A Quick Rundown by Fairfax Immigration Attorneys
Immigration activists have been united with one voice actively demanding that Congress pass a bill that would save the roughly 11 million individuals who are in this country illegally by ultimately making each of them full-fledged citizens.
This focus, however, has shifted to that of removing the threat of deportation for millions of these individuals here illegally. Citizenship, which was once at the forefront of the conversation, has taken a backseat to deportation, mainly due to the futility of immigration reform efforts and inaction on behalf of Congress.
This change in focus came about after many believed that Congress would pass a sweeping immigration bill last year after a bipartisan bill passed in the Senate to legalize and eventually grant full citizenship to many of the 11 million people in the U.S. illegally died in the House of Representatives – a house currently dominated by the Republican party.
After the death of the bill, activists lost belief that there would be any major immigration bill passed in both houses any time soon. After this, deportation became a seemingly more winnable campaign and after extensive pressure on the Obama administration to effectuate immigration reform, Obama agreed to conduct a review of deportation policies and enforcement.
Activists Unimpressed
Although a thorough review of the nation’s current deportation policies and enforcement has the potential to yield benefits for millions of illegal immigrants in the United States, many activists feel that a review is, at best, a minor victory and just isn’t enough.
Activists are growing impatient with Congress and the Obama Administration and do not want to wait any longer. Millions of individuals are being deported and countless American children continue to lose their parents in the process, despite Obama’s recent policy empowering border patrol officers and those responsible for enforcing the current immigration laws to exercise “prosecutorial discretion” when it comes to removal proceedings.
The recent news of Obama’s call to review deportation enforcement and policies also halted a resolution planned to be released by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus calling for immediate administrative action – a move that left many activists disappointed. Some posit that the Obama administration is fully aware of the effects of current immigration enforcement practices and knows exactly how it affects families – leaving the recent “review” an apparent stunt pulled by the administration for political points.
Activists in Action
Amongst perceived inaction by Washington on the issue, many activists have taken it upon themselves to make attempts to move the chains in regards to immigration reform. Immigrants and immigrant activists from 20 states across the nation recently traveled to Washington to send a message to Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner telling him to show “courage” and pleading that he help stir Congress to get something done.
This message was delivered via several cardboard cutouts of medallions delivered to Boehner each inscribed with the term “courage” on them. This symbolic gesture was orchestrated by the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) in an attempt to spur Congress into action. Some have even petitioned Pope Francis to intervene with U.S. immigration affairs, pleading with the Pope to push for U.S. immigration reform.
Activists hope to add a more humanizing element to immigration reform talks to take the conversation out of a more politicized sphere and into a more universal one.
“There is no one better way than the Pope to frame the issue in a human dimension that can be understood by everyone concerned,” immigration activist Juan José Gutiérrez told Los Angeles media.
For any immigration questions or concerns, consult an expert Fairfax immigration attorney at Murray Osorio PLLC today.
Murray Osorio PLLC are Fairfax Immigration Attorneys dedicated to their clients and to their clients’ families. If you have an immigration matter, it’s important that you contact us as soon as possible. An experienced Fairfax Immigration Lawyer could make all the difference- call us at (800) 929-7142, or fill out our contact form.