Uncovering the Hidden Population
Immigration reform has been talked about for many years. After all, America has been built on the backs of immigrants. Whether from Europe, Africa, Asia, or South America – Without the work put in by these brave souls, we would be nowhere near where we are today. People bring their families here for a better life. America is known the world over for being the "land of the free" and "the home of the brave". I mean our plucky little country rose out of essentially nowhere. We grabbed the reigns from Britain and went from there. But that's where the immigration issue all began. I mean, in reality, America is predominately made up of almost entirely immigrants.
So, why is it so hard for some people to justify immigration reform? Is it an issue of being afraid – having people unlike themselves coming in? Or maybe it's people being selfish – "more people means less for me". Or maybe deep down it's some sort of other, more primal fear - a fear that stems from genuine security. Regardless of what the reasoning is behind not being able to accept immigrants with open arms anymore, it still doesn't make it any less right, which is why I believe Obama chose to finally act.
Current illegal immigrants in America are obviously not eligible for any type of Government subsidy – food stamps, welfare, unemployment, etc. What this means is that these people are in no way hurting the economy or putting any kind of current strain on taxpayers. If anything, they're actually helping out taxpayers. These people are normally the ones who do the unwanted tasks – manual labor and agriculture. On top of that, these workers are paid virtually nothing, seeing as how they're illegal; employers aren't entitled to have to pay out minimum wage - which means most of these immigrants are paid around five dollars an hour. Obama's view on immigrants is that if they're already here, why not go ahead and give them, not legalization or amnesty, some sort of special status in which they'll be required to pay taxes. But it's not only about paying taxes; it's also about allowing these illegal immigrants to not have to worry about being deported.
As stated above, in no way does Obama's new plan grant full legalization or amnesty, it's of a protection order for current undocumented immigrants. For example, parents who have had children here in America will be able to be sponsored by their children as soon as they reach the age of 21 – but only if they have been in the country for five years. However, concerns arise considering that these people have been living in the shadows for so long. Thankfully, DACA has already created the infrastructure needed to push these people to come out in apply when the plan goes into effect in early spring. But not only can children sponsor parents after a certain amount of time, but immigrants with green cards will also be able to sponsor undocumented spouses for a permit.
Not only can parents with children finally apply for citizenship, but under the new act, workers will be able to apply for three year work permits as well. This is more of a deferred action plan. It's not a finite fix to the immigration issue. These permits will still be needed to be reapplied for every three years, and if they are not, then the person is subject to deportation again. As said before, it's not a permanent fix, but it will lead the way for immigrants to receive driver's licenses and be able to legally get around as well as identification at the ready.
Foreign students majoring in any STEM major, (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), will also be eligible for a special visa in which they'll be allowed to stay in the US and contribute their knowledge. These visas will be good for two and a half years. And then graduates must then apply for the other permit allowing work.
Finally, there has also been a deportation overhaul. No longer will undocumented immigrants be singled out and deported for no good reason. The Obama administration is out to deport immigrants who have committed a serious crime – ergo there will be a new "priority system". ICE agents will need to prove to the higher ups that the detained immigrant is of high priority – which pretty much means they must prove that said immigrant has committed some sort of serious crime.
Obama's plan is more of an overhaul for the safety of Americans. As I just mentioned, with the new priority system, only undocumented immigrants with major rap sheets will need to worry about being sent back to their home country. But not only is this about the safety of America, but it's also about the millions of undocumented people living here in fear. Most of them just wanted their families to have better lives. They should not be worried about being deported for being honest and hard-working people. In my opinion, I feel as if it's fully justified. Coming from a district with so many different racial backgrounds, I want all of my constituents to be safe, as well as have happy and healthy lives in such a great country.
Reposted from State Senator Curt Thompson's blog (D-5th). He resides in Tucker, GA and is Chairman of the Special Judiciary Committee. Make sure to follow him on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus. His website is www.makingyourvoicecount.com
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