Obama Changes Immigration Rule

http://immigration.about.com/od/immigrationlawandpolicy/a/Obama-Changes-Immigration-Rule.htm

"I didn't know that thirteen years later, I would return to Iguala during my junior year of college, and I would be invited by Don Oscar to celebrate Christmas with his family...Tia Guera's daughter, was working for them as a maid. And I knew then, as I do now, that could also have been my fate." Living in the United States, it's easy to miss the opportunities laid out in front of you. Even take them for granted. However, an opportunity to an immigrant may be the difference between a different life and the one in which they are currently living.

In 2012, a rule change was implemented, in which the period of time undocumented immigrants and citizen relatives are separated will decrease dramatically. Typically, being banned after a deportation would last anywhere from 3-10 years, but Obama's law reduced this time to a few weeks or months.


Many different stances have been taken on the topic, ranging from those in favor of it to others who are strongly opposed. Those who applauded the change stated that it shows Obama's commitment to family, as well as giving family the opportunity to live together in a safe environment. On the other hand, Rep. Lamar Smith, stated the president had "granted back-door amnesty" to all of the illegal immigrants.

The reform has led to an exponential amount of families being reunited with each other. While multiple families have become legalized, it has also meant that there are more illegal migrants crossing the border than ever before. This has led to multiple problems for citizens of the United States, one being that with the worsening US economy, jobs are more difficult to find, and with the increase in immigrants looking for jobs, it has become even more difficult to find work.

The majority of people who think about illegal immigrants think of all of the resources they are using, even stealing from us. They are not citizens, so why should they have the right to use our resources, take advantage of our economy, and act like they aren't here without documentation? To the citizens of the United States, this seems unlawful. However, this may be a preconceived bias.

You have to understand the lives these immigrants are trying to escape from, before you can appreciate what's been given to you in the United States. Some families live in such poverty, they don't know what's out there for them to explore, which is what Reyna faced in "The Distance Between Us". If she hadn't become a legal citizen of the United States, she may have never been given the opportunities she was, such as become a professional writer, getting an education beyond high school, and becoming a successful citizen of the United States.