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Crowley hopes for immigration reform

Congressmember Joseph Crowley met with members of the Latino community on Saturday, January 20 at the Latin American Immigration Center in Jackson Heights to discuss immigration reform. He said there is a possibility that the immigration bill passed by the Senate, in May of 2006, could be approved this year.
The Senate bill promises to grant the approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States a path toward citizenship in three stages. He said the new Democratic Congress should work to approve the bill this year, before the presidential debate takes center stage.
According to Crowley, there is general approval for immigration reform in Congress. He acknowledges that some members of Congress don’t want the bill to be seen as an amnesty that rewards people for being in the country illegally.
To bridge the division, Congress has proposed a coalition of community groups, labor unions and churches to help find a way to include every qualified person in the legislation. Undocumented immigrants convicted of felonies will not be included and will have to return to their countries.
The immigration reform bill, now back in the House of Representatives, divides the 12 million undocumented immigrants into three categories.
Immigrants with five years or more in the country, who have been working and have paid taxes regularly, will be able to legalize their status without further delays.
Immigrants with fewer than five years in the country will be asked to apply for a guest-worker program.
Those in the country for under two years will have to return to their countries and process their applications there.
This legislation also attempts to re-unite families, according to Crowley. He mentioned a provision that would allow the return of parents who have been deported but who have children born in the United States. They will be given the opportunity to apply to legalize their status.