San Antonio Immigrants Activists Hols “procesión de velas”

San Antonio activists will hold their second annual March for Immigrant Rights through the city’s West Side on Independence Day. Goal is to bring attention to the November election on slight softening of both Democratic and Republican on Immigration.

Participants will hold a “procesión de velas,” a Wednesday evening procession by candlelight, instead of repeating last year’s march in July’s scorching heat.

“It gives us bargaining power,” he said. “It’s finally what we’ve been hoping for. If we truly organize, we’ll have a say” in the shape of future immigration legislation.

Jamie Martinez, founder and board president of the Cesar E.Chavez said “We want comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act”. Another group Educational Foundation who involved in rally says “Immigrants are workers. They are not lazy, and they are not criminals”.

Martinez says “We are not asking for the sky. We are asking for path to citizenship. Reuniting with the family is the key and the protection of the civil and constitutional rights”.  Martinez also mentioned about how immigrants pay taxes, it accumulates up to $7 billion a year. Martinez says “This is best kept secret in America”, which clearly shows how immigrants work hard.

The march begins with a news conference at 6:30 p.m. in front of the Guadalupe Theater. Participants are encouraged to be there by 6 p.m. Congressional candidates Lloyd Doggett, running in the 35th Congressional District, and Joaquín Castro, seeking to represent the 20th, will speak. Both are Democrats.

Poll: On New Immigration Reform about Young Illegal

New Immigration reform announced by The President of United States of America, stop deporting undocumented immigrants who came to our country illegal when they were very young. This new immigration policy will not allow path to become US Citizen, but it closer to the DREAM Act, which has been introduced separately in different states.

Survey suggests that 66 percent of the US national said it’s a ‘good thing’ about immigration and US economy. But 29 percent of the people not happy with the US immigration policy, rest fall under either do not care or how will it affect me.

In 2009, Gallup found 50 percent in favor of decreasing immigration, just 32 percent for keeping the current level, and only 14 percent for increased immigration.

Immigrant-bashing seems to be going out of favor, something which might be noted by anti-immigrant legislators in the Deep South and such mouths in Congress as Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa.

Just 2 percent say immigration is the most important problem facing the U.S., down from 19 percent in 2006.

Seventy-six percent of Democrats think immigration is good for the U.S., 63 percent of Independents and even 62 percent of Republicans.

Helping illegal immigrant will Obama regain the power of Presidential from the election which will happen in November?  Yes, say’s political scientist Matt Barreto. A record 21.7 million Hispanics are eligible to vote in 2012. Latino voters have a close relative or friend who is in the country illegally.

Realign of US Immigration Enforcement under DREAM Act

With this new policy, illegal immigrant who are honorably discharged from military (Do not understand how did anyone entered military got in the first place), received high school degree or even enrolled in school between the age 16 to 30 will not be deported. Even though this won’t allow path to citizenship, eligible immigrants would be eligible to obtain employment authorization, not mandatory that they should get one, and also to be renewed every 2 years.

The affected population is roughly the same as the one that would be covered by the DREAM Act, a stalled piece of legislation that is a priority for immigration advocates. President Obama has joined Democrats in calling for the bill’s passage, but Republicans have blocked it on the grounds that it amounts to amnesty.

“This grant of deferred action is not immunity. It is not amnesty,” Napolitano said. “It is an exercise of discretion so these young people are not in the removal system. It will help us continue to streamline immigration enforcement and ensure resources are not spent” unwisely.

Hailing the new policy as “the right thing to do,” Napolitano noted that many of the immigrants who would be eligible are assimilated members of American society who “have already contributed to our country in significant ways.”

“Our nation’s immigration laws must be enforced in a strong and sensible manner, but they are not designed to be blindly enforced without consideration given to the individual circumstances of each case,” Napolitano said.

This new policy has affected almost 800,000 undocumented immigrants. But have to wait and watch how many of them you come forward submit the document to obtain employment authorization, as mentioned above work permits given based on each cases.

Alternative DREAM Act Introduced in Florida

On Wednesday 30^th March Rep. David Rivera Republican congressman introduced alternative DREAM act called as Studying Towards Residency Status Act (STARS). This Act will offer a chance for the illegal immigrants to obtain non-immigrant status for five years only under certain criteria. Criteria includes they must have entered US before 16 years of age, lived in the country for at least 5 years, obtained high school diploma and also in higher learning institution.

The bill is meant as an alternative to Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-Ill.) Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which provides a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants provided they have demonstrated good moral character and are working toward completing a degree at a college or university or serving in the military. Sen. Marco Rubio, a fellow Florida Republican who is friends with Rivera, plans on introducing an alternative to Durbin’s bill by the end of the summer.

Marco Rubio’s bill would provide non-immigrant visas to the illegal immigrants who either serve in the military or attend college. But Dick Durbin’s (D-III) will not give any way to obtain Citizenship.

“Congressman Rivera has had discussion about the STARS Act with Sen. Rubio, but the congressman recognizes that the House and Senate each have their own legislative process,” the aide said. “The STARS Act is meant to start the conversation in the House of Representatives in the hopes of achieving some sort of immigration reform in the 112th Congress.”

Democrats have expressed to pass some kind of immigration reform legislation but the many will oppose views in granting the citizenship. Mitt Romney has said, if elected as The President he would veto Durbin’s DREAM Act.

Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors – DREAM

The DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) was a proposal enacted by the US legislation on August 1, 2001. It was re-introduced in the US Senate on May 11, 2011. Through this enactment, illegals and foreign national students who graduate from US high schools having good moral character, but are deportable can get conditional residency. To qualify, they should have entered the US legally or illegally as minors. In addition, they should have been in the US continuously for a period of at least five years before the bill was enacted.

The DREAM Act can turn to a win-win situation. It would give legal status to illegal students, who can contribute to the US and on the other hand, the US can use the students’ education and talents. If you (the student) contribute two years in the US military or two years at a four year institution of higher learning, you will qualify for six years of temporary residence. Within this six year period, you are required to get a degree from an institution of higher education in the US or completed at least two years in a program for a bachelor’s degree or higher degree in the US OR served in the armed services for at least 2 years. If you served in the armed services and discharged, it should have been an honorable discharge.

If your permanent resident status is terminated, you will return to the immigration status you were immediately before you got conditional permanent resident status under the DREAM Act. Per the 2009 version of the senate bill, you should submit evidence of having arrived in the US before reaching 16 years of age. You should possess residence proof in the US for at least five years since you arrived. In addition, you should have registered with the Selective Service (if male) and be between 12 and 30 years old at the time the DREAM Act was enacted. Apart from the said requirements, you should have graduated from an US high school, got a GED, or admitted to an institution of higher education. Not to forget having a good moral character.

If the DREAM Act is passed and you meet all the requirements mentioned above, you have to apply for the DREAM Act. There are no clear guidelines on how to apply as the bill is not passed as yet. After it is approved and you are given conditional residency, you are required to enroll in an institution of higher education to get a bachelor’s degree or higher degree OR enlist in one of the branches of the US Military. Before completing six years of approval for conditional residency, you should have completed at least two years of one of the points mentioned in the previous sentence. After you complete five and a half years of the six year period, you are eligible to apply for Legal Permanent Residence. You then subsequently qualify for American Citizenship five years after being a legal permanent resident.

If you have already completed at least two years of college education towards a bachelor’s degree or higher degree, you still are required to wait the five and half years to qualify for Legal Permanent Residency though you might already got a degree.