Tag: undocumented

No Green Card, No Travel

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Being able to travel out of the Untied States, keep a steady job, and settle a family in the United States is something that most natural born United State citizens take for granted. However, for millions of immigrants, especially Hispanic immigrants, these freedoms do not come so easily. Immigrants coming to the United States must apply for a green card or some kind of visa to be able to work and live.

Nevertheless, this process is cumbersome for most and involves many steps and applications. Univision.com outlines the two major steps to getting a green card and they are as follows:

  1. Someone must sponsor you for a green card, either a family member or a employer. In some cases the person can petition for themselves.
  2. Once approved they can present their solicitation for Registration for Permanent Residency of Form 1-485 in the United States. Processing times vary. For example forms 1-485 has a 4 ½ month waiting period.

What Can Hurt Your Green Card Status

Did you ever think shoplifting could get you deported? Well if you are not a natural born citizen of the Untied States a simple misdemeanor can put your citizenship at risk. Committing a crime or felony can affect obtaining and current green card status tremendously. If a person has been arrested, accused, or convicted of a crime they must present documentation of this when applying for a green card. This includes offenses such as a DUI.

More information about green cards and the Naturalization process click here.

To see a slideshow on the topic of immigration and green cards click here.

Interview with Jorge Jimenez on the issue of a green card

Interview with Jorge Jimenez on green cards

Trail of Dreams

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Four students, three of whom are undocumented, are traveling 1,500 miles from Miami to DC for immigration reform. On foot.
Four students, three of whom are undocumented, are traveling 1,500 miles from Miami to DC for immigration reform. On foot.

 

“Sometimes we see numbers and we forget the faces.”

 

These are the words of 23-year-old Florida student Felipe Matos, referring to the 10.8 million immigrants living the United States undocumented, as estimated by the Department of Homeland Security. 

 

Felipe is one of a group of four college students trekking 1,500 miles from Miami to Washington, DC to promote immigration reform through the DREAM Act. 

 

But they are not driving.  They are walking.

 

They call their journey “Trail of Dreams.”

 

This past week they toured the Upstate and I had the privilege of spending some time with them walking on the trail, at their place of shelter, and again when they spoke at my university.  (photos of their journey)

 

For me, it was “Love at first read.”  I heard about their movement about two months ago when I accidentally stumbled across their blog and have been virtually following them ever since via Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter. 

 

The “Dreamers” have gained national attention from media outlets such as:

 

 

Along their journey they have encountered many who oppose the reform they are trying to bring about.  (In Georgia, they were greeted by the KKK and Butch Conway, the Gwinnett county sheriff who is a major supporter of Proposition 287(g)!)

  

Immigration is a controversial subject and a comprehensive issue. 

 

While I do not have everything figured out yet, I do know this:  No human being is illegal.

 

Carlos put it well when he said, “We deserve to live in hope. Everyone deserves the chance to achieve their dreams.”

 

This is what they plan to tell President Obama when they arrive in DC on May 1st. 

 

And I plan to be there to hear it. 

Trail podcast