The Immigration Bill Nears Its Final Draft
17 April 2013Author: US Immigration Attorney Alena Shautsova
As The Immigration Bill Nears Its Final Draft, Two Top Issues Emerge: Citizenship Contingent On Tightened Border Security
Senators comprising the gang of eight are expected to release the final draft for the long-awaited immigration bill this week. However, it appears that the thorny issue in getting the bill approved will be making the path to citizenship contingent upon tightened border security, according to an article in Bloomberg News. To that extent, we are still not out of the woods on obtaining agreement on immigration reform. Getting Congress to approve the bill is another hurdle that lies ahead.
The bill proposes:
- Increasing the number of Border Patrol agents
- Increasing unmanned aerial drone surveillance
- Improving radio network infrastructure
- Establishing a commission of state and local officials from the states bordering Mexico
- Requiring the commission to monitor the progress of measures adopted by the bill and advise the Department of Homeland Security (DOH)
Preventing further illegal immigration is the concern and is the reason for the emphasis on heightened border security. However, statistics also show that 40 percent of illegal immigrants in the United States consists of immigrants who overstay visas. Consequently, the proposed bill also addresses increased measures for businesses to electronically verify that employee status is legal. The bill has provisions for imposing fines on businesses that knowingly hire illegal foreign workers. Another focus of the bill is to provide more legal options for individuals who would otherwise enter the United States illegally to obtain a better life.
Consult with a US immigration lawyer to get answers to your questions about immigrating, obtaining non-immigrant visas, or to deal with asylum or deportation issues.