As many people in Asbury Park prepare for the sequester, the government-wide budget cuts that are set to go into effect soon, the Department of Homeland Security has started releasing immigrants from detention. With Congress requiring that DHS maintain 34,000 beds associated with immigrant detention across the country and the average cost of housing an immigrant hovering around $164 a day, it is no wonder that the federal department that is in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is looking for ways to save money in this time of uncertain federal budgets.
Can immigration reform stop scientists from moving abroad?
The United States government has made it quite clear the country needs to step up its education within science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Not only does the country need to do better at teaching children and young adults these subjects for economic reasons, but also to ensure our national defense. It would only make sense, then, for the government to be actively courting recent graduates from top universities, like Princeton or Rutgers, to stay in the U.S., but some skilled immigrants are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain the visas necessary to remain in the country.
Senator asks for recognition of same-sex immigrant couples
When someone in Trenton marries someone without American citizenship, he or she can petition for his or her spouse to join him or her in the United States. What if the couple is in a same-sex civil union recognized by the state of New Jersey? Unfortunately, individuals in same-sex bi-national relationships are unable to petition for their partners as heterosexual spouses can. As the federal courts prepare to talk about same-sex marriages later this year, at least one senator is asking Congress to consider a bill that would grant same-sex couples the same privileges as opposite-sex couples within family-based immigration.
Federal program allows new Marines to take oath of citizenship
It may surprise some people in Newark that the United Sates military allows noncitizens to join the forces, but there has been a long history of individuals with permanent residency signing up to train and fight for the United States. Following 9/11, former President George W. Bush signed into law a bill that granted noncitizens the ability to apply for citizenship if they were in the military and, since then, the program has expanded tremendously. Now, all branches of the military allow for an expedited citizenship process for its members.
