Associated Press
Obama greets supporters after speaking on immigration policy in El Paso last year.
Nearly two months after President Obama made a surprise announcement, deciding to implement many of the goals of the Dream Act, today is a breakthrough day.
The Obama administration will kick off one of the most sweeping changes in immigration policy in decades Wednesday, allowing an estimated 1.7 million young undocumented immigrants to apply for the temporary right to live and work openly in the United States without fear of deportation.
Immigrants have waited for final details of the plan in the two months since President Obama pledged to brush aside years of congressional stalemate over the Dream Act and grant de facto residency to qualified immigrants who were brought to the country as children.
On Tuesday, officials surprised advocacy groups by posting the application forms online one day early. Advocates across the country are planning workshops Wednesday for hundreds of immigrants eager to learn who will qualify and how to apply.
As Ned Resnikoff explained, eligibility applies to immigrants to came to the United States illegally before they turned 16, are now between the ages of 15 and 30, and have been living in the United States for at least five years. Additionally, they must be either students, high school graduates, or honorably discharged service members.
This is, not surprisingly, being treated by immigration advocates as cause for great celebration. Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) told the Post, "This is single largest opportunity we've had since [the amnesty program of] 1986 to bring people out of the shadows and into documented status," referencing the Reagan amnesty policy of a quarter-century ago.
Republicans continue to speak out against Obama's policy -- Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) called it "unconscionable" yesterday -- though less so at the national level. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan oppose the Dream Act, but given their fear of alienating millions of Latino voters, both seem reluctant to say much of anything about the subject today.
If the Romney-Ryan ticket wins in November, it's likely Obama's new policy will be undone and the hopes of so many families will be dashed, but for now, it's a "dream" come true families who've waited a generation for this kind of progress.
Leave a Comment:
Don't discount Mittens & Pauly-boy or their surrogates from saying something that will alienate immigrants, that's just their M.O.!
Lock up yer wimmen and chirrun- the Messicans is acomin'!
Visas? They no longer need no stinkin' visas. . .
no one is arguing that illegal immigration is a good thing what is being argued and rightfully so is that children shouldn't get punished (deportation) for their PARENTS crime...
Its so unfair for the Lefties to keep bringing up Reagan's Amnesty Policy ...
Why can't you Lefties allow the Righties to continue their fantasy by their chanting REAGAN without actually LOOKING at Reagan, seems you're intent on destroying the illusion!
Of course these days, chanting "Reagan" is too complicated for them.
They mostly just chant "U S A ! U S A !" (especially whenever they hear anyone else saying anything that might challenge their illusions/delusions).
;-)
I'm VERY HAPPY the president did this. Politics aside, it was the right thing to do! THANK YOU Mr. President.
¡ Felicidades, compatriotas!
;-)
Let's see, what a hard choice.
1. shipping young people back into a country of poverty, drug wars, and little opportunity for a better life...OR
2. keep the young people here in the Land of Opportunity, set them on the road to a good education, and watch them lift the US up on the international educational ranking through hard work and effort.
"Out of 34 countries, the U.S. ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math."
Hey! here is an idea. Lets stomp on the constitution and ignore congress so we can buy more votes. I'll just write another executive order.
Pres. Raegan and his crony Kookla Fran and Ollie North stomped on the constitution and ignored congress when they had some shady dealings to get the money to buy weapons from the Iranians who held our people hostage. Then, despite congress, they gave them to the terrorist Contras who were no better than the Sandinistas. Besides this do nothing congress deserves to be ignored!
, set them on the road to a good education, and watch them lift the US up on the international educational ranking through hard work and effort.
Therein lies the crux of the matter! That "good education" is for the 1% ONLY. They want to be sure their dynasty continues without competition. People like the RoMoneys' feel it belongs to them, or in the words of Ann "it's our turn." Don't worry though, "you people" will be allowed to clean our many pools and landscape our many properties and clean our many toilets as long as you remember your place!
The privilege and entitlement just drips off them. I can smell it through the TV and it stinks.
You have a solid point. Education even at trade school level is high cost and debt-creating. But the money jobs require the higher degrees and so folks are locked into a cycle of student loans vs. higher wages.
If education was more affordable, there would be less folks settling for the decreasing number of low-wage, low-requirement jobs and more folks getting into the high skills jobs where the better wages are, which is what America needs to compete in the global trade markets.
I'm sad to see so much fear, hate, and anger towards people wanting to immigrate and become US citizens.
I've been quoting the following a lot today...
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
I am appalled that this or any other Administration would grant rewards and special treatment for immigration lawbreaking. What a slap in the face to those who have applied for LEGAL entry, waited the wait, paid the fees, went through a background check. This is positively disgusting! We have THE MOST GENEROUS IMMIGRATION LAWS IN THE WORLD--- permitting appx. 1 MILLION People to come here LEGALLY EVERY YEAR! NO ONE should receive rewards for breaking our laws!
I will not be voting for Obama or any other politician who pledges rewards and special treatment for ILLEGAL FOREIGN NATIONALS. This (like Reagan's 1986 Amnesty) will only ensure that exponentially millions more will break our laws in the hopes of one day receiving rewards for their LAWBREAKING!
Obama should lose in November 2012! A GOVERNMENT WHICH REFUSES TO ENFORCE ITS OWN LAWS IS INTOLERABLE!
I don't see your point. Rupert Murdock applied and got American citizenship legally, as you put it, and he's done more to destroy US media credibility, US political dialogue, and US domestic tranquility than every single one of these immigrant kids will ever do. Obama is giving these illegal immigrants a chance to build skills and be productive citizens. Murdock's legal citizenship has brought nothing but damage to this country.
Maybe if you remembered those times someone gave you a chance when they didn't have to, you wouldn't be so hard in your outlook on others.
So now you're bitching about fees charged by Romney as governor on the same day that Obama is charging illegals $460 for applications necessary to get the ball rolling on citizenship. More hypocracy from R. Maddow
Most of the media completely ignored this story today. I think it was one of the most touching and encouraging development in a really long time regarding this democracy.
The unemployment rate among youths, especially black youths, is not high enough for Pres. Obama, it seems.
This legislation will undoubtedly make is more difficult for black American citizens to get a job.