As an immigration lawyer, I’m well aware that immigration law will be changing again shortly as the US Congress prepares to debate this hot button issue. One major bill, which has been introduced by Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) and strongly supported by Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) is The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP), H.R. 4321. The bill has also been strongly supported by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). Representative Honda chairs the CAPAC.
It’s a bill that covers a lot of immigration territory. One of the major issues includes making sure that those in the US from foreign countries can bring their families here through an efficiently designed and well-run reunification system. This aspect of CIR ASAP incorporates Honda’s bill entitled Reuniting Families Act.
One of the problems facing all of those who work in this field, especially immigration lawyers, is the backlog of cases that clog the system. This aspect of the bill is, according to Honda, is designed to “eliminate our backlogs and ensure family reunification remains a cornerstone of our immigration system.”
Part of this push for reform in the reunification of families is moral as Honda says, “Immigrants built this country and their contributions should be recognized with a fair and humane immigration system.” And part is simply practical in that people tend to function better, they’re more productive, when they have the support of and connect with their family.
Honda and others point out that one of the reasons that immigrants and their lawyers find themselves in this slow moving quandary is that as a nation we’ve lacked an immigration policy. We have been unsure about what to do with the millions of undocumented immigrants in our country and it’s now becoming clear that many of those people have become solid, contributing members of our society.
These are some of the issues. What will it mean for undocumented immigrants who want to bring their families to America? If you have a stake in this issue, it’s important to keep up on the reform movement. You can do so by visiting this blog and also checking various news sources.
Please contact the Ranchod Law Group in 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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