Despite the Lessons Presented from Arizona’s SB 1070, Georgia Passed its own Version, HB87

Despite the lessons presented from Arizona’s SB 1070, Georgia passed its own immigration reform bill, the Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act, HB 87. Although moral and political issues are at the forefront, the detrimental impacts on Georgia’s economy may exceed the negative affects of Arizona’s SB1070.

Similar to Arizona’s SB 1070, Georgia’s HB 87 makes it a crime to knowingly harbor or transport undocumented immigrants, imposes harsh penalties for providing false papers to undocumented immigrants, orders law enforcement to check the immigration status of anyone they “reasonably suspect” to be in the country illegally, and expands the requirement for employers to use the federal E-verify system, which checks the work eligibility of employees.

Many criticize Georgia for not learning the lessons Arizona’s SB 1070 has presented us, and further predict that the Georgia immigration bill will bring similar detrimental impacts, just as Arizona’s SB 1070 has. After passing SB 1070 in April of 2010, Arizona lost an estimated $141 million dollars from cancelled conferences, $250 million in lost economic output, a projected $86 million in lost wages, 2,800 jobs over the next two to three years, and more than $1 million the state spent in legal fees defending the law.

Modeled after Arizona’s SB 1070, Georgia’s HB 87 provided a similar outcry of opposition. Costly litigation ensued. Several provisions were found unconstitutional. Many argued that Georgia would subject itself to the same negative financial effects that befell Arizona after enacting SB 1070. The major financial concern is the negative impact on Georgia’s agricultural industry due to the reduction in migrant workers (both documented and not). Notwithstanding arguments of moral and ethical issues, and projected negative affects to the agricultural industry in Georgia, Governor Nathan Deal signed the bill into law on May 13, 2011, with an effective date of July 1, 2011. The E-Verify requirement for employers went into effect on January 1, 2012.

Although it is too soon to see all the damage the HB 87 will cause in Georgia, there are already strong indicators of detrimental effects. The Center for American Progress released a report stating that Georgia’s economic losses will be at least as serious as what Arizona suffered, and projects the losses to continue to grow over the coming years. The study predicts four key detriments:

* Farmers will likely replace the absence of migrant workers with mechanized processes. As a result, $800 million per year could be lost.

* Due to resource discrepancies between larger and smaller farmers, the loss of migrant laborers will affect smaller farmers more severely.

* Loss in the state’s agricultural sector will have negative financial impacts across all industries. This will lead to an increased unemployment rate statewide.

* Changes in Georgia’s agricultural industry will have negative affects across the country, including higher food prices and possible issues with food safety.

Despite the effects from Arizona’s SB 1070 and other legislative history, Georgia farmers and Americans around the country may shortly see the harm of lessons taught, but not learned. Although moral and political issues are at the forefront of immigration reform, the detrimental impacts on the economy may prove the biggest impacts of Georgia’s Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act, HB 87.

While politicians continue to attempt to pass immigration reform, qualified Phoenix Immigration Lawyers remain the best source to learn what options are available now for both employers and workers who wish to protect their interests and secure their lawful status in the United States.

1) In Georgia, Politics Trump Common Sense on Immigration; Leaving “Wisdom, Justice and Moderation” Behind, 4/15/2011. Immigration Policy Center, American Immigration Council.
2) How Georgia’s Anti-Immigration Law Could Hurt the State’s (and the Nation’s) Economy, Center for American Progress, Tom Baxter, October, 2011.

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http://blog.arizonaimmigrationlawyeraz.com/lessons-presented-arizonas-sb-1070-georgia-passed-version-hb87/

For more on Arizona immigration law see:

Family Based Immigration Lawyers

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011 Introduced: An Attempt to Fix a Broken Immigration System

Family-Based Immigration Law Firms

Figuring out the potential immigration possibilities is determined by all the conditions. Typically, before anyone could become a US resident, they have to first be a Permanent Resident (i.e., get a “green card”). Citizenship is a whole different matter - so I will save that, too, for a future blog post. First things first!

To be a Permanent Resident of the US, there has to be a US resident sponsor who is the person’s partner, father or mother, adult child or brother or sister. A Permanent Resident (a “green card” holder) could also be the sponsor, but only for the Permanent Resident’s husband or wife or unmarried child.

If the person trying to get Permanent Residency (a green card) is the husband or wife, mother or father or minor child of a U.S. citizen, they're classified as “Immediate Family.” That is definitely a major plus. For Immediate Family, the process can be much faster: 4 to 6 months, in most cases (naturally much will depend on their particular situations).

If the individual wanting to immigrate is not an “Immediate Relative” the process usually takes a lot longer. For these people there are a restricted number of immigrant visas available yearly. This restricted number is further more ‘rationed’ to a given number for every country, as well as for each various visa group. It's really a great idea to contact an Arizona visa legal professional to accomplish this process.

Each year, many more individuals apply than the number of obtainable visas. So there are backlogs. The length of the backlog is dependent upon the specific relationship to the person’s sponsor, and also is determined by the country they were born in. Depending on those elements, the backlog can be anywhere from 8 months to about 20 years!

These are simply the threshold concerns. There are many other considerations which might affect the available choices. As you have seen, the process can become quite difficult! Get in touch with an Arizona immigration lawyer today!

Helpful Help From Arizona Immigration and Visa Law Firms

Mesa Arizona visa lawyers and immigration attorneys both take care of related issues involving immigration, travel visas, asylum conditions, and some aspects of international business. Immigration law offices may be found in virtually any country across the world and they are dedicated to assisting individuals properly visit or move to their specific areas. This can mean assisting a student get a travel visa to learn at a university or college in the united states or it might mean being able to help a family to acquire travel visas to travel to the united states for a summer vacation trip. Sometimes, some might need to help short-term workers find the legal resources to become citizens or long term residents. Arizona immigration practitioners can also aid individuals that are applying for asylum in the united states or in need of anyone to vouch for their human legal rights case to prevent deportation. More serious matters can involve them aiding people that have breached the immigration guidelines and stayed over the period of time they were initially given to visit the nation.

Several international firms might use these types of attorneys to assist them to bring international workers to the nation within the law and secure their work visa forms. Whatever the case, most areas have very complex immigration protocols that causes people a whole lot of troubles if they do not understand them. A number of people will consult with a Phoenix immigration attorney to talk about the legalities of their visit before they leave and maybe even when they are there making sure that they continue to be legal.

*This blog is written by a third party and nothing in this blog should be taken to constitute professional advice or a formal recommendation and we exclude all representations, warranties, legal liability or responsibility relating to its content. The information in this blog is for general information purposes only.

Immigration Legal Representatives Assisting People in Arizona

People across the world relocate to the United States to start a whole new life. Their home countries may not offer freedom along with the safety which they wish to have for their own families. However, the entire process of becoming a legal immigrant often proves confusing and hard for all those men and women, specially when they aren't familiar with English. As a result, some may hire a Mesa visa lawyer to assist them to navigate the paperwork needed to acquire legal residency.

In fact, immigration legal professionals are well-versed in many laws and conditions surrounding residency within this country. What might appear to be a basic case with an immigrant could possibly become a legal nightmare that the immigrant isn't equipped to manage. When judges need proof of the individual's identity or proof the individual is related to others within this country, a visa legal practitioner often can contact the proper authorities from the client's native country and secure the documents needed to move the immigration case forward.

When folks are suspected of entering America illegally, immigration attorneys may be contacted to help these individuals to prove that they have the right to remain inside the borders. Lots of people are desperate to stay in the United States and in some cases take risks to cross the border. They will often need to join family and friends that are already here. Rather then be deported for illegal entry, a lawyer might possibly persuade a judge allowing them to stay.

Similarly, America often grants political asylum to refugees who flee violence within their native countries. An immigration attorney can assist a refugee articulate her or his need to remain in the U.S. and going back to the native country could mean death or hardship to the person. Many judges within this country are lenient and understanding in this matter; however, they require reliable proof that immigrants are telling the truth not just working the system to acquire citizenship.

After individuals have been granted residency, the next thing many prefer to take may be to gain citizenship to be an American. A Phoenix Arizona immigration attorney offers the required application for citizenship and direct people to resources that will help them learn English, study American history, and have the abilities required to become a successfully integrated American citizen. When they complete the procedure, they're able to take the oath of citizenship and be Americans.