U.S. immigration law has many policy potholes.

Citizenship rules for adopted immigrant children is one such problem.

Brought here as youngsters, thousands end up living their adult lives without a country they can truly call home.

Here’s an interesting idea for family-friendly immigration reform.

Ancestry Visas.

It’s a concept I learned about while doing research about immigration issues in the United Kingdom.

For several years, fixing our immigration system has been a hot political topic.

Building a border wall has been at the forefront of most Congressional proposals.  Several  representatives tout it as the primary cure for an overflow of immigrants trying to enter our country without legal documents.

This approach is short-sighted.

It negects the main component necessary for constructive immigration reform.

Like many immigrants who visit my office, Danny had run into problems when he tried to enter the United States.

It wasn’t the lack of entry documents.

It wasn’t due to an expired visa.

It wasn’t the result of a criminal history.

Rather, it was the lack of his ability to speak English fluently.

A friend in need is a friend indeed. But it’s what happens after the need subsides that the real quality of friendship is determined.

Take the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program (FWVP) implemented by the Obama Administration on June 8, 2016.

The new program, noted UCSIS Director Leon Rodriguez, “honors the thousands of Filipinos who bravely enlisted to fight for the United States during World War II.”

The commentary both overstated and understated the reality.

It started at the grill.

Trapped In The 1960s: Immigrant Relative Visas

Like every summer.

I, along with a few friends, sponsor an annual day-long neighborly celebration. A community-wide barbeque. (I’m the master chef. It’s my Bobby Flay imitation.)

When one is caught up in the details of day-to-day skirmishes, it is not uncommon to lose sight of the greater battle being waged.

After bathing in the warm glow of political delusion, following the president’s announcement last fall that he was setting the stage for immigrants to come out from the shadows, many advocates act astonished by the recent news that his executive orders are likely to be derailed by a federal court ruling.

In reality, this development is no surprise.

If and when reform legislation is passed, many aspects of immigration law will undergo major transformation.

None will change more dramatically than the family-based immigration system for aspiring permanent residents.

Despite Congressional smiles when cameras are turned on, a meeting of political minds on the contours of immigration reform may not take place anytime soon.

In the meantime, most elected officials agree on at least one issue. Immigrants who seek lawful status must “get in the back of the line”.

Unfortunately, colorful political rhetoric often does not reflect legal realities.

And it’s not a solution.