On December 31st, not many people were working at the Immigration Court when I entered the parking lot to file documents with the court. I parked in the delivery parking spot and asked the security guard inside if it was permissible to park there as I was delivering motions to be filed with the court. The security guard at the Immigration Court said it was fine for me to park there. After about 30 minutes, I returned to the main lobby and thanked the officers when one of them asked me how long did I think I was parked in the spot. I answered, “about 30 minutes”. The guard began to berate me about how I was only supposed to be there 5 minutes (even though the sign at the actual parking spot says 30 minutes). I honestly believed he was not serious but then he called me a f–king idiot. I took the high road and left after wishing both guards a Happy New Year.

This incident made me think about the plight of the undocumented immigrants in the United States. If this security guard felt it was proper to treat an attorney on official business with the court like this, imagine his attitude toward the vulnerable undocumented immigrant coming to Immigration Court for the first time. There are millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States and it is time that our Government addresses this issue so that they may contribute to society and stop hiding in the shadows.

Instead, they face deportation or a life without the proper tools to be productive such as work authorization or even simply a driver’s license. The battle over comprehensive immigration reform is eerily similar to the gun control battle with conservatives holding on to their positions in what can only be described as a civil war among the politicians in Washington, D.C. The conservatives cite to their beliefs of the ramifications of both stricter gun control and immigration reform even though these beliefs have been rebuked by advocates for reform.

Gun control advocates have reduced their platform to the very minimal request of stricter rules on background checks before any person can purchase a gun. Ostensibly backing off on their prior efforts to actually restrict gun ownership. Yet, even the simplest of reforms could not make it through Congress. Similarly, immigration reform advocates have shown that the economy would actually improve through comprehensive immigration reform as the undocumented immigrants would be able to contribute to the economy by paying taxes, getting jobs, and buying goods from Americans.

Let’s hope that the start of a new year will put some distance between what the future could be with comprehensive immigration reform and the past inflexibility of Congress. For our part, the immigration lawyers at Pozo Goldstein, LLP will continue to fight for our clients to help them live the American Dream.

Happy New Year everyone.