Cuban-Americans in New Jersey were probably excited to hear about Cuban president Raul Castro's announcement that it will now be easier for Cubans to leave the country, which had formerly been made difficult by the exit visa process. Though there are still many who doubt whether it will have much of an effect in New Jersey or the rest of the United States, it may cause waves in family-based immigration.
Armed service does not guarantee citizenship, stop deportation
It is something that many American citizens, permanent residents and undocumented immigrants in Newark may be shocked to learn, but serving in the U.S. military does not automatically grant citizenship or even put veterans on a path toward citizenship. There are no shortcuts when it comes to American naturalization and citizenship, even for those individuals who have bravely fought for our country.
Deportation of immigrants is on the rise
Whether immigrants have the legal ability to be in the country or not, they need to be extremely careful not to do anything that may cause immigration officials to look into their statuses. Even if nothing happens, having Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers prying into an individual's life can be extremely stressful. Because the complexities surrounding immigration are too difficult for most people to understand, an investigation could cause someone to wonder if he or she will be deported. With the rise in deportations, it is an understandable concern.
In-state tuition not determined by parents' immigration status
Many of the things New Jersey residents don't even think about, like whether they will qualify for in-state tuition at New Jersey universities and colleges, are problems that teenagers without a legal immigrant status or the children of people without legal immigrant status have to deal with on a daily basis. For someone who was born in the United States and is undeniably a New Jersey resident, there had been some confusion about how to determine residency for college tuition prior to a landmark court case earlier this year. Before this case, these residents were being denied in-state tuition because their parents did not have a legal immigration status.
