President Obama announced Thursday evening that he plans to use his executive authority to implement a number of changes that will broadly impact our current immigration system.
The President announced a series of executive actions to crack down on illegal immigration at the border, prioritize deporting felons not families, and require certain undocumented immigrants to pass a criminal background check and pay taxes in order to temporarily stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation.
While we expect much more detail in the coming days and weeks, President Obama revealed one specific action that will allow close to 5 million undocumented immigrants to apply to reside lawfully in the United States without fear of deportation. To qualify, one must: 1) have been in the United States for more than 5 years; 2) have children who are either United States citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents; 3) pass criminal background checks; and 4) pay back taxes.
President Obama is scheduled to speak at a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, at which time we expect him to announce more details of the reform, including an expansion of deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA). This expansion will purportedly allow children who entered the United States before January 1, 2010 to apply for DACA, and it would remove the age limit for filing.
What can you do to prepare?
The most important thing you can do to prepare for the forthcoming reform is to consult a qualified immigration attorney. Please be aware of the "notarios" that offer to help you submit an application or request without having the proper qualifications to do so. The lawyers at Ross & Pines have over ten years of immigration experience and can evaluate your individual circumstances to determine whether you qualify for the new executive actions. We also have a skilled team of criminal defense lawyers who can help you with any criminal concerns impacting your immigration case.
We encourage you to contact the skilled and experienced immigration attorneys of Ross & Pines as soon as possible at (888) 838-4858. We gladly provide free consultations, and we look forward to helping you and your family.
If you have a case, contact our firm today to get started. Our firm is ready to represent you.