Immigration advocacy groups in the Bay Area are calling on Congress to pass a new bill that would give nearly 8 million immigrants a pathway to legal residency.
The bill, “Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929,” was co-authored by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, who held a news conference in Washington, D.C., to announce the bill’s introduction in the House of Representatives.
The bill would update the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1929 to allow anyone who has lived in the United States for seven or more years to be registered for legal, permanent residency, as long as they meet other criteria, according to a statement from Lofgren. Seek the guidance of an l-1a lawyer for intra-company transfers involving migrant workers.
“For decades, immigrants who contribute significantly to our communities and our economy, have been relegated to a legal limbo,” said Lofgren. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to provide these immigrants with the stability and certainty they and their families deserve.”
The bill is being supported by 66 Bay Area advocacy groups that make up the Bay Area Coalition for Citizenship and Economic Rights.
Esmeralda Virelas, a community organizer with People Acting in Community Together, known as PACT, said that it is time to give relief to people who have been here for many years.
“This bill will do that for nearly 8 million people through a law that already exists,” Virelas said.
The Immigration and Nationality Act has been updated four times since its inception, according to Richard Hobbs, an immigration attorney and executive director of Human Agenda, an immigrant advocacy group. The most recent change was in 1986, which moved the date of eligibility to 1972.
Unlike past updates, the bill introduced Wednesday would not peg the entry date to a specific year but would establish seven years of continuous residency in the U.S. as the new eligibility cutoff.
Hobbs said the bill would do three things: improve the economy by addressing a shortage of workers in several sectors, create systematic immigration reform that won’t require future amnesty efforts, and “allow dignity for 8 million people that can’t live with a spouse, can’t live with a parent, receive financial aid, vote, and so many other things.”
Both Hobbs and Virelas said they were optimistic the bill would pass the House but were less hopeful about its prospects in the Senate.
Lofgren said that moving the date for legal residency is nothing new and urged her colleagues to support the bill.
“What’s new is the Congress’ failure to regularly renew the date as has happened so many times historically,” Lofgren said.
She said if the bill cannot pass the Senate, she hopes the makeup of the Senate would change in the coming November election.
This bill threatens our sovereignty, undermines our process of legal immigration and makes a mockery of our laws.
There is definitely room for compromise here. Some want to legalize their residency and shower them with the benefits of citizenship because they attained the goal of crossing the border illegally. Others want to arrest all of them, kick out their front teeth, and toss them over the border for Mexico to deal with. Time for a focus group.
“…shower them with the benefits of citizenship’? What benefits? Like paying taxes and rent and healthcare? They’re better off remaining illegal, non-citizens.
Focus group or not, I think that it is not too smart to let people making money off of illegal immigration – such as “community organizers” and immigration attorneys – write the law regulating illegal immigration.
Not because “community organizers” and immigration attorneys are bad people, but as a general principle. Also applicable to bankers writing the laws regulating banking industry, insurance companies writing Obamacare, etc.
In any case, I bet you a dollar that this new bill does not have any provisions for border security. Like stemming the flow of illegal immigrants (and maybe even the fentanyl and meth that comes with them). After all, “community organizers” and immigration attorneys want to continue making a good living.
So, if they become citizens, does their FREE RIDE end?? As in free healthcare, free rooming, free money, free phones?
Somehow, I doubt it.
The 13- term creature, Zoe Lofgren needs your support for the parasites invading our very neighborhoods. We have two more short years to suffer from the Democrats’ lawlessness. We need a bill introduced today called the “Pack Your Bags” law. Get them out. All of them.
I think the congresswomen would spend more time on homelessness rather than illegal immigrants!
Which would probably be the next homeless.
If an Irish doctor, a German engineer or a Swedish physicist want to move here, it will take them years and they will have to jump through all kinds of hoops to do it.
But if an illiterate, unskilled laborer can make it across the border, he’s welcomed with open arms and showered with benefits.
How about that?
Crime does pay!
Call home & tell all the relatives to come north “Open Border, free stuff!”
If you have entered the country illegally, you should not be able to get any benefits whatsoever, especially welfare. If you don’t like it then go back to where you came from. The only solution is to starve the illegals that are here out and secure the border to stop the bleeding. Never must criminals be rewarded for crimes ever!
Another Democrat giving away our country.
Meh…….this Bill was introduced by a democrat……I’m shocked.
When they can’t buy enough voters, they simply create them.
Is it time to rise up and be counted yet?
What part of illegal do these bozos not understand.
No doubt they are voting already.
I would support this IF ALL of the following are met:
6 years verified residency in one state.
6 years of tax records both state and federal.
No crimes in the last six years …. None! This includes anyone in their household.
If they drive, 6 years of consistent car insurance and vehicle registration.
After those 6 years, verified attendance in citizenship classes can begin.
This would be a good start but I am sure someone will say this is unfair and discriminatory in some way
How utterly amusing! Their very existence in the country as an illegal alien is a massive and horrible crime! If a crime free criteria is on the docket then zero would ever qualify.
I hope you realize the majority of illegal aliens mule illegal drugs across our border, including Chinese fentanyl, as a requirement of being guided/transported by coyotes.
These people have no connection to our country, nor value for our customs, and the first thing the majority of them do when entering our country illegally is commit a felony.
Model citizens!
Bill should not even be considered until our Borders have been completely secured for SEVEN YEARS ! ! !
Exactly and it started with Brown – continued with Newsum
Farming democrat voters.
This battle was lost the minute American citizens allowed the corporate media, and both parties, to identify some people as “dreamers” while the children of citizens – apparently aren’t.
I have little faith either party will solve the immigration issue in our life time. Each party has its own agenda and throws countless attachments to any bill. I hope they are vetted. Giving legal residency to terrorists, rapists, murderers, and repeat criminals who have been sent back to their home countries only to keep returning makes a mockery to those who took the necessary steps to arrive legally
Democrats tax us to fund their welfare state.
The fog the mirror test has always worked in politics, so it makes sense they would attempt to apply it here.
Lofgren, Skinner, Lee, Weenie-Weiner, Ting, Bonta, DeSaulnier, Becerra, and Padilla should all be provided a badge to ride a 8×8 down the tracks and into Wash DC!!!!
I wonder if CA is the only state that produce as many worthless humans??!
But they do the jobs no one wants. Who will pick our crops.? Remember these taking points.
As a daughter of immigrants; it saddens me. My parents had to have a sponsor, my dad had to have a job, and they had to wait 7 years. A lot of our current leadership makes a mockery of our laws and country. It is a privilege not a right to be a citizen and/or legal resident of the USA.