The recent government shutdown has caused many areas of potential reform and legislation to be placed on the back burner. However, advocates who have been fighting for immigration law reform for a number of years have vowed to see action taken despite delays due to the federal government shutdown. While adversaries on many other issues, there appears to be support for immigration law reform from all sides in Maryland and across the country.
While hope for swift action has waned, certain groups vow to keep the pressure on, and they contend there is enough support from all sides of the political parties. One group in particular, the Evangelical Immigration Table, has sent a letter asking for the topic of reform to be addressed soon. They contend the future of 11 million undocumented workers depends on it. Other groups are reaching out to individual lawmakers to stress the importance of acting quickly on the issue of immigration reform.
Different specific sections of bills being created are addressing certain areas of immigration reform. One bill floating around deals with temporary visas for immigrant workers. There are other measures being drafted to deal with ways to prevent over-stays of visas. Despite political differences on the federal level, advocates for reform vow to keep events growing to keep the issue in the forefront of lawmakers.
While the time-table for any federal sweeping reform for any issue is difficult to ever pinpoint, the movement toward immigration law reform is a pressing issue for many workers and families in Maryland and beyond. The reforms — or lack thereof — have very real life consequences for those directly affected. Anyone who has questions about their immigration status or how immigration reform may eventually impact their life may benefit from staying up to date on any changes in the law or legislation that is proposed.
Source: politico.com, Immigration reform groups resume fight, Seung Min Kim, Oct. 21, 2013