defined in 18 U.S.C. 2441(d)(1)(A), genocide, as described in 18 U.S.C. 1091(a), or the use of child soldiers, as described in 18 U.S.C. 2242;
Been identified in either Executive Order 13224, as amended, or otherwise designated by the Secretary of State or the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to the Specially Designated Nationals List (SDNL), or in lists established by United Nations Security Council Committee under Resolutions 1267 (1999) or 1988 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities; or
Been designated as a Tier I or Tier II terrorist organization as described in subsections 212(a)(3)(B)(vi)(I) or (II) of the INA.

In addition to group qualifications listed above, to be eligible for this exemption an applicant must:
Establish that he or she is otherwise eligible for the immigration benefit or protection being sought;
Undergo and pass all required background and security checks;
Fully disclose, to the best of his or her knowledge, in all relevant applications and interviews with U.S. government representatives and agents, the nature and circumstances of all activities or associations falling within the scope of INA section 212(a)(3)(B), including those relating to any terrorist organizations not considered Tier III;
Establish that he or she has not knowingly provided material support to terrorist activities hat targeted noncombatant persons, U.S. citizens or U.S. interests;
Establish that he or she has not received training that itself poses a risk to the United States or United States interests (such as training on production or use of a weapon of mass destruction, as defined by 18 U.S.C. Section 2332a(c)(2), torture or espionage);
Establish that he or she is not in removal proceedings or subject to a final order of removal, unless the applicant is the beneficiary of an I-730 Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition;
Establish that he or she poses no danger to the safety and security of the United States; and
Establish that he or she warrants an exemption in the totality of the circumstances.

 

[Deep Trigger]

Hecate,

The following is from the USCIS website Under TRIG exemption section. I hope this will help you evaluate tour group.

Applicants eligible for this exemption must have only select voluntary, non-violent, associations or activities with certain undesignated terrorist organizations. This exemption applies to aliens who currently possess lawful status in the United States (i.e., asylee or refugee status, temporary protected status, or adjustment of status under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Centeral American Relief Act or Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, or similar immigration benefit other than a non-immigrant visa), and to beneficiaries of an I-730 Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition filed at any time by such an asylee or refugee.

Undesignated terrorist organizations are generally defined in section 212(a)(3)(B)(vi)(III). In order to qualify for this exemption, the undesignated terrorist organization that the applicant is associated must not at any time have:
Targeted U.S. interests or persons, including planned or attempted attacks on U.S. interests or persons;
Engaged in a pattern or practice of torture, as defined in 18 U.S.C. 2441(d)(1)(A), genocide, as described in 18 U.S.C. 1091(a), or the use of child soldiers, as described in 18 U.S.C. 2242;
Been identified in either Executive Order 13224, as amended, or otherwise designated by the Secretary of State or the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to the Specially Designated Nationals List (SDNL), or in lists established by United Nations Security Council Committee under Resolutions 1267 (1999) or 1988 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities; or
Been designated as a Tier I or Tier II terrorist organization as described in subsections 212(a)(3)(B)(vi)(I) or (II) of the INA.

In addition to group qualifications listed above, to be eligible for this exemption an applicant must:
Establish that he or she is otherwise eligible for the immigration benefit or protection being sought;
Undergo and pass all required background and security checks;
Fully disclose, to the best of his or her knowledge, in all relevant applications and interviews with U.S. government representatives and agents, the nature and circumstances of all activities or associations falling within the scope of INA section 212(a)(3)(B), including those relating to any terrorist organizations not considered Tier III;
Establish that he or she has not knowingly provided material support to terrorist activities hat targeted noncombatant persons, U.S. citizens or U.S. interests;
Establish that he or she has not received training that itself poses a risk to the United States or United States interests (such as training on production or use of a weapon of mass destruction, as defined by 18 U.S.C. Section 2332a(c)(2), torture or espionage);
Establish that he or she is not in removal proceedings or subject to a final order of removal, unless the applicant is the beneficiary of an I-730 Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition;
Establish that he or she poses no danger to the safety and security of the United States; and
Establish that he or she warrants an exemption in the totality of the circumstances.

Good document Noetic, thanks for your helpful contributions…
But It is comprehensively hard to assess one’s own case even with extraordinary ability, objectivity and owning to some tangible facts, though this could be helpful as far as determining where we may land in material support statutory /but would it really matter? Because in my mind, and since it is up to the USCIS and USCIS only to make such determination with no possibility of appeal or due process. They can make arbitrary assessment; if they choose to, and their assessment can not only be irrational, but arbitrary, or ignorant vis-à-vis of the reality of the group itself; if they based on little bit of the factual evidence based on the group history, or UNHCR searchable databases. What if they erred in finding on the applicant him or she; and that alone can be a capricious assessment that could be detrimental to the applicant. But again it is just me, not being pessimistic but skeptical to the fairness of the whole process since I have been victim of it many times. We may soon find out until then my prayers go to all of us.

 

[hecate]

Good document Noetic, thanks for your helpful contributions…
But It is comprehensively hard to assess one’s own case even with extraordinary ability, objectivity and owning to some tangible facts, though this could be helpful as far as determining where we may land in material support statutory /but would it really matter? Because in my mind, and since it is up to the USCIS and USCIS only to make such determination with no possibility of appeal or due process. They can make arbitrary assessment; if they choose to, and their assessment can not only be irrational, but arbitrary, or ignorant vis-à-vis of the reality of the group itself; if they based on little bit of the factual evidence based on the group history, or UNHCR searchable databases. What if they erred in finding on the applicant him or she; and that alone can be a capricious assessment that could be detrimental to the applicant. But again it is just me, not being pessimistic but skeptical to the fairness of the whole process since I have been victim of it many times. We may soon find out until then my prayers go to all of us.

Thank you Noetic for your help how ever I am exactly puzzled and have same question in mind as Deep trigger, how can we assess our groups are not the one since so many groups have been labelled by UNHCR and human rights as not eligible for the positive actions due to their combats between two groups and their foes.

 

[JosephEsf]

Thank you Noetic for your help how ever I am exactly puzzled and have same question in mind as Deep trigger, how can we assess our groups are not the one since so many groups have been labelled by UNHCR and human rights as not eligible for the positive actions due to their combats between two groups and their foes.

hecate,

I hate to put you on spot, but would you feel comfortable telling us the name of the group you were supporting or a member of.
If you don't want it to be polished in public domain you could private message it to us.
If you are not comfortable either way, please disregard this message. I am sure you know that we are only trying to help each other.

 

[Noetic]

Hecate,


You just need to go through the following list and determine whether your group falls under any of the terms.


1. Targeted U.S. interests or persons, including planned or attempted attacks on U.S. interests or persons.


2. Engaged in a pattern or practice of torture, as defined in 18 U.S.C. 2441(d)(1)(A), genocide, as described in 18 U.S.C. 1091(a), or the use of child soldiers, as described in 18 U.S.C. 2242


3. Been identified in either Executive Order 13224, as amended, or otherwise designated by the Secretary of State or the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to the Specially Designated Nationals List (SDNL), or in lists established by United Nations Security Council Committee under Resolutions 1267 (1999) or 1988 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities.


4. Been designated as a Tier I or Tier II terrorist organization as described in subsections 212(a)(3)(B)(vi)(I) or (II) of the INA.

5. Is not on the list of groups already recommended for exemption


I have a feeling that you are troubled by term #2. I will be honest with you this LGE (Limited General Exemption) is as broad and vague as the inadmissibility document that blocked our green Cards to start with. I have a feeling that LGE will benefit very few contrary to DHS estimate of resolving 75% of the cases. I hope I am wrong.


There will be a stake holder meeting on the 11th of this month. After the meeting I will contact Ms. Hughes and Ms. Nezer. Let’s see what they have to say.


Best regards

 

[Noetic]

Thanks Deep Trigger,

You are absolutely right, they will go through UNHCR, DOS websites and dig any dirt they can on the Group and keep us on hold. Look I don't want to sound pessimistic either but that’s the reality .

 

[JosephEsf]

The USCIS Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds (TRIG) Working Group will host its quarterly stakeholder meeting on December 11, 2012 at 1:30 pm (Eastern) in the Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations (RAIO) Training Room at 20 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The purpose of this engagement is for USCIS to provide updates and statistics regarding the TRIG workload and for individual participants to raise TRIG-related questions and issues.

To Participate in the Session

Please email the Public Engagement Division no later than December 7, 2012 at Public.Engagement@uscis.dhs.gov. Please note that this engagement is in-person only.

Please reference “TRIG Quarterly” in the subject line of your email. Please also include your full name and the organization you represent in the body of the email.

On the day of the engagement, please be sure to bring photo identification and plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow time to complete the security process.

To Submit Suggested Agenda Items or Questions

If you would like to submit suggested agenda items or questions, please email them to Public.Engagement@uscis.dhs.gov no later than close of business Monday, December 3, 2012.

We look forward to engaging with you!

 

[Deep Trigger]

The USCIS Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds (TRIG) Working Group will host its quarterly stakeholder meeting on December 11, 2012 at 1:30 pm (Eastern) in the Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations (RAIO) Training Room at 20 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The purpose of this engagement is for USCIS to provide updates and statistics regarding the TRIG workload and for individual participants to raise TRIG-related questions and issues.

To Participate in the Session

Please email the Public Engagement Division no later than December 7, 2012 at Public.Engagement@uscis.dhs.gov. Please note that this engagement is in-person only.

Please reference “TRIG Quarterly” in the subject line of your email. Please also include your full name and the organization you represent in the body of the email.

On the day of the engagement, please be sure to bring photo identification and plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow time to complete the security process.

To Submit Suggested Agenda Items or Questions

If you would like to submit suggested agenda items or questions, please email them to Public.Engagement@uscis.dhs.gov no later than close of business Monday, December 3, 2012.

We look forward to engaging with you!

Great information, again thanks to JosephEsf, hopefully something concrete will finally come out that meeting, I think it is about time now. We should all send inquiry e-mails to Hughes and Nezer on or after Dec. 11th. and share our responses.

 

[Victim1000]

Dear Sir or Madam,

What was exchanged between good Deep Trigger and I, was merely humor, and one should not take humor statements and any jokes for that matter literally.

Humor is used as a lubricant agent to ease the tensions of everyday life. Like I said, it has no literal application, but it helps to soften up the stress of unfortunate situations like the one we all are dealing with in this forum.

But I believe you very well know the definition of humor. In fact it is pretty bizarre for me finding myself explaining the definition of humor to someone !!! I believe what caused you to unleash your rage on me the way you did, has a very deep psychological root. Anyone with a sane mind could read the previous posts and conclude, that, what was exchanged between Deep Trigger and I, did not deserve such harsh reaction and mistreatment.

I am not a religious person like good Deep Trigger, but, like him, it is against my belief system to engage in any name callings or uncivilized interactions with others. I believe you are a very decent and lovable individual, something is making you angry however, and an angry person is not a happy one. I hereby would like to reach out to you and offer my assistance within my power and ability to help you overcome your issues. I believe there are good members in this forum like, Hecate and Deep Trigger and many others who have the decency and the will to offer the same as what I just proposed.

Let us take this bitter experience and turn it into a sweet and productive beginning. I love you and I hope you soon put this ordeal behind you with a green card in hand.

Dear JosephEsf,

This is very good and bad week of the year for me. The good news is my ordeal is over when I got email from USCIS on Monday that my application to adjust to permanent resident is approved. The bad news is I offended you by posting unpleasant remarks about your humor on Friday night. Since Monday after noon I was out of town enjoying the moment with my family and friends. I didn’t aware of that you had heated discussion until now. I am not a coward person who hurts a person and walk away with green card . It is the right thing to apologize to you and to our friends and move on with my life. I am sorry.


JosephEsf, you are nice humble guy in this forum. Your contribution to this forum is huge and valuable . If there is a medal to give for best input , it is you who should get it. I am the last person to hurt you intentionally. The truth is I didn’t like, you making humor about core of our ordeal. We all here gather together just for one thing, about green card, nothing else. There are a lot of material for your humor, like “USCIS ‘ but you choose green card. Many members come to this forum and tell their story and their pain every time. Some they say pray for me, some they tell the concern they have about their aging parents, wife and children. They are not asking money, it all about green card. When you post “who needs green card…”.and “lol” I didn’t like it, I was determined to stop you from making any joke further. I didn’t coated with honey and sugar. I gave it to you as it, raw. It was “bloody” head on collision and you got hurt. Sorry about that again. When I checked this forum Saturday, I saw your post, I don’t know your intention, but it is about helping our members. I hoped you got my message but I was wrong when I saw some of your response today. I don’t read your mind and you don’t read mine, we read the post and we guess. If you able to read my mind you haven’t said that I have deep psychological issue. Which is I don’t have. My annual clean medical report will be available for review on demand no coast to you. I am not hurt with your remarks. It is like calling skinny person fat. You see, when the joke is not funny, the laugh is at the joker. That is what I did to you. Pleas choice the right material and audience when you post humor on public forum. Some will criticize you, some will praise you. If you don’t like the critic don’t post it.

At the end life is unfair, life brutal teacher for some of us. God has given me more than I need, green card is a bonus , doesn’t change my life a lot. May be a little better. We want more, we forget the people they have nothing. I am sorry again. God bless you all . Your ordeal will be over soon.

Good luck! Good bye! and Thank you.

 

[Victim1000]

Guys since this is a public forum and I am a member, I have to say this:
JosephEsf, you are right! Your comment was merely to make light of the situation, however the situation that we are in has literally changed the course of life for many of us. There are different deep ingrained feelings such as anger, guilt, failure, remorse, frustration etc. due to this ordeal. So we should not single out Victim 1000 for rage and anger. Heck, I am sure we all have experienced it at one time or another. Even you, in your posts have mentioned of being tired, agitated and distraught which doesn’t mean that you have issues with deep psychological roots.
Now, due to your contributions, sound analysis and guidance to others, I have the deepest respect for you and I mean no disrespect to you when I humbly request that we refrain from labeling others with psychological conditions when we have no way of knowing what they are going through.
Victim 1000, I too like JosephEsf hope that your ordeal is over soon, but my friend this is a public forum and I would request that we be mindful of we post here and refrain from using attacking language.
Again I mean no disrespect to anyone and apologize if anyone finds my comment offensive or invasive.

Dear noetic,

I am sorry to drug you into this situation. You wished me good luck about my ordeal but my ordeal was over monday before all thses heated discussion. My application was approved, thank you for standing up for me and the truth. You are a natural psycologist and giftted amassador of peace. You didn't pour gasoline on burnning house, you try to put it out with water. Your constuctive critisim is
acceptable on my part. Your ordeal will be over very soon. You the best.


Thank you !
Good luck and goodbye!!!

 

[Victim1000]

I am very firmly agreeing with these concepts from JosephEsf, nothing is closer to the truth than his specific given points. JosephEsf’s statement is built on several core values, respect each other’s & Let us stop making negative judgmental assumptions, respect guides, morals; manners.
JosephEsf’s statement can win any argument on this topic. People are entitled to opinion, but statement made by one of us was a bit dramatic, and I found it sharply offending.
And deep down in my heart I wish we would show better mannerism.. I apologize to everyone for my tone\ and remarks.
Not intended to offend anyone.

Dear Deep Trigger, hecate and Friends,

I thank you all for your contribution and constructive advice. You are the engine of this forum. Without you we could not able to come every day get information we need. My ordeal is over for me on monday, My application was approved. I appologize if I offended you.
The job you done in this forum is you reward, thank you again.
your ordeal will be over soon. God be with you.
Good bye and goodluck!

 

[JosephEsf]

Victim 1000,

How great do I feel and how joyful am I to see your ordeal is finally over. Also thank you for taking your time clarifying some issues on this forum. Thank you also for your very kind words you said about me.

Please come and visit us here in this forum even though you no longer have to deal with this nightmare.
And finally, please accept my apology if any of my posts have offended you. I hope there are many more pleasant surprises that life has in store for you. I love you, please be in tough.

 

[Deep Trigger]

Dear Deep Trigger, hecate and Friends,

I thank you all for your contribution and constructive advice. You are the engine of this forum. Without you we could not able to come every day get information we need. My ordeal is over for me on monday, My application was approved. I appologize if I offended you.
The job you done in this forum is you reward, thank you again.
your ordeal will be over soon. God be with you.
Good bye and goodluck!

Big thanks to JosephEsf and Victim 1000
This is all beautiful! I definitely owe the deepest thanks to those two, who have shown principles of human relations and personal morality. JosephEsf and Victim 1000 have both demonstrated great etiquette of a Gentleman. Victim 1000 thanks for offering and making an honest, humble handshake through your willingness to put it into kind words, And Congrats on your Green Card.
JosephEsf thanks for politely acting with words of wisdom like you always do, you are changeless and constant; soon you will become my Mentor (and I mean it!).
I am glad we all come closer

 

[Noetic]

Wow Victim 1000!! Congratulations. I am really happy for you. Also thanks for the kind words.

Now if you don't mind me asking, was your group exempted? Did you make a recent inquiry? Prior to approving you, did they send you a RFE? Did they deny your case in early 2008 and then reopened it? Lastly what was the content of the approval letter?

You don't have to answer any of my questions but it will help us understand a few things better. I guess i am trying to ascertain whether there is any correlation between your approval and LGE (limited general exemption).

Again congratulation, I am glad your ordeal is over.

 

[hecate]

Congratulations victim1000, my happiness for you and your family can not be described in just words. Please stay with us for a little while there is still a lot of help that we need from you as numerous questions can only be answered by someone who has successfully gone through this ordeal like you.
Congratulations again and I am so happy for you.

 

[JosephEsf]

Hello Ms. Hughes

I hope this E-mail finds you doing well. We all at the forum I am a member of, are anxiously waiting to see what comes out of today's quarterly meeting. Would you share the news and updates along with your insight as to what direction this issue is heading?

I appreciate the time you take responding to my e-mail.


sincerely yours,

**************

 

[Noetic]

Thankyou JosephEsf,

I too left similar emails with Ms Hughes and Ms. Nezer.

Lets hope for the best.

Best regards.

Hello Ms. Hughes

I hope this E-mail finds you doing well. We all at the forum I am a member of, are anxiously waiting to see what comes out of today's quarterly meeting. Would you share the news and updates along with your insight as to what direction this issue is heading?

I appreciate the time you take responding to my e-mail.


sincerely yours,

**************

 

[JosephEsf]

Anwen Hughes
10:58 AM (52 minutes ago)

to me
Yes, I'm happy to. The meeting is later this afternoon and I'll be in another meeting afterwards and then returning to NYC, but can send a quick summary later tonight or tomorrow.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My pleasure Noetic. Please post any response from either one of them at your earliest convenience.

 

[Deep Trigger]

Anwen Hughes
10:58 AM (52 minutes ago)

to me
Yes, I'm happy to. The meeting is later this afternoon and I'll be in another meeting afterwards and then returning to NYC, but can send a quick summary later tonight or tomorrow.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My pleasure Noetic. Please post any response from either one of them at your earliest convenience.

Thanks JosephEsf for the information,
in touch, soon.