By Daniel Nardini
Because of U.S. President Barack Obama’s executive order, those young people who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents when these young people were children are able to stay in this country for now. This executive order allows those young people of college age to be able to either go to college or be able to join the U.S. military and become useful members of society. As I have argued before, through no fault of their own these young people are here out of no choice. But now for many there is a dilemma—how can they make a living if because of their immigration status they are not allowed by the laws of a particular state not to be able to work in certain professions?
Because of their immigration status, which still remains a grey area, they cannot become doctors, work in companies with state or federal government contracts, and become lawyers. The case of Florida resident Jose Godinez-Samperio is one sad example. Because of his immigration status, the Florida State Supreme Court ruled against Godinez-Samperio being able to obtain a law license to be a paralegal. There was nothing wrong with all of the hard work and study he did to become a lawyer. Having graduated from New College of Florida in Sarasota, he also obtain a law degree at Florida State University and passed the state’s bar exam. The problem is that by Florida law he cannot have a state license because of his immigration status. But he never made the decision to come to this country legally or otherwise.
Fine, he can stay in this country and in Florida, but he cannot earn a living. What kind of justice is this? The only thing possible is that if the Florida state legislature passes a law, as was done in California, to allow for people like Godinez-Samperio to be able to obtain licenses for all the work and study they did, will Godinez-Samperio be able to do practice law. I have heard only too many extremist right wing nutcases say that people like Jose Godinez-Samperio should either be deported or he should leave voluntarily and then try to apply to come back to the United States “legally.” These extremists clearly do not understand the difficulties of U.S. immigration law, and it is clear they do not care either. Again we are dealing with an immigration system that does not work, and which is leaving so many people in complete legal limbo in more ways than one.
Allowed to Live but Not Work Here
By Daniel Nardini
Because of U.S. President Barack Obama’s executive order, those young people who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents when these young people were children are able to stay in this country for now. This executive order allows those young people of college age to be able to either go to college or be able to join the U.S. military and become useful members of society. As I have argued before, through no fault of their own these young people are here out of no choice. But now for many there is a dilemma—how can they make a living if because of their immigration status they are not allowed by the laws of a particular state not to be able to work in certain professions?
Because of their immigration status, which still remains a grey area, they cannot become doctors, work in companies with state or federal government contracts, and become lawyers. The case of Florida resident Jose Godinez-Samperio is one sad example. Because of his immigration status, the Florida State Supreme Court ruled against Godinez-Samperio being able to obtain a law license to be a paralegal. There was nothing wrong with all of the hard work and study he did to become a lawyer. Having graduated from New College of Florida in Sarasota, he also obtain a law degree at Florida State University and passed the state’s bar exam. The problem is that by Florida law he cannot have a state license because of his immigration status. But he never made the decision to come to this country legally or otherwise.
Fine, he can stay in this country and in Florida, but he cannot earn a living. What kind of justice is this? The only thing possible is that if the Florida state legislature passes a law, as was done in California, to allow for people like Godinez-Samperio to be able to obtain licenses for all the work and study they did, will Godinez-Samperio be able to do practice law. I have heard only too many extremist right wing nutcases say that people like Jose Godinez-Samperio should either be deported or he should leave voluntarily and then try to apply to come back to the United States “legally.” These extremists clearly do not understand the difficulties of U.S. immigration law, and it is clear they do not care either. Again we are dealing with an immigration system that does not work, and which is leaving so many people in complete legal limbo in more ways than one.