Obama Expands Immigration Lawlessness

By Frosty Wooldridge

New Unauthorized Policies Allowing Illegal Aliens to Stay

Dan Stein, director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, www.fairus.org , presented a clearer picture of President Obama’s disregard for the U.S. Constitution.  Obama last week granted amnesty by not enforcing the laws.

“In our opinion, last week’s dramatic policy changes allowing non-criminal illegal aliens to remain the U.S. represents the most significant immigration related story of the year (and of Obama’s term thus far) and one with broad constitutional implications for other policy areas,” said Stein.  “We urge you to explore this issue and the far reaching consequences this practice of sidestepping Congress poses. FAIR is available for comment this week and next.

“Over the past year a series of policy memos from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been issued suggesting that immigration enforcement focus primarily on illegal aliens in the U.S. who have criminal records and ignore illegal aliens without criminal backgrounds.

“Last week, however, there was a dramatic shift.  What had been policy “suggestions” to dismiss large categories of illegal aliens is now a detailed, formalized process that will stop immigration enforcement against all illegal aliens who have not been convicted of a crime. The Administration has decided to dismiss all cases that don’t meet its “highest priority,” namely all illegal aliens who have not yet been convicted of a felony.

“Under the guise of reallocating limited resources to deport the “worst of the worst,” ICE will now review 300,000 pending removal cases of illegal aliens on a case-by-case basis.

The new move also allows illegal aliens to apply for work authorization once their removal cases are closed.  This is a benefit that Congress has never afforded to illegal aliens, however the Obama administration has added a work visa onto the new pseudo legal status created for illegal aliens.

“The Obama Administration’s announcement is tantamount to lawlessness.  By choosing to ignore the immigration laws enacted by Congress, the Obama Administration is triggering a crisis of confidence and trust in the U.S. rule of law and introducing attractive incentives for additional illegal entries. 

“With this policy, it is clear that the Administration has no intention whatsoever to enforce current immigration laws, or provide the teeth necessary to effectively enforce future laws.  Pending legislation such as mandatory national E-Verify will fail to deliver any relief to American workers with the Administration choosing to wipe the slate clean for any illegal alien workers identified through the program.

“While public attitudes about amnesty or a “pathway to citizenship” for the nearly 13 million illegal aliens in the U.S. remain divided, all Americans – and all members of Congress – regardless of their opinion on amnesty, must reject an executive abuse of power that seeks to accomplish administratively what has been rejected legislatively.

“This administration’s decision to circumvent Congress to allow potentially millions of illegal aliens to remain – and work – in the country shows the President’s brazen disregard for the rule of law and the checks and balances created under the U.S. Constitution.”

You may contact Dan Stein at : Federation for American Immigration Reform
25 Massachusetts Avenue – Suite 330 Washington DC, 20001
www.fairus.org


 

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Frosty Wooldridge is a member of the board at FAIR.