Immigration Reform

Houston Immigration Lawyers Explain Demand for Immigration Reform

As an immigrant looking to come to the United States, your Houston immigration attorney knows that you want to come to the country to live and work and be a productive and successful individual or to provide a bright future for your family or loved ones. You might feel, however, that the current immigration system in the U.S. is still very hard to understand or difficult to successfully navigate. Some people even experience harsh resistance when attempting to be admitted into the country despite their earnest desire to work and live lawfully and adhere to American principles and laws.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. The good news is that the hopeful light at the end of the tunnel could be near! In fact, within recent years, the U.S. has seen at least 11 million immigrants come through its borders. With this recent flood of immigrants — legal and illegal — desiring to come to the U.S. to live and to work, the demand for comprehensive immigration reform has increased.

Immigration Reform Could Benefit Current Citizens and Immigrants Alike

Due to misinformation or anti-immigrant sentiment after September 11, many Americans have the misconception that because some immigrants are able to attain citizenship, all other immigrants can wait in line to do so. This is simply impossible. If all unauthorized immigrants were to file for citizenship, the current legal immigration system could not handle the demands of so many people. The Immigration Policy Center for American Immigration Council (AIC) estimates that at least 1 million immigrants enter the country per year as lawful residents. Most of the 1 million immigrants are based on family or employment relationships, but about 4.6 million applicants are still pending!

For some countries, the wait for successful immigration could take up to 20 years. As a result, many immigrants flock to the United States to seek a safe haven, a new life, and work without authorization. Without a well-regulated and fair system for determining immigration laws, people who cannot wait for years may feel that coming to the U.S. without permission is their only option.

No matter what the consequences may be for coming to the U.S. illegally, many people are willing to take the risk rather than waiting for long periods of time, just to risk being denied citizenship anyway. Now is the time to create a more flexible system that takes the needs of humans into account, benefits the economy, and creates systems of earned citizenship. The proposed immigration reform bill just may be the answer that everyone needs.

American Perspectives on Immigration Reform

The AIC reports that immigrants aren't the only ones who want solutions to the growing immigration problem. The majority of citizens of the U.S. are on board with President Obama and the Senate's desire for immigration reform as well. So, with public support for comprehensive immigration reform, changes could become a very possible reality.

Now more than ever before, Americans believe that immigration reform is absolutely necessary. Many people see immigration reform as a means to an end that can level the playing field for all people living in the United States. America has always been a nation of immigrants. The melting pot of cultural diversity is reflected in its key values: hard work, perseverance, individuality, and most of all, showing compassion and empathy for the human and civil rights for all.

Consult Lopez & Rhodes PLLC

A new immigration policy could help the country become stronger and more fortified — economically, socially, and culturally. The presence of immigrants in America has benefited the U.S. economy and strengthened the nation throughout its history. If you have questions regarding the immigration reform bill or have concerns about how it may affect your immigration matters, do not hesitate to contact Lopez & Rhodes PLLC. Attorney Lopez has experience in both prosecution and defense for immigration cases and bases her practice on listening and researching. By completely understanding the smallest details of every case, she can use her experience and knowledge of immigration law to help you.