Getting A Green Card May Get A Little Easier.
January 13th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
President Obama’s administration took steps late last week to make it easier for Americans to avoid being separated from their families due to immigration issues.
The Obama administration is supporting a new proposed regulation to allow undocumented spouses and children in the U.S. the opportunity to apply for a waiver for their unlawful presence without having to leave the country first.
The regulation, if passed by Congress, will have an enormous positive impact on strengthening families and promoting unity by not forcing them to be needlessly separated for long periods of time outside the U.S. while the applications are processed.
Currently, spouses and children who were not properly inspected at entry into the U.S. are not permitted to apply for a green card inside the U.S. Today, they would have to leave and then hope they can obtain a waiver, which is a very lengthy, risky and not-too-successful method that requires proof of extreme hardship – a tough standard to meet.
Folks on both sides of the political spectrum should agree to support this change because it will reduce the numbers of overstays and illegal immigrants in this country, making enforcement easier. The NY Times published an article on this important immigration change on January 6, 2012. (Read the article here.)
We will update you through this Blawg as more information becomes available on these new developments. If you have any questions on immigration law, as always, please feel free to contact us by email or calling our offices at 603.228.1277.
President Obama Delivers Immigration Speech
July 1st, 2010 § Leave a Comment
President Obama Delivers Immigration Speech at American University
Today President Obama gave his first speech directly addressing the topic of Immigration Reform.
Although the President did not outline specific details for moving forward with Immigration Reform, he did emphasize the need and importance of reform. In his speech, President Obama acknowledged the issue as “thorny and emotional,” while stressing his belief that the system is broken.
President Obama said that the U.S. is implementing and improving the system that gives employers the ability to verify their employees‘ immigration status, although he did not provide specific details. He added that businesses who employ illegal immigrants will be held responsible:
“Businesses must be held accountable if they break the law by deliberately hiring and exploiting undocumented workers. We’ve already begun to step up enforcement against the worst workplace offenders. And we’re implementing and improving a system to give employers a reliable way to verify that their employees are here legally. But we need to do more. We cannot continue just to look the other way as a significant portion of our economy operates outside the law.”
For a through overview of President Obama’s speech, visit this article by USA Today. For a complete transcript of his speech, visit the White House website.
As news emerges on this important topic, GoffWilson will keep readers of The Immigration bLAWg updated.
Rumblings of Immigration Reform
April 1st, 2010 § 1 Comment
Immigration reform. It’s an emotional hot-topic issue that has increasingly gained attention over the past couple of weeks. Here is a snapshot of what is happening:
The March
Immigration advocates march on Washington, 3.21.10. Photo Credit: Luke Sharrett/The New York Times.
- Two hundred thousand immigrant advocates marched on Washington on March 21, 2010, calling on President Obama to deliver on his campaign promise of immigration reform and persuade Congress to take up the issue.
- According to a news report on NPR, the marchers called on lawmakers to pass legislation that would improve the treatment of detained immigrants, allow a guest-worker program and create a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented workers.
- According to CNN.com article, President Obama addressed the crowd via a videotaped message displayed on huge screens and said he would do “everything in my power” to get a bipartisan deal within the year.
Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Senator Schumer and Senator Graham published an opinion article in the Washington Post on Friday, March 19, 2010, which outlined their proposal for immigration reform:
- “Our plan has four pillars: requiring biometric Social Security cards to ensure that illegal workers cannot get jobs; fulfilling and strengthening our commitments on border security and interior enforcement; creating a process for admitting temporary workers; and implementing a tough but fair path to legalization for those already here.”
- The Senators concluded their article by saying, “The American people deserve more than empty rhetoric and impractical calls for mass deportation. We urge the public and our colleagues to join our bipartisan efforts in enacting these reforms.”
Photo Credit: Alex Wong / Getty Images for Meet the Press
According to CNN.com article, published on March 22, 2010, Obama called the senators’ plans promising and said it should be the basis for moving forward. He called on Congress to act on that plan at the earliest possible opportunity.
Senator Schumer and Senator Graham appeared together on Meet The Press, March 28, 2010, where they discussed immigration reform.
- Senator Graham reminded the audience that immigration reform will be a difficult task to undertake, “Immigration is tough, you don’t have to ask anyone other than me to tell you that. It is a tough heavy lift.”
- Senator Schumer pushed for reform, “The system is broken, it lets the wrong people in, excludes the wrong people and so we need to fix it. I would urge that try to get this done because its so important for America.”
President Obama
According to President Obama’s website, his blueprint for immigration reform contains three points:
During his campaign, Obama listed immigration reform as a first-year priority. Some say healthcare reform has overshadowed any endeavors towards immigration reform.
- Barack Obama will secure our borders: Obama and Biden want topreserve the integrity of our borders. They support additional personnel, infrastructure, and technology on the border and at our ports of entry.
- Improve our immigration system: Obama and Biden believe we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill.
- Bring people out of the shadows: Obama and Biden support a system that requires undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.
As the topic of Immigration reform continues to gain momentum and as new information emerges, GoffWilson is committed to keeping bLAWg readers updated on this issue.
