Happy Labor Day!
Labor Day falls on the first Monday of September, which is September 7th this year. The national holiday was created to honor the contributions and achievements of American workers. It symbolizes the end of summer and is celebrated with barbecues, shopping sales, picnics, and sporting events. Enjoy the day off!
DEBATE OVER BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP
As the campaigning for the U.S. Presidential race continues, immigration is going to continue to be one of the top issues discussed. Donald Trump, who is currently the leading Republican candidate, has proposed getting rid of the birthright citizenship principle. Although he is not the first person to propose this and will likely not be the last, birthright citizenship is actually a constitutional right that dates back hundreds of years. Following the Civil War, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 stated that anyone born inside of the United States was legally a citizen. This was further reinforced by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution in 1868. This amendment enforces the key American principle of equality.
HIGH COSTS OF DEPORTATION
There are politicians who argue that all undocumented workers should be deported yet they rarely look into the costs involved with this sort of proposal. Some experts say that removing the millions of undocumented workers would eliminate a portion of the U.S. economy equivalent to the annual gross domestic product of the state of Texas. Furthermore, it would cost between $100 billion and $300 billion and take 20 years to arrest and remove all of the undocumented immigrants in the country. Then, it would require an additional $315 billion in enforcing costs to keep those immigrants from returning. These financials do not even take into account the economic result of removing nearly 11 million people from the labor force and the subsequent loss of consumer spending.
HIGH VOLUME OF COURT CASES INVOLVING UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT YOUTH
Last summer there was a crisis with high numbers of unaccompanied youth illegally crossing the Mexican border to flee the dangers of their birth countries. While those border crossing numbers have decreased, the court cases involving these youth have increased tremendously. There are not enough lawyers or judges to handle the case load and thousands of children have received deportation orders. Some have received asylum, but most are applying for a special immigrant juvenile status that would grant them deportation relief. In order to receive this status, they must prove that they were neglected, abused, or abandoned by one or both parents and the status approval must come from federal immigration, the state family court, and the federal USCIS agency. Adding to their plight, defendants in immigration courts are not granted a lawyer.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office!