By: Daniel Nardini
The legislation passed by the U.S. Senate to overhaul the immigration system is a step in the right direction. It will allow those undocumented who qualify to be fingerprinted, pay a fine, be registered, and go to the end of the line to become legal permanent residents and within 10 to 13 years U.S. citizens. This is certainly not amnesty—this legislation makes it very clear that those undocumented who do qualify will have to wait a long, long time. Also, this piece of legislation does one important thing the amnesty of 1986 did not do—allow in those immigrants needed for their skills and penalize those undocumented who do not come in legally if and when this legislation becomes law. It is far from certain if this legislation will pass the U.S. House of Representatives.
However, there is one important thing that this legislation does not do that could be its Achilles’ Heel. It does not fast-track the paperwork for those immigrants entering the United States legally. The major problem, and I know this from personal experience, is that the immigration system is too slow, too cumbersome, and too complicated for so many people who want to come and live in the United States. It can take years for legal immigrants to get into this country, and one of the reasons why some immigrants choose to come illegally. The system is just as equally bad with those immigrants whose skills and expertise the United States needs badly. The system just takes too long for legal immigrants to try and come here. For immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens, it is a nightmare scenario where they must wait for years to join their loved ones and be given the legal paperwork to live and reside here.
A good part of all this bureaucratic red tape lies in the fact that the U.S. immigration system is still tied to America’s security apparatus the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Ever since 2001, immigrants, and indeed immigration, have been tied with how this country handles security. Legal immigrants must prove they are “no threat” to this country, and reams of information is gathered on each and every individual regardless where they come from. This is all a waste of time, money and manpower. The immigration system is stuck in the hysteric era of the 2000’s under the previous administration. It would make more sense to do general background checks and only further checks if there is further information on a certain individual. If we are to make the immigration system work, we have to make it work for those immigrants who are trying to come into this country legally.
And What About the Legal Immigrants?
By: Daniel Nardini
However, there is one important thing that this legislation does not do that could be its Achilles’ Heel. It does not fast-track the paperwork for those immigrants entering the United States legally. The major problem, and I know this from personal experience, is that the immigration system is too slow, too cumbersome, and too complicated for so many people who want to come and live in the United States. It can take years for legal immigrants to get into this country, and one of the reasons why some immigrants choose to come illegally. The system is just as equally bad with those immigrants whose skills and expertise the United States needs badly. The system just takes too long for legal immigrants to try and come here. For immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens, it is a nightmare scenario where they must wait for years to join their loved ones and be given the legal paperwork to live and reside here.
A good part of all this bureaucratic red tape lies in the fact that the U.S. immigration system is still tied to America’s security apparatus the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Ever since 2001, immigrants, and indeed immigration, have been tied with how this country handles security. Legal immigrants must prove they are “no threat” to this country, and reams of information is gathered on each and every individual regardless where they come from. This is all a waste of time, money and manpower. The immigration system is stuck in the hysteric era of the 2000’s under the previous administration. It would make more sense to do general background checks and only further checks if there is further information on a certain individual. If we are to make the immigration system work, we have to make it work for those immigrants who are trying to come into this country legally.