Immigrants and Race

  Anti-immigrant sentiment goes by a lot of names. Most broadly, people who don't want the presence of immigrants in the U.S. are accused of "xenophobia," which is "an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners." On a more localized level, individuals who disapprove of immigrants on the basis that they hurt the U.S. economy are termed "protectionist" and the most extreme opponents of an "open border" are sometimes referred to as "isolationist." But at what point does anti-immigrant sentiment become just another pseudonym for plain-old racism?

In a society that strives to seem politically correct, one must feel very secure in one's company to voice opinions that denigrate a person or group of people solely on the basis of race. I have noticed, however, that the same taboo does not appear to apply to conversations about immigrants (and particularly illegal immigrants), where society seems to assume that "reasonable" minds might differ. Our comparative tolerance of anti-immigrant views has allowed remarks that disparage immigrants to become a convenient cloak for views that would not be tolerated if they were correctly identified as being fueled by racism.

Of course, racism and immigration law are hardly strangers to one another. Our country and countless others have a long history of restricting immigration on the basis of race. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred Chinese immigrants to the United States solely on the basis of race, is one of the most well-documented examples of the formalized exclusion policies that dictated admission at the turn of the twentieth century.

What is new, however, is the fact that the modern-day U.S. explicitly rejects race as a basis on which to talk about immigration, despite the fact that it serves as the bedrock on which so much anti-immigrant sentiment thrives. It may not be acceptable to exclude a racial minority from a restaurant or other public gathering place, but uttering epithets that tell groups of people to "go back to Mexico" or "learn how to speak English" are tolerated to the extent that they ultimately manage to exclude a specific racial group from participating in certain segments of American community. Likewise, when Americans make an exception to our blanket ideology of religious tolerance to objectify and harass Muslim worshippers, we unfairly isolate a specific racial group. In other words, anti-immigrant rhetoric achieves a social and cultural segregation that was previously achieved through overtly racist ideology.

In using anti-immigrant language to disguise a racist agenda, we are travelling down a slippery slope. I read recently that Denmark is offering immigrants from "non-Western" countries 100,000 Danish Kroners (around US $20,000) if they volunteer to give up their legal residency and return to their country of origin. And Denmark is not the only country adopting such a policy. Sweden, Ireland, Japan, Spain, and the Czech Republic all offer some form of remuneration for certain classes of immigrants who are willing to return to their home country. In Japan, this policy is reserved only for immigrants from Latin American countries. And while I feel ill-equipped to comment on the basis on which these countries have arrived at these policies, I feel a very strong sense of dread at what government- approved anti-immigrant policies may lead to.

Imagine if the United States publicly declared a preference for "Western" immigrants above immigrants from any other country! Imagine if our government offered legal U.S. residents that were citizens of African, Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries a sum of money as incentive to leave. Or that our country instituted a policy of religious tolerance to everyone except Muslims. Would we still recognize ourselves as Americans? Could we adopt such policies and still uphold the Constitution?

 Immigration Attorneys, who are these people? Are they really vital for my immigration plans?

Immigration Lawyers or Attorneys are those people who have studied immigration law and graduated and passed the bar examinations. Their Law practice is regulated by the government. They can be of assistance to the applicants in obtaining immigrant's legal status in their respective countries.

Besides these bar passers (Immigration lawyers), there are other persons or agencies that can assist or represent the future immigrants; as long as they are permitted by the government.

- An Accredited representative-a non-profit agency which charged modest fees to help immigrant's with low incomes.

- The DHS -this agency of the government assists foreign nationals in matters related to legalities in migrating to the country. This department decides who can enter the country or who can stay. The officers of this government's agency process the applications and petitions of foreign nationals, and have the power to enforce the immigration laws.

Important roles played by Immigrant attorneys:

- Deal with immigrant issues of applicants who migrate either permanently or temporarily. These issues include foreign nationals' rights, obligations and duties to the country they are migrating.

- Deal with the processes of immigrant applications and citizenship procedures of the foreign nationals.

- Deal with immigrant issues regarding the legalities of asylees or refugees or people who cross the borders illegally, or part of the illegal transportation of aliens to the country.

What Immigrant lawyers can do which other agencies cannot?

- They are responsible and liable for all the information they provide for their clients.

- They are equipped with trainings and know-how regarding Immigration law and are updated with the latest changes whatsoever with regards to immigration.

- They are equipped with resources needed to assess the immigrant's case, as cases differ from one another. They are the authorities to give legal advice on how to tackle whatever immigration problems arise.

Why do I need a Canadian Immigration attorney in migrating to Canada?

An applicant can choose what he wanted to do on how to secure his immigration status when he decides to migrate to Canada. He can do it himself; or he can employ a consultant; or he can make use of the Canada law firm's services. A Canadian Immigrant Lawyer (and not just any lawyer) has all the capabilities discussed above in assisting the future Canadian immigrant.

To become assured and at peace with whatever decision an applicant is going to have; he can seek his friend's advices (those who are already in Canada). The success or pitfalls of his friends will help him tremendously in his decisions. He can also search online; updates and assistance are available online.

Illegal Immigrants - The problem only gets bigger

How does one define an illegal immigrant? A person who does not possess a legal permit to live in a specific country and does so illegally, is called an illegal migrant or an undocumented worker. These people may enter the country by unlawful means, may enter the country legally and then overstay their permitted tenure or may even violate set terms on their permanent resident card. Illegal immigration is a very serious issue which plagues many countries and in particular the USA. Most countries have very strict laws and legal proceedings when it comes to illegal immigrants, and spend huge amounts of money to tackle the problem. For instance, the USA has sanctioned 600 million dollars to improve security along the USA-Mexico border, but still finds it hard to contain the issue. In the States alone, it is believed that there are at least ten million illegal immigrants already in the country and at least half a million new people to add to these numbers who come every month. Automatic citizenship given to children who are born in the States as well as better living and working conditions are just a few of the reasons why people go to great lengths to cross over to America.

Crossing Over Illegally

How does an illegal immigrant cross over to a new country? Well that depends entirely on the country's surroundings and location. In the States for instance, many cross over directly from Mexico or even attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in crude boats. Sometimes, they may also hide themselves in trucks which contain goods or other heavy material, in the hope that they can cross the border undetected. Most of the times, there is also a middle man involved who takes a fee for getting people across the border or for providing fake documents, even if there is a huge risk involved in getting them across safely. It may seem illogical to take such drastic measures in the hope of a better life, but it's important to remember that most illegal immigrants flee their home country because of varying reasons. It could be due to the lack of opportunities, to give their children a better life, they may be wanted in their country for crimes committed or because their own lives are at risk. In countries like France, it is against the law to help an illegal immigrant enter the country and if a person wants to get French citizenship, there are certain procedures which have to be followed once the person turns 18.

Are they a blessing or a menace?

In the States alone, there are mixed reactions with regard to illegal immigrants. Many such immigrants turn to low skilled jobs in sectors such as construction, hospitality and other domestic services in an attempt to survive one way or the other. While there is a general feeling that these immigrants take away jobs that belong to American citizens, it is also true that some end up with jobs that are usually rejected by others. For instance, in Arizona alone where stricter laws are being enforced to deport such immigrants; farmers claim that they rely on illegal immigrants a great deal especially during harvest time. In other words, if not for the long hours of back breaking labor put in by these immigrants; fresh fruits and vegetables would take longer to end up in most kitchens across America. Work regulations in the States actually prohibit employers from hiring such illegal immigrants so that citizens get the bulk of the jobs. While some employers may hire such individuals out of sympathy, most of them cheat such immigrants by making them work in unsafe conditions for pay that is much lower than the industry standards. The fear of deportation back to where they came from, makes illegal immigrants put with such harsh suffering in silence.

On the other hand, many citizens feel that illegal immigrants openly flout a country's laws, do not always show respect for culture, are more involved in unlawful activities like smuggling, drugs, arms trade etc and often set a bad example for society. The fact that many immigrants also do not pay taxes, means that they are in a way living off taxpayers. Illegal immigration is a controversial topic which has been around for centuries, but such immigrants deserve to be treated with a certain degree of respect and fairness, no matter where they are from.

S. George writes about immigration and other legal issues. She does work for different companies including a company that has perf

People from abroad who wish to enter US must obtain a visa. A visa does not guarantee a person to enter the United States. But it determines the eligibility of the individual to seek entry in to the United States. The entry of the individual into US will be decided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

There are two types of visas that are classified into Immigrant Visa and Non- immigrant visas. Immigrant visas are used by people who wish to travel to live permanently in US. Non- immigrant visas are issued to people who wish to travel to US on a temporary basis for business or pleasure.

Getting non- immigrant visas

Non - immigrant visas are given to international travelers who seek to enter the United States for temporary period of time. The international travelers visit US for various reasons which includes tourism, business, pleasure and medical treatment and other reasons for temporary visit. The type of the visa needed by the person is defined by the Immigration law based on the purpose of the visit to United States. It is required by the applicants non-immigrants to decide what type of visa they will need in order to travel to United States and prepare the supporting evidences for the same.

Types of Non - immigrant visas:

• Business or Pleasure Visitors

• Temporary Workers

• Students Attending U.S. Schools

• Exchange Visitors

• Foreign National Entering the U.S. as the Fiance (e) of a U.S. Citizen

• NAFTA Professionals

• K Non-immigrant visas (LIFE Act)

• T Non-immigrant visas (VTVPA)

• V Non-immigrant visas (LIFE ACT)

General Requirements:

Non-immigrants who seek to enter United States on a temporary basis must abide with the immigration requirements provide by the Immigration law such as

• the visit to United States must be temporary

• the applicant must leave United States at the end of the authorized stay

• the non-immigrant must be holding a valid passport

• residence in the non-immigrant's country must be maintained by the applicant

• must show proof of financial support

• the applicant must be admissible. If inadmissible then must obtain a waiver for any ground of inadmissibility

• must abide by the Immigration rules of admission to US.

Process:

As a visa does not guarantee a person to enter United States, it allows the person to travel and request permission to enter United States at the port of entry. At the port of entry, the inspectors of Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will decide if the person is allowed to enter US https://m.premiervisagroup.com.cn/. If the person is allowed to enter US he is provided with a form I94 (Arrival and Departure record) by the inspector of DHS. In this card, in many case the departure date will be recorded by the inspector of DHS. This is the date when the non- immigrant must leave US after his temporary stay. This form I94 is a important document attached to the passport, which provides permission to the non- immigrant to stay in US.