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Here's what Oh law has to say:
1/18/2008: Challenges for Immigrants: Ongoing and Forthcoming
* In the election year, pro-immigration political platform constitutes a political liability as witnessed in the current national presidential debates, which turns the country into a strong anti-immigration environment. Consequently, the immigrants will continuously suffer from the seriously broken immigration system. Under the circumstances, people seek the administrative solutions and relief by the immigration-related agencies. However, the hostile political environment tends to work against such decisions for the government agencies as any pro-immigration administration policy may be considered a political liability for the ruling party. It is indeed a difficult time for immigrants. The USCIS has announced that it was working on issuing a multi-year single document for employment authorization and advance parole, but it is considered not necessarily for the immigrants, but as we discussed earlier, it was a calculated decision for the government finance. The current leadership of the immigration-related government agencies are lame-ducks and immigrants may not be able to expect too much any pro-immigrant moves at the administration-level because of the political pressure from the ruling party.
* What is coming ahead? Economic recession and potential massive layoffs and lack of job opportunities for foreign workers. The changing landscape for the employment cannot come in any worse time when the immigrant visa numbers are heavily oversubscribed and clogged, forcing the foreign workers to take a long journey in the hostile employment environment. As the situation moves into steeper economic recession, the foreign workers tend to face not only a risk of layoff but also abuse by some employers who attemp to take advantage of the harsh environment against the foreign worker job markets. These foreign workers should prepare themselves for a difficult time ahead.
* For those who are in 485 track, management of AC 21 portability will turn out to be a saviror and constitute an important task. Less fortunate are those who suffer from the visa number rectrogress and are unable to even file I-485 applications. For these immigrant workers, loss of jobs will practically wipe out the immigration opportunity. The longer the visa retrogression period lasts, the harshier their journeys will be. What about those new foreign workers who have yet to look for a job and start the immigration journey from the scratch?
* Under the circumstances, all one can hope for is a short-lived economic recession and a turn-around of the country's political landscape in favor of immigration. Year 2008 may be recorded one of the harshiest years for foreign workers. Immigrant workers, be prepared!
