Why the ‘Path to Citizenship’ May Be More of a Labyrinth

SB744 (also known as the immigration reform bill) will soon be put to a vote on the Senate floor after a nod from the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. Meanwhile, the media is busy touting the still-unrealized legislation as “the biggest victory for advocates of immigrant rights in a generation” because a so-called “path to citizenship” provision for the undocumented — the “centerpiece of the legislation”– remains intact.

We at Latino Policy Forum are some of the very advocates who should be celebrating this supposed victory. But, rooted in reality, we’ve yet to break out the champagne flutes. Why? Should SB744 pass, the “pathway” will be far from straightforward for most immigrants. Meandering at best and labyrinthine at worst, the bill is full of potential tangles, pitfalls, and dead ends.

This blog originally appeared in the Huffington Post. Click here for the full entry. 

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