Pro-immigration advocates expect the White House to announce administrative relief to millions of undocumented individuals currently residing inside the United States. The President has signaled that he would act on his own before the end of the year if Congress does not act.
Pressure has been mounting on the White House to act in the absence of a comprehensive immigration reform law from Congress. The immigration system is overloaded and the estimates of undocumented people inside the United States range from 10 to 15 million people.
The President has repeatedly stated that he will act without Congress, using his discretionary authority under the current Immigration and Nationality Act, to help people currently here while waiting for immigration reform. Reform has been a hot button topic and has been heavily debated since 2006. While it is unclear what the President’s relief will be, it is largely expected to include deferred action and employment authorization based either on family ties in the United States, length of physical presence in the United States, or both. Certainly, people with certain criminal convictions are expected to be excluded.
Here at Kolko & Associates, P.C., we are actively monitoring this situation and will be ready to assist you with your immigration needs, if and when an announcement is made.
