Congress is currently reviewing an immigration bill introduced by the Gang of Eight that petitions for immigration reform. Thousands of illegal aliens were disappointed to hear that the bill lists a cut-off date for eligible immigrants; those who entered the United States after December 31, 2011 would not be eligible to benefit from the new immigration plan and would not be able to seek legal residency in the United States.
The Tampa Bay Times estimates that a staggering 300,000 immigrants will be exempt from the new plan because of the cut-off date. Some advocates are trying hard to push the cut-off date so that it will include late arrivals from 2012. Many state that the cut-off date undermines the objective of wiping the slate clean, and argue that the current date would leave hundreds of thousands without legal status. They claim that this is a step in the wrong direction for Congress if they truly want to complete an immigration overhaul.
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee say they will offer amendments to the bill this week; one of their concerns involves the cut-off date. These political authorities will introduce suggestions to push the cut-off date to the day that the immigration bill was introduced. Others want the government to announce that that it should be set at the day the bill is enacted in the future. Those who are opposed to the current cut-off date listed in the bill often cite the errors in the 1986 immigration bill, which listed a cut-off date at 1982. Despite the cut-off, the number of illegal immigrants in the United States only grew over time.
The Archbishop of Miami arranged a meeting to discuss a more generous cut-off date with Marco Rubio, one of the political figures in the Gang of Eight. The archbishop argued that the current cut-off date would either drive immigrants into the dark where they will hide to avoid punishment for their illegal status, or it will encourage these individuals to commit fraud in order to receive residency. The current bill claims all immigrants will need to provide evidence that they were in the United States before 2012, but those that entered America after may create fraudulent documents so they can benefit from the immigration reform.
In past negotiations, the Gang of Eight tried to pass a 2008 cut-off date. Eventually, the group settled on a 2011 cut-off, but many believe that pushing for a later date would not be successful and would spark opposition in the political sphere. Many immigrants who entered the United States in 2012 say that they don't intend to leave the U.S. if they are not admitted for permanent residency. The Social Security Administration recently released an analysis saying that while 11.5 illegal immigrants will seek permanent residency, only about 8 million will actually be granted this privilege. The other 3.5 million will be denied for various reasons including cut-off date violations, criminal records, illnesses, financial situations, and more.
If you need more information about immigration, or if you have concerns about the cut-off date, then you can contact an Ohio immigration lawyer at the firm today. Attorney Robert Brown and his team at Brown Immigration Law are ready and willing to assist you in your case. The firm has 50 years of combined experience, and Attorney Brown has the highest AV® Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®. You want a top-notch attorney who is intimately acquainted with immigration law to handle your case, so talk to the Brown Immigration Law today!