Obama Staffers Propose Methods To Keep Illegal Immigrants In U.S.

by Rory Cripps | August 1, 2010 at 05:56 am

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Staffers at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), have proposed non-legislative alternatives to comprehensive immigration reform which includes protection and extended benefits to immigrants that are in the U.S. illegally.

The proposal, contained in an 11 page memo to USCIS director Alejandro N. Mayorkas, "offers relief options to . . . reduce the threat of removal for certain individuals present in the United States." The memo goes on to state that, "In absence of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, USCIS can extend benefits and/or protection to many individuals and groups by issuing new guidance and regulations."

Proponents of tougher immigration control and enforcement of the current immigration laws, see the USCIS proposal as an attempt on the part of the Obama Administration to thwart Congress and establish a "back door" method to grant amnesty to immigrants that are in the U.S. illegally.

The Washington Times reported that, "The memo suggests that in-depth discussions have occurred on how to keep many illegal immigrants in the country, which would be at least a temporary alternative to the proposals Democrats in Congress have made to legalize illegal immigrants."

The memo was obtained by Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican.

Mr. Grassley said it confirms his fears that the administration is trying an end-run around Congress. "This memo gives credence to our concerns that the administration will go to great lengths to circumvent Congress and unilaterally execute a backdoor amnesty plan," Mr. Grassley said.

On May 11, Mr. Mayorkas testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and confirmed that Administration officials discussed various options that would make it easier for illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. and not be subject to current immigrations laws.

Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican and the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship Subcommittee, told Mr. Mayorkas, "The American public’s confidence in the federal government’s ability and commitment to enforce our immigration laws is at an all-time low." Mr. Cornyn went on to say, "This apparent step to circumvent Congress – and avoid a transparent debate on how to fix our broken immigration system – threatens to further erode public confidence in its government and makes it less likely we will ever reach consensus and pass credible border security and immigration reform.”

Survey data from most major political polling organizations supports Senator Cornyn's contention that the American public's confidence in the federal government's commitment to enforce the immigration laws is at an "all-time low".

Polls indicate that a large majority of American voters want tougher enforcement of the immigration laws and would like to see their states pass laws similar to Arizona's SB1070. Arizona passed SB1070 in response to the federal government's repeated failure to enforce the immigration laws and curb the flood of illegal immigrants into the state. The law allowed local law enforcement to arrest immigrants that were in the state illegally. However, at the behest of President Obama, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, on July 28, issued a partial injunction against most of the tougher aspects of Arizona's SB1070. In her ruling, Judge Bolton stated that SB1070 is unconstitutional, because " . . . the power to regulate immigration is vested exclusively in the federal government."

The Washington Times reports that, new figures from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, indicate that the Obama Administration has stepped up its efforts to deport illegal immigrants convicted of crimes, but removal of "non-criminal" illegal immigrants has slowed so far in fiscal 2010.

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Karen Hatter

at 06:58 on August 1st, 2010

Conservative media have predictably seized on a US Citizenship and Immigration Services memo that outlines possible (my emphasis)"administrative relief options" for immigration reform in the absence of Congressional action. Fox Nation has called it the "Smoking Gun Amnesty Memo."

But while the right-wing media is shouting from the rooftops that this memo proves that the Obama administration is plotting to bypass Congress to grant "amnesty" to the millions of unauthorized immigrants currently in the United States, there's simply no evidence that the administration is planning to take that course.

The rest of the media should take into account the Obama administration's actual immigration policy in reporting on the paranoid claims of those stoking fears over a secret amnesty plan they are inferring from a discussion memo.

For one thing, nobody should report on this memo without noting that the Obama administration is deporting record numbers of unauthorized immigrants, which suggests that if they're looking to avoid deporting people, they've been failing miserably over the past 18 months.

As the Washington Post reported, "removals reached a record high" in fiscal year 2009, and ICE "expects to deport about 400,000 people this fiscal year, nearly 10 percent above the Bush administration's 2008 total and 25 percent more than were deported in 2007."

Moreover, the administration has specifically rejected proposals to halt deportations for large groups of people. ABC News reported on June 15 that "[a]n outspoken group of undocumented immigrants, who have met twice with senior White House advisor Valerie Jarrett to discuss the need for immigration reform, say the administration has rejected a request for an executive order to halt deportations of students who came to the U.S. illegally as young children."

Rory Cripps

at 07:20 on August 1st, 2010

Karen: I've read the memo in it's entirety. It's quite clear what Obama's agenda is re illegal immigrants. If Obama and the Democrats--along with some Republicans--wanted to enforce the current immigration statutes, they would have. But they don't and there is no evidence to suggest that they do. The only thing that Obama has succeeded in doing is to get American military personnel killed in Afghanistan. He is a complete and total failure as a president and I hope to God the American people are smart enough to not be fooled again. And that includes not voting for idiots like Bush also. So don't think that I'm picking on poor little ol' Mr. O . . . .

nanute

at 08:21 on August 2nd, 2010

Judging by Karen's response, I don't know what would make you think she would accuse you of picking on poor little ol' Mr. O.... Your comment suggests that you are in fact picking on him for his lack of enforcement. If it is clear what the agenda is, spell it out for us. Your contention that the administration is not enforcing current immigration law is not supported by the facts. As reported in the NY Times: Over the past year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has conducted audits of employee files at more than 2,900 companies. The agency has levied a record $3 million in civil fines so far this year on businesses that hired unauthorized immigrants, according to official figures. Thousands of those workers have been fired, immigrant groups estimate. Illegal Workers Swept From Jobs in ‘Silent Raids’ - NYTimes.com

With regard to your story, if you were attempting to do an unbiased, "objective" reporting of a news story, it would have been a bit more informative for your readers if you would have included a bit more background. For example: As reported elsewhere, the proposed policy changes were in direct response to members of congress that were seeking changes to help military families that have spouses or family members that are illegal immigrants. A process know as parole in immigration law allows individuals here illegally to stay in the country and go through the formal immigration process. Concern for military families enduring the hardship of having members exit the country and re enter on normal procedure can take up to 10 years in some cases.

In a letter dated July 9th, 18 members of the House, including 9 Republicans asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to make broader use of the procedure noted above among others, to provide some relief to active duty service members and their families.
The policy memo that you reference was generated in direct response to the concerns of members of congress.

Rory Cripps

at 08:38 on August 1st, 2010

Letemdangle: Thanks for your comment! HA! No doubt that many Americans agree with your sentiments and reference to "Socialists". Of course Obama is pushing a "Socialist" agenda. That's not to say that I completely disagree with "Socialists". But the funny thing is that all the "Socialists" out there don't think Obama is "Socialist" enough and even if he were, they'd jump up and down and deny that he's a "Socialist", because to admit that he's a "Socialist" wouldn't be conducive to their ideological agenda nor would it be good PR. LMAO!

t k kidwai

at 08:59 on August 1st, 2010

Obama won't take over US with the illegal immigirants.Obama is not on a Long March with that spirit which was infused into Mao with guns in hand to liberate his people from Japanese empire.Those who were with Mao haven't had the right to vote.Illegal immigirants too are not going to enjoy that right before completion of Obama's second term.

Could any conservative recount how many times illegal immigirants were granted amnesty during presidency of conservative presidents?Double standards won't help either,Democrats or Conservatives.Immigiration issue is an issue which bloody politicians have never even tried to resolve anywhere on earth.Keep the embers glowing,let illegal immigirants stay illegally and work illegally.First try to end illegal occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rory Cripps

at 09:25 on August 1st, 2010

TK: Thanks for your comment! I actually agree with you for the most part. The facts are, that it's getting pretty nasty here in America and millions of Americans are pissed off with the Federal Government. As far as anyone taking over America, that ain't gonna happen unless someone nukes us. If Obama was stupid enough to impose martial law or imported troops from overseas, from, say, China, to put down an armed rebellion on the part of those millions of Americans that are completely and totally pissed off, my money is on the pissed off Americans.

Currently there are vastly more pissed off Americans out there that have plenty of sophisticated weaponry and who know how to use it than there are U.S. military personnel. In any event, if it ever got down to it, the overwhelming majority of military personnel would turn their weapons on the U.S. government and take no prisoners.The more liberally minded among us have no idea, nor do they have any conception, of how absolutely pissed off the average American is over the Federal Government's utter refusal to enforce the immigration laws. And that bearded vet in the Youtube, that was cutting down the American flag, because it was flying under the Mexican flag, typifies the outrage that millions of Americans feel over the immigration issue.

t k kidwai

at 09:53 on August 1st, 2010

Rory,I appreciate your concerns,which are genuine and need redressal.Solution of the problem lies in formulation and implementation of stringent laws with provisions of minimum seven years imprisonment and huge penalty for those who hire illegal immigirants.Once such a law comes into force,couple of employers who are found guilty of hiring illegal immigirants are severely punished,number of such employers would decline rapidly and would throw illegal immigirants out of job.The choices available to these immigirants would be either to starve or go back to the country of origin.But politicians do not want to aggravate their problems by solving common man's probelem.In politics it is survival of the crookest(politically fit)which matters.

Rory Cripps

at 09:52 on August 1st, 2010

Letemdangle: It should be very scary, because all that Obama is doing is pushing the average American so far to the right that the "progressives" will be wishing for Ronald Reagan to come back from the dead in order to pull the country back towards the left. In my lifetime, I've never witnessed so much contempt and distrust of the federal government from the president on down. And I lived through the 1960s here in America. I don't think it's a good idea and conducive to America's future to have a bunch of "right wingers" running the entire government that never met a capitalist "free marketeer" that they didn't like.

YankeeJim

at 07:51 on August 2nd, 2010

Great post RC. I just want the laws enforced, the one's that are on the books.

Rory Cripps

at 09:09 on August 2nd, 2010

Thanks, Jim! There's no question that the Obama Administration has no desire to enforce the immigration laws. And it's not just him--Bush, et al. didn't want to enforce them either. Polls indicate that the political class is completely out of sync with the American voters re enforcement of the current immigration statutes. The polls also indicate that an overwhelming majority of American voters look kindly on legal immigration and they really don't have a problem with it if it's controlled and within reasonable limits.

trans-parere

at 15:31 on August 2nd, 2010

I think after such a long period of relaxed enforcement on immigration policy at the border the issue of "cracking down" is overwhelming to that institution and the federal government. And that it is now counter to a second tier of U.S. employment for both business and illegal migrant. It is one more strata that must be dealt with. The unfortunate aspect is the political which is not, due to the numbers, approximately 12 millions, a left/right debate alone. The illegals are now active and are being supported by Latino unions and activist who all vote. At last count there were 56 or so named unions, employer organizations, religions organizations, labour organizations, ethnic organizations, and civil liberties organizations united in changing U.S. immigration policy. That is a lot of voting toes to step on who do not fit the "Joe average American" mold. "Joe Average" only has one vote and is powerless to argue effectively the forces allied against him/her and that is the root of the resentment and anger towards government. Since it appears neither Democrat nor Republican is listening to "Joe Average" on this issue of law enforcement.

Rory Cripps

at 15:40 on August 2nd, 2010

trans-parere: Let's see how "Joe Average" votes in November. I look at the political polls all the time, and the only polls that really count are those such as Rasmussen (a highly accurate poll BTW) because the organization only polls voters and likely voters. The Republicans want the cheap labor for their corporate masters and the Democrats want the votes from the emerging Latino community. And then there are those that simply want America to be a more multi-cultural nation than it is for purely ideological purposes.