美国旧金山华人社区组织29日集会，向选自旧金山的联邦参议员和国会众议员递交请愿书，呼吁国会及奥巴马政府保留亲属移民配额。
San Francisco (CNS) -- A Chinese American community in San Francisco has filed a petition to retain the eligibility of US citizens to get green cards for their married children and siblings.
Dozens have gathered in front of the San Francisco Federal Building holding signs bearing the slogan "Family Reunification" to show opposition to the proposed elimination of the two visa categories.
The current immigration reform proposal would completely eliminate the F3 (Family Third Preference: for a US citizen's married children) and F4 (Family Fourth Preference: for a US citizen's adult siblings).
Li Zhaoxiang, who immigrated to the United States 50 years ago, said the family-based visa categories provide opportunities for family reunification, and that many small businesses in Chinatown depend on new immigrants who benefit from the family-based immigration law.
Chen Meiling, who used to teach English to immigrants at City College of San Francisco, said many of her students followed their family members to the US and have contributed more through hard work than they received. Removing the allocation will hurt families and the country's economy, she added.
The reform bill, which would offer a path to legalization for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, will be handed to the House of Representatives after the Senate passes it.
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