Politics: The Hillary and Donald Showdown

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 The Political Showdown of the Century 

As the Presidential campaigns head into the final stretch, Mr. Donald Trump the presumptive Nominee of the Republican Party and Secretary Clinton getting closer to clinching the nomination, the face off between Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump is becoming a reality.

Over the past few months, we have discussed the varying immigration platforms of the various Presidential candidates, most of whom are no longer in the race. Given that the Presidential election will likely feature Trump and Clinton as the options, our focus turns to them. This month we will take a further look at the immigration platforms of both Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump to provide you with a quick snapshot of what their general election platforms could look like.

Before diving into their policies, please note that regardless of the winner of the 2016 Presidential Election, changes in the immigration platform will not likely occur in a swift manner. Any change in policy or on the immigration laws itself must first be approved by Congress before it can be adopted into law. Thus, while their voices may be the loudest, their voices alone cannot enact change.

Hillary Clinton 

Currently, Clinton’s plans include:

• Enacting comprehensive immigration reform to create a pathway to citizenship, keep families together, and enable millions of workers to come out of the shadows.
• Ending family detention and close private immigrant detention centers.
• Defending President Obama’s executive actions to provide deportation relief for DREAMers and parents of Americans and lawful residents, and extend those actions to additional persons with sympathetic cases if Congress refuses to act.

These goals seem to fully address how Clinton will address the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, but what does her plan really mean for those who are trying to come to the United States through the legal processes?

An End to the Three- and 10-Year Bans

Currently, anyone present in the United States without proper authorization for more than 180 days is subject to a three-year re-entry ban, and an unauthorized stay of more than a year means a 10-year ban. A person subject to the ban is not be permitted to re-enter the US for any reason unless they can prove extreme hardship to spouse or parent who is a US Citizen or Permanent Resident. To many, this seems unnecessarily harsh and encourages undocumented immigrants to stay in the shadows.

While this is not mentioned in her immigration reform plan, Clinton has committed to ending the three- and 10-year bars imposed by the current US Immigration system.

Easier Access to Citizenship for Green Card Holders

If you have had a Green Card for a number of years, maintained continual, physical residence during that time, demonstrated a good moral character, passed a naturalization interview and paid a fee of $680, then you can become a United States Citizen. According to Clinton’s plan, she intends to “expand fee waivers so more people can get a break on costs; increase access to robust language programs to help people boost their English proficiency; and enhance outreach and education so more people are informed about their options and engaged in the process.”

Donald Trump 

According to www.donaldjtrump.com, Trump’s plan for immigration reform appears simple at face value, but its potential consequences could affect many.  Trump’s website outlines his three core principles of immigration reform as follows:

1. A nation without borders is not a nation – There must be a wall across the southern border.

2. A nation without laws is not a nation – Laws passed in accordance with our Constitutional system of government must be enforced.

3. A nation that does not serve its own citizens is not a nation – Any immigration plan must improve jobs, wages and security for all Americans.

While, this may sound benign,  further reading shows that Trump’s interpretation of how to convert these principles into policy could prove disastrous for US citizens, foreign residents of the US, and any hopeful immigrants to the United States.

What Does Trump’s Plan Really Mean?

Trump’s proposed ‘Immigration Reform’  should be called ‘Immigration Revocation.’ As experts in the field of US Immigration, we have a full understanding that the United States is, perhaps, one of the most difficult countries in the world to immigrate to, and permanent residence is offered on a very limited basis.

Reading through Trump’s plan – which promises to “make America great again” – he essentially wants to make the H1B visa, which is already nearly impossible to get, even more difficult.

Additionally, the EB1 Green Card for Aliens of Extraordinary Ability, which we specialize in here at the Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram, could be contested by Trump, as well. Though Trump does not call out this green card process by name, he plans to a stop new green cards issued to foreign workers until native workers can be employed first. While this may sound good in theory, it is not practical. As green card applications like the EB1 are designed to bring the very best of the world’s talent to the US.

Trump fails to see that part of what helps make America great is that the many talented individuals coming to the US, benefits our country and economy in many different ways.

What to Expect

The 2016 Presidential Campaign season has been anything but predictable, with record breaking turnouts in the primaries, personal attacks directed at candidates and serious talks of a “contested convention.”

As the primary campaigns wind down, and with the general election campaigns gaining steam and momentum all bets are off for who the nominee will be. However, as the candidates continue to adapt and evolve their immigration platforms, we will keep you updated as to how these changes can affect your ability to immigrate to the United States.

Immigration Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram

US Immigration Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram
Chris M. Ingram LL.M., ESQ – Immigration Attorney
Admitted in New York.
Practice Specializing in US Immigration Law
401 Wilshire Boulevard, 12th Floor,
Santa Monica,
California 90401
Tel: 310 496 4292

Specializing in the E2 Visa, EB1 Green Card, L-1A Visa and O1 Visa and K1 Visa Marriage-Based Immigration. Attorney Chris M. Ingram is dedicated to providing the very best in US Immigration legal representation. Enjoy our website.

Important Notice: Please note that all videos created by the Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram are intended as general information only and not specific legal advice pertaining your case. If you would like specific legal advice on any immigration matter please do not hesitate to contact this law office accordingly. All pictorial images used in these videos and the website in general are licensed stocked images and not portraits, or otherwise, of anyone from the Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram, nor of its clients unless otherwise indicated by name. All images are used solely for illustrative purposes only. Copyright 2010-2015 All Rights Reserved.