The proposed immigration reform that was unveiled this week by a bipartisan group of Senators and by President Obama represents a big step toward fixing our broken immigration system. The proposed reform will offer a path to citizenship to the eleven million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States. Of those undocmented immigrants, childhood arrivals will receive a faster path to citizenship. Consequently, the proposed reform has caused many dreamers to ask whether they should petition for deferred action or wait for this reform to pass.
As we saw with the DREAM Act, proposed immigration reform has not been successfully implemented in recent years. Although the current bipartisan support is encouraging, people should remain patient as the proposed legislation is drafted and makes its way through the house and senate.
So, what does this mean for dreamers? While dreamers should remain hopeful that a permanent solution is on the way, they should not put off taking advantage of deferred action for childhood arrivals (“DACA”). This will allow dreamers to prevent deportation and work while the future of the proposed immigration reform becomes clearer. The chance to stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation, in addition to being able to lawfully pursue employment, far outweighs the costs associated with filing your DACA petition.
San Diego Defenders is committed to helping immigrants navigate through complicated immigration laws. Our staff can help you file your deferred action petition today. San Diego Defenders will continue to monitor this proposed immigration reform and will keep you posted on any updates. For more information on this topic or on any immigration matter, contact our immigration staff today at 619-392-9858.
