Immigration Bill Regarding Public Assistance Passes in Pennsylvania House

The Pennsylvania House has passed new legislation that would require immigrants to provide legal documentation when they apply for public assistance.

Senate Bill 9, which is just one of the 20 proposed immigration bills to be introduced to the Pennsylvania legislature, will go before the Senate. Although the Senate already passed the bill, but need to review the bill to approve added amendments.

There is one contentious provision which may affect the Senate’s decision to approve the bill. The legislature added an amendment making it a third degree felony for an illegal immigrant to use an Access card.

Rep. Babette Josephs noted that federal law allows illegal immigrants to use Access cards in order to buy groceries on the behalf of a U.S. citizen, child, or neighbor when they are unable.

Illegal immigration has always been a serious political issue but has reached a fevered pitch in the past few years. Various states feel the federal government is not doing enough to stop the flow of immigrants, despite tighter border controls and record deportations, so they are introducing bills that make it difficult for undocumented immigrants to live in their states. This emphasizes the need for illegal residents to get the advice of an immigration attorney to help them become legally recognized.

Going through the legal path to citizenship can be a long and complicated process which compels many people to enter the country illegally. But by entering the country illegally, these individuals and families jeopardize their future possibility of legal residency and deportation. An immigration lawyer in Pennsylvania can clarify the process by which an immigrant can get the necessary visas or green cards.

Even if our lawmakers are able to pass sweeping immigration reform, people will still need the assistance of a Pennsylvania immigration attorney for a legal presence, since it is unlikely that blanket amnesty to illegals would be granted by Congress.