Obama Amnesty Creates Chaos for States

By Frosty Wooldridge

Showdown Underway to Deny Benefits and Driver’s Licenses

After his executive amnesty took effect last week, states find themselves besieged by millions of illegal migrants clamoring for benefits and driver’s licenses. However, chaos reigns because those illegal aliens do not have birth certificates, no legal foundation for remaining in the country and there is no way to validate their claims as to their entry dates.

Dan Stein, president of The Federation for America Immigration Reform, www.FairUS.org, put the entire fiasco into focus this week.  I spoke with him concerning the unconstitutional amnesty.

What are the problems facing states Mr. Stein?

“Last Wednesday was the official beginning of President Obama’s executive amnesty but it seems the details are yet to be ironed out,” said Stein. While illegal aliens and their attorneys work to identify all possible loopholes to gain amnesty and a smorgasbord of benefits, states are left trying to mitigate its effects.

“On the day the Obama Administration’s backdoor amnesty for almost two million illegal aliens up to the age of 30 took effect, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer was the first to recognize that her state would be liable for the costs resulting from an estimated 80,000 illegal aliens who would become eligible for additional benefits. She immediately issued an executive order prohibiting Arizona from granting taxpayer-funded benefits, including driver’s licenses, unemployment benefits, and professional licenses, to illegal aliens receiving deferred action. Governor Brewer’s executive order, 2012-06, requires state agencies to undertake the necessary changes to continue to bar illegal aliens from state benefits.

“Nebraska was the next state to announce plans to continue to bar illegal aliens from receiving state identification and benefits.”

On Friday, Governor Dave Heineman released a statement saying, “The State of Nebraska will continue its practice of not issuing driver’s licenses, welfare benefits or other public benefits to illegal immigrants unless specifically authorized by Nebraska statute.”

“Predictably, California, which already allows illegal aliens access to a myriad of taxpayer-funded benefits, was eager to embrace those granted pseudo legal status by the Obama administration,” said Stein. “However, the Department of Motor Vehicles is now backtracking on initial statements indicating illegal aliens would be eligible to receive California driver’s licenses. So far, at least three states have challenged the implementation of Obama’s amnesty but virtually every other state will have to consider for itself how and if it will absorb the cost and impact of the new policy.

“The Obama administration acted rashly, and wrongly, by unilaterally enacting an amnesty policy. Without any approval from Congress or a thorough and transparent review of requirements and implementation, White House politicos hatched a half-baked policy to appease the President’s Hispanic voting base. Now, state governments are dealing with the fallout and the Obama administration has set the stage for yet another immigration battle.”

California Continues to Expand Haven for Illegal Aliens
Assembly Moving Quickly to Block ICE from Detaining Criminal Aliens

“Last week the California State Senate amended and passed AB 1081, a bill that prohibits state and local law enforcement agents from honoring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers unless certain conditions are met,” said Stein. “Under federal regulation, once ICE issues a detainer for an alien in state or local custody for an independent offense, jail officials are obligated to hold them for up to 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) so that ICE agents can pick up them up.

“The bill is returning to the Assembly for final approval after being amended and passed by the Senate in July. The bill limits the circumstances under which state and local officers can hold an illegal alien for ICE. If passed, the bill would allow law enforcement to detain illegal aliens ONLY when they have been convicted of or are currently in custody for a serious or violent felony. Even then, officers are not required to hold illegal aliens in custody for ICE, only given the “discretion” to do so.

“The expansion of sanctuary policies beyond the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco should be a wake-up call to Californians. As they deal with drastic cuts to education, health care, and other taxpayer-funded services, their state continues to roll out the red carpet for illegal aliens – even criminals! And, it is not only Californians who will be affected by this most dangerous sanctuary policy. Other Americans and legal residents will suffer the repercussions of California’s failure to cooperate with the federal government in the interest of public safety and national security.

“The Assembly is back in session today and can take up AB 1081 anytime after the completion of a third reading of the bill.”

Contact Dan Stein, better yet, join FAIR in its battle to reduce all immigration into the United States.  www.FairUS.org

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Frosty Wooldridge is a member of the board of directors at FAIR.

Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents – from the Arctic to the South Pole – as well as eight times across the USA, coast to coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece. In 2012, he bicycled coast to coast across America.  His latest book is: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World by Frosty Wooldridge, copies at 1 888 280 7715/ Motivational program: How to Live a Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World by Frosty Wooldridge, click:

www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com