South Lake Tahoe family takes advantage of immigration reform
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The Aguilar family of South Lake Tahoe pictured from left, Marisela, Anthony, Todd and Crystal. The family took advantage of a new immigration law that allows undocumented immigrants to apply for the Family Unity Waiver without leaving the U.S.
Todd Aguilar didn’t want to risk a 10-year separation from his Mexican wife, Marisela Salazar. But it’s what the couple would have faced if they had pursued Salazar’s green card before an immigration law designed to keep families together went into effect March 4.
The new Family Unity Waiver is part of a processing tweak that allows undocumented citizens to apply for their hardship waiver without leaving the U.S. It’s a small change with big implications, according to South Lake Tahoe lawyer Kathleen Aberegg.
A person unlawfully in the U.S. can be barred from re-entering the country for up to 10 years. But to apply for a green card, that noncitizen would have to return to his or her home country — with no guarantee that he or she would be allowed back into the U.S. because of the unlawful presence bars.
Most families wouldn’t take the risk, and the Aguilars were no exception. Aguilar, who operates the South Shore’s T&D Maintenance in Plumbing and Heating, said with six children ...
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/5663702-113/waiver-aberegg-family-aguilar
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