Welcoming Week - My Perspective
Sept 13th - 22nd is Welcoming Week, where we celebrate each others background, culture, existence for the prosperity of all. Read this blog post for my personal take on this week. My great grandparents on both sides immigrated from Sweden. Admittedly, this was a much easier transition than many are facing today. I love hearing others stories. If we haven't met, reach out to do so!
September 13th - 22nd is Welcoming Week, a celebration of communities bringing together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections between organizations and communities to achieve collective prosperity. This week is meant to put forth a welcoming attitude everyone, regardless of school of thought; race, gender, group affiliation, etc. traditionally it takes on a special meaning for our immigrant communities. As a conservative Christian, who believes in our Constitution and its foundation on Judeo- Christian values, I get lots of questions about my profession as an immigration attorney. The answer is simple. I’m called to love my neighbors, to defend the weak and the fatherless, to show Christ’s love to those who differ from me. To me, my profession, at its core, is the perfect Christ-centered, servant minded, affirmation of this. I have assisted religious organizations with R visas; spouses, fiances, children, and parents of US citizens from all walks of life, as well as those who have been abused by Lawful Permanent Residents or US citizens.
While politics play a role in most aspects of life, and I certainly exercise that right by voting, working with Legislators on changes to laws, etc. I work within the law as it stands to assist those with lawful remedies to remain in the U.S. if they so choose, to gain lawful status here, and to protect those who have been abused or persecuted. As an attorney, the Rules of Professional Responsibility prohibit an attorney from filing a frivolous case. If I am filing it, there is a lawful remedy. I have definitely explained to potential clients that they do not have a remedy at law.
I believe I can assist immigrants with their legal issues and want safety for my family with secure borders. I will continue to expect the government to not impinge on our constitutional rights and to be fiscally responsible with the tax revenue it is given. To me, these are not ideas Being an immigration attorney has benefited me in more ways than I can count. I have been blessed to meet some of the the most genuine and hard working people, many of whom I call friends.
Welcoming Week is all this to me. The perfect celebration of what is meant by love your neighbor.
Peace, Grace and Love,
Desiree
Owner/ Managing Attorney
(SAVE) Act - Bill Requiring Proof of Citizenship to vote.
In this episode, we briefly discuss the new law requiring proof of citizenship to vote federally.
It is common knowledge that one must be a U.S. citizen to vote. Possible criminal charges, removal from the United States and the inability to become a naturalized citizen are on the list of probable repercussions of violating this mandate. In spite of this, it is extremely easy to register to vote in most states, additionally, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 did not require confirmation of citizenship status when registering. In Indiana, it’s a question, largely without any notice or explanation, upon applying for a drivers’ license. The argument has been, that you are attesting you are eligible to vote by saying yes to being registered, under a penalty of perjury. You can evaluate how this meshes with the new signing pads at local motor vehicle offices where you are not able to read what you’re signing. The fact is, most people, but especially those who cannot read English, or English is a second language will not ask for a written copy of what they are supposed to be signing.
Federally, a bill has been introduced aimed at authenticating citizenship before casting a federal ballot. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (Save) Act, would require proof of citizenship before casting a ballot as well as require states to check their voter rolls for registered non-citizens.. This bill passed the House but is unlikely to pass the Democrat controlled Senate. Pres. Biden has stated he will certainly veto, if it makes it to his desk. It is argued the burden of providing citizenship proof is unduly burdensome. It is interesting to note, many states and local governments have adopted rules that allow citizens without citizenship to participate in local elections, these include; Oakland; Takoma Park, Maryland; and Burlington, Vermont. As election season gets closer, we are likely to hear more on these types of topics.