Immigration ombudsman hears today from immigrants, employers

The Miami Herald – 02/02/2006 – Immigrants in South Florida have a chance today to tell the
government what they think of the U.S. Office of Citizenship and
Immigration Services.

Prakash I. Khatri, the ombudsman for the citizenship agency, will be
at a community forum tonight at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center,
111 N.W. 1st St. in Miami. The forum runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the
Board of County Commissioners chambers.

The agency oversees immigrant visas, employment petitions,
citizenship naturalization, asylum and refugee processing and
humanitarian and temporary protective status programs.

Khatri reports directly to the U.S. deputy secretary for Homeland
Security and to Congress. He is responsible for working with
individuals and employers to resolve problems with USCIS. The office of
the ombudsman operates independently. Tonight’s event is sponsored by
the Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board.