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New US Fedaral Immigration Law
The United States of America has prided itself on being called a nation of immigrants - a melting pot of varies cultures, races and religions. This has helped in shaping the national character and ethos. Nearly a million immigrants arrive in the US every year. Of these about 700, 000 enter as lawful permanent residents but another 150, 000 or so enter as refugees. This is not merely by crossing the border from Canada or Mexico but by overstaying their student or tourist visas after their expiry period. The U.S. is faced with increasing instances of illegal immigration due to which there is a healthy number of US immigration law firms that thrives as a significant business. The salient points of US immigration law are discussed.
Federal immigration law provides the means to determine whether a person can become a naturalized citizen of the U.S. and plays the role of gatekeeper to the nation's borders. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (INA) is the basic US immigration law. It has undergone minor changes, significant among them being the abolishment of natural origin provision and establishing a new quota system. The Congress wielded its power over the issue of immigration by enacting the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) in 1986 to stem the problem of illegal immigration. This new immigration law act toughened the criminal sanctions for employers who were hiring illegal aliens, denying them federal funded welfare benefits and also legitimizing them through an amnesty program. To counter increasing instances of marrying to obtain citizenship, the Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986 was enacted. The new immigration law Act of 1990, that sought to broaden the visa issuance procedure revamped the INA. There is a proposal to discontinue the traditional practice of granting automatic citizenship to anyone born in the US regardless of the legal status of the parents.
The Immigration issue has to address economic, humanitarian and ethical issues. A reliable immigration law firm can serve as the complete guide in this area. In spite of strict border controls, illegal immigration is taking place leading to victimization as well as human rights abuses at border crossings. Immigration also has its repercussions on the population growth, environmental protection and increased demands on the infrastructure. At the current level of immigration, it is estimated that the US population will approach 400 billion by 2050.
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