WASHINGTON, July 9 (UPI) -- U.S. immigration laws need to be more flexible and fairer and to provide protection for immigrants who are crime victims, Human Rights Watch said Friday.
The group released a report, "'Tough, Fair, and Practical': A Human Rights Framework for Immigration Reform in the United States," recommending changes in the legal system.
One change would be to give immigration judges the freedom to consider family ties and other circumstances when legal immigrants are convicted of minor crimes, the report said. Under current law, all non-citizens are supposed to be deported if they are found guilty.
The law should also protect legal immigrants who report workplace violations by giving them a grace period to find another job if they are fired, the report said.
"When immigrants and their children suffer because employers exploit them or the laws don't protect them, all Americans are harmed," said Alison Parker, U.S. program director at Human Rights Watch. "There is a consensus that something needs to be done about immigration, and this report offers practical, commonsense solutions."
