Obama Administration Must Enforce America’s Immigration Laws. Or so America would expect the Executive branch of the government to adhere to the laws in place.
Sneaky amnesty for illegal immigrants? Decide for yourself. The Heritage Foundation has an excellent piece discussing the need for immigration enforcement, yet the real illegal immigration agenda emanating straight from the White House today.
First, the Obama Administration fundamentally changed the contours of the Section 287(g) program that empowered state and local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law. Though only a “revision,” the new policy placed unnecessary new financial and administrative burdens on states and localities. It further limited the ability of state and local law enforcement to check the immigration status of those arrested to individuals arrested for “serious offenses.”
Next, the Obama Administration failed to develop any coherent border security policy, even as it moved away from the gains made in the last few years of the Bush Administration. After the White House dismantled the SBInet program and ceased any new physical fence work, the void left the border as porous as ever. A move to put 1,200 National Guard troops at the border was more politics than substance, as Guard troops are severely limited in their ability to assist the Border Patrol beyond administrative and maintenance duties. While this decision may have made sense in previous years where the simple lack of Border Patrol manpower hindered its ability to secure the border, a robust recruitment program by the Bush Administration has left the Border Patrol much better staffed.
Then, the President himself sat in silence as Mexican President Felipe Caldron lectured to Americans from the Rose Garden, chastising them for their lack of interest in subsidizing the Mexican economy through remittances or absorbing its poorest citizens. Never mind that Calderon’s own failed policies have failed to create economic opportunities for his people at home, let alone stem the horrific violence now spilling over into the U.S.
Still worse, the Obama Administration abandoned worksite enforcement policies that resulted in record levels of arrests, deportations, and penalties against scofflaw employers and replaced it with a “soft” audit process that allows illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. In some cases, the Administration is releasing illegal immigrants apprehended with temporary work permits.
To the surprise of no one, the Administration then sued the state of Arizona to stop it from enforcing its own laws dealing with illegal immigrants within its jurisdiction. Regardless of whether Arizona eventually prevails (which it likely will), the lawsuit itself will certainly chill action by other states, especially during such austere times when paying large legal bills is an unattractive option.
Finally, over the last month, reports indicate that an internal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memorandum blatantly advised the leadership at USCIS—and, presumably, Secretary Janet Napolitano—to simply ignore the law. According to reports, the memo advised officials not to issue “Notice to Appear” letters to those illegal immigrants who did not have another avenue to use to delay their deportation. In conjunction with that memo, it was uncovered that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun to review and dismiss cases of non-criminal illegal immigrants, which will allow those illegal immigrants to remain in America.
Sadly, we see the reality being dictated from above down to ICE. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are being told to freely let illegal immigrants into the United States, as long as they have no criminal cases pending.
New Immigration Policy to Halt Some Illegal Immigrant Deportations. Fox. A memo was released August 20, 2010 directing the ICE agents to dismiss deportation proceedings against illegals who are married or have a U.S. citizen or legal resident who has filed a petition on their behalf. No criminal, serious, or adverse issues though.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, likened the change to a “free pass” for illegal immigrants, a characterization federal authorities denied.
A Department of Homeland Security official told Fox News that the new policy was designed in July 2009 to improve docket efficiency.
The Feds will certainly be able to clear their dockets now. Instead of doing their job, backlog and all, they would rather just let them in. Then it makes them look like they are working doing something.
Indeed. Something illegal in and of itself. Violating federal laws already in place by ignoring them. Laws that apply to everyone. The Executive branch of the U.S. government included.
See:
