U.S. to stop deporting young illegal immigrants

The change drew a swift repudiation from Republican lawmakers, who accused Mr. Obama of circumventing Congress in an effort to boost his political standing and of favoring illegal immigrants over unemployed U.S. citizens.

"President Obama and his administration once again have put partisan politics and illegal immigrants ahead of the rule of law and the American people," Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, GOP chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement.

Republicans including Romney say they want tighter border security measures before they will consider changes in immigration law. Romney opposes offering legal status to illegal immigrants who attend college but has said he would do so for those who serve in the armed forces.

Praise for the new policy was also swift. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, called the decision "an historic humanitarian moment" and compared it to the decision two decades ago to give political asylum to Cuban refugees fleeing the communist island. "This is at least a reflection of that moment in history."

In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, "Ending deportations of innocent young people who have the potential to drive tomorrow's economy is long overdue, as are many commonsense reforms needed to center our immigration policy around our economic needs."

Midway through his remarks, Mr. Obama was interrupted by a reporter from a conservative online publication, Neil Munro of the Daily Caller, who shouted, "Why do you favor foreigners over American workers?" Clearly irritated, Mr. Obama said that he was explaining the policy, not looking for an argument, and that the change was the "right thing to do for the American people."

Napolitano said Friday the decision "is well within the framework of our existing laws."

"We should not forget that we are a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants," she said. "With respect to these young people, deferred action, the decision I announced today, is simply the right thing to do."

The Obama administration's deportation policies have come under fire, and Latino leaders have raised the subject in private meetings with the president. In 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported a record 396,906 people and is expected to deport about 400,000 this year.

A December poll by the Pew Hispanic Center showed that 59 percent of Latinos disapproved of the president's handling of deportations.

The administration announcement comes ahead of an expected Supreme Court decision on Arizona's tough 2010 immigration law that, among other things, requires police to ask for immigration papers from anyone they stop or arrest and suspect is in the country illegally. The Obama administration has challenged the law.

The exact details of how the program will work, including how much immigrants will have to pay to apply and what proof they will need, still are being worked out.

Administration officials stopped short of calling the change an administrative DREAM Act, but the qualifications track with those laid out in a 2010 version that failed in the Senate after passing in the House. They said comprehensive overhaul of the immigration system remained an administration priority.

Illegal immigrant children won't be eligible to apply for the deportation waiver until they turn 16, but officials said younger children won't be deported, either.

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[40calglock]

U.S. Presidents have issued executive orders since 1789, usually to help officers and agencies of the executive branch manage the operations within the federal government itself. Executive orders have the full force of law,[1] since issuances are typically made in pursuance of certain Acts of Congress, some of which specifically delegate to the President some degree of discretionary power (delegated legislation), or are believed to take authority from a power granted directly to the Executive by the Constitution. However, these perceived justifications cited by Presidents when authoring Executive Orders have come under criticism for exceeding Executive authority; at various times throughout U.S. history, challenges to the legal validity or justification for an order have resulted in legal proceedings.

[michaelz06]

In the grand scheme, a relatively small impact gesture, but another example of a purely politically motivated manuever. This clown's pandering for votes really knows no bounds. I only hope and pray that enough are intelligent enough not to be fooled again. Obama needs to be relegated to a historical footnote as quickly as possible.

[carwatt]

This is a MUST see video Immigration, World Poverty & Gumballs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... for those that think open borders or amnesty is the way to go. I've had my day in the sun, raised a wonderful son and had an excellent career until disability hit.

I used to want Grandchildren, now, not so sure as this world is so screwed up. This Native American knows open borders will only drive this nation into poverty, one I do NOT want for future generations.

Octomom created a life of poverty for her children as she could NOT afford them, USA now on a much grander scale, can't take in the entire world!

More stories and free faxes at www.numbersusa.com

[model67a]

It doesn't take an Einstein to see what Obama is doing. Obama and Holder are completely against voter photo ID and then Obama lets in 800,000 illegals. They are not elible to vote, but how many of them do you think "are" going to vote for Obama in November. This administration does thing right out in the open and thinks we are not smart enough to see it. Also we may as well not have a Congress. Obama just bypasses them. There is supposed to be a distribution of power in our government, but as it is now Obama has taken over all the power.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Immediately embraced by Hispanics, the extraordinary step touched off an election-year confrontation with congressional Republicans.

---

Repubs are in the difficult position, by their own choosing of course, of trying to convince Hispanics that taking away their Constitutional rights is actually GOOD for them and they should vote repub to get more of the same.

Tough sell.....

[toddclemmer]

It's a hoot when a "FormerUSMCSergeant" thinks illegals are covered under the constitution. I doubt you are one, or actually I do.

[riptide213]

America welcomes legal immigrants' not dishonest sidestepping procedure dodgers!

Illegal immigration presents a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States.

No other way to understand the risk of so many unauthorized persons within a secure area.

Time has come to secure the country's porous borders from criminal exploitation and political manipulation by all enemies foreign and domestic.

Makes an irrefutable mockery of all US tax funded resources exhausted every year by a failed border protection policy that gives way to amnesty by default for political motivation and for all the wrong reasons.

Shameful stealth blanket amnesty to criminals who violated US law to evade established sovereign national border control.

Wicked 21st century version of treason by an elected US official in public office against the country and its lawful inhabitants.

Insult and denigrating toward all honest, law abiding, taxpaying US citizens and legal immigrants who follow the rules to be a rule abiding member of American society.

Devalues what it meant to enter and stay in US under our existing generous lawful front door immigration process by stamping a tacit seal of approval to illegal back door US border control transgressions.

Why control annual lawful front door immigration with stringent quotas and acute criteria; only to have illegals gain and retain implied lawful status to remain and public government support.

Halt all US lawful immigration until illegal immigration encumbrances are resolved once and for all for all the right reasons.

One way exit bus ride home for each and every illegal and unlawful border offender is more than a fair generous gesture on behalf of the American taxpayers.

Anything else is fruad, waste, and abuse of tax cash.

[BobRooney3]

Obama's Amnesty Is Unconstitutional, Disaster for Unemployed.
If you against any kind of Amnesty, go to this website and register.
Google this: NUMBERSUSA. Once you are registered, go to the "action board"

[james23223]

The President is quoted everywhere as stating that his new decree of non-deportation of about 800,000 illegal immigrants and allowing them to stay in the US is to benefit those illegal immigrants who attend college or have served in the military. I was a former Master Recruiter and recruiting station commander and unless something drastic has changed, the regulations adamantly prohibited enlistment for any non-citizen applicant without a valid green card. I know I was unable to process illegal immigrants for enlistment. Who are these illegal immigrants unlawfully enlisted into military service and where are the charges against their recruiters? http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/enlcitizen.htm
(CBS News example at http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57453916/u.s-to-stop-deporting-young-illegal-immigrants/?tag=stack)

[realist2010]

Okay Republicans, time for a grain of honesty in your lives. What is the difference between what Obama just did and what Marco Rubio was about to propose?

A little red faced are you?

[OweninNJ]

realist2010: The answer you seek is that there is no Dream Act that has been passed into law. Obama is just throwing a bone to a voting constituency while abrogating existing immigration law. Congress has twice considered the so called "Dream Act", once in a completely Democrat congress and it was rejected. Therefore it is not law. What Obama is doing is making policy that stands in contradiction to existing law. However, if you support this move, you'll state that you don't care; the law is an ass, Bush did it or any other dodges that you think support your 'cause'. But, someday you will care when a president you don't support end runs around a congress to institute a policy that you despise. Meanwhile, the current president divides the electorate hoping to cobble together a workable coalition large enough to reelect him.

[w_roos]

Hey republicorns, this is worse than anmesty. It's downright compassion. Nothing worse than compassion if you're a conservative republican...

[omnibus66]

90% of you Fake News addicts don't even know (or care about) the specifics of his executive order. You might want to check out what it actually entails before you show your ignorance by regurgitating what you heard Hannity say. You have a right to your opinion, but why not use your mind to actually form your own opinion, not someone elses.