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The Department of Homeland Security for Immigration Essay

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According to the Department of Homeland Security Immigration Website (USCIS), undocumented Mexican individuals come to our country by illegally crossing the border or by initially having a visa and staying after the visa has expired. In most cases if an undocumented individual would like to apply for a green card, they must do so while residing in Mexico which is what keeps many undocumented people from applying. There are approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. It’s interesting that immigration law takes place within the U.S. Department of Justice instead of the U.S. judicial system because deportation is seen as an administrative correction and not a criminal punishment. Because of this, undocumented immigrants …show more content…

You are also responsible to pay taxes, obey all laws, and if you are a male between the ages of 18 and 25 you must register with the Selective Service. Your wait time for a visa can be anywhere from three to twenty years or longer depending on the circumstances and the number of visas available each year (USCIS).
There are 226,000 family sponsored visas, 140,000 employment based visas available each year. There is no limit for immediate family members such as spouses and children younger than 21. Due to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the number of Mexican immigrant visas can only equal 7 percent of the total permanent residents or green cards issued each year. The backlog for permanent resident applications in pending status is approximately 1.4 million (Smith).
Mexican immigrants are excluded from the Diversity Lottery which grants immigrant visas to 50,000 winners each year. The lottery was designed to help increase the number of immigrations from underrepresented countries like Nigeria, Iran, and Ukraine. The countries qualified to apply for the lottery change each year (USCIS).
After having a green card or immigrant visa for 3-5 years, depending on circumstance, one can apply for citizenship. The main reasons to apply for citizenship would be the right to vote in elections, bringing family members to the U.S., eligibility for Federal jobs, and becoming an elected official (USCIS).
California in an effort to help undocumented immigrants has

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