To: The California State House, The California State Senate, Governor Gavin Newsom, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Help immigrants earn their legal status back
Repeal laws that prevent rehabilitated immigrants from earning their legal status back after being deported.
Why is this important?
My husband committed a crime 25 years ago when he was 17, and he served his sentence, but he was deported upon release using a law passed after his conviction. His legal status was removed with no hope of ever being able to fix it. He is 42 now, and has felt guilt and shame over his past errors for many, many years. He has tried to work legally on correcting his situation but there are no legal remedies to assist him in earning a second chance. Simply because he returned to the US to be close to his loved ones, and especially his children, he has had to serve more time in prison. All of his friends are here, his family, his children, and his wife. He has no-one in Mexico and would be separated from all those he loves. He grew up here and considers this home, however, he has lost all hope of ever being able to earn his way back. The law has its uses, but punishing people for life who are trying to better themselves and burdening families who are trying to do things the legal and correct way to overcome past errors should not be the end result. Repeal without replacement the following law because it is having far more negative consequences than were originally envisioned:
United States Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual § 4A1.2, comment. (n.10) (convictions set aside or pardoned are still counted if not based on innocence or error of law); United States v. Hayden, 255 F.3d 768, 772, 774 (9th Cir. 2001) (California "expungment" under 1203.4 not effective for criminal history under USSG).
If we cannot repeal the law above, then at least reverse changes to U.S. immigration law enacted in 1996 that revoked the discretion of immigration judges to consider the harm that might be caused to a U.S.-citizen child by the removal of his or her parent.
The result is needlessly excessive and harmful to the families involved who are trying to legally overcome these obstacles. There should be a pathway for people in this situation who have learned from their mistakes to allow them to earn forgiveness and get their legal status back. This is a huge nationwide problem with tens of thousands of families being torn apart each year and growing. We need a solution. Please sign this petition to support a way to help the hundreds of thousands of broken families effected so we can reunite families, and make positive improvement in the broken immigration system.
United States Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual § 4A1.2, comment. (n.10) (convictions set aside or pardoned are still counted if not based on innocence or error of law); United States v. Hayden, 255 F.3d 768, 772, 774 (9th Cir. 2001) (California "expungment" under 1203.4 not effective for criminal history under USSG).
If we cannot repeal the law above, then at least reverse changes to U.S. immigration law enacted in 1996 that revoked the discretion of immigration judges to consider the harm that might be caused to a U.S.-citizen child by the removal of his or her parent.
The result is needlessly excessive and harmful to the families involved who are trying to legally overcome these obstacles. There should be a pathway for people in this situation who have learned from their mistakes to allow them to earn forgiveness and get their legal status back. This is a huge nationwide problem with tens of thousands of families being torn apart each year and growing. We need a solution. Please sign this petition to support a way to help the hundreds of thousands of broken families effected so we can reunite families, and make positive improvement in the broken immigration system.