United States welcomes refugees and permits them to stay in the country. The immigration system of the country makes sure that all the records of the foreign nationals seeking asylum or refugee status in the United States are reviewed, before they are granted such status in the United States. These foreign nationals also undergo background checks, before entering into the country. The Senate immigration reform bill, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, includes few provisions for the asylees and refugees. Currently, there are filing deadlines and the foreign nationals who fail to file their applications before the deadlines are being barred from obtaining asylum in America. The Senate immigration reform bill would address the cumbersome deadlines. Some provisions that have now been included in the Senate immigration reform bill are included in the Refugee Protection Act, that was introduced by Chairman Patrick Leahy.
This Senate bill would also promote family reunification and the bill would permit the children and spouses of refugees to bring their children to the United States. Currently, immediate relatives of refugees cannot sponsor their children. Likewise, the Senate immigration reform bill would also permit stateless individuals to come forward and file applications in the United States to be recognized as stateless individuals. This provision would prevent the stateless individuals from becoming victims of human trafficking. This bill would raise the cap on U visas. Every year, 10,000 U visas are being issued and the Senate bill would increase the cap and would issue 18,000 visas, per year. The Senate Judiciary Committee is debating on the immigration reform bill and it has approved many amendments that would protect victims of human trafficking and put an end to child trafficking.
301 amendments were filed to the immigration reform bill and the senators who are debating on those amendments, have adopted some amendments. Amendments that would permit the immigrants who are eligible for WAVA status and for U or V visas and immigrants whose applications are pending, to work in the United States, were adopted by the Senate Committee. Amendments filed by Senator Coons that would ensure that the asylum seekers receive their work permits within 180 days from the date of submitting their applications and amendments that would permit undocumented immigrants in removal proceedings to obtain copies of their immigration documents, were adopted by the Senate Committee.
Senator Graham’s amendment would prevent the asylees and refugees from returning to the countries from which they fled and his amendment would strip them off their refugee or asylee status if they return to those countries. Likewise, Senator Hirono’s amendment would protect vulnerable undocumented children and women. Senator Feinstein’s amendments would set up a pilot program that would get rid of child trafficking and permit Tibetans to enter into America and live there. Few other amendments that were approved, would require the foreign nationals seeking asylum in the United States, to undergo criminal background checks and would protect the foreign nationals against human trafficking.