Immigration lawyers in Tampa, Florida are most likely to be busy, if they are not now, they probably will be really soon. Florida is considering a new law similar to the immigration law Arizona recently passed. Tampa immigration lawyers should be prepared for long days ahead if a law similar to Arizona's passes in Florida.
There has been a lot of controversy about Arizona’s new immigration law. If you are not familiar with it, here are the main points. Like Arizona, Tampa residents and the rest of Florida will require immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and police will be required to check the status of anyone who is reasonably suspected to not be in the United States illegally, meaning they were not born here, have not been through the immigration process, or have no visa to be in the U.S.
In Florida in 2008 they were an estimated 850,000 illegal immigrants. I imagine the metro cities, such as Orlando, Miami, and Tampa are prime locations for a lot of people who need to see an immigration attorney to be here (in Florida) legally.
Although there was an uproar about the immigration law in Arizona, voters in Florida seem to approve of what Arizona has done and are pushing for a change, every Tampa immigration lawyer will be busy because with number like 850,000 there will probably be a lot of people either put in jail, needing to go to court, or facing deportation.
I am not quite sure how the whole legal process works when someone is here illegally and wants to become a legal immigrant, but I would think that illegal immigrants are familiar with what it takes (or if it can de done- without having a fraud marriage, because marriage to a U.S. citizen is the fastest way to become a legal immigrant). This is where Orlando, Miami, or Tampa immigration lawyers help- by providing the best legal advice given the situation.
I imagine the people who have issues with the immigration law passed in Arizona would consider this ‘profiling,’ just like after September 11th with Muslims and others of Middle Eastern descent.
One negative I did hear of in regards to the law passed in Arizona is the number of people who I guess fled the state in fear of legal problems or deportation. The housing problem is bad enough with all the foreclosures; now on top of that, illegal aliens who were actually may have been paying their rent or mortgage up and leave, leaving the homeowner or bank with another property that will need to go on the market.
One other issue, which could be considered good or bad, depending on how you look at it, is the fact that the illegal aliens who up and left Arizona most likely had jobs. Their leaving vacates jobs, which would be good if you are a person who has had no luck finding a job and now more available, but on the other hand employers who have probably invested both time and money training or developing the departing employees’ skills may possibly have to spend more time and money to train new employees.
Even this scenario has a positive outcome. Hiring someone who is in the U.S. legally means when that person works they pay taxes, so on the flip side the illegal alien who was working was probably paid ‘under the table’ and paid no taxes.
Oh, did I forget to mention that the Arizona law also says that anyone knowingly harboring or transporting an illegal alien could also get in trouble!
If you or anyone you know is in the Florida illegally, more specifically Tampa, it would be wise to contact a Tampa immigration lawyer before any law similar to Arizona’s immigration law is passed.