U.S. immigration reform

It must have come as a relief that the U.S. authorities will be flexing their muscles regarding the deportation of law-abiding illegal immigrants. After many decades of constant bad news about deportation of illegal Caribbean and other immigrants from the “Land of Many Opportunities”, President Barack Obama, a few months ago, announced that there would be a suspension of deportation proceedings against illegal but law-abiding immigrants.

In a major policy shift, announced in August of this year, the White House said it would instead focus federal resources on booting out convicted criminals and others who pose a threat to public safety or national security. Many are of the view that undocumented immigrants, who are law-abiding and working to make a better life for themselves and their families, should not be treated by law enforcement like convicted criminals.

Under the new policy, the secretary of homeland security can provide relief, on a case-by-case basis, to persons who are in the country illegally but pose no threat to national security or to public safety. The decision would, through administrative action, help many intended beneficiaries of legislation that has been stalled in the U.S. Congress for more than a decade.

It is no surprise that Caribbean legislators greeted this change in policy with open arms, as many of them have been lobbying for many years now for systems and policies to be implemented that will ensure that immigrants are treated more humanely. In fact, some of them have expressed the view that this new policy represents an “important first step toward reform” of a “broken immigration system”.

U.S. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who represents the sprawling 11th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, was quoted as saying; “As Americans, we have a moral responsibility to build an immigration system that protects families and children, and supports those individuals who want to contribute to our civil society.

“By reviewing deportation proceeding on a case-by-case basis, the Department of Homeland Security will have the ability to avoid expending its resources on low-priority cases in which threats to national security or public safety are not implicated,” said Clarke.

Additionally, Clarke was correct in her argument that many of the individuals who will benefit from this policy entered the United States as children, and now, as young adults, they want to pursue a college education or serve in the armed forces.

In this regard, she raised the case for a “policy that addresses national security, the importance of strong families and communities, and the development of our economy”.

It was also reported in the media that undocumented law-abiding Caribbean and other immigrants facing deportation will now be eligible to apply for work permits.

The White House and officials have signalled that they are willing to exercise “prosecutorial discretion” to focus enforcement efforts on cases involving criminals and people who have flagrantly violated immigration laws. This approach seems to be more reasonable.

The United States is a nation of immigrants who contribute enormously to the economy and add to the vibrancy of communities. The children of immigrants certainly help to shape the future of the U. S. nation, and will, undoubtedly, become professionals in their own right. And for this reason, this latest move by the U.S. authorities is considered an important first step which will hopefully raise the national discourse toward compassionate immigration reform, including the passage of the Dream Act for undocumented students. It is expected that the Dream Act would pave the way to legal status and eventual citizenship for illegal immigrants who migrated to the U. S. as children, lived in the country for at least five years, and complete two years of college or military service, among other requirements.

Having said the above, it is, therefore, necessary that the U.S. government and congressional legislators work to continue pursuing comprehensive immigration reform by balancing national interests and also taking into consideration the interests of the persons involved.