The term “The land of the free and the home of the brave” conjures images of hope and a better life. Fortunately or unfortunately, this has created hopes and dreams for millions around the world. The sheer number of people who wish to reside legally in the U.S. is so great, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) simply cannot process them all in time.

Of course, not all who apply are eligible, but even with the applications that do meet the required criteria the volume is such that the USCIS is left struggling. Therefore, it is not surprising that many resort to illegal means to gain entry into the country. One of the legal ways to reside in the U.S. is to apply for Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status.

At the outset, it must be made clear that LPR is not the same as U.S. citizenship. A person with LPR is allowed to reside anywhere in the U.S. and gain employment in any legal establishment. However, they are not entitled to a U.S. Passport. That is reserved only for native or naturalized citizens. The LPR status can be obtained for a variety of reasons, but two of the popular methods are family and work-oriented. A U.S. citizen can sponsor a relative from another country, which will make the foreigner eligible for a Green Card. Applying for work reasons can also entitle foreign nationals to Green cards. Even foreign investors as well as medical staff moving to remote areas are eligible for LPR as they bring considerable benefits to the nation.

It is imperative to emphasize that all LPRs should engage in strictly lawful activities. Unlike naturalized U.S. citizens, LPRs will be deported back their native countries if they are found guilty of any wrongdoing.

The State of the Union address made many things clear and among them was President Obama’s position on illegal immigration. He suggested that work on fixing the broken immigration system should continue, that borders have to be strengthened, that laws have to be enforced and that everyone who abided by the rules should be allowed to contribute and enrich the nation.

This statement can be taken in a positive manner or a negative manner. In a positive light, the White House is looking to help the plight of immigrants. The latter part of the statement, especially, relates to an earlier suggestion of absorbing the current illegal immigrant population into the U.S. population. Again, there would be positive and negative sides to this, but it means that they are bound to the laws of the U.S., bound to paying taxes and bound to receive all the benefits and protection of the law as well. It would also ensure that the exploitation of illegal immigrants that exists today would also be wiped out.

In a negative light, the President only devoted 38 words to a crucial issue affecting the nation. The reluctance shown to further highlight or outline plans to tackle immigration reform can be attributed to many issues affecting the Obama Administration at this point. The Democrats loss in Massachusetts, the blunder in pushing healthcare reform ahead of the economic reform, ineffective job creation strategies and other bad decisions have forced Obama to do a lot of damage control. As such, many issues have had to be put on the backburner. For now, illegal immigration is not a priority and every think tank will be directed to focus on the state of the economy. Until the economic crisis abates, it is unlikely that President Obama will make any solid commitment to making immigration reform a top priority.

For any foreign national residing in any country, detention and deportation are realities of life. This is especially true for those living in the United States of America.

Detention is the first step, where a person is put in prison or in a holding location pending further investigation. The majority of those held in this way are illegal immigrants. These illegal immigrants are either people who have crossed into the U.S. illegally or those who have overstayed and have failed to return to their native country for various reasons. Once these people have been processed, they are deported (sent back) to their own countries. In the U.S., the majority of these people hail from Latin America and Mexico.

Even Legal Permanent Residents (LPR) can be subject to these processes. Having a Green Card does not provide them with immunity. Unlike natural U.S. citizens, they are virtually under permanent probation even after they receive citizenship. Being involved with crime or any other illegal activity can see them being put into detention pending deportation.

Immigration officers have many long reaching powers in this regard and therefore, constantly check the records of immigrants long after the Green Card is issued. Under these powers, whole families can be deported if they are found to have discrepancies in their records. The main thing to understand here is that although as U.S. citizens they are entitled to every means of protection there is under U.S. law, they cannot fight the immigration laws, if they are guilty of any wrongdoing.

The United States Constitution requires the census to be conducted every ten years. This allows the country to use this data in critical decisions as well understand trends in population. However, of crucial importance, the census establishes the actual number of electoral votes that the state will get, when it comes to the presidential elections.

The latest census, which is due to be taken this year, has a little twist, which has caused uproar amongst many people. The 2010 census is due to take into account each state’s illegal immigrants. On the surface, this seems like a natural thing to do; after all, the census should reflect the total number of people living in a state, right? While that may be so, the new number will affect the electoral system and people are starting to voice their opinions about it. For example, the states of California and Texas stand to get additional seats (nine and four respectively) due to the new census.

This means that these states have a bigger say in the presidential elections. Other than these two states: Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey and New York are expected to gain as well.
There are some states expected to suffer from the census such as Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and are expected to lose anywhere from one to two seats.
While it does make sense to include illegal immigrants in the census, a question of ethics raises its head when the equation reads as illegal immigrants = more electoral votes. Should the states that gain votes for harboring illegal immigrants have a bigger say in the presidential elections? How this sensitive issue pans out should be an interesting watch in the days ahead.