As one of the states that grants civil unions to same-sex couples, it is likely that there are many New Jersey residents who have taken advantage of this law to have their relationships legally recognized. While there are certain rights and responsibilities that come with a New Jersey civil union, there is no federal recognition of these relationships. With a case before the Supreme Court of the United States on whether the Defense of Marriage Act is constitutional, this could have some wide-reaching implications on the same-sex couples in New Jersey, including those who are hoping for immigration reform.
Will immigration reform come with reduced family visas?
This blog has talked a lot about the proposed immigration reform that many in the government have been working toward, but it seems that some of these reforms may include a decrease in the number of family visas available. Though this is unlikely to have much of an effect on the spouses and children of U.S. citizens, it would otherwise negatively affect others relying on family-based immigrant visas. With a current waiting list of 4.3 million family members seeking entrance into the country, waiting times would increase even more.
New protected social group for asylum debated
Although this blog talks primarily about family- or employment-based immigration, there are other methods of entering New Jersey and the country legally. One such way is to flee persecution in your home country, escaping either public abuse or private abuse that the government is unwilling to curb. These situations are often heartbreaking, but the harrowing journey that many people make to Ocean County each year in search of asylum is a reminder that the American government can provide protection for some of the most downtrodden.
Mercer County accepts local identifications for immigrants
For many people in the United States, having an identification is just a simple part of everyday life. Whether it is a passport, a driver's license or some kind of state ID card, it is both easy and normal to obtain an ID, and the need for an ID is ever increasing. For some people, however, getting an ID can be impossible. Until recently, the Mercer County sheriff's department and many other organizations in the county would only accept government-issued identifications. Now, however, they have begun to accept local and city IDs.
