Miami Immigration Lawyers Blog

President Obama has always promised the nation immigration reform to help unite families and offer a path towards residency and citizenship for millions. He has been speaking about immigration reform since his campaign for the presidency.

President Obama is now campaigning again for reelection and therefore has revived his stance on immigration by speaking to the nation with fervor of how he supports immigration reform. Likewise, President Obama is calling upon Congress, yet again, to pass immigration reform. The Hispanic vote is a crucial part of the electorate, so it should come as no surprise that this vote is being courted with promises of immigration reform.

It is clear that immigration reform has become a political pawn. As a political move to garner Republican support for immigration reform, the Obama Administration has detained and deported more people than the Bush administration ever did, among other measures, such as strengthening border control. Even though the Obama administration has done exactly what the Republicans wanted to gain their support for immigration reform, the Republicans maintain their opposition to any such legislation.

If President Obama was really serious about uniting families, he would utilize executive measures which could help millions of people legalize their status. For example, the executive branch, through the Department of Homeland Security, has the authority to grant humanitarian parole to any person. This would help millions of people who are otherwise unable to apply for residency in the United States because of having entered without documents. A person with an immediate relative that can transmit residency such as a spouse, son, or daughter, can only apply for residency in the United States if the person has been admitted or paroled into the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security could conceivably parole millions of individuals who were not admitted and have not been paroled. Eligibility for humanitarian parole could be limited to those individuals that can demonstrate good moral character and have an immediate relative that can transmit residency. Right now, in general, the only people that are given parole after entering the country without documents are natives or citizens of Cuba.

The Obama administration has tried to appease the opponents of an immigration overhaul, but they are steadfast in their opposition to any immigration reform including the DREAM Act. It is about time that the Obama administration stood behind its principals and exerted executive power for the good of the United States.

Antonio Revilla is a Former U.S. Immigration Prosecutor and Miami Immigration Lawyer. Mr. Revilla founded his immigration law practice, Revilla Law Firm, when he saw a dire need for aggressive immigration representation and deportation defense in order to keep families united.

Mr. Revilla has dedicated his career to educating the public on the importance of immigration reform in our country. He has appeared on television to discuss various immigration issues and the benefits of passing bills such as the DREAM Act.
If you wish to contact Mr. Revilla about any immigration issue, he can be reached via email at arevilla@immigrationmiami.com or by phone (305) 858-2323.

Miami immigration lawyer Antonio Revilla will attend a Legal Clinic for the Homeless being held by the non-profit organization, Lawyers to the Rescue, this Saturday at Camillus House. This will be Attorney Revilla's third appearance at the Legal Clinic, where he will provide immigration guidance to those who lack the resources to seek legal counsel.

During the Legal Clinic, Mr. Revilla will be among other lawyers who will volunteer their time to answer legal questions in their respective practice areas, including Criminal Law, Family Law, Immigration Law, Disability Law, and Human Rights Law.

"I believe in the humanitarian efforts of Lawyers to the Rescue and feel that it's our responsibility, as lawyers, to volunteer our time, knowledge, and compassion to those who need our help," Mr. Revilla said. "Immigration issues are complex and I am committed to offering whatever insight and guidance I can," he added.

About Lawyers to the Rescue
Lawyers to the Rescue is a nonprofit organization committed to providing humanitarian and financial assistance to individuals and communities in times of crisis. Lawyers to the Rescue is non-denominational humanitarian organization, committed to bringing assistance and support to people in times of need regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or political affiliation.

The organization is made up mainly of lawyers and individual workers in the legal sector and is also open to other professions which will help in reaching and achieving their goals. Members are required to commit to impartiality, to following their professional code of ethics and to working purely for humanitarian principles.

President Obama will visit El Paso, Texas, this week and plans to address the issue of immigration reform. He will likely make a renewed plea for bipartisan support in moving forward with the issue. An Obama administrative official said the president will discuss a plan of action and will likely press the immigration issue in the months ahead as a broader effort to "responsibly move forward in advancing legislation in Congress."

The president pledged to pass immigration reform during his presidency and has thus far been unsuccessful in producing results. Recently, the president has become more proactive on immigration reform by reviving the dialogue by meeting with political figures, celebrities, community leaders, and stakeholders to discuss how to garner outside support for the issue, urging those who care about this issue to take a stand and pressure Congress to act.

President Obama will likely argue that, with the increased border security, the U.S. has the opportunity and obligation to address immigration reform and how to let millions of undocumented people currently residing in the U.S. step out of the shadows. The president's speech is also said to be an effort to draw attention to Republicans who are blocking action on an immigration overhaul.

On Friday, Florida House and Senate lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on a bill that would crack down on illegal immigration. Although the bill failed this year, it is likely to resurface in next year's legislative session.

This year, the House sat on its tougher immigration bill while waiting for the Senate to finalize its proposal. As the Senate's immigration bill, SB 2040, was passed in the final days of the session, the House had too little time to take up the measure.

The Senate bill required that the police make "a reasonable effort" to determine the immigration status of people they arrest and jail, a provision that would inevitably lead to racial profiling and unfair targeting of legal and illegal immigrants. The proposal would also require that illegal immigrants who are convicted of nonviolent crimes be referred to federal officials for deportation.

Since his campaign for governor, Rick Scott hasn't been nearly as vocal on the immigration issue; however, he stated on Friday that the immigration bill is still important and stressed the importance of being ready for the next legislative session.