U.S. National Archives/Flickr
A green-card holder crossing the border with his family at Calexico, California, in 1973.
President Obama took another step toward immigration reform yesterday, issuing a new rule designed to keep families from being separated while they go through the process of getting green cards. Under the old rule, anyone who entered the country illegally and then established a family here had to pick up their papers in their native country. That meant leaving the United States -- and their families -- for somewhere between three and 10 years. The new rules allow for a waiver of that requirement.
For those people and their families, the change announced by President Obama matters a great deal. From the New York Times:
Until now, the risks for those immigrants of leaving the United States to return to their native countries to pick up their visas, even ones that were already approved, had been so great that countless families decided not to apply, adding to the numbers of immigrants living illegally in this country. . . .
Like many Americans, Ms. Torres said she expected no difficulty gaining legal documents for her husband once they were married. But after learning about the convoluted visa process, she said, "We have waited because we were just terrified of the separation."
In broader political terms, Obama's decision shows that he is willing to do what he can by executive authority, with or without Congress. Back in June, he issued a new rule that allowed for suspending deportations of young immigrants who were brought to this country as children. As you might expect, conservatives are a couple shades of enraged over it.
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Let the GOP get enraged about it. If they actually did anything it would be a first.
They just better hope Obama doesn't start channeling his inner Lincoln:
Wait, what? The party of "family values" won't support keeping families together??
It's a stealth stimulus, you see; he does decent, humanitarian things, these things send the GOP into apoplexy, said apoplexy causes strain on old-white-male hearts, and as a result both cardiac physicians and morticians see an increase in business.
This is a case where a dysfunctional congress works in Obama's favor. They must compromise and get legislation done in order to stop Obama.
Notice the Oil lobby is quite effective at writing legislation when they want to block executive authority. (Columbia.edu list of actions to block the EPA regarding climate change)
Note how these guys insert the text into unrelated bills to get leverage- eg the language in the Jobs Act. This is why the Senate Fillibuster proposal from McCain and Levin is so dangerous.
glb-
Well, that, yes. But now Mitt won't need to hire new housekeepers, gardeners, pool boys, and car elevator attendants.
Oh, but the cliff bill will prompt the Romneys to hire additonal accountants, lawyers, and yacht-captains-to-haul-more-cash-to-the-Caymans.
Poking wingnuts in the eye with a sharp stick, followed by a boot up their fat ass is FUN.
<a href=" http://www.hollywoodo-1visalawyer.com/
">hahahha very funny buddy </a>
We really need immigration reform. For one thing, all these law abiding people here, living in the shadows, could be contributing to the economy and paying taxes. That's no way for people to have to live; some through no fault of their own. There should be a path to citizenship made ASAP for them.
The GOP needs to address this issue or become obsolete and marginalized. It is not just the practical thing to do, but the moral thing.
Agree. I just wish Voting Rights would be addressed, but its not even on his agenda apparently. And gawd forbid they should all work on more than one thing at a time.
Except a crucial section of the Voting Rights Act has been taken up by the SCOTUS for consideration.
I suspect that isn't exactly the kind of "address" you meant, though, magnolia.
This has me seriously spooked.
The DOJ already has voting rights on its radar. One of the reasons AG Holder didn't leave his post...yet...
Really. How sure are you that they are all law abiding. They broke the law when they decided to come here illegally.
You are just encouraging more illegals to do the same albeit, more and bigger problems for the country.
How about re-scheduling cannabis from Schedule 1 with heroin? That can be done with Executive Order, and would be supported by about 80% of the population... Not to diminish what Obama just did for immigrants, but his reluctance to use Executive Orders seems to be based on the other party calling him a communist, which they will do regardless...
Hear, hear.
The America I knew (from The New Colossus, on the Statue of Liberty):
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "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-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
@ Lebowsky, I'm confused - our corporations have shipped our manufacturing sector to a communist country and China owns a nice chunk of our debt. How can they wank about communism while at the same time relying on a communist nation to shore up our capitalist system? Just think of the effect of profits, if our corporations weren't relying on cheap, unprotected communist labor?
Yes, you know that Communist country where everyone wants everything for free, the free loaders want free health care, decent housing and a job. And they are lazy and do nothing, because everybody knows that socialism and even more so, Communism just makes people lazy free loaders. sarcasm off/
I received an email recently (obviously from a Republican) talking about how Obama has abused his use of issuing Executive Orders, showing the comparison of how many he's ordered versus past presidents. I'm continually stunned by the inability of the GOP to connect the dots. Being the President has to count for something, and his power clearly should be allowed to remain above the simple minded ridicule of those hypocrites to love to tear him down. I say bring 'em on Obama.......especially when it helps move our country toward equality for all.
I suspect that the use of executive authority is inversely proportional to the ability or willingness of Congress to act.
Just to be clear, yesterday's new rule was NOT an executive order from Obama, it was a set of new regulations from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The regs had been worked on for months and open to public comment. It's also not a complete fix -- doesn't address the separation faced by relatives who aren't the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. (Married children of U.S. citizens are left out, as are spouses and children of U.S. permanent residents.)
I think that paving a road for people to be here legally would 100% turn around the airline & housing woes. Gov't could also get some $$ by fines. No brainer. Keep going Obama!!
The undocumented, those in the shadows, that are afraid to tell the police if they have been assaulted or robbed, work at jobs for less than minimum wage, while the guy working next to them makes 3 times what they do per hour, WITH benefits, can't complain about housing, anything, because of the fear of being kicked out. In a turkey factory near here, the undocumented work for 6.00 an hour, no benefits. And the guy next to him gets 15.00 with good benefits for the same job. When the INS came and gathered up the undocumented workers, the turkeys rotted on the line, becasue they didn't have enough people to work. Plus the families of the undocumented workers didn't have any money, couldn't get back to Mexico, stuck in a cold place in the winter, with their kids. the Churches had to help them get through that winter.
I hope they have compiled a list of things Obama can change purely by issuing an executive order. Then they should issue one every day, like an Advent calendar for positive change in this country. Then when said order is announced, Obama can make an address to the nation, explaining what is contained in the order, and why, given total inaction by Congress, he felt compelled to take action.
We live in an already overpopulated country, on a dangerously overpopulated planet.
https://www.numbersusa.com/content/nusablog/moubre/december-28-2012/population-growth-fueled-immigration-puts-us-fast-track-depletion-n
Dear Laura Conaway,
There is a factual error in your post: "the new rules allow a waiver for that requirement." The 1996 immigration reform bill has always allowed US citizens to apply for extreme hardship waivers to waive the 3 and 10 year bars for unlawful presence. These new rules are procedural they do not change the 1996 law, only Congress can enact legislative changes. Prior to the procedural change the immigrant had to return to their home country and submit a waiver to waive the 3 or 10 year bars. Now the waiver can be submitted prior to the immigrants departure to their home country.
Best,
Sade Bonilla
OBAMA PANDERING TO ILLEGAL ALIENS WITH OUR TAXES AND POTENTIALLY USHERING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF POOR FROM OTHER COUNTRIES BEFORE THE IMMIGRATION REFORM DEADLINE.
Republican Congressman Lamar Smith's breakthrough bill (LEGAL WORKFORCE BILL) H.R.2885 is filled with innovations to drive out illegal aliens from labor force, including mandatory E-Verify. For a while it was actually moving in Congress, now the whole policy has gone silent. We really need the Public to yell at their politicians in the state and federal offices, to make this bill a law. A good friend of mine who has three state licenses and two federal licenses for commercial air conditioning and heating has his hands tied because of the weight of Rules and Regulations. In the past his experience would earn him around $5.000 for installation, but now the same job would carry a charge of $15.000. In California he could be heavily fined and lose his license if the stringent laws were not applied. So what has happened, foreign nationals have slipped into this work, without bond or insurance, without the appropriate licenses and stealing legal contractors jobs without undue worry. Pass a well organized and a thoroughly vetted Guest Worker program that must leave on expiry of documentation. Bring to America a limited number of (STEM) workers, who are categorized as high on the career ladder of professional Scientists, Technological, Engineering and Mathematicians. But we MUST exempt the human penniless parasites that come here to live of the taxpayers.
WE MUST STOP COMPLAINING AND STAND UP FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN AND GRAND CHILDREN.
To further expedite the removal of illegal aliens is a bill that would eliminate (BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP) H.R. 140 for children born to illegal aliens in the U.S as introduced by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. Current U.S. law automatically merits the smuggled children have a fabricated right to citizenship. Each year hundreds of thousands annually gain entry into the country for the very express purpose of creating a U.S. citizenship baby, which can become a conduit for many other family members. The U.S. is about 235 years old and in that time when someone was born in the United States they were instantly a U.S. citizen. The 14th amendment was to award the children of slaves and their descendants after the Civil War, not a doorway for foreign children to gain citizenship. The United States offers food stamps, aid to dependent families and free education to citizen children of other nations. Mothers come here to have a child-birth for free and then collect a lifetime of welfare payments. Now a new reality is upon us, with a high population in this nation and with a growing number of impoverished Americans. This country already is unable to properly take care of its itinerant populace, yet Washington keeps encouraging more and more illegal aliens for the benefit of unconcerned business owners. Both bills need recognition and swiftly moved through committees and read on the House floor and then the Senate. Without these two dormant bills are being enacted hundreds of billions of dollars are being appropriated from your payroll checks, for people who remain here illegally.
As I have repeated many times the financial implications for another Path to Citizenship or so named Amnesty is incredulous. The Heritage Foundation after analyzing such a gigantic undertaking has placed the price tag at $ 2.4 TRILLION DOLLARS. Obama must be out of his mind to even suggest yet more spending on the illegal aliens, as to do so is just going to drive more disadvantage people to this country even before such a imbecilic decision is made law. We cannot even get this Congress to sever spending when just the U.S. treasury 16 Trillion dollars and climbing is likely to go forward to the next level. Isn’t it time Washington politicians respect the laws already in the Federal Registry? They all should be tarred and feathered accept for a small minority, who believe in the “Rule of Law” and try to vote accordingly. We need more TEA PARTY representatives in the Congress, which are true to their word and will carry out the wishes of all THE PEOPLE. Our country is annually being placed on a slave auction block so lawmakers can offer special favors to the elites and all the special interest groups.
If you want further advice and information and are ready to investigate the lies of both the Democrats and Republicans, check out TEA PARTY, NUMBERSUSA, ALIPAC, JUDICIAL WATCH, FAIR, VDARE and AMERICAN PATROL. The American people should realize it is time for Public Campaign Contributions and not the theft of our liberties by the special interest groups of moneyed lobbyists, the wealthy, big unions, foreign governments, The United Nations, corporations (Domestic and International) and a whole range of other entities wrecking the tenets of this sovereign nation.
We need a labor force willing to work and pay taxes to get this country back on its feet. Bring 'em in, put 'em to work, tax 'em!
Just remember that Obama has set a precedent on the use of executive orders and the next republican president will be sure to follow suit and maybe even take it a step farther in the name of conservatism. Then, when dems cry fowl, we can just say,
"Remember Obama."
Is that what you want?
The GOP has been enraged since Pres. Obama was elected ...they did all they could to defeat him and keep him to a one term president but the people liked him and wanted him back. Now they will be enraged for the next four years...OH Well....deal with it reps.
It's about time we did something about our hypocritical immigration policy. For years we have quietly encouraged illegal immigration with a wink of the eye because we enjoy the fruits of the cheap labor. (If you ever live in a house or shopped at grocery store or eaten at a restaurant you have benefited from this cheap labor.) So is it right to keep these people in the shadows forever, without right, basically a national underground slave labor?