Citizenship for illegals a divisive issue in immigration reform

On Behalf of | Sep 12, 2013 | US Permanent Residency |

Permanent residency is ultimate goal for many who have immigrated here to the U.S. and Miami illegally. And as the number of illegal immigrants has grown to over the years to 11 million people, so has the need to reform current immigration laws that address both the issue of those waiting to come into the U.S. and the issue of those currently here.

President Obama made immigration reform one of his campaign promises during the last presidential election. Now, as new immigration legislation is being discussed in Congress, many of those discussions are centering on how to deal with those currently In the U.S. illegally. The current system requires that illegal immigrants return to their countries of origin for 10 years before being allowed access back into the U.S. legally. While that option is not viewed as a realistic possibility to enforce on those currently here, neither side of the aisle can seem to agree on how to best deal with addressing the illegals’ immigration status.

Democrats are in favor of allowing access to permanent resident green cards in 10 years, with the option of citizenship in three more. Republicans, on the other hand, oppose any “special path” to citizenship being awarded to those who bypassed the process of entering the country legally. They also question the desire of many immigrants to actually want citizenship, as studies show that nearly 40% of immigrants eligible for U.S. citizenship don’t apply for it.

While both sides continue to disagree on this issue, the end goal remains the same: find a way for illegal immigrants to attain permanent residency. Anyone wishing to do this under the current guidelines may want to consult with immigration lawyer to assist in this process.

Source: Miami Herald “Immigration bill knot: ‘Special’ citizenship path” Erica Werner, Sep. 02, 2013

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