Our Immigration System Needs a Major Overhaul

Today at the Tijuana border crossing...utter chaos apparently.  Our immigration system is a hot mess and there are several things that need to change.  I would start with repealing the 14th amendment of the Constitution which provides birthright citizenship to anyone who can get to the US and give birth (birth tourism is an actual thing).  Only about 30 countries have birthright citizenship as most countries base a person's citizenship on their parent's citizenship. 

The sponsorship process isn't much better as it allows any immigrant who gains a green card or citizenship to sponsor elderly relatives to come to the US which does nothing for the elderly relative (they usually end up sad and isolated when brought here so late in life) and often makes them a burden on the US social service system.  The asylum process is equally messed up--get your foot on American soil and you can apply for asylum then be left to wander about the country, sometimes for years, until your claim is determined.  That makes no sense at all.  And then there are the people who are granted various types of visas (tourist, education, work, etc), come here, then overstay their visa, often for years, and then just decide to stay here as illegal immigrants.  Those people should be immediately removed from the country and never welcomed back since they took our good faith invitation to come the the US for a specific purpose then decided they would just ignore the rules and stay.

With an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the US, something obviously needs to be done.  And while I generally think Trump is a flaming lunatic, his stance on protecting the borders and keeping people from illegally entering the country makes sense.  We can and should have a welcoming country for people who follow the rules but for those who want to storm the borders and demand their "rights", those folks should be blocked from ever entering the US.

Then there are amnesty and DACA programs which, while well intended, just tells people that they should immigrate illegally then wait until they qualify for an amnesty program (which only encourages more and more people to immigrate illegally since it worked for the last group of illegal immigrants).

I'll stop ranting now as I really see very little hope of common-sense immigration reform and it currently looks like the situation will continue to remain a shit show--or get worse--as more people from other countries demand to go to the country of their choice (not the first safe country but the countries with lots of free benefits).

A Few Immigration Preps

It's no surprise to anyone that our immigration system is a hot mess.  The latest news is that some American citizens may have been separated from their families(!) and that other immigrants who were promised citizenship if they joined the military are now being discharged without any notice (or chance at citizenship apparently).  Here are a few immigration preps to consider:

• First off, if you overstay your visa or otherwise try to sneak into the country to stay I have no sympathy for the mess you end up in.  Most Americans prefer that people be on the up and up legally before garnering any sort of support for their cause.
• If you are coming to the US legally (with a tourist visa, education visa, H1b employment visa, spouse/fiance visa, etc), for the love of all that's holy, follow the rules.  There are many rules that come with each type of visa which are spelled out (if you can or can't work, when you must leave/time limits for staying, etc) which need to be followed to the letter to stay in status and avoid legal issues.
• Don't commit a crime.  Committing a crime while in the US on any sort of visa or even if you have a permanent resident card ("green card"), can be grounds for deportation.
• If you have a conditional permanent resident card, have the conditions lifted as soon as possible.
• Renew your visa or permanent resident card prior to it's expiration date (not doing so can lead to deportation and a three or ten year ban from re-entering the country in some cases).
• Don't try to scam the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services).  Sham marriages, fake paperwork, making a slight change to your personal data so past problems in your home country don't show up on a background check...they've seen it all and are not amused.
• Become a citizen as soon as possible.  One problem with staying a permanent resident forever is that any legal issues one has could become grounds for deportation (which is not true once a person becomes a citizen barring fraud or other very rare circumstances).
• Get a US passport as soon as you become a citizen.  This is definitive proof of your citizenship and more practical to carry around than your naturalization paperwork.
• Keep all of your immigration documents together in one place.  This should include copies of applications you have submitted, copies of all supporting documentation, any letters received from USCIS, your naturalization certificate, etc.  Be sure to make digital copies of all of these things and leave back-ups of these files on your computer.
• Take photos of your immigration certificate and passport and keep these photos on your cell phone as well as your computer for use in an emergency.
• For any questions or problems with immigration issues, connect with a well-regarded immigration attorney for assistance (not friends, not faceless strangers on the internet, not notarios...you need definitive answers from someone who actually knows immigration law).