Friday, June 15, 2012

A weight off the shoulders of young illegal aliens

Several weeks ago a 22 year old man cried in my office. When he was very young, his mother entered the United States using a relative's passport. He stayed in the US, was educated here and now attends college.  He lives in constant fear of being deported and cannot get a drivers license. I had nothing to offer except to suggest he wait and pray that the law will change someday so he can become a lawful resident.

Today, June 15th 2012 President Obama took a huge weight off this young man's shoulders as well as thousands of other young people dreaming of staying here in the US. The Obama administration announced that the administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives.

I consider these people to be innocent illegals. They are here in violation of the law because of acts of their parents. This humanitarian action, will ease the lives of many who want to be contributing members of our society.

The policy change, described to The Associated Press by two senior administration officials, will affect as many as 800,000 immigrants who have lived in fear of deportation. It also bypasses Congress and partially achieves the goals of the so-called DREAM Act, a long-sought but never enacted plan to establish a path toward citizenship for young people who came to the United States without documents but who have attended college or served in the military.

Under the administration plan, undocumented immigrants will be immune from deportation if they were brought to the United States before they turned 16 and are younger than 30, have been in the country for at least five continuous years, have no criminal history, graduated from a U.S. high school or earned a GED, or served in the military. They also can apply for a work permit that will be good for two years with no limits on how many times it can be renewed.


The policy will not lead toward citizenship but will remove the threat of deportation and grant the ability to work legally, leaving eligible immigrants able to remain in the United States for extended periods.

If you have any immigration questions about you, a friend, or a member of your family, do not hesitate to contact me or the other immigration lawyers at Tucker & Ludin.  You can also e-mail us through our website http://www.tuckerludin.com/  or call 727-572-5000.

This blog offers general advice.  No attorney/client relationship is being formed and no legal advice is being dispensed

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