Immigration reform has been a topic that lawmakers have been debating about for years, but they can never seem to agree on a piece of legislation. At the moment, the biggest point of debate in Congress relates to individuals with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. These immigrants, also known as ‘Dreamers’ are mostly adults who entered the United States as the children of undocumented immigrants.
Dreamers, of course, are in a difficult position. For all intents and purposes, they are culturally American because they grew up here and most of them also grew up in the U.S. school system. The problem is, Dreamers find themselves in a kind of legal black hole because they can’t qualify for citizenship. At the moment, there is an indefinite hold on the deportation of Dreamers, but that could change at any time.
Some lawmakers want to make it easier for Dreamers to get citizenship, or at least make it easier for them to establish permanent residency in the U.S. with a green card, so that they can lawfully live and work here without any fear of being deported. Other lawmakers don’t want a solution like this.
As of last Thursday, Congress has taken a recess so individual members can hold private discussions and negotiations on the topic of immigration reform. News reports indicate that lawmakers are committed to reaching a bipartisan agreement so the reform bill can be passed. However, at this point, no one knows what the ultimate reforms could look like or if lawmakers will ever agree. If you qualify for DACA status, you may want to maintain a close watch on the progress that Congress is making on immigration reform over the next several months.
Source: Wall Street Journal, “McConnell Plays Down Chances of New Senate Vote on Immigration,” Siobhan Hughes and Kristina Peterson, accessed May 25, 2018