Florida is a popular destination for immigrants to the United States, and readers may be interested in a recently-developing trend. Nearly half of those who are living here illegally are now successful when they stand trial for deportation in immigration court. The trend has been moving away from the government since 2009.
It is not clear what is causing the shift to the benefit of the immigrants. President Obama pledged immigration reform during both of his campaigns, and in October 2013, a reform bill passed the Senate but stalled in the House. In 2011, the courts tried to clear more than 300,000 outstanding cases and dropped many of the pending deportations, and the open case count now stands at more than 360,000. Even though the country has deported over 2 million immigrants since President Obama took office, the administration has issued executive orders requiring discretion to be used when dealing with cases involving those who do not pose a security or safety threat.
Immigrants to the United States may face legal issues whether they are here legally or not. In order to stay within the law, immigrants must adhere to the terms of the visa that allows them to be in the country, and the requirements vary depending upon the form of the visa.
If a person wants to stay in the country and perhaps even work toward becoming a citizen, it is important that he or she stay knowledgeable of and follow the requirements of his or her particular visa. If a person has questions about a visa or another aspect of immigration law, an attorney may be able to provide answers and guidance.
Source: Miami Herald, “Report: Immigrants improve in fighting deportation”, Alicia A. Caldwell, February 14, 2014
