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On Sept.13 I was quoted in the Coloradoan as saying that people who are undocumented in the United States "... don't have papers, not because they don't want them, but because they don't have the patience to wait in line for a visa. They don't have immigration papers because the law doesn't allow them to have them." What I actually said was that people who are undocumented in our country "... don't have papers, not because they don't want them, not because they don't have the patience to wait in line for a visa. They don't have immigration papers because the law doesn't allow them to have them." The point is that under current immigration laws there are no visas to get in line for. There is no way for people to legalize their status and no way for most workers and family members to enter legally. Immigrants who do qualify for some type of visa have incredible patience. Immigrants often wait 10, 15, sometimes 25 years for a visa after they apply for one. But for the majority of people currently in this country, a visa is not an option. There is nothing for them to apply for. Lack of patience is not the problem; the problem is a broken system.
Kimberly Baker Medina, |
