Comprehensive immigration reform has been the proverbial elephant in the room of American politics for many years, but in the last few weeks legislators have made considerable progress in this regard. This bipartisan effort, which aims to bring a sense of relief to millions of undocumented immigrants and perhaps increase their quality of life, is now very close to being signed into law.
On Monday, June 24th, the United States Senate was set to deliver a vote that will send the immigration reform proposal to the House of Representatives for a majority vote. The road to Senate approval has not been an easy one; this piece of legislation is now over one thousand pages long even after lawmakers and special interest groups pitched amendments and called for a more streamlined version of the bill. If you have specific questions about family immigration in San Diego, please click here.
Comprehensive immigration has proven to be one of the most divisive and complex political matters in American history. President Obama has been a firm supporter of immigration reform and seems pleased to see the bill advancing, even though passing this legislative proposal may require some changes that the White House does not fully support.
Not everyone is pleased by the current immigration reform legislative package. Certain amendments and compromises call for expansion of the infamous fence along the southern border by another 700 miles. Another 20,000 Border Patrol agents would be required to carry out security measures in excess of what they are today, and an injection of surveillance technology used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq would be used to combat illegal crossings. Biometric identification of immigrants has also been considered and called excessive in the wake of revelations about the scope of the National Security Agency and its monitoring of private communications.
Comprehensive immigration reform comes with a cost at a time when the budget deficit is a major concern. President Obama, however, has remarked that the new influx of lawful American workers and prospective business owners will boost the national economy by more than three percent in 2023. In this regard, the heart of the immigration reform bill has not been amended: A clear path to citizenship for currently undocumented immigrants plus their ability to legally work are still the most important points on the bill, which is expected to pass in the next few months.
If you have any questions or would like more information about the immigration reform, contact Kazmi and Sakata Immigration Law in San Diego.
