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How Immigration Changed Forever in 2017
Immigration changed in 2017 more so than it has in almost any other point in US history. It has been an interesting year to say the least. President Trumps first year in office was fraught with major changes to US immigration policy that will shape the coming decades.
The Travel Ban
The Travel Ban is probably going to be one of the most infamous moments in US Immigration History. The ban targeted immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries. Currently, the Travel Ban is still in place along with a few minor adjustments.
6 out of the 7 original countries are still present on the current travel ban (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen).
Deffering DACA
DACA or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was an Obama era immigration legislature that provided protections against deportation for some children who are brought into the US illegally.
In a lengthy statement, President Trump called DACA “an overreach of executive power”. Though the deferment is an important way in which immigration changed in 2017, the effects of the deferment will be felt in the years to come when previously protected immigrants are forced to leave or begin living here illegally.
The need for immigration bonds will likely increase in the coming years as a result.
The RAISE Act
The RAISE Act promises to reduce the number of people who can legally immigrate to the United States. The bill would require that all legal immigrants meet certain criteria to become eligible for residence.
The bill itself won’t be voted on until 2018, but the sentiment is clear: the current administration is becoming increasingly selective.
You can take the test to see if you qualify for citizenship based on the RAISE Act criteria.
The Wall
No discussion about immigration changes in 2017 would be complete without a mention of President Trump’s wall. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the building of a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico in the beginning of 2017 but the idea seems to have lost its luster.
Again, this is not a major immigration change in 2017, but a clear indication of the ferocity in which the US is now targeting illegally immigrants for justice.