Immigration reform bring Illegal Hawaii immigrants to the forefront

Published 5:40 PM HST Jan 11, 2015

HONOLULU —It's been nearly 2 months since President Obama announced his executive orders on immigration reform but so far no applications have been made available. There are nearly 7,000 undocumented immigrants in Hawaii.

Click here to watch Roger Mari's report.


"I'd love to move forward. I think it's frustrating for people who have been waiting a long time and finally have the opportunity to do something even though it's temporary,"says Clare Hanusz, Immigration Attorney


For now, there is little immigration attorney Clare Hanusz can do to help her more than 30 clients to remain legally in the United States. In the meantime there are ways to prepare for when an application is made available which she says could take months.


"Get lists of the kinds of documents that they should be preparing in anticipation of filing the applications," says Hanusz.


"Some of those documents, you might have to send away for like your birth certificate for example and that could be slow," says Stanley Bain, Faith Action for Community Equity, Organizer.


It's an especially difficult time for those who have already started the process of becoming legal immigrants. They are now left to make life changing decisions.


"They have to weigh, do I go to the Philippines or do I go to Mexico and wait this out? And, leave my wife and children behind or do I stay here and just try to fly under the radar until congress passes something or until the president issues something," says Hanusz.


Those who plan to go through the application process should be aware that there could be schemers looking to defraud unsuspecting immigrants


"It's less a problem in Hawaii but it's still a problem. We know of people on the big island, we know of people operating in Chinatown claiming to know immigration law and give advice they really don't know," says Hanusz.


Organizations including The Hawaii Coalition For Immigration Reform and Faith Action for Community Equity are working together to provide one-on-one assistance and access to immigration attorneys at no cost.


'We will be providing one-on-one assistance and access to immigration attorneys at no cost. Talk to us and we will provide all the information neccesary," says Gabriela Andrade, Aloha DREAM Team.

http://www.kitv.com/news/immigration...front/30654822