The Obama administration has announced a significant change to U.S. immigration policy. Illegal immigrants with family in the United States may now become permanent residents.
Obama’s decision to grant residency status to illegal immigrants with family in the United States could have a large impact in Florida, which is home, by conservative estimates, to 700,000 illegal immigrants. Last year, Obama endorsed a rule change that allows illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children to be shielded from deportation.
Barack Obama’s first term as president was tough for illegal immigrants. His administration deported more than 1 million immigrants, many of whom were not criminals. PBS Frontlinereported on some of the fallout of Obama’s immigration enforcement system as well as stories about hidden abuse in immigrant detention centers.
In fact, according to a 2011 investigation by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, a program aimed at removing illegal immigrants who were violent criminals was used to target and deport immigrants with no criminal backgrounds.
According to the FCIR investigation. “Twenty-eight percent of the 75,461 immigrants deported since Secure Communities’ inception in 2008 have been ‘non-criminal’ immigrants, while just 23 percent of those detained and deported have convictions for violent crimes such as murder or rape. Federal officials classify “non-criminals” as those who have been booked by police for an alleged crime but never convicted. Secure Communities has been particularly effective in detaining and deporting non-criminals from Florida, where 42 percent of those detained did not have criminal convictions. Only 20 percent of those detained in Florida had felony convictions for violent crimes.”
Immigrant justice groups have long criticized the president for deporting immigrants at such a high rate over the past few years.
Despite the backlash, however, Latinos in the United States helped catapult the president to his second term in November. Obama had signaled throughout the campaign – and more strongly right after his win — that he would revisit immigration reform.
Now, Obama has signaled that he intends to make good on his promises.
According to the Los Angeles Times. “Illegal immigrants who are immediate relatives of American citizens will have an easier path to permanent residency under a new Obama administration rule that could affect as many as 1 million of the estimated 11 million people unlawfully in the United States. The rule issued Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security aims to reduce the time illegal immigrants are separated from their U.S. families while seeking legal status, officials said. Beginning March 4, illegal immigrants who can demonstrate that time apart from an American spouse, child or parent would create “extreme hardship” can apply for a visa without leaving the United States. Once approved, applicants would be required to leave briefly in order to return to their native country and pick up their visa. Sources said that the administration might expand the changes to include relatives of lawful permanent residents.”
–Ashley Lopez, Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Clint says
Imagine that ! Being illegal now gets you “legal status” in America. Well I’m just at a loss for words.
I feel like Alice in Wonderland after she went down the rabbit hole. Everything that’s “up” is now “down”.
If your a criminal you now are set free. If your “rich” you now have to give all your money to the “poor”.
If your an “illegal” your now a “citizen” of the NEW country……USSA….United States of Socialist America !
ted says
This is Immigration Reform? …the dictator in charge decides. Welcome to the Kingdom of America his kingship Obama the King of Hawaii is now King of America. That what you get for paying 7 Mil for his latest vacation. Now go pay more taxes we have more mouths to feed.
confidential says
@Clint.
Maybe Obama looks at the bad economic results shown in AZ after Jan Brewer signed SB1070:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/02/arizona-immigration-law_n_2397547.html?ir=Politics&ref=topbar#slide=1141234
Also Obama is aware that our second top trading parter of American Goods Exported is Mexico:
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/toppartners.html
Maybe the above should be taken into account by us all.
Dave Francis says
IF AMERICANS DON’T SPEAK UP, WE CANNOT EXPECT ANY RECOURSE?
If President Obama is going to use his presidential concessions to pass new laws allowing millions of illegal aliens to stay and the Congress going along with this outrageous policy issue then we have no alternative as taxpayers to fight back. To return some commonsense to the hierarchy in the Senate and House we must demand the political parties re-energize the LEGAL WORKFORCE BILL (H.R.2885), that exerts mandatory E-Verify on businesses giving them no excuse for using unauthorized workers, when 24 million Americans have no employment. Harsh examples should be publicized of prosecutable accountability with prison sentences applied. The U.S. populace is forced by court orders to financially support foreign nationals once they slip through our border or the other 46 percent who just fly in from other countries misrepresenting themselves as tourists. Another bill that has been swept under the rug by both political parties is the smuggling of unborn children into the United States. This 14th Amendment misconception has been applied to every new child here, but has been distorted from the original intent for the freedom of slaves to inherit citizenship after the Emancipation Declaration.
For decades automatic baby citizenship has been drowning this sovereign nation in the most expensive aspect of illegal immigration, which is costing well over a hundred billion dollars annually, which is a conservative statistic; much of this debt has been unloaded on the 50 states.. It is a unique scheme that once an undetected pregnant woman arrives here, that the taxpayer becomes the breadwinner forever. The United States proffers food stamps, aid to these dependent families and free education to citizen children of illegal parents. The Mothers come for free baby delivery and then collect a lifetime of welfare allowances. The BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP BILL (H.R. 140) can end citizenship for babies and this will also retire “FOOTHOLD CHAIN MIGRATION “of bringing in even other family members that in most instances become public assistance charges. This tax money should be spent on citizens and legal residents for their safety-net. Illegal aliens are not immigrants and should not justify being called anything but that term, even though the well-oiled Liberal Progressives has determined that?
lgjhere says
A new book/ebook explains the role, struggles, and contributions of immigrants and minorities: “What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z: How to understand crazy American culture, people, government, business, language and more.” Endorsed by ambassadors, educators, and editors, it paints a revealing picture of America on numerous subjects for those who will benefit from a better understanding. Immigrants and the children they bear account for 60 percent of our nation’s population growth and are 60 percent more likely to start a new business than native-born Americans. It identifies “foreigners” who became successful in the US and contributed to our society. However, most struggle in their efforts and need guidance. Perhaps intelligent immigration reform, concerned citizens and books like this can extend a helping hand.
Here’s a closing quote from the book’s Intro: “With all of our cultural differences though, you’ll be surprised to learn how much our countries—and we as human beings—have in common on this little third rock from the sun. After all, the song played at our Disneyland parks around the world is ‘It’s A Small World After All.’ Peace.” http://www.AmericaAtoZ.com