by Duane Campbell
The Obama Administration acted on Friday to permit the husbands, wives, and children of U.S. citizens to adjust their status and to allow them to gain Green Cards or permission to become a resident alien. This is a return to the policy before the 1996 Republican sponsored Immigration Act.
The primary beneficiaries of the Obama administration’s move are families in which some members are US citizens and some aren’t. At present some family members must return to their home country for up to 10 years while they apply for U.S. residency as a 1996 law – approved by a Republican-led Congress – mandates.
The proposed change will undergo a review but doesn’t require congressional approval. Under the so-called “hardship waiver,” illegal immigrants who are married or otherwise related to US citizens would be able to pick up the waiver before leaving the United States and then be allowed to return almost immediately after picking up visas in their home countries. This policy used to be known as advanced parole. Continue reading
Filed under: Global organizing, Immigrant Workers | Tagged: American Federation of Government Employees, Congress, Eliseo Medina, Friday, New York Times, Obama Administration, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services | 4 Comments »