Today, June 27, marks exactly one year since the U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
The senators voted 68 to 32 to pass the bill S. 744entitled "Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. (Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.)
But the bill never made it through the House of Representatives and a year later, there is still no solution for the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the US.
Congressional Republicans have stated multiple times over the past year that they would not pass the Senate's proposed immigration reform bill.
In January of this year, the Republican leadership announced a list of "immigration principles" that included a path to legal status, but no access to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. But days later, they backed off, arguing that they did not trust President Obama to enforce the laws.
Just months before the November legislative elections, Republican and Democratic leaders, including the most vocal advocate for reform, Congressman Luis Gutierrez, concede that they will not see immigration reform for at least the next two years.
The uncertainty and disappointment in the face of inaction in Congress affirms a very important point: one cannot wait for the illusion of reform.
Although the current system has many problems and shortcomings, there are avenues to legalize thousands of immigrants. But unfortunately, many undocumented immigrants who have legal options are not taking advantage of them, waiting for a reform that is not coming.
A year after the Senate approved a reform that was stalled in Congress, they must take action.
Not all immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally can resolve their legal status, but they will not know until they are evaluated by an immigration attorney.
If you have not already done so, I recommend that you do so as soon as possible. If there is a way to become legal, it is better to take advantage of it than to wait for an immigration reform law that will probably not benefit all undocumented immigrants.
