Janis Peterson-Lord Immigration Law Blog on Lawyers.com

In April, 2009, the New York Times said, “While acknowledging that the recession makes the political battle more difficult, President Obama plans to begin addressing the country’s immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal.”

"I know this is an emotional issue; I know it’s a controversial issue,” he told an audience at a town meeting on March 18 in Costa Mesa, Calif. “I know that the people get real riled up politically about this."  But, he said, immigrants who are long-time residents but lack legal status “have to have some mechanism over time to get out of the shadows.”

Regarding the long backlog that exists for immigrant visa availability, yesterday, May 20, US senators reintroduced legislation aimed at bringing together immigrant families who are kept apart for years due to the severe backlog.  The bill, introduced by senators including Democratic Party icon Ted Kennedy, would put a priority on giving visas to US residents' spouses and minor children overseas. It would provide more slots for immigrants by putting unused visas from past years back into the pool.  The bill would also give priority to World War II veterans from the Philippines along with their children. 

A similar bill will be introduced shortly in the House, according to the Asian American Justice Center, an advocacy group.

And also yesterday, Politico.com reported that President Barack Obama is inviting members of Congress to the White House for a June 8, 2009 meeting to discuss immigration reform.

Janis Peterson-Lord
Fiance Visa Attorney in Long Beach CA
3454 East Anaheim Street
Long Beach, CA Los Angeles Co. 90804