When you work in the area of immigration as an attorney, you’re certainly sensitive to client concerns and keep current on national and political trends. Thus, when President Obama barely touched on immigration reform in his State of the Union Address, giving it a mention in one sentence, I knew there would be fallout from advocates of reform and from many of my clients.
Immigration reform is a huge issue in this country—emotionally, economically, culturally, etc. A part of Obama’s platform when he was running for president was immigration reform. So when he spent next to no time on it in his State of the Union there was concern.
Recently, it was reported by the Scripps News Service that “Democrats are weighing the risks and rewards of bringing to the fore an issue that has so divided the country, as a heated fall election season quickly approaches.” Then the article posed a big question.
“Would it be better to go forward on a bill that is among the highest priorities of Hispanic voters in hopes of propelling an increasingly important constituency to the polls? Or would the backlash from opponents, particularly those on the conservative right, with their high-volume vitriol over illegal immigration, be too heavy an attack for Democratic candidates to sustain?”
Recently, a lot has been written about and broadcast through the media about the pros and cons of immigration reform. There has been a major movement in congress towards reform facilitated by representatives such as Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) and Mike Honda (D-CA) and attempts at a bipartisan solution such as that being forged by Senator Lindsey Graham (R- SC) and Senator Charles Schumer (D- NY).
As an immigration lawyer, I’m concerned for my clients and their families in a few ways. First, I’m focused on how changes in the law may affect individual situations. Will they help my clients in their quest to bring their families to this country?
If reform does occur, there will most likely be a flood of undocumented immigrants seeking to become documented and going through legal channels to have their spouses and children join them. How will that affect the system and what affect will it have on those I represent?
As the reform debate continues, I’ll be featuring reports connected to the ongoing process, monitoring how it may affect those in the San Francisco Bay area, my working relationship with clients as an immigration attorney and the immigration system.
Please contact the Ranchod Law Group with offices in San Francisco, Santa Clara Bay Area and Sacramento California, if you have any questions regarding immigration and various aspects of the law. To schedule a consultation contact us at 415-986-6186 or at info@ranchodlaw.com.
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