“We were strangers once too.”
These 5 words not only stirred deep emotions in the millions of people watching President Obama announce immigration reform last week, but also reminded us of this nation’s roots and the common thread that we all share: We are a nation of immigrants, children, grandchildren, descendants of people from all over the world.
That has not changed but due to economic factors in a complicated world of economies of scale and widespread economic inequality, which has led to increased global migration, including increased movement to the U.S., a segment of undocumented and illegal people from other countries have formed a formidable “invisible” working class in the U.S. The result of this is almost 12 million undocumented people, some of whom are:
- Children who came at a young age
- Children who were born in the U.S.
And a hard-working class of adults who help increase profit margins for employers and take the jobs that many Americans won’t.
On the Eve of Thanksgiving, President Obama announced the Executive Action to reform the U.S. immigration system. The timing is apt considering that Thanksgiving is the one completely unique American holiday, celebrating our immigrant origins and bringing people together in our homes, irrespective of race, culture, religion or socioeconomic class.
Why is this action significant? Because it affects ALL of us. Anyone who is an immigrant or who has contact with immigrants in any way, can now take part in maximizing the positive goals of this reform, on the most basic, human level. We can help people we interact with on a daily basis benefit from this action. Just to name a few:
- Nannies
- Maids/Cleaning Personnel/Janitors
- Restaurant or Hotel Kitchen Employees
- Waitresses/Bartenders- Farm Laborers
- Back Office Workers- Landscapers
- Construction Workers
All the immigrants you know who work in these jobs, including perhaps even in your home, or at your job, might be able to apply for remedies under the new immigration reform that gives them legal employment authorization and protection from possible deportation.
For official information and updates please go to the USCIS website.
If you are one of these people or know anyone who is, please contact an experienced licensed immigration attorney for more guidance and assistance.
You can follow this links:
SMA Law Firm