Obama: No deportation of some young illegal immigrants
President Barack Obama on Friday announced a major election-year immigration policy shift to halt the deportation of certain younger illegal immigrants and grant them work permits, infuriating Republicans with what the president said is a step toward making the country’s immigration system “more fair, more efficient and more just.”
In a speech from the Rose Garden, Obama explained that the new policy would spare young people who are “Americans in their heart” the fear of deportation.
Continue Reading“These are young people who studied in our schools. They play in our neighborhoods, they’re friends with our kids, they pledge allegiance to our flag. They’re Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one — on paper,” the president said. “They were brought to this country by their parents, sometimes even as infants, and often have no idea that they’re undocumented until they apply for a job or a driver’s license or a college scholarship.”
The new rule, which bypasses Congress and is effective immediately, could affect hundreds of thousands of people who are in the country without legal papers.
In his speech, Obama also blasted Republicans for blocking the passage of the DREAM Act, which would give some illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. The rule will apply to those under 30 who were brought to the U.S. before the age of 16 and are considered to present no risk to national security or public safety.
“I’ve said time and time again to Congress: send me the DREAM Act, put it on my desk, and I will sign it right away,” he said. “Both parties wrote this legislation a year and a half ago, Democrats passed the DREAM Act in the House but Republicans walked away from it. It got 55 votes in the senate but Republicans blocked it.”
The president, who was visibly irritated when the Daily Caller’s Neil Munro interrupted his remarks, emphasized that he would not give up on achieving comprehensive immigration reform during his presidency.
“As long as I’m president, I will not give up on this issue, not only because it’s the right thing to do for our economy … not just because it’s the right thing to do for our security, but because it’s the right thing to do period,” he said.
The Department of Homeland Security announced the new policy Friday morning, drawing reactions from outraged Republicans even before the president’s speech. Conservative lawmakers were quick to accuse the president of overstepping his authority by making a major immigration shift without congressional approval.
Iowa Rep. Steve King, for example, said Obama is “planning to usurp the constitutional authority of the United States Congress” and for giving “amnesty by edict” to illegal immigrants. King said Congress voted against the DREAM Act and that it is unacceptable for the president to move forward with the policy shift anyway. He even warned on Mike Huckabee’s radio show that he is prepared to sue the administration.
Other Republicans, including Reps. Allen West and Peter King and Sen. Chuck Grassley, also expressed their disappointment. Grassley charged that the president is putting “election-year politics above responsible policies.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Marco Rubio — whose parents are Cuban immigrants — said the new rule threatens the goal of reducing the number of illegal immigrants but did acknowledge that it would provide at least a short-term sense of relief to some illegal immigrants.
“Today’s announcement will be welcome news for many of these kids desperate for an answer, but it is a short-term answer to a long-term problem,” the Florida Republican said. “And by once again ignoring the Constitution and going around Congress, this short-term policy will make it harder to find a balanced and responsible long-term one.”
The action further refines the administration’s announcement last summer that it would undertake a review of the cases of some 300,000 illegal immigrants who were facing deportations, and allow some of those determined to have no criminal record to stay in the country. The change does not, however, offer eligible individuals a path to citizenship.
“Our nation’s immigration laws must be enforced in a firm and sensible manner,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said. “But they are not designed to be blindly enforced without consideration given to the individual circumstances of each case. Nor are they designed to remove productive young people to countries where they may not have lived or even speak the language. Discretion, which is used in so many other areas, is especially justified here.”
The application process will begin within two months, DHS said. The change could affect as many as 800,000 immigrants, according to The Associated Press. To be eligible, one must have lived in the U.S. for at least five years and have a clean criminal record. The individual must also currently be in school, have graduated from high school or were honorably discharged from the Coast Guard or Armed Forces.
The new policy comes just months before the general election, when the Latino vote is expected to play an important role. Hispanic leaders have called on Obama to do more to change the country’s deportation policies with Congress filing to pass the so-called DREAM Act.
Readers' Comments (467)
"The Obama administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives."
OBAMA IS VIOLATING THE LAW BY EXECUTIVE FIAT.
Doesn't the Constitutional Law Professor-in-Chief know that only Congress can change Federal Law?
Why do Obama and the other leftists favor illegal immigrants over hard working citizens who need jobs?
More of Obama's government by waiver.
Laws apply to everyone equally, except when they don't.
Then stop calling them illegal
In a leftist Big Government regime The Bureaucrats have more power than The People.
Obama uses unbridled bureaucratic power against the wishes of The People every single day. Because of Obama and his EPA electricity prices will triple or more by 2015. Because of Obama many kids just graduating high school will lose their jobs to illegal immigrants. The only way to stop him is to vote him out in November.
What a crock!! For one thing all this is ,is nothing more than pandering to the illegals for latino votes.Who can possibly verify how old these people were when they snuck in here,how long they have been here,and even what their real identities are?. Add to this the fact that this will open up the floodgates and encourage millions more to violate our borders and come here illegally for the amnesty that will certainly result in many new Democrat voters and the weakening of our economy and soverienty.Obama might just as well invite A-jad to send in all the Quds forces and Alquaida through Mexico,which by the way, is already happening,along with MS 13, and the Mexican drug cartels. This will do nothing but encourage more illegal aliens to invade our country and we need to seal our borders,enforce our immigration laws like they do in Mexico, and get this lunatic out of office in Nov. and then reverse this slap in the face to not only all legal citizens,but to our congress and all those proud Americans who came here the RIGHT way. And as a post script,isn't it a coincidence that this plan is almost a carbon copy of one proposed by Marco Rubio and just "happened" to come out right after his-which is also wrong. Talk about a cheap thunder stealing shot .Even one of our dumbed down public school educated mush heads can see through this one.
ROFL!!!!
Marco Rubio's immigration reform -- almost word for word!
The LA Times *CASTIGATED* the Rubio bill for being a "dead end for undocumented youth".
I wonder how long it will take the LA Times to now praise Rubio's bill now that Owebummer is going to propose the very same plan as well?
Here's what Harry Reid had to say about Rubio's plan: "I am not going to agree to anything that is short of allowing these young men and women to become citizens after they make the sacrifices they do."
Is he now going to buy in wholeheartedly to Owebummers plan?
I just LOVE it! Let's see just how many hypcrites appear in the Marxist Democrat ranks now that Owebummer has stolen Rubio's plan!
But, looking at it objectively, that's exactly what they are by virtue of their presence in this country. Whether or not the government cares is irrelevant.
144 days of this lawbreaker left
Your source for this?
Stop your crying! Nothing worse than cry baby GOP. I thought liberals were bad but the hissy fit-throwing GOP takes the cake.
There is no longer a need for fences in the United States. Anyone who feels like it can come and live and integrate into the community and use the resources there,,,no need for documentation. Just make a home wherever you feel like. Plug into the utilities, get a job, and live on someone else's land, blend in, have a family and scream and shout when called an illegal....then this government will wave their magic wand and you will be magically legal.
I know of some choice properties I'd like to inhabit. I need to start making plans.
There is no longer a need for fences in the United States. Anyone who feels like it can come and live and integrate into the community and use the resources there,,,no need for documentation. Just make a home wherever you feel like. Plug into the utilities, get a job, and live on someone else's land, blend in, have a family and scream and shout when called an illegal....then this government will wave their magic wand and you will be magically legal.
I know of some choice properties I'd like to inhabit. I need to start making plans.
The Obama Administration probably should have taken this tack to begin with. Instead, presumably trying to demonstrate their "toughness" on illegal immigrants to swing voters, they simply deported every undocumented immigrant they could get their hands on. Now that the election is nearing and the President absolutely requires the Hispanic vote if he's to have a chance to win, not too surprisingly, they've reversed course and decided to allow "deserving" undocumented immigrants to stay.
The President will get lambasted in the press for this, and rightly so. It seems to clearly demonstrate that he is playing politics with an issue which should not be political, but rather a matter of law. Conservatives and the right-wing press will have a field day, and the President has once again demonstrated, as was the case with his coming out in favor of same-sex marriage, that his vaunted political instincts are flawed at best, and that his "principles," if indeed he has any, can be bought for a few votes. This does not bode well for Democrats in November.
Federal Immigration and Nationality Act
Section 8 USC 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)(b)(iii)
"Any person who . . . encourages or induces an alien to . . . reside . . . knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such . . . residence is . . . in violation of law, shall be punished as provided . . . for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs . . . fined under title 18 . . . imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both."
Section 274 felonies under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, INA 274A(a)(1)(A):
A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or local government) commits a federal felony when she or he:
* assists an alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporting, sheltering, or assisting him or her to obtain employment, or
* encourages that alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or
* knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions.
Well Mr Holder, are you going to allow the DHS to break the law?
the Latino
Would Obama and INS so eager to apply these changes were the majority of illegals white Anglo Saxons?
Is it political?
Yes
Is is reasonable?
Yes
Is it the same as the GOP stance with Rubio?
Yes
Will the GOP throw Rubio under the bus to criticize the President?
Absolutely
GOP For it til they are against it
This has to be the best thing Obama has done. Bravo Mr. President. We're looking forward to your next 4 years.
Obama's new campaign slogan to illegal aliens--IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE
Why is letting illegals stay in the country as DHS [or Obama] decision alone? Another reason why Obama must be voted out of office in 2012. With regards to his vision, the election in 2010 was a resounding NO to his vision. Not our fault he chose not to listen.
From AP
The extraordinary step comes one week before President Barack Obama plans to address the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials' annual conference in Orlando, Fla. Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney is scheduled to speak to the group on Thursday.
Well, that answers the question of "why now?" Purely for political reasons.
You must be logged in to comment
Not yet a member?
Register Now