Immigrant California lawyer finally gets green card

Source: Associated Press

Immigrant California lawyer finally gets green card
By PAUL ELIAS, Associated Press | June 4, 2015 | Updated: June 4, 2015 5:44pm

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A California attorney who successfully fought a legal battle to practice law despite his immigration status got his green card Thursday and can now live in the U.S. legally as well.

Sergio Garcia, 38, first applied for permanent U.S. residency in 1994 at the age of 17 after his family moved from Mexico to California. "It's an incredible relief," Garcia said after picking up the drivers' license-like card from his post office box in Chico, north of Sacramento.

The green card was granted on the heels of the law license he obtained in 2014 after a five-year legal and political battle that included opposition from the Obama administration and a favorable ruling in January from the California Supreme Court.

The license was granted after Gov. Jerry Brown signed a specially crafted bill passed by the Legislature to let Garcia practice law.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/APNewsBreak-California-lawyer-gets-green-card-6307329.php