Law student’s case shows the need for change to immigration law

On Behalf of | Dec 26, 2013 | US Immigration Law |

The issue of how to deal with undocumented immigrants remains the most hotly contested debate at the heart of immigration reform. Yet while the political movement of such reforms comes to a stalemate, immigration cases around the country, including right here in Miami, continue to test current U.S. immigration law and expose just how great the need for changes is.

A New York law school student has become a virtual “poster child” for how much the issue of the legal treatment of undocumented immigrants needs to be addressed. Since first arriving in the U.S. at the age of 5, he has continued to work hard despite the challenges he’s faced due to his immigration status. That hard work has paid off with an impressive resume, including earning honors in law school and having interned with a New York district attorney, a State Supreme Court judge, and a U.S. Congressman. Yet despite those credentials and his recent passing of the New York state bar exam, the State Supreme court has refused to allow him to practice as a lawyer. The man is not alone in his struggle. Other law school students across the country who are also undocumented immigrants, including one here in Florida, are also currently fighting to become board-certified lawyers.

The New York law student plans to continue his fight, arguing that just as the law prohibits discrimination based on gender or age, it should also prohibit it based on legal status. Yet even he has a realistic view of his chances, believing that as federal legislators continue to argue over reform, it will be left to the judiciary to make the first move in addressing these issues through rulings in cases such as his.

Those with an interest in the changing of current immigration laws are not alone. An immigration attorney may be a good source of information on the state of immigration reform and on other’s fighting to see these laws changed.

Source: Huffington Post “Undocumented Law Student Fights For The American Dream” John Benson, Dec. 16, 2013.

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