Look Left, Look Right, Step Up by The Gent

Immigration to the United States on a temporary or permanent basis is generally limited to three different routes: employment, family reunification, or humanitarian protection. Each of these legal avenues is highly regulated and subject to numerical limitations and eligibility requirements. As a result, most undocumented immigrants do not have the necessary family or employment relationships and often cannot access humanitarian protection, such as refugee or asylum status. This means that no matter how long they have been in the United States, most undocumented immigrants have no way of achieving legal status. Even those who pay taxes, work hard, and contribute to their communities have no way to “get in line” unless Congress creates a new pathway to legal status. Write to your congressperson. They are your friends, coworkers, and neighbors. It is the right thing to do.