Legal immigrants seek their reward for years of following the rules

The backlog in the immigration system has caused people to wait 17 years or more to get their green card! The reform package from the Senate will put these people first in line.   - - Donna Poisl

By Julia Preston. New York Times

Angeles P. Barberena has always tried to follow the United States' immigration laws. She dutifully filed her petition to become a resident, complied with the requirements and paid her taxes and fees.

That was 17 years ago. Barberena, who is from Mexico, is still waiting. Her file is inching through a backlog, and she has several years to go before she will receive the green card that will make her a permanent resident.

As Congress debates an overhaul of the immigration system, Barberena often feels like yelling with frustration. "It's been so long and we did everything by the rule," she said, speaking from her home near Nashville, Tenn. "Now it seems everything is about illegal immigrants and nothing is about us."

While stark differences between the Senate and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives have centered on border security and a pathway to citizenship for immigrants here illegally, another major issue is snagged in the dispute: the plight of more than 4.4 million legal immigrants like Barberena who are languishing in a broken system.
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