michael wildes article on john lennon featured in the record

Wildes & Weinberg, P.C. Managing Partner Michael Wildes describes “How a former Beatle helped shape immigration policy” in an opinion piece featured in The Record on December 2, 2014.

Michael wrote the article to explain how John Lennon’s legacy includes much more then just extraordinary music; he also left a legacy that would have a profound effect on immigrants currently living in the United States.

On  November 20, 2014 President Obama announced several new programs, including:

1. A new Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program will allow undocumented people who have a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident son or daughter to apply for work authorization and protection from deportation, if the person has been in the U.S. since January 1, 2010. It is estimated that over 4 million people qualify for this program.

2. The existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will be expanded and now will cover people who entered the U.S. before their sixteenth birthday and have lived continuously in the U.S. since January 1, 2010. People who were previously ineligible for DACA by being older than age 31 on June 15, 2012, are now eligible to apply, regardless of how old they are now. Approximately 300,000 people will be benefit from these changes.

The government expects that it will start accepting applications within three months from now for those eligible for expanded DACA, and within six months from now for those eligible for DAPA. If you believe you may be eligible for one of the initiatives, you can prepare by gathering documentation that establish your: Identity, Relationship to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident; and Continuous residence in the United States over the last five years or more.

What most people may not realize is that these actions are a direct result of Wildes & Weinberg’s Founding Partner Leon Wildes’ successful representation of former Beatle John and his artist wife Yoko Ono in their struggle to remain in the United States, despite the concerted attempts for the Nixon Administration to deport them. The case, which spanned five years from 1972 -1976, included bringing four separate Federal lawsuits, not only resulted in John and Yoko getting their green cards and being able to remain in the United States, but it also led to substantial changes in immigration law and brought to light secretive government practices and undue political influence, and has resulted in greater transparency in the U.S. immigration system.

Since its inception in 1960, Wildes & Weinberg continues to serve a distinguished domestic and international clientele and covers all areas of U.S. immigration law, including employment and investment-based immigration, work permits, permanent residence for qualified individuals, family-based immigration, asylum applications and all temporary and permanent type visas.

In addition, the firm has a distinguished clientele and has done substantial immigration work for investors, scientists, physicians, bankers, performing artists, directors, writers, models, actors/actresses, athletes, fine artists, art dealers, curators, literary agents as well as several more Miss Universe’s.
To view the article, please click here.  For more on the Lennon case and how it ties in to the current “Deferred Action” programs, please see our John Lennon page.