California readers are likely well aware of the difficulties that many immigrants to the United States face after first entering our borders. For many people, citizenship and naturalization can take months or even years to process and be applied to them. For one California man, more than two decades have passed since his father submitted a petition for a visa for him. A backlog of such applications resulted in the man never receiving a visa. Fortunately, the law has been on this man’s side, as he recently has achieved his dream of practicing law in the United States.
The man was but a teenager working alongside his father in 1994 when he applied for U.S. citizenship. Since that time, he has worked on various farms and in a grocery store to pay his way through college and law school. Though he worked as a paralegal and passed the bar exam on the first attempt, he was not legally allowed to practice law in California because he was not a U.S. citizen.
Fortunately, the California Supreme Court recently granted him a license to practice law. This latest victory for immigrants is said to be a bright moment for them in California and hopefully, across the country. California’s highest court, siding with state lawmakers in this case, is not in agreement with the White House regarding licensing undocumented immigrants. Garcia’s granted license follows California’s state law that allows undocumented immigrants the ability to obtain law licenses, a law that was inspired by this man’s circumstances.
While there are still citizenship and naturalization concerns for the man, he now has the right to begin his own business helping others. There is no question that many immigrants living in California and elsewhere have faced similar difficulties with paperwork and delays. Fortunately, with the right amount of patience and a proper support system, these difficulties can lead to victories.
Source: Fox News, California grants law license to illegal immigrant, No author, Jan. 2, 2014
