Obama Proposes New Path to Citizenship

SEAN NGUYEN
Staff Writer

From education to taxes to crime rates, due to its profound effects on many aspects of the country’s well-being, a number of different proposals and bills concerning the U.S.’ immigration policies have been considered to resolve the issue.
“Right now, leaders from business, labor, law enforcement and faith communities all agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union address.
A leaked draft of a White House immigration bill garnered particular attention this past February. The proposed bill would seek to provide undocumented immigrants with a three- phase path towards American citizenship and all of its associated benefits and responsibilities. Undocumented immigrants would first apply for “Lawful Prospective Immigrant Status” to allow them the privilege of work and travel outside the U.S. with certain restrictions. This status would not allow such individuals to receive any financial aid, grants, assistance, or other government benefit offered by the U.S.
Once the status as a prospective immigrant is achieved, such immigrants will have to wait eight years before receiving a green card, which grants them legal permanent residence in the U.S. During this time, prospective immigrants must pay taxes, prove that they are pursuing approved courses of study in English and U.S. History and renew their legal status every four years. After obtaining a green card, immigrants typically wait another five years before becoming naturalized citizens.
“Although I am a documented immigrant, undocumented immigrants with no criminal backgrounds should also be able to apply for citizenship,” senior Austin Zhao said. “The United States has other concerns to address, [but] by dealing with this, we can get tax revenue from working immigrants.”
Another immigration bill that has gained national attention is the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. Originally introduced in 2001, the DREAM Act sought to provide immigrant children who graduate from U.S. high schools the opportunity to attain permanent residency by acquiring a bachelor’s degree or higher, or by serving in the armed forces for at least two years.
The DREAM Act failed to pass in 2001 but was reintroduced in 2009 and 2011, failing again both times. Opponents of the DREAM Act contended that the act was too costly for the U.S. government to handle. They also said that passing the DREAM Act would essentially reward individuals for violating the immigration laws and policies that have already been set in place.
However, several states have instituted their own versions of the DREAM Act, which allows immigrants in their states access to government aid with regard to university tuition prices and financial aid. California is among these states, having signed its own version of the DREAM Act in 2011.
Although the debate on immigration is still ongoing, the recent budget dispute in Washington has put the issue of immigration reform on shakier grounds. Politicians in Washington will continue to argue the specifics on how to deal with undocumented immigrants and their ability to become U.S. citizens.