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    Tuesday, November 05, 2024

    Immigration and Nationality Act needs amending

    Section 249 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) authorizes Department of Homeland Security and immigration courts to grant lawful permanent residence to immigrant applicants who entered the United States prior to Jan. 1, 1972. As time marches on, fewer and fewer elderly immigrants are able to meet this 1972 entry requirement, which was passed in 1986, on a bipartisan basis with the support of President Ronald Reagan, and remains fixed under section 249(a) of the INA.

    This problem can be remedied if Congress simply advances the entry date within section 249(a) to a more recent time. This congressional fix would make many more long-time undocumented residents eligible to apply for this important benefit, which includes employment authorization, right to travel and right to live in America permanently (with a green card). On its face, the current 1972 entry requirement blocks many undocumented residents from qualifying for this important benefit.

    Robert Bingham

    Colchester

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