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Obama warns of narrow window for immigration reform WASHINGTON, May 13, 2014 (AFP) – President Barack Obama warned Tuesday a narrow window remained to pass immigration reform before mid-term elections, seeking to keep alive perhaps his last hope for a major second-term domestic achievement. Obama told police chiefs and top law enforcement officers that bitter party politics ahead of November’s polls would threaten hopes of moving a reform bill, currently stalled in the US House of Representatives. “We have got this narrow window – the closer to the mid-term elections, the harder it is,� Obama said. “It is hard to believe that this place could get a little more dysfunctional,� he quipped about Washington. “It is very hard right before an election. We have got a window of two, three months to get the ball rolling in the House of Representatives.� The Democratic-led Senate passed a bipartisan immigration reform bill last year. But the bill ground to a halt in the Republican House, with conservatives arguing that they cannot trust Obama to enforce border laws cracking down on undocumented workers. Conservatives in the restive Republican caucus are also loath to pass a bill many see as offering amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. And Republican party chiefs want to keep the focus on Obama’s health care law – a key motivator for the party’s base voters. Obama did give House Speaker John Boehner credit for backing the idea of immigration reform. But he lashed out at a “handful of House Republicans� he said were block-
ing legislation. ‘Political peril’ for Republicans The Senate bill includes a path to eventual citizenship for more than 11 million illegal immigrants, tighter border monitoring, an overhauled work visa program and other key reforms. Boehner has said the House will not take up the Senate bill but will deliver its own product. His spokesman Michael Steel said Tuesday it would be “impossible to make progress until the American people – and their elected representatives – have faith that the president himself will actually enforce the law as written.� Even if the House did pass its own legislation, prospects of winning Senate agreement are uncertain with some lawmakers wary of tough votes before an election in which Republicans hope to win control of the Senate. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, an architect of the Senate plan, was the target of a fierce backlash by conservatives who believe his bill translates to amnesty. But he stood his ground Tuesday, saying that while he acknowledged that acting on immigration comes “with some political peril� for Republicans, “we have to address that reality that we have 12 million people living in this country who are here illegally.� Cuban-American Rubio, a prospective 2016 presidential candidate, said he regretted not having more support for his bill. “If there’s a better way to do it, I’m obviously open to those suggestions,� he said. Long-term, Republican leaders warn that the party cannot afford to alienate Hispanic voters—an increasingly important demographic bloc in national elections
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President Barack Obama watches as Robert Daum, Deputy District Director, USCIS AsiaPacific Region, administers the Oath of Allegiance during a naturalization ceremony at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, Republic of Korea, April 25, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
for which immigration reform is an article of faith. Even if there is little prospect of immigration reform passing before the election,
it does Obama no harm to keep the effort in the headlines as it is a key motivator for Hispanic voters, who tend to favor Democrats.
Marrying a boyfriend on F1 visa Q: I’m a US citizen wanting to marry my boyfriend of 3 years. Four years ago he came in as an F1 student, but never left after he graduated. Can we legally get married and will my boyfriend get a green card. – Mary C. The good news is that you can legally marry your boyfriend, and if your marriage is deemed “real� and if he meets the criteria for adjustment, your loved one can get his green card in about 6 months. I’ve had no immigration reform around the corner, problem doing this for my clients. congress decided to grant spouses (H-4) In general, if a person comes into the of the H1 the right to work. Q: What is an EB-5 visa? – Lisa M. country legally, marriage will forgive an Although we could do an an entire overstay. In your boyfriend’s case, he came in legally as a student, but stayed past his column on the EB-5, the simple answer is time to go home. Therefore, after marriage, that this is an investment visa. If a foreign he qualifies for adjustment of status here national can invest a minimum of $500,000 in a depressed economic area and create in the US. Q: I recently read that the spouse of 10 full time jobs, she can obtain green an H1-B visa holder may now legally cards for both spouses and the kids under 21. She can also invest a million in almost work. Is this true? – Edwin L. Yes, it’s true. An H1-B visa allows the any investment. There are many more holder to work in the US in the capacity of details to this answer, but I’ve given you a specially skilled employee. In the past, the basic points. John Davidson is a licensed attorney the spouse could not work. However, with who practices immigration law only. He has 20 years of legal experience and offers free consultations in the office or over the phone. Attorney Davidson can be reached by email at john1davidson@gmail.com and by phone at 626-399-4194. His office is located in San Gabriel, CA. If you have questions you would like answered in this weekly column, please email them to Mr. Davidson.