CAN OBAMA PASS IMMIGRATION REFORM IN SIX MONTHS?: IMMIGRATION EXPERTS WEIGH IN

By Balitang America Staff

Jan. 31, 2013

President Barack Obama is giving his administration six months to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. In an interview,
Obama said he is working to get the legislation passed by the first half of 2013, adding that he wants it on his own terms. His aides however pointed out that the president is open to negotiations over some provisions of the immigration plan he laid on out in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y,), one of the main proponents of the bill said that while there’s a lot of work to be done, he is optimistic about its passage.

” We believe strongly that this will be the year (that) Congress would finally get some common sense immigration reform across the finish line,” he said.

American Immigration Lawyers Association general counsel and past president David Leopold believes Obama can make it happen in 6 months.

“Since the election, there’s been a game-changer. This country is demanding immigration reform and members of Congress, if they don’t listen to the voters on this one, are going to find themselves in a whole heap of trouble the next time we have elections. I think Obama is in a good position to pass an immigration reform package that we need,” he said.

Immigration Law expert Lou Tancinco added that while waiting for the bill to pass, eligible undocumented immigrants can prepare by putting together all their documents that outline their immigration history and by making sure they remain in good standing in the community, with no criminal record.

Tancinco is also confident that the passage of an immigration reform bill will decrease petition backlogs by increasing the number of visas for family-based petitions.