Small Law Firms

Time To Step Up Your Advocacy On Immigration

There are things each of us can do to help build and drive momentum.

By  
on

The U.S. Senate last week unveiled a budget framework that establishes “lawful permanent status for qualified immigrants.” After years of stagnation, it presents a moment of hope for millions of undocumented immigrants working without legal status in the fields and in the service industry and in construction and elsewhere across this country. Only time will tell whether it will lead to real change. But as members of Congress work out the details, there are things you and I can do to help build and drive momentum. Here are three.

Call your representative. No matter the issue, the people we elect to office should be our first line of contact on matters that are important to us and our communities. They want to know what their constituents, (that’s us), feel about a topic. So, call their offices — locally or in Washington D.C. — and share your thoughts. As lawyers, our voices can help make the difference when our clients are afraid to share their stories publicly for fear of reprisal. Or maybe you’re not an immigration lawyer, but a family member or friend of an undocumented immigrant or perhaps you’re helping in other ways, through advocacy or direct assistance. Show your support; be that voice. Call or email your Congressional representative and share your point of view. Here’s a link to find and connect with your representative.

Ask your clients to share their stories. There is much fear within the immigrant community, especially among those who are undocumented.  Understandably, there is fear in publicly sharing stories. But without those stories, the average person who doesn’t think about immigration on a regular basis cannot fully appreciate why immigration reform is important. Help immigrants understand how to better, and more safely and effectively, share their experiences. Maybe you are helping a business owned by an undocumented immigrant who has created jobs for Americans. Have them describe how that helps the local economy. Or maybe your client is from a mixed-status family, with a U.S. citizen spouse or U.S. citizen children. Help people understand how their leaving the U.S. would tear that family apart.

Share your opinions in your local publications. Letters to the editors can be impactful and, indeed, an effective advocacy tool for busy lawyers. Most local newspapers will welcome your thoughts in 200-word letters. This type of advocacy can be quite efficient as it allows you to share your thoughts and opinions on a complicated matter across the broad segment of the population. You are used to writing lengthy briefs and memos, anyway, so such letters will not be particularly onerous on your time. If even a fraction of us did it, I have no doubt it would be impactful for raising voices, showing support, and even educating people through different perspectives.

While President Joe Biden has kept his promise to introduce a bill for comprehensive immigration reform, the future of that bill is less than certain.  However, Congress is obligated to address the nation’s budget, and now it appears using that process to help solve our chronic immigration problem is possible.

Tahmina Watson is the founding attorney of Watson Immigration Law in Seattle, where she practices US immigration law focusing on business immigration. She has been blogging about immigration law since 2008 and has written numerous articles in many publications. She is the author of Legal Heroes in the Trump Era: Be Inspired. Expand Your Impact. Change the World and The Startup Visa: Key to Job Growth and Economic Prosperity in America.  She is also the founder of The Washington Immigrant Defense Network (WIDEN), which funds and facilitates legal representation in the immigration courtroom, and co-founder of Airport Lawyers, which provided critical services during the early travel bans. Tahmina is regularly quoted in the media and is the host of the podcast Tahmina Talks Immigration. She was recently honored by the Puget Sound Business Journal as one of the 2020 Women of Influence. You can reach her by email at tahmina@watsonimmigrationlaw.com or follow her on Twitter at @tahminawatson.

Sponsored

Topics

, ,