White House

Undocumented Urged to Wait as Immigration Reform Begins

Less than 24 hours President Barack Obama announced his executive order impacting millions of undocumented immigrants, workers who help immigrants said everyone needs to wait before making any plans to take advantage of the new rules.

“The first thing you should do is take a deep breath I think,” said Jessica Shulruff.

With the final rules and regulations still being worked out, there are no official applications or paperwork to fill out yet. That’s why people handling immigrant communities from all over the world are essentially in a holding pattern.

“Let us talk this out with the community because in the Haitian community, we are going to have to interpret what this relief is, what it means,” said Gepsie Metellus.

In addition, there’s still a potential battle over all of the rules still to be fought between the White House and Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Still, with up to five million immigrants set to receive new protections in the United States, preparation on both the side of the government and the undocumented immigrants will be crucial.

“It is really important that people consult with an experienced immigration attorney before taking a step forward and essentially announcing themselves to immigration officials,” said Shulruff.

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