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Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) introduced an immigration reform bill in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The bill provides a path to legalization for illegal immigrants which requires them to pay a $500 fine and to learn English. They could then apply for a six-year visa and eventually a green card.

Revised immigration legislation introduced this week in the House of Representatives would ensure that young illegal immigrants could pay in-state college tuition rates and eventually become American citizens.


The new bill, called the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act, would allow those brought to the United States illegally before age 16 to be eligible for permanent residency after graduating from an American high school and completing two years of college, military service or employment. Eventually, those who were granted permanent residency would then be eligible for American citizenship after three more years.


The bill was introduced by Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and includes some provisions from the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act--known as the "Dream Act"--which allows illegal immigrants to receive some federal student aid and makes them eligible for in-state tuition rates at colleges and universities.


"Our current system does not allow them to complete their potential," Gutierrez was quoted as saying about young illegal immigrants in The Chronicle of Higher Education. "We cannot punish them for wanting to be better people in this community."


The Dream Act was first introduced in 2001 but has failed to pass Congress since then. It was reintroduced and drew support from the College Board earlier this year.


Yet the bill has many opponents. Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, was quoted in USA Today as referring to the Dream Act as "rewarding people who have broken the law with immigration benefits." He noted that those who entered the country illegally "should be held responsible for the consequences to their children."


In a related story, the Houston Chronicle reports that lawyers for the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas are challenging a state law allowing illegal immigrants to be eligible for in-state college tuition rates. Texas is one of ten states which currently allows undocumented students to pay in-state rates and receive state financial aid under certain circumstances.


"We don't think that taxpayers should break federal law in order to subsidize people who are in the United States illegally," noted David A. Rogers, one of the lawyers.


Cesar Espinosa, an immigrant advocate in Houston, countered that undocumented students finish high school because they know they can continue with their studies. "If we want to keep students engaged," he told the Houston Chronicle, "we have to have a means for them to continue with their education."

Here are some of the more hopeful and beneficial features of this proposed law:

• Reduces backlogs or waiting times for visas by adding visas (or “recapturing” unused visas from past years.)
• Spouses and children of Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) will be treated the same as US citizens, meaning F-2A spouses and children would be immediately eligible for visas, vs. a 5 or more year wait.
• Special treatment or expedited processing of green cards for children of Filipino WWII veterans
• Skilled workers could file for adjustment of status, even if the priority date on their employment based petition is not yet current.
• No requirement that a stepchild be under 18 at time of their parent’s marriage, in order to be petitioned by a U.S. citizen stepparent.
• TNT parents of US citizen children can be protected from removal\deportation if the immigration judge believes that removal would not be in child’s best interest. Thus, having a US citizen child could protect a parent from deportation.
• New “PUM visa” (Prevent Unauthorized Migration) for people outside the US. Under PUM, 100,000 visas would be available through a lottery system, leading to green cards in 3 years for people outside the US who are non-college graduates.
• Earned legalization for people inside the US.

— Must be in US on December 15, 2009. So make sure you can document or save proof that you were in the US on that date.

— Grants conditional non-immigrant status for 6 years for illegal aliens.

— They can legally work, and travel outside the US during the 6 years, without triggering the 3\10 year bar.

— They are protected from removal\deportation while in conditional status.

— Must make contributions to US through work, education, military service, community service, etc.

— Can apply for a green card after that 6 year period.

This is only a PROPOSAL, and is not yet a law. There could be changes, additions, and deletions of some provisions. But you can help make it a law. Algerians and any other people who are concerned should write to their Senators and Congressmen, voicing their support, and urging them to support immigration reform. Remember, Congress listens to voters, and if only people who want strict laws write to Congress, then only they will be heard. So raise your voice for compassionate immigration reform, and let your elected officials know that you support this law.

Algerianamericans.com - December. 19, 2009